Planning a big conference? We’ve been there, specifically at Cvent CONNECT, our own flagship event that brings thousands of attendees together each year. In this blog, we’re pulling back the curtain on how we make it happen. From getting teams aligned and building out content, to promoting the event and finalizing tech and prep strategies, we’re sharing what works (and what doesn’t) so you can bring those lessons to your own event planning.

Why It Matters

Big events like user conferences are powerful, but also complex. Planners juggle timelines, tech, teams, and outcomes. At Cvent, we host thousands at our annual flagship, Cvent CONNECT, and we want to share some of our tips and tricks with you.

Here’s what we’ve learned to simplify planning while driving strategic alignment, accelerating growth, and delivering events that truly move the needle:

Plan with Purpose

• Set Clear Goals Early: Before booking a venue or designing a theme, define what success looks like. Are you driving product adoption, community building, or brand awareness? Clear goals guide every downstream decision.
  
  
• Align Your Team: Ensure everyone, from marketing to operations, works toward the same outcomes. Use shared project management tools and weekly check-ins to stay synced.
  
  
• Promote with Precision: Not all attendees are the same; your content and promotion should reflect that. Create targeted messaging for different groups—like prospects, customers, executives, or partners—so you’re speaking to what matters most to them. This helps drive relevance and engagement, setting up your event for even more personalized experiences with AI.
  
  
• A Seamless Journey: Think Beyond the Event Day. When planning your event, it’s important to consider the full experience, from arrival to departure. Don’t forget about travel and hotel logistics, as these can significantly impact attendee satisfaction. Tools like Passkey help manage room blocks and streamline the booking process, ensuring a seamless experience for your attendees before they walk through the door.

Use Tech to Simplify

• Automate the Basics: Let technology handle repetitive tasks like registration, session check-ins, and feedback collection. This frees your team to focus on high-value activities.
  
  
• Leverage AI for Personalization: AI can recommend sessions based on attendee interests, analyze engagement, and help with logistics like room assignments. It’s all about using technology to create smoother experiences and keep things running seamlessly for your attendees and your team.

Set the Stage for Success

• Centralize Communications: Use a single source of truth for updates, task lists, and day-of details. It reduces confusion and improves execution speed during crunch time.
  
  
• Keep Stakeholders Aligned: Regularly share timelines, KPIs, and status updates. Dashboards can help give execs and partners a clear line of sight without extra meetings.

Turning Insights into Impact

• Focus on high-quality leads: Not all attendees are equal—use engagement data like session attendance, booth visits, or app interactions to identify your most interested prospects and identify which moments resonated most with attendees. This helps your sales and marketing teams to focus on where it matters most.
  
  
• Segment and personalize follow-ups: Break down your leads into categories based on their behavior, interests, or role. For example, a C-level attendee who joined your product roadmap session deserves a very different follow-up than a first-time user exploring basics.
  
  
• Nurture beyond the event: Your flagship event shouldn’t be a one-and-done moment. Repurpose top-performing content—like keynotes, panels, and demos—into email series, thought leadership, or product education to stay relevant and continue the conversation.

By improving how you plan and execute your flagship events, you're not just making things easier, you're creating the space to focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional experiences that empower your attendees. Remember, people don’t remember entire events; they remember the key moments that made an impact. By embracing this approach, you’re crafting innovative experiences that will leave a lasting impression and drive meaningful business results.

Check out our  on-demand webinar where we go behind the scenes of Cvent CONNECT, covering the key strategies and insights to elevate your flagship events. Watch now to learn more.