The University of Portsmouth is a university in the UK with more than 25,000 students offering a variety of degrees for both undergraduates and postgraduates . The recruitment team have spent the last 10 years perfecting their in-person recruitment programming to appeal to incoming students across demographic lines . But when COVID hit , they were forced to shift not only their event modality , but also their mindset – with only two months to make the transition .

“ We had spent a decade building an in-person recruitment program that we were really proud of ,” recalls Kate Dunstone , Postgraduate and CPD Recruitment Manager . After the pandemic arrived , “ We were thrown into the deep end for how to deliver recruitment events virtually .” Sophie Dear , Head of Marketing and Campaigns , adds : “ Our process started in April with the lockdown , but we had

to deliver our first open day at the end of June . So we didn ’ t have much time to research , procure , and deliver .” At the time , the number of providers were limited so the University of Portsmouth chose one that seemed to meet the majority of requirements . But as the year progressed and more of the team wanted to do virtual events , they realised the product was quite limited . “ We needed a solution and contract that was flexible enough to accommodate a broader set of use cases ,” recalls Dear . After going through another procurement process , this time with more rigorous requirements to accommodate expanding usage across departments , Cvent ’ s Attendee Hub offered a flexible , customisable , secure , and professional solution – and unlike other platforms , could provide a customisable experience their audience could relate to .

By adopting the Attendee Hub , the

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Day Virtual Page

created by Cvent

University took recruitment events online with ease . And once they made the transition , they were surprised to discover that the Hub provided a flexible , user-centered experience that didn ’ t just replicate their current offerings , but also offered new opportunities for growth .

Because they were moving both undergraduate and postgraduate recruitment events online , the University needed a platform that was flexible and customisable , allowing the institution to appeal to three very different audiences : secondary education students , parents , and adult learners .

“ It was really challenging to find a solution that met the requirements of the whole department ,” says Dear . “ We needed IT security for students under 16 … one-to-one appointments for post-graduates . And for our undergraduate events , it ’ s this whole