10 August, 2021 – The higher education sector in the UK and Europe is now actively embracing digital transformation in order to support their recruitment drives, increase reach and engagement and enhance student and alumni event experiences, according to meetings and events technology provider, Cvent.

Cvent CMO Patrick Smith said: “In recent years, higher education institutions have begun to embrace technology to drive efficiencies, increase student engagement, manage alumni events, and grow revenue for their departments and institutions. During the pandemic, higher education institutions relied on virtual and hybrid events to connect, engage, and interact with their various stakeholders. Cvent's event marketing and management platform provides marketers and event organisers within the education sector with the tools they need to support critical recruitment drives, alumni donation efforts, and deliver more impactful meetings and events, whether they be virtual or in-person.”

Cvent has many higher education clients in the UK and Europe including: Imperial College London, London School of Economics and Political Science, University College Birmingham, University of Bristol, University of Edinburgh, University of Portsmouth, International School of Brussels, New Zealand Academy of Digital Dentistry, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and the University of Duisburg-Essen, among others.

During the pandemic, virtual open days have been a way for institutions across the UK and Europe to engage with prospective students during lockdown restrictions. In the UK, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) found that over half of respondents (59%), from their recent survey, had attended a virtual open day, with the majority saying they had taken part in one or two. 

In the post-pandemic environment, where in-person, virtual, and hybrid event options are likely to be expected, technology will now be essential for organisers in the higher education arena to engage prospective students, alumni, donors, and other important attendees more effectively. For campuses that support meetings and events including recruitment and freshers’ fairs, open days, faculty and alumni activities, fundraisers, international cultural events and more, leveraging event technology saves valuable time, freeing up resources to enhance outreach and engagement efforts. For attendees, it creates a seamless, personalised experience – both online and in-person.

The University of Portsmouth shifted to virtual events during the pandemic, utilising Cvent’s Attendee Hub to support recruitment events for under 16’s, under-graduates and post-graduates. Cvent’s technology enabled the university to easily connect with students online; reaching more than ever before, customise the user experience, support prospective students’ post-event and streamline processes across various departments. Overall, 16 events were hosted with 394 sessions, 9,376 registrants were recorded and 642 one- to -one appointments booked.

"By going virtual, we had the ability to reach more prospective students across time zones and more flexibility to offer more events during times that wouldn't have been conducive for face-to-face,” Kate Dunstone, Postgraduate and CPD Recruitment Manager, University of Portsmouth explains.

She adds: "Our guests have shared that their virtual experience has exceeded their expectations, from the ability to connect via one-to-one appointments with course leaders to the ability to access the information after the event. This has been an absolute gold star for what we’re trying to do from an attendee experience perspective.”

For future events the University of Portsmouth intends to produce blended experiences which include in-person campus open days and virtual online sessions and meetings. Sophie Dear, Head of Marketing and Campaigns says: “We would run a series of small student-led campus tours, so they have the chance to visit the campus, but the conversations and all the content with their tutors and other staff would happen virtually in the platform.”

Additional Information

In connection with the Business Combination, Dragoneer has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which includes a preliminary prospectus and preliminary proxy statement. Dragoneer has mailed a definitive proxy statement/final prospectus and other relevant documents to its shareholders. This communication is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, the definitive proxy statement/final prospectus or any other document that Dragoneer has sent to its shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. The information filed by Dragoneer contains substantially more information about Cvent than is being furnished with this communication and may contain information that an investor will consider important in making a decision regarding an investment in Dragoneer securities. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF DRAGONEER ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IN CONNECTION WITH DRAGONEER’S SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR ITS EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD TO APPROVE THE BUSINESS COMBINATION (AND RELATED MATTERS), AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO, AND THE EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH SOLICITATION BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES TO THE BUSINESS COMBINATION. The definitive proxy statement/final prospectus has been mailed to shareholders of Dragoneer as of the record date of October 29, 2021 for voting on the Business Combination. Shareholders are also able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/prospectus, without charge, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Dragoneer Growth Opportunities Corp. II, One Letterman Drive, Building D, Suite M500, San Francisco, California, 94129.

