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  • Events Industry 2023, Wrapped: Our Top 10 Most Popular Blog Posts

    Events Industry 2023, Wrapped: Our Top 10 Most Popular Blog Posts

    As we close the door on 2023 and prepare to launch into what will undoubtedly be another busy year in the events industry, we’re excited to take a look back. Throughout the year, the RainFocus blog has helped event leaders stay ahead of the curve. We provide thoughtful advice from our seasoned executives on the most impactful trends, as well as quick practical tips for navigating the day-to-day work of planning and executing events around the world. 

    To cap off our journey through the year, we’re counting down our top 10 most popular blog posts in 2023. Join us as we revisit these highlights and the trends that defined the year in the events industry: 

    10. Everything You Need to Know About Badge Printing

    Event success comes down to the details. To the uninitiated, badges may seem minor compared to elements like booking keynote speakers or planning a massive welcome party. But attendee badges perform a critical function. Is pre-printing or printing on demand more efficient? How should you differentiate access types? This quick guide helps your team zero in on the right choices.

    9.  The Path Forward: JR Sherman and Alicia Tillman Reflect on Pandemic Pivots and Events’ Value in Any Economic Climate 

    RainFocus INSIGHT gives attendees expert guidance on the most important events industry trends, opportunities, and challenges for the year. This blog post recapped the fireside chat between RainFocus CEO JR Sherman and Alicia Tillman, RainFocus board director and current chief marketing officer at Delta Air Lines. No matter the size of your company or your events, these experts’ reflections on customer journeys, budgets, the future of virtual events, and more continue to resonate.

    8. Early Bird Pricing Strategy: The Logic and Science Behind Scarcity and Value

    Another evergreen favorite, this post dives into the strategy behind offering early-bird pricing for your event. With events under pressure to deliver ROI and meet attendance goals, it’s more important than ever to hit the ground running with a strong response to your special offers for attendees who register early.

    7. Conversations: A Look at Today’s Event Trends with Ashleigh Cook 

    The Conversations series, a signature part of the RainFocus blog, features candid Q&A sessions with RainFocus’ most knowledgeable executives. This 2022 post with Ashleigh Cook, now our CMO, zeroes in on opportunities and challenges that continue to factor heavily into events leaders’ planning. Readers found valuable advice on everything from attendee engagement to smart content reuse to ongoing efforts to increase personalization.

    6. Fifteen Points of a Great Recap Video

    After an event wraps, it’s time for measurement, analysis, marketing and sales follow-up … and putting together a fun recap video to showcase your success and keep the enthusiasm going. Readers appreciated the detail in this blog post and the provided client examples.

    5. How to Structure Cancellation Fees at a Conference

    Like badge printing, early-bird pass offers, and recap videos, cancellation fees represent another event element that may seem minor but can have a big impact. Balancing ongoing relationships with financial realities — and making the whole process as efficient as possible — requires the right approach. This popular blog post covers all the nuances.

    4. What Should You Look for in a Modern Event Management Platform?

    When exploring options for any new technology, buyers often turn to leading analyst firms’ reviews and reports comparing leading platforms. This year, Forrester compared RainFocus and 13 competitors for The Forrester Wave™: B2B Event Management Technology, Q1 2023 report, and we were named a Leader. But this popular blog post is about more than boasting — it also lays out a few key recommendations from Forrester’s analysts for what to look for in any B2B event management technology.

    3. How to Supercharge Your Marketing Channel With Event Data

    Omnichannel marketing is making big waves this year in the events industry, so it’s no surprise that this blog post ranked near the top in popularity. The end of third-party cookies, meanwhile, has spotlighted the importance of zero- and first-party event data like never before. Best of all, we also co-wrote an entire (free!) e-book with Adobe if you’re ready to take the next steps.

    2. A First Look at RainFocus INSIGHT 2024: What to Expect 

    It’s clear the excitement around RainFocus INSIGHT continues to build! Since this post was first published, we’ve also released a lot more information about the event. Check out the session catalog and preliminary speaker list, bonus excursion offerings, and more. There’s still plenty of time to get the primer through this blog post and then register to join us in Salt Lake City.

