Reggie Aggarwal, CEO and Founder of Cvent, opened Cvent CONNECT Europe last wednesday with a keynote that framed the meetings and events industry around three practical priorities: navigating economic and geopolitical uncertainty, accelerating AI adoption, and unlocking measurable event-led growth. Aggarwal linked these industry imperatives to the enduring value of in-person experiences, illustrated with a brief personal anecdote connecting life’s memorable moments to the business value events create.

AI, uncertainty and event-led growth at Cvent CONNECT Europe

Aggarwal positioned Cvent’s response around product, platform and go-to-market measures. On AI, he introduced CventIQ, a suite of embedded intelligence and analytics, and highlighted new tools including Session Snapshots (live transcripts and slide captures), Session Insights (automated session summaries), an AI Response Assistant for faster RFP replies, and an AI 3D Event Designer for instant, to-scale venue layouts.

To address uncertainty and tighter resources he pointed to Cvent Essentials, a streamlined solution for small, repeatable events, and enhancements to the webinar platform aimed at video-first audiences. Aggarwal framed these developments as productivity enablers rather than replacements for human creativity, concluding: “The future may be digital-first, but it will always be human-led.”