6Connex | Case Study | PROIDEA

6Connex Helps PROIDEA Bring 1200+

International Cybersecurity Professionals Together for Annual CONFidence Conference

Founded in 2004, PROIDEA is an event management company that specializes in organizing exhibitions and conferences in the IT and technology sectors. For the last two decades, PROIDEA has successfully designed and produced everything from event web application design and development… to branding, promotions, and media… to event attractions and afterparties for some of the world’s most well-renowned organizations.

After two decades of event planning and with an event portfolio that includes Cisco Forum, innovation @ amazon, and HackYeah, PROIDEA now boasts a robust network of 2,000 technology companies, 500 IT experts, and 50,000 specialists, making it the go-to resource for end-to-end event concept ideation and production as well as for event speaker and partner sourcing.

The Challenge

Since 2005, PROIDEA has organized the CONFidence event, attracting international cybersecurity professionals including infosec specialists, managers, and government and finance representatives to Europe for two days of deep-dive technical knowledge, networking, open skill-sharing, and entertainment. Given the long history of the

event and its reputation for enticing agendas that feature groundbreaking thought leaders and best-in-class partner organizations, CONFidence has built a large community, and conference attendance typically exceeds 1,000 participants.

From 2015 to 2022, PROIDEA leveraged Eventory by 6Connex to manage the in-person event, with a pivot to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite achieving success with a virtual format, however, event organizers believed in-person networking was one of the conference’s most valuable attractions and were therefore anxious to revive this feature and return to an in-person setting in 2022. But the decision to return to an in-person setting wasn’t without concerns. Having normalized the virtual experience, many event stakeholders worried that in-person attendance and partner sponsorships would be substantially less. Furthermore, given the volatility of the COVID-19 virus, there was also speculation attendees would forego committing to attend in-person out of an abundance of caution.

The Solution

The team agreed to manage their expectations and set a goal to attract 600-800 attendees to the Museum of Polish Aviation in Krakow, Poland for CONFidence 2022.

To increase the value of the event, PROIDEA coordinated discounts for hotels. Furthermore, they provided travel tips for attendees, such as where to eat and what to see, to increase the attraction of in-person networking and community building outside of the event.

Recognizing that compelling content is also an important component to attendance, CONFidence organizers built a robust agenda that included three separate tracks, all headlined by top talent. Explained Paulina Tomaszewska, PROIDEA’s Head of Communications, “When you make well-recognized industry experts and media influencers available, people want to see them in person.”

PROIDEA knew that when planning such a complex event, it’s crucial to organize and manage all event activities and facilitate communication with attendees in one platform. Having repeatedly used Eventory by 6Connex to host CONFidence in both in-person and virtual formats and achieving their desired results each

“Eventory is the only application on the market that met all our needs. Everything is in one place –registration, tickets, schedule, etc.”

time, they turned again to Eventory technology. With its state-of-the-art features and functionality at their fingertips, the event organizers were able to easily create a landing page for the event, sell tickets, handle unique registrations, and manage the extensive agenda. In the platform, they also created 50+ speaker profiles and were able to make sessions available for viewing on demand. Tomaszewska sums up, “Eventory is the only application on the market that met all our needs. Everything is in one place – registration, tickets, schedule, etc.”

Highlights included: Event Ticketing and Registration

The Eventory by 6Connex ticketing module proved to be of exceptional value, as PROIDEA was able to create 10 unique ticket types and automatically schedule ticket sales based on specific timeframes and in accordance with ticket amount limits. Event attendees were able to use two different payment methods, and funds were deposited directly into the event organizer’s accounts. PROIDEA also implemented a discount code strategy using a dedicated module for one-time and multiple use codes. Tomszewska shares, “We were able to easily check registration numbers and observe trends, which allowed us to customize and improve our marketing and promotions.”

In addition to attracting a large audience, PROIDEA worked hard to attract CONFidence event partners and ultimately secured 66. Using Eventory, each partner was able to create an individual profile in the platform within a dedicated category to increase their exposure. PROIDEA also benefited from the Eventory solution, as they could import partner profiles from previous events,

Leveraging a custom integration between Eventory and the CONFidence event landing page, PROIDEA was able to display the event schedule in real time. Explains Tomaszewska, “We didn’t have to rely on a website administrator to change the landing page. We could simply make an adjustment in Eventory, and it was instantly reflected on the page.”

CONFidence attendees enjoyed a dedicated Eventory mobile application that served as a personalized event guide with up-to-date schedules, engagement features, push notifications, networking options, a venue map, chats, and more. In addition, attendees were able to communicate with speakers via a builtin email system, and to keep participants engaged, PROIDEA used in-app QR codes to drive attendees to the partners’ booths and invite them to take part in a QR code treasure hunt.

Event Surveys

PROIDEA used Eventory to survey attendees and gauge not only the success of the CONFidence 2022 event, but also to rate event speakers and thus inform future conference agendas.

The Results

More than 1,200 people attended CONFidence 2022, and engagement was high: 1,300+ ratings were given on lecture-based content.

Event partners too were equally satisfied, as many mid-level and senior programmers were in attendance. Tomaszewska points out, “Programmers at that level are a hard group to target, and our partners were pleased with the lead generation, both from a marketing and a recruiting perspective.”

PROIDEA credits its long-standing partnership with Eventory by 6Connex for a smooth implementation, seamless event management, and peace of mind for event organizers. Tomaszewska summarizes, “Everyone really loved the event, and it was clear the community missed meeting in person. Our participants had the opportunity to gain practical skills, analyze high profile cases of cyber-attacks from around the world, and learn how cybercriminals operate. Experts of international renown presented and in keeping with the spirit of CONFidence, they oversaw lively discussions. And of course, behind all this positive energy was our talented team and the right technology for the event.”

Everyone really loved the event, and it was clear the community missed meeting in person.

Our participants had the opportunity to gain practical skills, analyze high profile cases and learn how cybercriminals operate.

About 6Connex Virtual Event Solutions & Event Tech Our Digital Experience

6Connex is the leading provider of in-person, hybrid, and virtual event technology for enterprises worldwide. Our cloud-based product portfolio includes in-person event apps, virtual venues, webinars, learning management, and more. Designed for corporations in need of engaging with communities in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid fashion.

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