    1. How to Harness the Power of Events to Drive Business Growth 

    Finally, our most read blog post in 2023 — by far — tackles a universal, timely theme. Whether or not your organization faced budget cuts and other economic challenges this year, turning to your events channel to fuel marketing and sales success is a smart strategy. Our experts delved into exactly how to make sure those events deliver maximum (and measurable) ROI. For even more guidance, check out the accompanying free e-book!

    We’re looking forward to another year of bringing you another year of thought-provoking discussion and practical guidance on the blog. We can’t wait to see what 2024 brings!

  • Optimizing Small Event Registration to Increase Attendance 

    Optimizing Small Event Registration to Increase Attendance 

    Small event programs have been growing over the past three years. In fact, at the start of 2026, 36% of event professionals said they planned to add more small events. Recent responses to our Events and Marketing Strategy Survey, which covers organizations’ 2027 plans, show that the number has risen to 46%.

    But adding more events means competing with your contacts’ already busy schedules. To get their attention, you need to present a compelling case for rescheduling their regular meetings and daily tasks. Here are some best practices for sending successful invitations: 

    Send the Invite From the Right Source

    Although your organization’s name might be enough to inspire some invitees to register, a personal conversation is much more effective. Rather than using your company name, consider sending the invite from an executive or an account owner. The more familiar a name is, the more likely your intended audience will click through the email and register. 

    Specify Who Will Be There

    Naming the promised speakers and others who will be at the event to prospective attendees is one of the best ways to convince them to attend. Relevance and detail are critical. Simply noting that subject matter experts (SMEs) will be in attendance is less enticing than specifying how many SMEs will be there, the products they specialize in, and (ideally) who they are.

    Personalize Your Invitation With Preference Data

    It’s likely the people you want to invite to your event have already interacted with your organization. Each interaction signals interest. Evaluate contacts’ past behaviors to determine what your audience is most interested in. For example, customers who have clicked on ads for a specific product are likely more interested in a field event on the topic. By integrating your event management platform with your CRM or CDP, you can use those preferences to appeal to different groups. 

    Make It Easy to Say Yes

    To successfully increase registrations for small events, eliminate as many barriers to entry as possible. Set up SSO to help invitees begin their registration without needing to create a new account. Include an ‘add to calendar’ option. Translate your registration form for different regions. Email attendees the address the day before the event. All these practices reduce friction, making it easier for invitees to attend. 

    Ensure Brand Recognition Across All Events

    With each new event you add, and each new event owner you hire, you run the risk of a one-off experience that does not meet your brand standards. Too many variations can cause attendees to disconnect the event from your brand or lose interest. 

    Lock down your small-event templates to ensure consistency across every experience. RainFocus and Adobe offer an integration that allows individual event owners to set brand elements such as logos, colors, images, and text to ensure every event follows company guidelines.

    Every small event is a chance to deepen customer relationships. When these experiences are intentionally connected to your overall brand strategy, the branding is consistent, and barriers to registration are removed, your audience is much more likely to register. The more you connect these events to your broader customer journey, the stronger your small event program becomes. 

    For more insights on how event teams are thinking about small events, read the 2026 Mid-Year State of Events Report.

  • How to Prevent Registration Abandonment 

    How to Prevent Registration Abandonment 

    The average registration abandonment rate across all events currently sits around 33%. That’s a third of your potential audience that has been distracted or dissuaded from joining your event. Event technology can reduce registration abandonment. The best strategies depend on the reasons that attendees are leaving your registration forms.

    Top Reasons Attendees Fail to Complete Their Event Registration

    Here are three of the most common reasons for registration abandonment and the ways that modern event technology can help combat them:

    Reason #1: They get distracted while filling out the form. The easiest roadblock to address is distraction. Attendees often begin filling out your registration form and then receive a message from a co-worker or a knock at the door that drives them away. Then their schedule gets busy and they forget about the partially filled registration form. 

    Some simple ways to prevent interruptions include shortening your registration form, implementing a single sign-on (SSO) strategy, or creating a one-click entry into the event. 

    SSO allows your customers to register with the login credentials they use for another tool. You can use SSO to pull customer information so that attendees don’t have to enter details like their name, phone number, or email. 

