We are back with our August Member Spotlight. The purpose of this series is to highlight and acknowledge stand-out individuals within Community. The idea is that these Cvent users will be able to provide some insight and perspective around their roles, industries, and how they use Cvent. Our team will be hand-picking these individuals based on their Community involvement and Cvent expertise.
With that said, our next Member Spotlight features... (insert drumroll sound effect)
Meet Julie-Michelle
I’m primarily a Texan, but went to college in Las Vegas (UNLV – class of 2007) and did my internship in Orlando (Disney) followed by a work contract in Guam after college. I started working in events in 2004 running VIP events at a casino in Vegas. From there, I moved to Mandalay Bay Convention Center where we saw so many events in play (“small” events were under 200 rooms peak night, tons of city-wide events, more basic events, and over-the-top displays).
By 2011, I was working at a luxury hotel in Dallas working in special events (primarily corporate, but did assist with some social events as needed). I got promoted in 2012 to Convention Services Manager in charge of the NBA, NHL, and entertainment groups. The hours got long and stressful, and I had an air mattress at my desk so I could sleep in the small gaps of time I had at work.
In 2014, I left the hotel world and began working as a corporate event planner for a small insurance company that worked with large-scale contractors. I implemented Cvent with the company and took off running with websites and event apps. In 2017, I won the Cvent Plannie Mobile Maverick award – a huge highlight in my career as I was single-handedly creating and operating the mobile app. In 2018, I began working at a third-party company planning pharmaceutical meetings then moved to Wolfgang Puck Catering a few years later (all while running weddings on the weekends).
Julie-Michelle is also an active member in the following Community user groups: Cvent Beginner, Event Talks, System Admins, Third Party Event Planning Agencies.
You can find and connect with Julie-Michelle on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliemichelledavis1/
@Kameron Kidd was able to have a chat with Julie-Michelle and ask her some questions.
Can you share a little about your current role at the company you work for?
In August 2022, I began working with American Express Global Business Travel. My responsibilities have slowly increased with Amex GBT and I’m happy to be back working with Cvent and the Advocates program in my role
How long have you been using Cvent and what products do you currently use?
I began working with Cvent and CrowdCompass in June 2014. There’s a gap in my usage from 2018-2023, but I’m back to using it (and adjusting to the changes made in those 5 years) in my current role. At this time, I’m only using the registration platform, but will likely have more exposure to other products as my role continues to evolve.
Do you have a favorite event or venue that you've been to?
MPI WEC and Cvent Connect are my favorite events. Any time there’s a large group of event planners put together, the red carpet gets rolled out and there are a lot of things that get put into play that give me amazing ideas for future events. I also l appreciate being in an attendee role to see things through their eyes so I can better plan how to prevent frustrations to attendees. Grand Hyatt DFW is one of my favorite venues to plan at – I was there a couple of times a year with the insurance company I worked with, so the staff and I got to know each other and there was a massive level of trust and respect. Pelican Hill was probably my favorite location to use as the entire property was gorgeous and serene.
Do you have a favorite Cvent article or training that you think really helped you be successful with Cvent technology?
I’m currently working my way through all of the Cvent trainings and certifications. I still utilize the Cvent library and user groups to look for answers to things that I need help with when needed.
Are you Cvent certified and if so which certifications do you hold? Do those certifications help you train others? Have they played a role in advancing your career in some way?
Currently, I have Virtual Events, Attendee Hub, Event Management Advanced, and Event Management. I should complete Event Marketing Strategy, CSN Venue Sourcing, Diagramming and Seating, Passkey-Planner, Hybrid Events, Systems Administrator, and Account Administrator by the end of the month. The certifications do help me to learn the various components of the platform so I can let clients know what’s out there for utilization. Oftentimes, I only utilize portions of the products, but it helps to know what can be done. Certifications haven’t necessarily advanced my career, but have likely played into getting hired at a couple of places. Being at my current company for less than a year, it stands to be seen how it’ll play out in the long run, but for now, I’m known as someone with experience and expertise which can only benefit me further down the line.
How have you helped others within your organization be successful with Cvent technology?
At the insurance company, my backup was our Executive Admin. She came into her role with no knowledge of Cvent. I began by showing her some basics to make small changes or send invitations. She slowly began to delve deeper and learn more on her own. After I left, she became the guru in charge and helps to handle most of the platform.
For those who are just starting with Cvent, what advice would you share with them?
Utilize the trainings and online resources. Also, join the Cvent Celebrity advocates program – beta-testing is a great way to learn what’s in the pipeline and also provide feedback on new systems. User groups are also a great way to reach out and ask questions. Often, just because something can’t be done in the platform doesn’t mean there’s not a workaround that someone has that you can benefit from.
What is your favorite Cvent feature and why?
Reporting links. It drove me nuts to have to drop what I was doing to run a report for a stakeholder as they tend to have a knack for asking at the most inopportune moment. Setting up links they can use themselves and also automating reports to be emailed out at regular intervals has saved me so much time that I’m able to better utilize in other capacities.
Huge thanks to Julie for her time and contributions to the Community. We're looking forward to seeing what you can accomplish in 2023! As a small token of appreciation, Julie will receive a Cvent care package.
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