Identify Event Types & Registration Requirements.
In this step, it's all about planning out which events to build. Look at your events to see which make sense to recreate as a starting template.
Don’t assume you need to recreate every single event on your Current Events list. The goal is to keep the number of templates you need low, as this is what you’ll rebuild and, like mentioned above, continue to copy.
For example, your organization may host one large conference and many small trainings throughout the year. You're likely looking at buliding two templates: one for your large conference and one for your small training. From there, you can copy.
Fun fact: in Cvent, approximately 90% of all events are created via copy.
TIP: Reference the Flex Features page for the full scope of what's on the roadmap.
Develop a Transition Strategy.
Identify Roles & Responsibilities
It’s important to think through who is impacted by this change. The “who” might just be you, and your transition timeline is determined solely by you. Or, maybe you have a small handful of users and you’ll be working together through the transition.
We recommend either breaking it up by template (aka type of event) or by area of expertise. For example, maybe you’re the one determining the agenda items, so you can work within Event Details, and your primary communications POC can focus on the Email Designer. Or, for your organization, maybe it makes the most sense to base the transition off who takes which templates. If you lead the annual conference and your colleague manages the trainings, work in the events that match your area of expertise.
Important: If you have a large group of users that require a structured project plan and enterprise-wide communications, we recommend referencing the Flex Transition Toolkit for helpful templates and guidelines.
Establish Timeline & Priorities
Now it's time to prioritize the order in which you'll build your events. It’s all up to what makes the most sense for your unique organization.
- Starting by launch date. Do you have an event coming up soon that is ready to be launched in Flex? It might make the most sense to start here.
- Starting by feature availability. If you have events that don’t require a robust feature set, get started with those! Then, they’ll be ready to go for future copying.
- Starting by complexity. You can start with a simple or complex event. Keep in mind: You can start with your complex events first, like your annual conference or exhibition, even if they can’t be launched at this time. As we discussed, starting to build now will save you time down the road when new features are released.
Determine How You Get the Value.
Take time to identify room for improvement within your events. You’ve taken trainings, know your timelines, and reviewed your old events. Now it’s time to think, “What can we improve as we make the move to Flex?”
TIP: Reimagine your events in Flex. It’s more than “lift and shift”, but rather a great time to revisit templates and learn about how you can optimize them.
Flex offers greater functionality than ever available in Cvent Event Management, such as being able to reorder your registration process or choose how many registration pages you want your event to have. Maybe you want to offer session selection before gathering contact information. Maybe you want to ask one registration question on every page instead of having all questions in one section. The world is your oyster. Go play around and explore your options.
It’s important to set SMART goals to help you track success for your evolution. You want to make these specific so that your goal is direct, measurable by adding in quantifiable success, attainable by making sure your goal is realistic and you have the tools you need, relevant that it aligns with your company’s mission, and time-based so your goal has a deadline. An example of a SMART goal when moving to Flex could be Customize X event's 3-page registration process in Flex by the end of 2020.
Your team at Cvent is here to help.
Always remember you have the option to consult with your Cvent Account Team on how your organization should approach this, and always keep our 24/7 customer support team in mind for questions along the way.