    One-click entry is a quick way for attendees to register for invite-only events when you already have their information stored. They receive an email with a single link to register. Once they click the link, the event is added to their calendar, and they are marked as registered.  

    Reason #2: They skip out once they see the price of the event. The event ticket price can be the deciding factor for those who weren’t sure about joining your event. Pre-applying discounts to target attendees can make the price feel more manageable. Sometimes, just seeing a discounted rate is enough to persuade registrants to complete their registration.

    Another strategy is to offer registrants a discounted group rate that makes it cost-effective and easy to register multiple attendees at once. RainFocus offers group and guest pass management that allows organizations or individuals to purchase multiple passes and distribute them as they see fit. 

    Reason #3: They have not yet gained the approval needed to attend. Lack of approval is the most difficult registration abandonment reason to address. Many organizations have long offered templates for attendees to “convince the boss” to allow them to register by explaining the value of the event. Now, AI tools can make these forms even more personalized. For example, Salesforce uses an Agentforce-powered feature that writes letters of recommendation for Dreamforce registrants based on their role and industry.

    What to Do When Attendees Abandon Their Cart

    Even with the best technologies and strategies in play, attendees may delay completing their registration for weeks or even months, especially if they’re awaiting approval to attend the event. Here are some actions to take in the meantime: 

    1. Run a retargeting campaign. 

    Integrate your event marketing platform with your marketing automation platform (MAP) to trigger a follow-up email whenever someone abandons their registration. MAP integrations are also helpful for follow-up communications, ensuring that only those who haven’t registered are prompted to do so.

    2. Notify your sales and client success teams.

    There’s no better follow-up than a friendly personalized reminder from a familiar contact, such as a quick email or agenda item on their next regular call. Registrants are far more likely to follow through on an invitation from someone they know.

    Once again, integrations are key. Set up an integration with your CRM to give account teams a clear picture of who has registered and who is stalled. 


    3. Use drop-off identification to place attendees where they left off.

    Once attendees return to complete their registration, use drop-off identification to get them back to where they left off. Rather than forcing registrants to start over, drop-off identification recognizes returning registrants and skips them ahead in the flow. This reduces the likelihood that they will drop off again and prevents duplicate records.

    Registration abandonment is rarely the result of a single cause, and there’s no way to avoid it altogether. The best action that event professionals can take is to implement technology to reduce friction, automate reminders, and increase personalization. RainFocus is fully equipped to meet these registration challenges. Learn more about our registration capabilities here.

  • Prompting Best Practices to Maximize MCP for Event Planning

    Prompting Best Practices to Maximize MCP for Event Planning

    Model context protocol (MCP) provide rich context for event planning by defining which tools your AI platforms can access and how they should function. Rather than inputting data to your AI, MCP profiles pull data directly from your event management platform, saving your team time. 

    In an earlier post in our MCP profile series, we defined what MCP profiles are, outlined potential use cases, and explained how to start using them. In this post, you’ll learn how to prompt AI to make the most of your MCP profiles. 

    Make Prompts Specific 

    First, specificity is important. Your first prompt should clarify what platform you would like the LLM to draw information from and offer enough details — including dates, times, locations, and other attributes — to conduct the task efficiently. 

    Example: 

    Non-specific prompt: 

    “Help me build my event schedule, ensuring no speakers are double-booked.”

    Specific prompt with details:

    “Use RainFocus to help me organize my event schedule. Ensure no speakers are double-booked. Book the panels before noon each day. Don’t overlap sessions with similar topics. Schedule keynote sessions on the mainstage at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m. for an hour each.”

    Address Missing Event Data

    Even the best written prompts will lead to a dead end if data is missing. For example, data on attendees, speakers, and exhibitor information is often partially entered. With the right prompts, MCP profiles can help you fill in gaps with customer and partner information from your CRM or CDP. Include instructions for how to treat empty form fields so that missing information does not create challenges with communication and reporting. 

    Example: 

    Data gaps not addressed: 

    “Pull a CSV list of all registered attendees for me to share with my marketing team.”

    Data gaps addressed: 

    “Create two CSVs for me: one with the names and emails of all those who have registered and another with the names and emails of those who are partially registered.”

