After a six-year hiatus from large-scale gatherings, we brought back in-person events for one simple reason: our customers couldn’t stop talking about the smaller, face-to-face experiences we’d been hosting. Every small event we organized generated incredible enthusiasm and feedback that reminded us of the irreplaceable value of connecting in person.
Planview Connect 2025, held April 23-25 in Hollywood, Florida, marked our return to large-scale conferences and celebrated our vibrant, global community of leaders and innovators.
The Planning Journey
Planning an event of this magnitude requires expertise, dedication, and meticulous attention to detail. As Senior Marketing Event Manager Jessica Deorio explains:
“The logistics started from venue searching, finding a place that would fit our needs and location, making sure that it’s close to an international airport for our global attendees. From there, it extended to the food we served, the offsite venues we selected, all of the decor, entertainment, staffing, and registration.”
The planning team faced unique challenges, as this event needed to reflect the company Planview has become, not the one it was before the pandemic.
“The nature and state of events have evolved quite dramatically since 2019,” notes Senior Director of Corporate Marketing Leslie Marcotte. “We’re a much larger organization than we were then, and our product suite has significantly expanded. We had to really think differently and experiment with how we approach an in-person event versus a virtual one versus the event we hosted six years ago.”
Creating the Perfect Experience
What sets a good conference apart from a truly memorable one? It’s the feeling each attendee takes away from the experience. Our team prioritized creating personalized experiences for every participant, which is no small feat with hundreds of attendees.
Leslie captured a powerful moment that validated all the team’s hard work: “One attendee told me, ‘I am one person, and I feel like the most important VIP at this conference.’ You have 500-600 people here, and I imagine every single one of them feels the same way. To me, that means mission accomplished. We did our job right.”
This sentiment – making each individual feel valued among hundreds – epitomizes what Planview Connect aimed to achieve.
Team Collaboration and Innovation
Bringing Connect 2025 to life required seamless coordination between multiple committees and teams. Jessica describes her role as “being the liaison between all of the committees we had running Connect,” highlighting the collaborative effort behind the scenes.
Here are a few notable experiences that these teams planned for conference attendees.
Exec Connect program
One of the most impactful elements of Connect 2025 was the exclusive Exec Connect program, spearheaded by Senior Executive Engagement & Events Manager, Breann Goins. “We had 27 executive customers attend a special session that included a unique rum-tasting experience,” Breann shares, describing the specialized 24-hour program designed specifically for C-level attendees. This executive-focused offering exemplifies Planview’s commitment to creating tailored experiences for every level of attendee, from hands-on practitioners to strategic decision-makers.
Vision Awards ceremony
A highlight of Connect 2025 was undoubtedly the celebration of customer success through compelling main-stage presentations and the prestigious Planview Vision Awards. For 14 years running, these awards have recognized customers with compelling journeys and remarkable outcomes. At Connect 2025, six leading companies received this honor across various categories – Cognizant, Corewell Health, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Dell Technologies, DS Smith, and Sun Life.
Mainstage keynotes
Connect 2025 featured compelling keynote presentations from industry thought leaders from Planview and customers such as Accenture and the American Cancer Society. Planview CEO Razat Gaurav presented “Connected Work: The Key to Organizational Agility,” exploring how breaking down silos enables enterprises to respond faster to change.
Looking Ahead
With Connect 2025 barely in the rearview mirror, the team’s forward-thinking mindset is already evident. As VP, Product Marketing, Stephen Meserve, humorously pointed out, “It’s only the middle of May, and next week, we kick off Connect 2026.”
James Lustenader, Director, Customer Marketing, shared his vision for future events: “I’d love to see Connect 2026 have more peer-to-peer sessions. Not just someone speaking to a group of peers, but a group of peers coming together and solving something together. That gets me excited about potential future events.”
He also expressed enthusiasm about the lasting impact of this year’s content: “I can’t wait for an attendee to become a presenter next year and say, ‘What Presenter A said last year, we implemented that, and here’s how we employed it.’ That’s going to happen, and that excites me.”
Creating Meaningful Connections
Connect 2025 brought people together – to learn, inspire each other, and experience the digital future of connected work. As we look toward future events, the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and personal connection established at Connect 2025 will continue to guide us. This is the Planview way. It’s bringing our best to everything we do and creating environments where everyone feels valued.
Want to be part of a team that transforms visions into unforgettable experiences? Planview might just be the place for you.
