Cvent CONNECT Europe ready for BIG Community Conversation in London and Frankfurt

Meetings industry technology provider Cvent has said it has a list of leading MICE associations and membership groups lined up to participate in its The BIG Community Conversation panel on 6 October at the company’s annual conference, Cvent CONNECT Europe. Cvent said 2,300 industry professionals have registered for the multi-day hybrid experience. Joining The BIG Community Conversation session will be representatives from The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO), Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Event & Visual Communication Association (EVCOM), International Corporate Events (ICE), Meeting Professionals International (MPI), Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) and New Intent – a recently launched DE&I and environmental action advocacy organisation. There is a sharp focus on DE&I issues and topics for discussion include  how senior leaders can find diverse talent, and how people from marginalised groups feel once they become part of the industry. Heather Lishman, ABPCO director, said: “Cvent CONNECT is a key date in the European event industry calendar.  It offers unique learning opportunities, ranging from top level keynote speakers covering issues that impact us all to highly focused industry specific sessions that develop core skills.  I look forward to seeing many of our members there in October.” “We’re proud to bring the industry’s key associations together and provide a dedicated forum to facilitate open and honest discussion on the topics that are vital to the future of our industry,” said Felicia Asiedu, senior marketing manager at Cvent Europe. Cvent CONNECT Europe is open to all MICE, hospitality and marketing professionals and will provide both in-person and virtual experiences. The event programme includes 45 breakout sessions. Running parallel to the conference agenda will be the Leadership Summit, an invitation-only programme bringing together senior event and marketing leaders from across Europe to share their ideas and discuss best practices that can inform strategies and plans to maximise business impact in 2023 and beyond. Also running alongside the main conference agenda is FF15, a mentoring programme for women in the events industry, that will bring its mentees and mentors together for an interactive session dedicated to confidence building exercises and upskilling. And the Cvent Europe Excellence Awards programme ceremony will also be broadcast live to a virtual audience across Europe. This year’s hybrid event will take place 4-6 October and will offer both in-person and virtual experience. The in-person event will be hosted at the InterContinental London – The O2. Cvent will also host an in-person experience in Germany on 5 October at the Frankfurt Marriott Hotel offering local attendees the opportunity to view and engage with live sessions streamed from Cvent CONNECT in London. The Frankfurt event will also include localised breakout sessions and networking opportunities with peers and industry experts. For more information or to register, visit the Cvent CONNECT Europe website.