    Define Output Format and Limitations

    Though MCPs provide direct access to your data, your AI tool may not always structure responses exactly how you want them. Defining the length and format of your desired output improves the response. This is particularly important for use cases such as composing an email, filling in missing session information, or summarizing session feedback. Many LLMs default to paragraph format, which sometimes conflicts with character limits or overall readability.

    Example: 

    Without the format defined: 

    “Provide me with a summary of attendees’ survey responses.”

    With the format defined:

    “Provide me with a bulleted summary of attendees’ survey responses. Each bullet point should be no longer than 350 characters. The summary should not exceed ten bullets.”

    Learning to use MCP profiles effectively increases event teams’ productivity. Rather than exporting a spreadsheet or copying a codebase for various tasks, they can use RainFocus’ MCP profiles to publish AI-generated content (e.g., session details, abstracts, exhibitor information, registration forms, surveys) to the platform without leaving their LLM. Over the course of the event planning process, this capability saves significant time and effort.  

    Learn more about RainFocus’ MCP profiles.

  • How to Use Analyst Reports When Evaluating Event Technology 

    How to Use Analyst Reports When Evaluating Event Technology 

    Each year, independent research firms evaluate event management platforms, highlighting vendors’ strengths and weaknesses. Their reports often serve as a valuable reference for teams undergoing a search process to select their next event platform.

    But although the reports can help narrow down the options, they need to be considered in the context of each team’s individual needs. Rather than comparing rankings to see which platform is best, buyers should ask, “Which platform is best for us?”

    Here are some tips for sorting through analyst reports and using the most relevant information to identify the ideal event platform for your organization. 

    Decide Which Criteria Are Most Important

    When preparing their reports, each major research firm uses a different set of criteria. They all require vendors to submit a variety of product details, roadmap plans, customer validation, and data. Understanding the nuances that make each report different allows you to compare their top criteria to your own. A few significant reports released this year are:

    Keep Your Existing Tech Stack in Mind 

    Independent research firms do an excellent job of listing exactly which integrations each event management platform has. From there, you can directly compare with your existing tech stack to determine which platform will operate best with it. Sales and marketing integrations in particular are important for maximizing the business impact of your next event platform. 

    Ask Vendors for Customer Evidence Connected to Report Claims

    The research for analyst reports typically includes customer validation, but the specifics and the names often do not appear in the report. As a next step, look into whether the customers that participated in the report share your needs, event portfolio, industry, or other attributes. Use the customer validation aspects of analyst reports as a starting point for vendor conversations. You may discover alignment, or find that, for example, the customers who praised the platform have an event portfolio dissimilar to yours.

    Analyze the Full Product Map

    Finally, give extra attention to vendors’ product roadmaps. Analyst reports include this information, but because their questionnaires to vendors differ, each report may share different facets of companies’ product roadmaps. 

    Combined, these reports offer comprehensive insight into vendors’ future plans. When you decide on your preferred vendor, your team will likely be using that vendor for several years, so it’s important to know what is available now as well as what is in development. Consult multiple reports, and get more information on the parts of the roadmap that matter most to your team. 

    Year after year, RainFocus is recognized as a leader across all major analyst reports. At the same time, we always encourage companies to carefully compare the content of these analyst reports to determine whether RainFocus is a fit for their organization. If RainFocus is already on your shortlist of vendors to evaluate, request a demo to learn more.

  • The Case for Adding Your Sales Kickoff to Your Corporate Event Platform

    The Case for Adding Your Sales Kickoff to Your Corporate Event Platform

    Sales kickoffs (SKOs) happen every year, setting an important annual foundation for the sales team and the entire organization. 

    However, SKOs are often managed on one-off platforms, and many sales teams rely on standalone registration tools that require supplemental spreadsheets and email threads. As a result, leaders get a good idea of who showed up at the event, but not much else. They don’t know which sessions were attended or which roles were most engaged.

    With the SKO disconnected from their corporate events, they also have no way to compare sales readiness to sales-driven event attendance. This lack of visibility is a significant gap given how much the SKO and the sales team’s readiness can shape performance.

