Second Opinion – Connecting Cvent to ClickDimensions

I am starting to get questions from fellow Microsoft Dynamics 365 end-users who are unsure whether a solution suggested by their vendor is optimal. Therefore, I am writing this article to help end-users who might have similar questions. If you have a question about a Microsoft Dynamics 365 configuration, feel free to contact me on LinkedIn.

The Question

I recently got a question from a Microsoft Dynamics 365 and ClickDimensions end-user who wants to know the best way to connect Cvent (a popular event management tool) to ClickDimensions (the leading marketing automation software designed for Microsoft Dynamics 365). They mentioned that their vendor mentioned that a complex custom plugin is required. They are uncertain whether this is the best approach.

The Solution

As with everything else in this field, it depends of what your objective is. Let’s explore the two possible scenarios.

Scenario #1: You only need data from Cvent going to ClickDimensions

In simple terms, your only requirement is that data contained in Cvent is automatically transferred to ClickDimensions. Therefore, your event registrations will be associated to the right contact and you will have a list of events in ClickDimensions. You will be able to use this information when creating filters for your marketing lists and when creating automated campaigns.

ClickDimensions produced a step-by-step guide on how to connect Cvent to ClickDimensions if you only need data going from Cvent to ClickDimensions. If you have the required information on hand, it can be done in less than 5 minutes.

Moreover, you can ask your Microsoft Dynamics 365 to create click-based workflows to update the contact information of existing contacts. If a person that is not present as a Contact in Microsoft Dynamics 365 registers for an event, they will be created as a Contact and the contact information in Cvent will be used to create their Contact record. This can be done in approximately one hour.

Scenario #2: You need data flowing from Cvent to ClickDimensions and from ClickDimensions to Cvent (two way synchronization)

If you need to have data going from Cvent to ClickDimensions and from ClickDimensions to Cvent, the only way to achieve this goal is via a plugin. However, the plugin component would only be required when your ClickDimensions and Microsoft Dynamics 365 data is flowing to Cvent.

Moreover, you can still ask your Microsoft Dynamics 365 administrator to create click-based workflows to update contact records based on information provided when they registered for an event.

In conclusion, if you truly need a two way synchronization between these two softwares, you will need a plugin. If you don’t, you can go the much simpler route of using click-based customizations.