Case Study: Pearson achieves $13M in savings and 26% cost avoidance with Cvent's Strategic Meetings Management

Procurement Perspective on Managing the Unmanaged with Cvent’s Strategic Meetings Management

Pearson is a global education company with 35,000 employees in 70+ countries that runs over 3,000 meetings and events a year. Meetings were fragmented across internal planners, unregulated suppliers and a single travel management company, causing booking breakdowns, long hold times and lack of visibility into spend — Procurement found $50M in North America meeting spend in 2014 and needed controls to manage costs and compliance.

Pearson piloted a Strategic Meetings Management Program using Cvent, standardizing policies, a meeting request form, automated venue sourcing via ConferenceDirect and integration with its online booking tool. The program delivered transparency and automation, eased pressure on the TMC, and drove substantial savings: $13M in the first nine months and a sustained 26% non-travel cost avoidance, with plans to expand the SMMP globally.

Pearson

Mitchell Stern

Procurement Category Director