    The Hidden Costs of Disconnected Tools

    Many teams believe they are saving money by delivering SKOs outside of their core event platform. However, when data lives in multiple places, reporting requires manual reconciliation. That’s time that could be spent strategizing instead if they incorporated the same integrations and workflows their team has already refined for other events.

    There’s also a procurement cost. Bringing in and managing a separate vendor for an internal event means another contract and ongoing effort. A more straightforward approach is to use the same platform that your events team is already familiar with. 

    Engagement Data Provides Maximum Value

    SKOs are a unique opportunity to gather the entire sales organization — and other stakeholders — in one place as they move through a structured program. With advanced event technology, you can learn which sessions had the highest attendance, which reps stayed engaged, and which dropped off. 

    Without a platform built to capture engagement data, you’re left with attendance headcounts and post-event survey scores. With the right infrastructure, sales leaders and event teams can see SKO engagement by region, business unit, or role, and use that to assess readiness and improve the program the following year.

    The new RainFocus Sales Module,  makes having a single platform for both corporate events and your SKO even more impactful. Sales can get the training they need, nominate key business contacts to attend events, and engage with those contacts through a familiar platform tied to their CRM. Every event interaction can be measured by leadership. 

    What Good Platform Support Looks Like for a Sales Kickoff

    The right platform for a sales kickoff covers event aspects that are easy to underestimate until they become problems with the wrong platform.

    • Registration and segmentation. Look for customizable registration forms, the ability to assign sessions based on attendee attributes, and strong segmentation capabilities.
    • Mobile and on-site experience. SKO attendees need to navigate their schedules in the moment. A mobile app with their personalized agenda, combined with smooth on-site check-in, gives your reps everything they need in the palm of their hand.
    • Reporting and data. SKOs generate attendee data with value beyond the event itself. Attendance rates by session, engagement by region or business unit, and KPI dashboards that show event progression give sales leaders and event teams the information they need to improve.
    • Content management. Even for internal events, managing session submissions, reviews, and approvals benefits from a structured process. A platform that supports this workflow keeps content organized and auditable.

    The Case for Consolidation

    The incremental cost of adding your sales kickoff to your existing platform is almost always lower than maintaining a separate tool. More importantly, your sales org becomes part of the same picture as the rest of your event portfolio, and you can start drawing more detailed connections between sales readiness and business outcomes.

    RainFocus is built to deliver your SKO alongside your other company events, eliminating the need for extra procurement cycles, data downloads, or new integrations. Request a demo to see if RainFocus is a good fit for your organization.

  • How AI Agents Create a Frictionless Experience for Attendees

    How AI Agents Create a Frictionless Experience for Attendees

    What gets people to an event? For some attendees, the “big attractions” — the famous keynote speaker, the eagerly anticipated major product announcements, the VIP networking outing — are the main draw. Others want to forge new industry connections and build their knowledge in a dedicated environment. 

    Regardless of their goals, all attendees want a memorable, fulfilling event experience. But in return for their investment of time and money, they also want to minimize frustration. Even minor schedule snags and missed opportunities can compound over the course of several days at a conference. These impressions erode overall event satisfaction, no matter how impressive the session content or parties.

    An always-available helper

    With an unlimited budget, giving every attendee a personal on-call expert who can instantly answer any question would be a fantasy solution. In the real world, the latest AI agents — especially when backed by accurate knowledge and trusted data privacy protections like RainFocus’ new Concierge Agent — are the next best option. 

    Concierge Agent, one of the growing number of powerful agents within the RainFocus Nexus AI ecosystem, serves as a virtual expert that gets attendees the information they need as they plan their schedules and maximize their time at the event. Even at the biggest, most complex conferences, attendees can quickly create an experience that works best for them and their event goals, and avoid wasting any time wondering about practical on-site information.

    We’ve identified some of the most common points of friction and overwhelming decisionmaking for event attendees. Fortunately, asking a well-informed agent a quick question or two clears everything up — while reducing the workload for the humans planning and running the event. 

    Here are a few examples of agent assistance, from schedule planning to on-site navigation:

    Pre-event agenda-building

          “Which of the track sessions happening on Wednesday afternoon should I sign up to learn more about data security?”

