Category: General

How-To: Hosting Conferences on Tight Budgets and Tight Borders

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In July 2024, dozens of African health experts with accepted talks to a major HIV/AIDS conference in Munich found themselves watching from home as their visas denied by the host country. Around the same time, U.S. government agencies facing new budget cuts outright banned their scientists from traveling to conferences (even on personal time) until an outcry forced a reversal (Source: US NIH reverses conference travel ban for scientists). These incidents underline a stark reality: academic and nonprofit public health conferences are being squeezed by a perfect storm of shrinking travel grants, slashed research funding, and record-high visa restrictions. The stakes are high. If we don’t adapt, we risk conference halls filled only with those privileged enough to afford airfare and visas, and an empty seat where a young scientist from the Global South should have been sitting, sharing insights that could save lives.

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Fresh Features, Bigger Webinars & Our UPenn Spotlight

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How’s planning going? We’ve been busy polishing Dryfta so the platform keeps doing more of the heavy lifting for you. Here’s what just landed in your account:

What’s New & Noteworthy

  1. Super‑Sized Webinars
    • Host up to 500 speakers/moderators on camera
    • Livestream to 8 000 viewers simultaneously
    • Moderators can flip the switch from “watch‑only” to “join the stage” for live Q&A and allow participants to ask questions

  2. Undo‑Button for Almost Everything
    Accidentally delete a user, order or submission? Head to the new Restore Center and bring it back in seconds.

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The Definitive Guide to Shared (SaaS) vs On-Premise Event Management Software

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Picture this: You are planning a major conference that gathers hundreds of influential stakeholders from around the globe. Your registration portal is ready to go live, and the marketing campaign has started. Suddenly, your IT department raises concerns about data privacy, regulatory compliance, and deeper integrations with internal systems. Traditional cloud-based software feels too restrictive, lacking the control and customization your organization demands. Tensions rise as deadlines loom and decisions must be made quickly. This scenario illustrates a challenge many senior event managers face: deciding which type of event management software is the right fit, a SaaS-based event platform that is shared in the public cloud, or an on-premise event management software solution that resides on dedicated infrastructure.

In this guide, we will address the core differences between shared event management software and on-premise deployments. We will also discuss security considerations, maintenance, scalability, and integration aspects that matter most for large-scale, high-stakes events. This subject is important because it directly influences how effectively event data is protected, how well internal policies are enforced, and whether a particular software solution can evolve alongside an organization’s needs.

We will share insights from a real case study of a global technology organization (name withheld for confidentiality) that successfully implemented an on-premise event management platform. Through their journey, we will highlight common issues, practical advice, and the benefits an organization can gain from having a dedicated solution. Along the way, we’ll present short statistics, pose questions that prompt self-reflection, and even provide a comparison table for quick reference. Our goal is to help you make well-informed decisions that align with your organization’s priorities. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of the available options, how they measure up, and where the industry is heading in the near future.

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New Trends in On-Premise Event Solutions for Enterprise Events

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Organizing large-scale conferences in a global context has increasingly become a complex undertaking. Senior event managers and corporate planners must now consider multiple aspects such as attendee data protection, compliance with international policies, and sophisticated technology integrations. While SaaS-based event management platforms, hosted on a shared cloud, have been a dominant force in recent years, a gradual movement toward on-premise event management software, installed and fully managed within private cloud, is reshaping the way enterprises approach event management. This adjustment is driven by a variety of factors, including the imperative of having total control, meeting advanced security requirements, and adhering to evolving data regulations in different geographies.

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All you Need to Know About Event Data for Measuring ROI

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Gone are the days when events were just about creating a buzz or ticking off PR checklists. In today’s dynamic business landscape, events are powerful investments designed to deliver tangible returns—not just in terms of revenue but also through invaluable metrics like digital footprint, lead generation, brand awareness, and engaged audiences. The most successful businesses now invest 1.7 times their marketing budgets into live events, viewing them as strategic assets rather than mere expenses.

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