Interview Andreas Heckmann
"We are only scratching the surface of what is possible".
Andreas Heckmann, Chief Customer Officer at Cvent, at the first Cvent Accelerate in Berlin. Photo: Cvent
Photo: Cvent
Andreas Heckmann has been Chief Customer Officer at technology provider Cvent since April. In this interview, he talks about the growth of the German market, artificial intelligence, the power of human connection and the "golden age of events".
tw tagungswirtschaft: You were born in Germany and live in the USA. At the first Cvent Accelerate in Berlinyou were looking forward to good German bread. Did you get it?
Andreas Heckmann: Absolutely! I was really looking forward to getting fresh, crispy rolls and hearty wholemeal bread at our first German-speaking Cvent Accelerate in Berlin. And I have to say, neither the baked goods nor the event disappointed! Even if there are more and more artisan bakers in the USA, there are still certain things that only German bakeries can offer. My favourite part was the proverbial bread breaking with our participants. It felt like coming home in more ways than one!
It's not just the bakery trade in Germany that is under pressure. The economic slump continues and the mood among companies is deteriorating according to the ifo Business Climate Index in September. And yet: in your keynote speech at Cvent Accelerate on 26 September 2024, you gave a positive outlook for the event business and said: "The market in Germany will grow." What makes you confident?
Despite significant economic headwinds in some sectors, the outlook for the event industry is very positive. We are seeing a significant revival in demand for and investment in face-to-face events. Organisations understand the value of face-to-face experiences. In an oversaturated online and digital market, it is often more cost-effective and authentic to connect with customers, partners and prospects in person. In Germany, the Meeting & Event Barometer 2023/2024 highlights the recovery of the events industry with impressive growth of almost 25% in 2023. Not only has the number of events increased, but also the number of attendees. In 2023, more than 300 million people attended face-to-face events nationwide, an increase of almost 70% on the previous year. Our own data confirms this: in Cvent's Top Meeting Destinations 2024, three German cities rank among the top 10 in Europe: Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich.
You organise the major user conference Cvent Connect in the USA, Cvent Connect Europe in the UK and Cvent Accelerate in Singapore, Sydney, Dubai and Berlin. Why are you focussing on Berlin? Especially as the conference country "D" - unlike other countries - has not yet reached its pre-corona level ...
Germany is a global economic power and a centre for innovation, which makes it a key region for us. On the one hand, we see immense growth potential and, on the other, the specific needs of the German-speaking market. Although the German market has not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, the industry forecasts are consistently positive. We want to help our clients to be at the forefront of this recovery and capitalise on the continued increase in demand for events. Organising local events such as Cvent Accelerate and having a German team on the ground will play a key role in this.
Photo: tw tagungswirtschaft
"Technology is the answer.".
Andreas Heckmann, Chief Customer Officer bei Cvent
Because of the high prices, ROI (return on investment) is becoming even more important for event organisers. Did the first Cvent Accelerate at the Estrel Berlin pay off for you?
A resounding yes! Cvent Accelerate Berlin allowed us to connect with more than 250 key decision makers and industry leaders. We were able to deepen relationships, share industry best practices and discuss how we can better help attendees succeed. We also gained valuable insights into their daily challenges. This enables us to create better content and improve our products in the long term. It was also very important for us to emphasise Cvent's commitment to the German market and to fulfil our ambition to be an important partner in supporting the growth of the MICE industry. I believe we can rightly claim that we have succeeded in this.
Cvent Accelerate wants to become the largest conference for event, marketing and hospitality professionals in Germany. How do you intend to achieve this?
Our aim is to steadily grow the conference. To achieve this, we will be focussing on three factors: Firstly, hyperlocalisation: we are adapting our content, as well as our exchange among experts and networking sessions, to meet the challenges of German and German-speaking event and hospitality professionals. Secondly, innovation: The event landscape is changing faster than ever. We will provide participants with the knowledge and tools to utilise these new technologies to their advantage and achieve lasting success. Third, community building: Our goal is to foster an industry network that strengthens connection and education long after a conference ends, with access to on-demand sessions, whitepapers, webinars. This also includes local partnerships that help us strengthen our customer base and presence in Germany.
Although Cvent is a tech provider, you did without a live stream in Berlin. Why?
Although we did not offer a virtual component at Cvent Accelerate live, we subsequently enabled access to the majority of the sessions. These are available via the Cvent Attendee Hub until 15 January 2025. For Cvent Accelerate Berlin, we have deliberately opted for a pure presence event. Participants should be able to fully engage with the content, network and build strong connections. However, we are keeping an eye on this: as Accelerate grows, we may expand the format so that we can reach our regional audience in the best possible way. At Cvent, both virtual and hybrid formats are an important part of our event portfolio. It is important to choose the event format that best supports the requirements and objectives. The value of live streaming becomes clear at large conferences such as Cvent Connect and Cvent Connect Europe with several thousand virtual participants.
Is there already a save-the-date for Cvent Accelerate Berlin 2025?
Our date for Cvent Accelerate Berlin 2025 has not yet been finalised. We hope to be able to announce it soon.
About Cvent
Cvent is a leading provider of meeting, event and hospitality technology. Founded in 1999, the company has 5,000 employees and has supported 7.1 million events for its 22,300 customers worldwide. Cvent is a platform for event marketing and management and a global marketplace. The company offers software solutions for event professionals such as online registration, hotel and venue selection, virtual and on-site solutions and attendee engagement. Venues use Cvent's procurement platforms to win more event business.
