PBIScon, hosted by PBIS Rewards, a solution of Navigate360, is an annual virtual conference empowering educators worldwide with essential tools and insights to enhance positive student behavior.
Over the past three years, the event has evolved from a simple user group gathering into a revenue-generating marketing event that serves its existing user base and also attracts and converts new customers.
At the heart of PBIScon's success stands Andrew Epperson, Navigate360's VP of Brand & Digital Experience.
The face-to-face event was planned for 2020. So the pivot was in 2021 when we held the event, it went virtual. This meant finding a user-friendly virtual platform suitable for participants, some of whom were either unfamiliar with online events or not particularly tech-savvy. Moreover, the perfect solution had to integrate seamlessly with Salesforce CRM tools, all while staying cost-effective.
Amidst industry giants like Cvent, Accelevents emerged as a promising alternative.
Andrew's interest in Accelevents was not coincidental.
"Having been a participant in a virtual conference hosted on Accelevents, I was already impressed. We looked at Cvent, but their pricing model was not flexible at all. Accelevents had all the features I was looking for – notably ease of use and an intuitive interface. And I liked the fair and transparent pricing model. It was a no-brainer to consider Accelevents as our platform of choice."
In 2022, Navigate360, the nation's leader in K-12 school safety and student wellness solutions, acquired PBIS Rewards. The acquisition allowed Navigate360 to take over hosting PBIScon, expand the event's reach, and bring together educators worldwide to promote positive student behaviors.
During the two-day 2023 PBIScon event, an impressive 1,110 attendees joined out of 1,400 ticket holders. Notably, the event garnered exceptional NPS scores for the third year, reflecting the event's success and Accelevents' performance.
Andrew expressed his satisfaction with the platform's ease of use, noting that it becomes more user-friendly each year. In his words,
"Accelevents' remarkable ease of use means that if you can navigate a browser, you can effortlessly set up an event."
Andrew mentions the most important features that contributed to the event's success:
Accelevents Studio: PBIScon23 had 36 sessions and four keynote segments. Every single one ran smoothly on Accelevents Studio, the platform's in-house broadcasting solution. The studio facilitated the hosting of singular presenters and multi-speaker sessions, ensuring a streamlined experience for the audience.
Extended Post-Event Access to Content: Recognizing educators' varied schedules, Navigate360 decided to offer them extended post-event content access. This feature allowed ticket holders to view sessions they might have missed on-demand for up to 90 days post-conference. Andrew Epperson notes, "We extended access to our event, and when we communicated this to our attendees, we got a lot of positive feedback. People wanted to revisit the content after summer break."
Branding: The ability to brand the event was also crucial for Navigate360. Easy customizations allowed them to maintain the PBIS Rewards brand identity while seamlessly incorporating Navigate360's branding. Epperson emphasizes the importance of branding: "We wanted to make sure that people knew it was a PBIS Rewards event since the PBIS Rewards brand is strong and has a strong following."
Integration with the CRM: The seamless integration of Accelevents with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot played a pivotal role in registration tracking and lead management for PBIScon. Andrew Epperson explains, "This seamless connection helped us efficiently manage event-related data by funneling it directly into Salesforce marketing campaigns."Customer Support: While minimal support was needed due to the platform's reliability, Accelevents' customer support team was responsive and helpful when the team required assistance.
The partnership between Navigate360 and Accelevents is more than just a business transaction—it's a collaboration that elevates the virtual event experience year after year.
Andrew aptly states,
"We've found what works, and we're not changing it"
With Navigate360's ambitions to expand its repertoire of events, Accelevents stands as a cornerstone of that journey.
Our powerful event technology helps event organizers create engaging events in any format. If you prefer the virtual event space we’ll host your next virtual trade show, summit or seminar.
If you’d like to set up a hybrid event we’ll streamline your check-in, help with badge printing and provide everyone with mobile apps. Contact us to discuss your upcoming event needs.
