Meetings technology provider Cvent brought together industry professionals across Europe for its annual conference, Cvent Connect Europe. Day one of the conference (5 October), was hosted as a hybrid experience, held at the InterContinental London – The O2, delivering one event with two unique experiences for both the in-person and virtual audiences. Day two of the conference (6 October), offered an immersive, interactive fully virtual experience for attendees, hosted on the Cvent Attendee Hub™.

Cvent CEO & Founder Reggie Aggarwal opened the conference with a look back at the last 18 months and offered his insights on the pandemic-driven innovation and evolution that have transformed the MICE and hospitality industries. Aggarwal said: “The pandemic has been a catalyst for innovation that I believe will change the face of our industry.”

He summarised the driving forces behind the industry’s massive transformation into four key pillars:

1. Rapid digitisation of the industry
2. Evolving roles of planners, hoteliers, and attendees
3. The triple threat of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events
4. The arrival of the continuous event
 
According to Cvent, together, the four pillars present a new events landscape and engagement economy where the opportunities to engage and interact have multiplied and the event channel has become more valuable.

“After pivoting to a completely virtual event in 2020 due to the pandemic, it was great to be back in London and to bring our industry together for a unique hybrid experience after what has been a truly transformational time,” said Patrick Smith, chief marketing officer at Cvent.

Additional conference highlights include:

– Cvent Technology: Attendees could experience the company’s latest technological innovations, including the  Cvent Attendee Hub.

– Peer-to-Peer Networking: In-person attendees enjoyed ample face-to-face networking opportunities to engage with their peers including an evening event experience, hosted at The Londoner Hotel, a brand-new boutique hotel located in Leicester Square.

– Educational Content & Expert Keynotes: More than 40 breakout sessions, expert keynotes, and roundtable discussions were featured during the conference.

All the sessions from the event are available on-demand on the Cvent CONNECT Europe website. Registration to view the content is free and open to anyone.