Participants in the Solicitation

Dragoneer, Cvent and certain of their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of Dragoneer’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. DRAGONEER’S SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PERSONS MAY OBTAIN, WITHOUT CHARGE, MORE DETAILED INFORMATION REGARDING THE DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF DRAGONEER IN ITS ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020, WHICH WAS FILED WITH THE SEC ON MARCH 31, 2021 AND IN ITS QUARTERLY REPORTS ON FORM 10-Q FOR THE QUARTERS ENDED MARCH 31, 2021, JUNE 30, 2021 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2021, WHICH WERE FILED WITH THE SEC ON JUNE 21, 2021, AUGUST 16, 2021 AND NOVEMBER 15, 2021, RESPECTIVELY. INFORMATION REGARDING THE PERSONS WHO MAY, UNDER SEC RULES, BE DEEMED PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES TO DRAGONEER’S SHAREHOLDERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND OTHER MATTERS TO BE VOTED AT THE SPECIAL MEETING ARE SET FORTH IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE BUSINESS COMBINATION. Investors and Dragoneer’s shareholders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the Business Combination of Dragoneer’s directors and officers in Dragoneer’s filings with the SEC, including the Registration Statement filed with the SEC by Dragoneer, which includes the proxy statement of Dragoneer for the Business Combination, and such information and names of Cvent’s directors and executive officers are also in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC by Dragoneer, which includes the proxy statement of Dragoneer for the Business Combination.

Forward Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our projections of the future, which are subject to a number of risks. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future events, such as the proposed Business Combination between Dragoneer and Cvent, including the timing and structure of the transaction, the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the Business Combination, the PIPE and the Forward Purchase Agreement, the amount of funds available in the trust account as a result of shareholder redemptions or otherwise, as well as statements about the composition of the board of directors of the company. We cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this communication will prove to be accurate. These forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, among others, the general economic, political, business and competitive conditions; the inability of the parties to consummate the Business Combination or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement or any related agreements or could otherwise cause the transaction to fail to close; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties following the announcement of the Business Combination and the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination; the ability of existing investors to redeem the ability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval from Dragoneer’s shareholders, or the risk that the approval of the shareholders of Dragoneer for the potential transaction is otherwise not obtained; the failure to satisfy other closing conditions in the Business Combination Agreement or otherwise, the occurrence of any event that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement; the failure to obtain financing to complete the Business Combination, including to consummate the PIPE or the transactions contemplated by the Forward Purchase Agreement; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination; the impact of COVID-19 on Cvent’s business and/or the ability of the parties to complete the Business Combination; the receipt of an unsolicited offer from another party for an alternative business transaction that could interfere with the Business Combination; changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, including as a result of a delay in consummating the potential transaction or difficulty in integrating the businesses of Dragoneer and Cvent; the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of Dragoneer or Cvent as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; the ability of the Company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the post-acquisition company’s securities on Nasdaq following the Business Combination; changes in applicable laws or regulations and delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain regulatory approvals required to complete the Business Combination; costs related to the Business Combination; and other risks and uncertainties, including those to be included under the header “Risk Factors” in the registration statement on Form S-4 filed by Dragoneer with the SEC, those included under the header “Risk Factors” in the final prospectus of Dragoneer related to its initial public offering and those under the heading “Summary Risk Factors” in the investor presentation filed as Exhibit 99.3 to Dragoneer’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 23, 2021. Furthermore, if the forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In addition, you are cautioned that past performance may not be indicative of future results. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not rely on these statements in making an investment decision or regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this communication represent our views as of the date of this communication. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication.

Disclaimer

This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Business Combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer or securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.

INVESTMENT IN ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY NOR HAS ANY AUTHORITY PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.