Our Blog

Looking to learn about all things ITSM, ESM, Self-Service, Knowledge Management, AI, and more? We've got you covered.

Resource Center

We’re committed to providing resources that help you address all of your ITSM software needs.

Webinars & Events

Stay up to date on our latest ITSM, ITOM or ESM webinars and events now

EV Blog

Katie McKenna | November 20, 2015

10 Things Attendees Loved About EV Connect 2015

EasyVista customers, partners, employees, and executives came together November 4-5 to network, share their experiences, and learn from one another at EV Connect 2015 in New Orleans. Following in the wake of the FUSION 15 conference, our event boasted a collaborative environment with open communication and discussions on essential service management topics. From the post-conference feedback, everyone walked away with more knowledge, skills, and connections than they had prior. In a nutshell, this was a successful event for all in attendance. The details from our post-event survey show that an overwhelming 88% felt that EV Connect surpassed expectations.

So what made this event so great? Here are ten reasons attendees enjoyed EV Connect 2015 based on my own observations, onsite conversations, our post-event attendee survey.

1. Company Vision Straight From the CEO, Sylvain Gauthier

It was vital for us to dedicate time at EV Connect 2015 for our executives to explain where the future of service management is going and how we plan to help transform everyday CIOs into the CSPs (Chief Service Providers) that modern enterprises require. Executives accomplished this not only through presentations, but by actively engaging and listening to customers throughout every stage of the event. Transparency is truly important to us so that our customers and partners can grow and align with us in their individual service management journeys and as the overall industry evolves into the next era.

2. Networking

During the conference, I was lucky enough to speak one-on-one with a number of our customers. When asked what they found most valuable in attending EV Connect 2015, the most common answer by far was the ability to network with peers, partners, and EV employees. Attendees from all over had the opportunity to connect and share their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and wins with one another throughout the event. And our executives weren’t shy about networking either! As one commenter from our post-event survey put it: “The level of interaction with the top EV execs was unexpected and outstanding from a customer point of view.”

EV Connect Networking

3. Partner Showcase

We were thrilled to have such fantastic partners join us this year, namely: Bomgar, Flycast Partners, FMX Solutions, ITSM Synergy, Navvia, and VerisVisalign. EV Connect 2015 specifically offered direct connection between customers and partners during the Partner Showcase, where attendees were able to mingle and carry on discussions at the various partner exhibits. The only complaint from customers on this aspect of the show was that they wanted additional time in the showcase! Per the post-event survey: “I wish there was more time to talk to the folks in the partner showcase area.”

EV Connect Partner Showcase

4. Customer & Partner Presentations

A major goal of EV Connect 2015 was to facilitate sharing different experiences that could help other attendees in their specific service management journeys. This event was designed to help customers explore everyday use cases and determine how these solutions can issues faced in their own environments. The partner and customer presentations provided multifaceted perspectives and success stories on a range of topics and scenarios. According to our post-event survey, attendees found significant value in hearing the stories of other EasyVista users. In fact, attendees requested more concentrated, deep-dive sessions for next year.

5. Outstanding Master of Ceremonies: Kevin Coppins, EasyVista GM of NA

I think everyone in attendance can agree that Kevin did a fabulous job hosting EV Connect 2015. Not only was he entertaining and downright hilarious, Kevin made it a point to share his extensive knowledge and insight throughout the event. Should Kevin ever decide to change careers (and we hope he doesn’t!), he surely could hit it big as an event or TV host! However, he was not only the MC; He assisted in planning from the very beginning and was paramount in perfecting the agenda and sessions, getting customers and partners registered, and shaping the overall goals of the event. Kevin made it his personal mission to make sure every EasyVista customer and partner got the most value possible from our conference—all with a big dose of fun of course.

EV Connect 2015 Host, Kevin Coppins

6. Launching the online EV Connect Forum!

It was important for us to convey the value of our new EV Connect online community at the conference. This is a place where customers, partners, and employees alike can continue to Network, Share, and Learn on a 24x7 basis. Several customers were able to join the community and make connections prior to joining us in New Orleans. We were lucky enough to be able to present one of these early adopters, Carl Cortright, our top online contributor, with a special gift: a GoPro Hero! Additionally, attendees were able to sign-up onsite for the forum so they would be ready to continue their conversations after the show wrapped.

7. Perfect Mix of Fun & Learning

Everyone has been to “those” conferences…the ones that only consist of long, boring lectures. That was exactly what we didn’t want to do. We love our customers and partners! We didn’t want to torture them! That’s why we kicked off EV Connect 2015 with a paddleboat dinner cruise on the Creole Queen. Attendees had a blast participating in meaningful discussions while feasting on local cuisine and enjoying the views of The Mississippi. We also made it a point to keep the sessions fun and engaging with interesting content and panel discussions.

EV Connect 2015 Dinner Cruise

8. Location, Location, Location – The Big Easy!

Ok, so we may not have so much picked New Orleans as had it chosen for us since this was where the FUSION 15 service management show took place. We wanted to make it easy for customers and partners to join us and many were attending the FUSION event. Nevertheless, we were not complaining! New Orleans is always a good time and it was extremely appropriate hosting this event in the French Quarter considering our worldwide headquarters is in France. As Jamal Labed, our Co-founder & COO, said during the partner reception, “New Orleans has a certain ambiance.” Many of our attendees agreed, commenting that the location and venue was great. This event was very special to us and we were excited to host it in such a remarkable city.

9. Superb Planning and Execution

I can say with 100% certainty that EV Connect 2015 would not have been half as successful if it wasn’t for our NA Marketing team: Linda Moshier and Liz DiLeo. These two rockstars did everything from venue selection and management, event communications, and all the tedious details to run a successful 2-day event. Keep in mind too that not only did they flawlessly plan and execute the EV Connect event, they did the same for FUSION 15, our “Party in the Big Easy with EasyVista” event at the Cat’s Meow, AND the Washington DES Conference in Tacoma—all of which took place in the same week. As a fellow marketer and former event planner, I can say this was nothing short of amazing and they made it look easy!

10. We Get to Do It Again Next Year!

At the very end of the conference, Kevin Coppins asked the crowd if they planned to attend EV Connect next year. Every single person in the room raised his or her hand. Our post-event survey confirmed that 94% of attendees selected “very likely” or “extremely likely” when asked about probability of attending EV Connect 2016. Not only that, but the comments made it clear that attendees want more! Many would like to extend the event by at least a day, requesting additional time for in-depth technical sessions and breakout discussions.

Did you attend EV Connect 2015? If so, we’d love to hear your favorite things about the event in the comments.

Also, whether you attended or not, be sure to check out all our pictures from EV Connect ‘15 on our Facebook Page. And don’t forget to like us while you’re there!

Subscribe to Email Updates

Katie McKenna

Katie McKenna enjoys learning and sharing all things ITSM, IoT, SaaS, and IT Consumerization. She is also an avid reader, pizza enthusiast, and horror movie lover.