Photo: Cvent
You observe that only 30 per cent of MICE enquiries are answered by hotels and venues, which is why the money in hospitality is lying on the street. How can the money be saved?
The combination of staff shortages in venues and the increasing demand for events has created a challenging dynamic between event planners and hospitality professionals. Both sides are looking to grow their business with fewer resources. We see that the hotels that utilise technology for their processes have more time to build relationships to generate recurring MICE business and gain loyal customers. Planners are more likely to choose venues with which they have a relationship of trust. Therefore, understanding individual customer needs and investing in customer relationships is becoming increasingly important. Digital tools such as virtual walk-throughs or 3D diagrams allow planners to visualise their events remotely, speeding up the decision-making process and keeping planning costs down. Cvent's new suite of AI-driven tools enables venues to respond to RFPs much faster and more efficiently by automating parts of the process, such as customised responses. This reduces time and costs.
At Cvent Accelerate, participants discovered new technologies. Which new technologies should event professionals have on their radar?
According to feedback from our attendees, our AI innovations and tech tours were the highlights. Given the hype around AI, this is no surprise, but at Cvent we really focus on the practical AI applications that are seamlessly integrated into our existing tools. They make them more powerful and enable our customers to use AI in their everyday lives without the need for training. We have presented more than 20 AI-powered initiatives - from AI writing and diagramming assistants to chatbots and event intelligence. Our tech tours give our attendees a deep understanding of the onsite event tech journey; from registration and RFID scanning to lead capture, real-time event data and post-event surveys.
At the Cvent Accelerate conference, the AI innovations and tech tours are particularly popular with participants. Photo: Cvent
How do you feel about artificial intelligence in event management?
AI has the potential to revolutionise event management, make processes more efficient, improve attendee experiences and provide deeper insights through data analysis. But without the practical application of AI, it will never live up to our high expectations. Although I am a technology enthusiast myself, I am quite critical of the hype that can be seen everywhere. In the end, AI must bring real added value. AI can help with personalised recommendations, bringing together participants with similar interests and automating routine tasks. This allows event planners to focus on the strategic and creative aspects - and AI can then support them in the implementation. In addition, AI-driven analytics provide insights into attendee behaviour and preferences and can help organisers make data-driven decisions to continuously improve their events.
For you, technology is a transformative force that leads to greater performance. Do you have a specific example - and how open-minded are the Germans to it?
There is a growing willingness in the German event community to accept solutions that not only optimise processes but also demonstrate event ROI. Success stories from clients such as Proske show that German companies are increasingly recognising the value of integrated platforms and are willing to adopt technology that increases efficiency, delivers tangible results and drives growth. Proske previously relied on a customised event tech solution that met their needs but lacked the scalability and automation for growth. Manual processes led to inefficiencies and a higher risk of errors. There are many such examples and there is no doubt that the German market is open to technology. I see the ball in our court here. We will work hard to ensure that more and more companies recognise this added value and use this technology profitably for themselves.
This year, Cvent is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Since 1999, the US company has supported 22,300 customers in more than 100 countries with 7.1 million events. This means that you have an insight into the event business worldwide. What three trends and developments do you recognise?
AI momentum: Generative AI is changing the way we work, think and act, making it easier to automate tasks, create compelling content, analyse data and more. This trend is sure to continue to grow very quickly. Event technologists: Integrating technology into events, this emerging position combines event planning expertise with a deep understanding of the technology ecosystem. It will be a highly sought-after skill and specialised position. We are already seeing event technology management - or even executive positions - in many organisations. Inclusion: Accessibility is a fundamental aspect of responsible and inclusive event planning, both in person and online. Almost 87 million Europeans live with disabilities, and with the European Accessibility Act coming into force on 28 June 2025, it is essential to prioritise digital content so that it is accessible to all people.
"We will see a development where an event doesn't just have a beginning and an end. I firmly believe that in the future, events will be interlinked and merge with the overall customer experience."
Andreas Heckmann, Chief Customer Officer bei Cvent
While Cvent founder and CEO Reggie Aggarwal has built up his company over the last 25 years, you have made a career at SAP. How did he convince you to switch from SAP to Cvent?
During my professional career, I have drawn energy and inspiration from contact with people. Events with clients and colleagues or annual offsite strategy meetings with my team have always been the absolute highlights. I have delivered or commissioned hundreds of client events and internal events, and am deeply convinced that nothing beats the power of human connection. When the opportunity arose at Cvent, it was an opportunity to balance my penchant for technical innovation with my passion for events and customer relationships. Through my global role at SAP, I gained a lot of international experience and understanding of local enterprise software requirements - and the timing to join Cvent couldn't have been better. My goal is to drive Cvent's international expansion, strengthen our regional expertise and create a suitable structure for our growing global customer base. Cvent is on the cusp of much greater growth. I am delighted to be a part of it.
For Reggie Aggarwal, we are living in the "Golden age of events". Do you agree with him?
Yes, the power and influence of events has increased significantly due to accelerated digitalisation. We now have more opportunities than ever before to engage our attendees and reach a wider audience. While in-person events are back at the forefront, hybrid and virtual formats are essential to this new event landscape, while innovations in AI continue to optimise efficiency and empower industry professionals to create richer and more engaging experiences. I predict that we will see an evolution where an event doesn't just have a beginning and an end. I firmly believe that in the future, events will be interlinked and merge with the overall customer experience. In my opinion, we are only scratching the surface of what is possible.