CVENT Connect 2025 and the Rising Fortunes of Corporate Events

What's on the Agenda?

If you’ve ever been handed the keys to a system you were expected to master without training, you know the feeling: dashboard blinking, pressure mounting, instinct telling you to just coast. That’s the exact moment Cvent CONNECT was built for. It’s not just a conference. It’s a driving school for the people who operate the most complex machine in the modern marketing stack—the event.

At this year’s CONNECT, 10,000 people are strapping in. Four thousand are doing it in person in San Antonio, the other 6,000 are tuning in virtually. And right there, before a keynote is even delivered, you’ve got the message: hybrid isn’t transitional anymore. It’s institutional.

The new gold mine is holding your customers close with spectacular face to face and effective hybrid events.

But here’s what makes this moment bigger than San Antonio: CONNECT is part of a much larger movement. It’s one of a growing class of corporate-owned, community-powered user conferences that are quietly becoming the most effective branding and loyalty platforms in the business world. Events like Dreamforce, INBOUND by HubSpot, Workday Rising, and Adobe Summit aren’t just showing off features. They’re onboarding customers, activating superfans, and solidifying ecosystems.

And it’s working. The corporate events industry is now valued at over $325 billion, expected to reach nearly $600 billion by 2029, growing at over 10.6% CAGR. User group events aren’t just riding that wave—they’re driving it.

What Cvent has done—quietly, methodically, relentlessly—is build a loyal following by focusing not on spectacle, but on utility. And at CONNECT, the utility is the show.

The agenda reads like a manual for the modern planner. “Training Camp: The Passkey Powerhouse” turns room blocks into a science. “Supplier Network Strategy Unlocked” is where RFPs go to get faster. “Driving ROI with Event Data” isn’t just for CMOs—it’s for the people who have to defend their budget to finance. “Cvent AI in Action” offers live tools—not vaporware—with real automation walk-throughs.

The keynotes follow suit. Erik Weihenmayer, who summited Everest blind, talks about navigating risk through trust and preparation. Melissa Proctor, CMO of the Atlanta Hawks, delivers a playbook on brand loyalty and audience emotion. And then there’s James Van Der Beek, who surprises the room with a compelling take on reinvention and experience narrative. It’s not gimmicky—it lands.

But maybe the real keynote happens between sessions. Because this event is for the people who don’t usually get the stage. The hotel rep who knows Passkey better than some engineers. The planner who’s lived inside the platform for three years without ever being taught how to use it strategically. The agency lead who just got access to real data for the first time. It’s their conference.

Of course, it’s not without blind spots. Sustainability is still way down the list. Mental health gets passing reference but deserves its own track. Accessibility and DEI are present, but still need higher visibility and deeper resourcing. In a conference built with so much operational clarity, those omissions feel like unfinished corners.

Still, CONNECT delivers on what it promises. The Innovation Pavilion is buzzing. The Certification Lounge is actually full. CMP credits are being earned. Platforms are being tested. Attendees are walking out of sessions not with inspiration—but with screenshots.

And when the programming ends, San Antonio turns into the offsite campus. The River Walk becomes the evening’s expo floor. Planners gather at The Esquire Tavern to whisper what they really think of the roadmap.The Thompson rooftopbecomes a C-suite salon. There are dinners that aren’t on the app, parties that didn’t need RSVPs, and post-demo brainstorms that may just change someone’s 2026.

Reggie Aggrawal

And at the center of it all is Reggie Aggarwal, Cvent’s founder and CEO, who still walks the floor like he’s doing customer service calls. I’ve known Reggie for 25 years. Watching what he’s built—then watching him stay visible, curious, and connected—is something I don’t take lightly. He’s not playing a role. He’s leading.

So yes, Cvent CONNECT is a user conference. But it’s also a learning engine, a loyalty tool, a career accelerator, and a high-performance test drive for people who are used to riding shotgun. This is where the planner, the partner, the ops lead, the marketer, and the analyst all get behind the wheel.

And when they leave—with certs, tactics, connections, and one very messy bar napkin full of action items—they don’t feel like passengers anymore. They’re driving.