Web Development, coding, and tech innovation in events with Kuoni Tumlare

EventsAir’s Innovator of the Year Award recognizes an individual event professional who demonstrates vision and originality in designing and delivering a truly engaging and successful event using EventsAir. As our 2023 (and 2018) Winner, Cedric Cholley’s dedication and innovative spirit has brought about remarkable technological enhancements to the EventsAir experience, benefiting his colleagues, clients, and conference participants.

Cedric’s journey into the world of events is a captivating tale of transformation. Once a diving instructor in Southeast Asia, he returned to Switzerland, where he discovered his passion for web design whilst working as a travel agent. Unveiling his knack for problem-solving, Cedric embarked on a new career path and 1-year later would fix a seemingly impossible technical bug, showcasing his invaluable skill set and talent.

Now as a leading web developer, Cedric brings a unique perspective to Kuoni Tumlare. Although he’s not your status quo event planner, Cedric’s event prowess is exemplified in the way he approaches challenges – whether it’s developing a new tool or utilizing specific features of EventsAir in novel ways.

Recently, we chatted with Cedric about his adept use of EventsAir and the innovative techniques and projects the team at Kuoni choose to embark on.

Identifying event workflow improvements

Kuoni’s approach to identifying event workflow improvements is driven by Cedric’s innovative mindset, addressing additional requirements and opportunities for expansion. Their process begins with collaborative ideation sessions, where team members contribute ideas, brainstorm, and collectively plan improvements for the upcoming year. By involving colleagues, Kuoni ensures a diverse range of perspectives and insights, enriching the innovation process.

Close collaboration with clients is another key aspect of their strategy. Understanding client needs allows Kuoni to tailor enhancements that align with specific event requirements, ensuring a seamless and customized experience.

Despite the time investment in creating scripts for these bespoke solutions, Kuoni recognizes the long-term benefits. Having these scripts on hand not only saves time in future tasks but also significantly boosts efficiency, making their approach a strategic investment in continual improvement.

From here, Kuoni’s Innovation Hub can focus on projects that will truly impact their clients.

Web development optimizations in events

Kuoni’s Innovation Hub is a proactive initiative aimed at elevating the EventsAir experience for their clients. The team identifies opportunities for efficiency, particularly in tasks prone to repetition or potential human errors. They actively pursue a variety of projects to optimize event delivery, with a focus on creating enhancements within EventsAir.

Notably, the Innovation Hub extends its positive impact not just to external clients but also to internal team members and colleagues, providing uplifting solutions that contribute to a more seamless and enjoyable day-to-day experience. Ultimately, if it can be optimized, Cedric and the Innovation Hub will find a solution. Two of the more notable projects the Innovation Hub have focused on has been to streamline congress management and develop a custom presentation tool.

Streamlining Congress Management

Cedric transformed an outdated Excel-based management system into an efficient EventsAir solution to effectively migrate a colossal congress program – 13 parallel streams over five days totaling 400 sessions.

His custom script eliminated human interpretation and errors, seamlessly migrating the intricate agenda structure to EventsAir. The result? A time-saving triumph that allowed the client to successfully manage their program in EventsAir. Cedric estimated that this enhancement can save multiple days spent updating spreadsheets leading up to the event.

Empowering Speakers with a Custom Presentation Tool

To expand upload capabilities and provide an even more customized experience for users, Cedric devised a new, tailored solution for presentation management. Beyond mere file uploads, the team created a comprehensive tool that not only stores presentations but also triggers alerts via SMS. These alerts notify session admins or speakers about missing presentations.

Continuous innovation and advancements

The evolution of EventsAir’s development is not only evident but exhilarating for Kuoni, especially with the addition of the Open API. “I look at EventsAir and I feel like I am Neo in the Matrix – to me, the code is so beautiful, complete and well-connected,” reflected Cedric. “The Open API will open a lot of doors for our team, it’s a game-changer.”

Kuoni’s journey with EventsAir showcases a remarkable fusion of innovation and adaptability. The partnership with EventsAir stands poised at the forefront of an ever-expanding realm of event technology possibilities.