IBTM launches podcast New in Events

New in Events is a new podcast by IBTM, which brings you new episodes every fortnight. For episode one, hosts Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook visit Cvent’s European headquarters to chat with the technology firm’s European Marketing Director, Felicia Asiedu. 

Role of technology

In the first episode of New in Events, Asiedu talks about technology’s evolved role in the day-to-day lives of meetings and event planners. She discusses whether or not virtual events still have a future, why she hates the terms ‘hybrid’ and ‘do more with less’, plus offers her advice on how to keep audiences better engaged. 

“We have to think harder about what tech, what digital pieces, why, when and for whom,” Asiedu says. “As an event organiser, if you can plug into the reason why people come to your events - even ask them outright and then use technology to help them connect with the right people or achieve their objectives, they’re much less likely to object when handing over their data. Data-driven insights have become a real value exchange, which has to feed into their ‘whys’.”

Asiedu then goes on to share insights from Cvent’s annual Planner Sourcing survey of European MICE planners and reveals some of the biggest challenges facing organisers for the year ahead. 

AI integrations

She also reveals plans for future AI integrations into the Cvent platform. “We aim to introduce AI as a time saver for more manual tasks. We’ll then look at how AI can help write RFPs and responses to RFPs as we know that’s a big pain point between planners, hoteliers and venues.”

Asiedu concludes by talking about event accessibility and how planners need to work more closely with registration data to determine what additional elements may be required to cater for individual needs. "As an industry, we’re already leaving people out of our events so we have to be thinking about how to bring those people in. Understanding how many extra BSL interpreters are required is just one aspect of that," she notes. 

Season One

Each episode of New in Events runs for around 30 minutes so you can pick up new ideas, new insights, advice for newcomers, and new ways of working while on the go or taking a well-earned break. 

Season One also features bonus interviews from the show floor at IBTM World 2023 in Barcelona. In the opening episode, Catherine Southall, Head of Business Development UK & Ireland, American Express GBT Meetings & Events, discusses the findings of Amex’s 2024 Global Meetings and Events Forecast.