          With session catalog data as well as data in their Global Attendee Profile within the RainFocus platform, Concierge Agent makes relevant suggestions in response to questions asked in natural language. Attendees can easily learn about their options while bypassing content less suited to their role and interests.

          Real-time scheduling

                “Is that special guest leadership workshop tomorrow filled already? Can you reserve my spot now if there’s still space?”

                Agents can take action on behalf of attendees after providing relevant information, saving them time while respecting their decisions and permissions. Because Concierge Agent is informed by the latest event information, it can communicate real-time availability and last-minute changes. 

                Simple on-the-ground guidance

                  “Which room will the orientation session for new attendees be held in?”

                  “I’m hungry. When and where will lunch be served today?”

                  With exciting jam-packed agendas as they make the most of their time on-site, attendees need each day at the event to run smoothly, even as they navigate large, unfamiliar venues and potential schedule changes. The event mobile app helps keep vital information easily accessible. Even better, attendees can turn to AI agents like Concierge Agent, available in both a desktop experience and mobile experience, to get specific answers and continue on their way.

                  Efficiency drives event satisfaction

                  Thanks to tech-enabled optimization, event attendees already expect streamlined experiences in their everyday lives. For example, when they bring the family to a busy amusement park, they can view live wait times for rides and even purchase timed line-skipping passes. When they pull into the parking lot at a big-box store, their shopping app automatically displays a store map that highlights where every item on their list can be found on the shelves. 

                  So, as attendees plan for your event and then arrive on-site, the last thing they want to do is waste any time figuring things out. 

                  Event satisfaction is driven not only by great content and valuable relationships, but also by an informed, frictionless experience. Learn more about Concierge Agent and other agents in the RainFocus Nexus ecosystem here.

                1. Expectations vs. Reality: Comparing 2026 Event Strategies and Execution

                  Expectations vs. Reality: Comparing 2026 Event Strategies and Execution

                  Each year, our Events and Marketing Strategy Survey helps us understand event teams’ current strategies and plans for the upcoming year. As much as every team tries to stay on top of industry changes, the world of events can change fast, forcing major strategy changes. 

                  Now deep into the second half of 2026, we’re taking a look back at last year’s survey responses and comparing respondents’ plans to real-life event activities, based on our latest benchmark data covering the first half of the year. How closely have event plans for 2026 aligned with execution? Have any unexpected trends reshaped strategies? 

                  Three Planned Strategies That Proved Successful

                  Event format mix: Most event professionals maintained the same balance of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events as they predicted in last year’s survey. Our 2026 benchmarks show that all three delivery types are still running in volume, with no major drop-offs. Virtual events in particular remain well-attended, demonstrating the continued value of this event type. In addition, session attendance is growing, with average session participation above 70%.

                  Increased meeting activity: Meetings were noted as the dominant networking strategy in last year’s survey, cited by 60% of respondents. The latest benchmark data shows meeting participation rates have held up for on-site and hybrid events. Activities per attendee remain especially high at large events (averaging 12–17 activities). Teams continue to focus on agendas that include plenty of networking and other activities beyond sessions.

                  Email efficiency: Marketing emails were the primary channel for event content reuse for 62% of survey respondents. Now, benchmark data shows email marketing is a top AI application for many teams (43%). These two statistics might initially seem disconnected, but in practice, they may point to greater scaling of the email channel and even more content reuse with less effort. 

                  One Event Execution Surprise

                  Lower attendance rates: On-site attendance and check-in are both down from the last half of 2025. Last year’s survey showed that most teams weren’t planning to shrink their event programs. Instead, this dip may reflect market fatigue or increased competition for attendees’ time. We’ll watch the data for the second half of the year. Meanwhile, despite lower attendance, engagement remains high. 

                  The 2026 Events and Marketing Strategy Survey is now open! Share your thoughts and predictions to help us uncover a new set of trends in the events industry. Results of the 2026 survey will be shared during INSIGHT Premiere. Participants will receive early access to findings.

