"Prove the Value of Your Events": A Coffee With Felicia Asiedu, Cvent

by Dana Lee on 21st Oct 2026 in Video Interviews

In this episode of A Coffee With... Felicia Asiedu, marketing director, Europe at Cvent, joins ExchangeWire's John Still over a latte to chat technology and measurement in the live events space.

Live events have been experiencing a boom. Cvent CONNECT Europe and ExchangeWire's ATS series across London, Singapore, Tokyo, and Dubai reflect the demand for real-world interactions and human connection in a post-pandemic AI era. The resurgence of events has been bolstered by clearer categorisation and measurement, bringing them beyond brand awareness into the performance space.

Felicia explains how Cvent turns events from "black holes" into digitally trackable channels by integrating attendee data into core marketing and CRM tech stacks. While AI tools enhance team efficiency and cross-platform data analysis, AI content is often perceived as inherently untrustworthy. This further elevates the value of in-person experiences to establish authenticity and earn a reputable brand name.

The Live Events Boom

The clearer categorisation of smaller moments – not just large conferences and exhibitions – as events have enabled them to secure a spot in meetings and events budgets, where they might previously have been hidden in sales or marketing budgets. Despite economic scrutiny on marketing spend, businesses are also recognising that in-person gatherings remain worthy of investment.

Events technology has transformed events from unmeasurable brand exercises into performance- and data-driven channels by enabling granular end-to-end tracking. Information such as email open and abandonment rates, on-site check-in, and RFID badge scanning can now be quantified, providing useful insights to inform future marketing and events strategies.

Event Journey and Tech Stack Integration

By delineating clear event categories, such as brand events versus lead-generating events, businesses can align their strategies with audience lifecycle stages. Matching specific event formats to the customer journey, such as targeted training during post-onboarding or milestone check-ins ahead of contract renewals, encourages higher technology adoption and long-term retention.

It is also important to establish a unified data flow across the marketing stack. Connecting event platforms seamlessly with CRMs and marketing automation systems creates a single source of truth. Through capturing omnichannel engagement behaviour, marketing teams can gain holistic visibility into prospect actions rather than partial, fragmented insights.

AI, Authenticity, and Consumer Trust

AI acts as a major productivity multiplier by synthesising large amounts of data and streamlining content production. The technology enables teams to query deep data lakes via cloud integrations and tools like Copilot, surfacing actionable business insights that were historically hard to isolate.

AI has simultaneously placed a premium on in-person experiences. Real-world interactions create lasting memories and physical credibility that synthetic digital media cannot replicate. As AI content generates scepticism around digital authenticity, live events become necessary vehicles for building trust, creating a strong foundation for lasting relationships.