                  To learn more about RainFocus’ benchmarks, visit www.rainfocus.com/platform/performance-strategy/

                2. The Role of Agentic AI in Event Configuration

                  The Role of Agentic AI in Event Configuration

                  Every event program has its own requirements, and meeting all of them often requires learning new processes under pressure. Whether a directive comes from leadership or you’re rolling out a new strategy, there’s a good chance you’ll need to use a new solution you’ve never used before. 

                  This is where AI tools can help. The Knowledge Agent and Configuration Agent, two new agents in RainFocus Nexus, give teams instant answers to all their configuration questions and make setup much easier. 

                  What is RainFocus Nexus?

                  RainFocus Nexus was introduced earlier this year. AI agents serve as users’ teammates, helping to configure events and meet attendees’ needs at scale. Since the introduction of Nexus, we have continued to expand with new agents. In this blog post, we’ll spotlight the new Knowledge Agent Configuration Agent. 

                  Get Detailed Answers to Configuration Questions

                  The Knowledge Agent draws information from RainFocus’ official Help Center documentation to answer your questions about the platform. It uses natural language processing to help you find best practices for your specific event needs. Responses to past questions also serve as additional context for current discussions. If the agent can’t answer your question, the question will automatically be escalated to Client Care directly from the conversation.

                  Let AI Sort Out Details For You

                  The Configuration Agent provides another level of support by handling parts of setup, such as building dynamic speaker and exhibitor task workflows. As with all Nexus agents, the Configuration Agent is built with a human-in-the-loop validation to ensure every experience meets defined standards. The agent automatically applies logic parameters, target milestones, and execution filters to tasks so that the right steps trigger dynamically as circumstances change. In the near future, Configuration Agent will extend beyond speaker and exhibitor workflows to other parts of the RainFocus platform. 

                  Benefits of Using AI for Configuration

                  Deploying agents saves time for busy event teams. 

                  • Changes are made once and applied throughout the platform. There’s no need to click between various modules or tabs to enter information. Your entire workflow is put together in one table. 
                  • Teams can work autonomously. AI reduces back-and-forth conversations with your support team. 
                  • Details never get missed. Due dates, file types, roles, and permissions are important for speakers’ and sponsors’ task lists. Nailing every detail the first time saves you from having to make changes to workflows post-launch or update profiles manually. 
                  • Challenges are documented in a centralized location. Rather than sending requests through email or Slack, teams can stay in the platform to request support. 

                  The Knowledge and Configuration Agents reduce the back-and-forth that slows teams down during setup. Instead of toggling between modules, chasing down answers, or waiting on responses from other stakeholders, you have what you need in one place.

                  When used with the Concierge Agent, which supports attendees throughout their event experience, these agents ensure everyone’s needs are met. Visit rainfocus.com/nexus to learn more or request a demo.

                3. RainFocus Named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Virtual Events Applications 2026

                  RainFocus Named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Virtual Events Applications 2026

                  Virtual events have become one of the most valuable tools for event teams focused on growing pipeline. They reach audiences that in-person events cannot, and when done well, they generate the first-party attendance data that sales and marketing teams need to be successful. How much of that value you capture comes down to platform choice.

                  We are proud to share that RainFocus has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Virtual Events Applications 2026 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US54140026, July 2026).

                  The Impact of Virtual Events on Revenue

                  We believe that an IDC MarketScape dedicated to virtual events applications is a strong indicator that the format has become an essential part of the modern event marketing mix. Our research demonstrates that virtual events are performing well, with a 9% increase in attendance year over year. Because virtual events require fewer logistics to plan, they serve as a powerful tactic for reinforcing larger conferences or summits. The data they provide shows genuine interest from existing and prospective customers.

                  RainFocus is built with a single system-of-record architecture that seamlessly integrates all of an organization’s event data with their CRM, marketing automation platform, or customer data profile. With a comprehensive view of event engagement, organizations can see exactly how virtual events contributed to in-person event engagement, upsells, and new deals. Organizations can also use RainFocus integrations to automate campaigns triggered by real-time intent signals. 

                  “The system-of-record architecture is a differentiator, paired with strong customer satisfaction feedback. The Adobe Experience Platform integration is a plus, as is the ability to support over 100,000 concurrent viewers.” – IDC MarketScape 

                  Virtual Events and AI 

                  Organizations that have a single system of record for their events are far better prepared to maximize AI. RainFocus’ in-platform AI agents can use integrated data to configure virtual events or respond to attendees’ questions. RainFocus’ MCP profiles enable customers to visualize and act on their event data with their preferred LLM. Every AI interaction enriches your customers’ profiles. 

                  The Importance of Safeguarding Data

                  Because virtual events capture a significant volume of attendee data, event teams need confidence that the platform managing that data meets the security standards their organizations and attendees expect. 

                  RainFocus is ISO 27001:2022, PCI-DSS, and SOC 2 certified, and fully compliant with GDPR and CCPA regulations. With a proven 99.999%+ uptime, teams can run virtual events without worrying about the infrastructure behind them.

                  Request a demo to learn more about RainFocus.

                4. Top Tips From Event Pros in Our “Event Perspectives” Interviews: Part Two

                  Top Tips From Event Pros in Our “Event Perspectives” Interviews: Part Two

                  Our Event Perspectives videos share insights from some of the most forward-thinking minds in the events industry. In the first blog post of this series, we highlighted unique advice recent guests offered. This time, we’re focusing on where they converge. Discover what principles came up again and again, regardless of each guest’s company size, event type, or years of experience.

                  1. Use AI Effectively

                  AI came up in almost every conversation. The consensus is that AI should be used intentionally to meet the needs of various event stakeholders (i.e. attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and leaders). Guests warn against unintentionally wasting time trying to experiment with AI. 

                  “Don’t use AI for AI’s sake,” said Hannah Elston, senior manager, partnerships, marketing, & communications, of Event Leaders Exchange. “Every use case should be relevant and purposeful.” Her advice is to use it as a strategic advisor, asking it what you haven’t considered, where the gaps are, and what could be improved.

                  Sanya Khera, senior product manager of digital experiences at Intuit, added a critical note, “When feeding event data into AI tools, clean your data first.” If your input is messy or incomplete, the output will be too. Event Perspectives guests agree that when used correctly, AI can create a more valuable event experience for everyone involved. 

                  2. Break the Mold to Adapt and Innovate

                  Several guests pushed back on assumptions about how events should be run. “Don’t just think outside the box — crush it,” suggested the chairman of Endless Events, Will Curran. His argument is that starting from a blank page, rather than a familiar template, opens up decisions that never get made when you’re iterating on last year’s format.

                  Pam Corcoran,VP of global events at CrowdStrike, framed breaking the mold as a way to navigate uncertainty, “In grey areas, keep trying different directions rather than waiting for clarity to arrive.” She explains that event planning rarely unfolds as you would like. The key is to be decisive and adapt as needed. 

                  Hannah also spoke up against repeating old plans saying, “’We’ve always done it this way’ is the most dangerous sentence in the events industry.” She shared that her team is currently rethinking their content strategy entirely, reframing sessions as live shows led by audience input rather than moderator-driven interviews.

                  3. Prioritize Health and Energy

                  This is the most consistent advice given throughout the series. Too often, event professionals don’t give themselves a break — and everyone agrees that’s a problem.

                  Ghazwan Almoazen, director of global experiential marketing at Docusign, stated, “Take care of yourself especially in the two stressful weeks before an event. You come first.” He reminds listeners they cannot fail. Either they have a great event, or they learn from their experience. Both outcomes are a win. 

                  Adam Parry, co-founder of Event Tech Live advised, “Prioritize your physical health, mental health, and relationships above the job,” said Adam Parry. On-site, that means carving out time for meals, taking short walks between sessions, and genuinely switching off over the weekend.

                  Founder of Dahlia+ Agency, Dahlia El-Gazzar echoed it from a different angle, addressing the benefits of letting things happen naturally, rather than trying to plan out every last detail. “Some of the best moments at events are unscripted, and the energy spent trying to control them is energy that could go elsewhere.”

                  Although our guests come from different corners of the industry, their advice aligns. By using AI more intentionally, rethinking event strategies, and prioritizing self-care, event professionals can manage whatever challenges come their way. Watch the complete episodes on YouTube for more expert advice.