Coordinating meeting and event operations in a busy environment (on a college campus, at a corporate or non-profit organization, in a K-12 school district, etc.) requires more than just maintaining a simple calendar. It takes a strategy that connects people, spaces, and technology.
In a recent Mazévo Connect webinar, “Real-World Mazévo: How Different Teams Run Their Operation,” scheduling professionals from diverse backgrounds shared how they moved away from clunky, outdated processes toward more agile workflows. We’ve summarized that session in this blog.
TL;DR Key Takeaways:
- Modern scheduling tools helped one organization achieve a 25% increase in student organization engagement.
- Moving to a cloud-based scheduling system removes the need for complex software installations.
- Approval workflows prevent conflicts between event planners and technical teams.
- Readily available product support and focused training ensure that staff members feel confident using the platform.
Thank You, Presenters!
We’re grateful to the presenters for sharing their stories, as their experiences highlight a fundamental shift in how organizations approach room and resource management today. Instead of just focusing on finding available space and filling it, they’re implementing systems and developing practices that enable stakeholders—students, faculty, and others—to gather with greater ease and less administrative friction.
With an advanced scheduling solution, you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of your entire operation while handling the smallest details. Whether managing thousands of music rehearsals or arranging high-profile speakers in the nation’s capital, the right tools make the difference between a frustrating day and a productive one.
How To Make the Shift to New Scheduling Technology Easy
Moving away from a legacy system can feel like a difficult task, but many institutions find that the right support makes the change very straightforward. At Bucknell University, the team manages over 900 reservable spaces across several buildings and handled more than 25,000 bookings in a recent 12-month period.
They successfully moved their entire operation to a more modern platform a few years ago. The assistant director of event scheduling noted that continual communication and outstanding customer service were the keys to their success.
“Our change [from EMS to Mazévo] was really fantastic,” she said. “The customer service at Mazévo is outstanding. I am really impressed with how quickly they respond if I have questions, and how they listen to ideas that we've had. Obviously, not everything is possible, but when it is, I feel like it's implemented very quickly.”
With a consultative approach to onboarding, users don’t have to figure everything out on their own. Instead of struggling with a rigid setup, they benefit from a software provider that listens to their ideas and implements carefully designed and thoroughly tested features quickly. That responsiveness allows administrators to focus on their actual work rather than troubleshooting software bugs.
How Can Real-Time Event Visibility Improve Daily Efficiency?
One of the biggest benefits of a modern scheduling platform is the ability to see exactly what’s happening at any given moment. At Bucknell, the staff uses interactive dashboard tiles to get a quick snapshot of the day. This feature allows them to track new users, monitor pending tasks, and review the day at a glance immediately after logging in.
Bucknell recently started using the calendar feature to help academic groups see when high-profile speakers are coming to campus. This prevents multiple departments from scheduling major events at the same time, which formerly caused low attendance and wasted resources. By making this information available, the scheduling office has seen a reduction in questions and an overall better experience for the entire campus.
Why Does User-Friendly Design Lead to Higher User Adoption?
When software is easy to use, people actually want to use it. Northwestern University experienced this firsthand after moving from EMS to Mazévo—a more user-friendly, cloud-based solution. Since the transition, they have seen a 25% increase in reservations from student organizations.
The percentage of people interacting with the scheduling department online has also grown significantly, which reduces the time and effort required from team members. “It’s something like 35% to 40% more web requests coming in than what we had before,” he explains.
He attributed this increase to the fact that the platform is highly intuitive. With a system that requires no software installation, anyone can access scheduling functionality from a laptop, an iPad, or a phone. This flexibility is a major upgrade from older platforms that required local installations on every device.
Additionally, the move to a more modern tool allowed Northwestern to eliminate third-party subscriptions—in particular, one they used for outdoor event approvals and room setup tracking. This consolidation not only saves money but also enables a more streamlined experience for every user on campus.
How a Managed Approval Process Makes Life Easier for Stakeholders
Coordination is about more than just finding an empty room. It’s about making sure the right people are available to support the event. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a “think tank” in Washington, D.C., uses a well-defined approval process to ensure their streaming and audio-visual teams are never overbooked. In the past, there were often events that their technical teams did not have the time or resources to support.=
With a multi-layered approval workflow, technical experts now have the power to review requests before they’re finalized. This change has completely removed the issue of "bumping heads" between planners and support staff. Additionally, the ability to chat with program coordinators directly within a specific event record keeps all communication in one place. While some users joked that the system over-communicates, the peace of mind that comes from knowing all details are documented is priceless.
So is the fact that it’s easy to connect with an expert at Mazévo. As the presenter said, “You don't have to keep calling the customer service number, and then they say we may or may not get back to you. You can just click a link and schedule a call with them for an hour or 30 minutes.”
Why Is Solving Operational Problems Easier With Flexible Event Scheduling Tools?
A truly effective scheduling solution does more than just book rooms. It solves long-standing organizational problems.
At the University of North Texas (UNT), the scheduling team uses the platform to manage a massive music program that handles roughly 24,000 events annually across 74 spaces. For a department that previously relied on spreadsheets, this modern approach has been described as a “miracle” for their productivity.
With a flexible shared room feature, UNT also manages complex deliveries for audio-visual equipment and furniture across campus. Instead of tracking these items separately, they can schedule multiple deliveries in a single virtual room, triggering notifications and workflows for the operations team.
The system even helps resolve turf wars. When there was a conflict between the library and the events office over a small outdoor space, the administrator created a specific security profile that allowed the library to book the space as needed. This turned potential disputes over an important piece of real estate into a successful partnership.
How Does a Comprehensive Solution Change the Scheduling Culture?
When a scheduling system works well, the results speak for themselves. At UNT, the student response was very positive. In fact, it was so positive that, as the presenter describes, “It was pretty cool to see that the students have gotten so far behind this system that they took the time to write out this referendum and deliver it to the president and the president's cabinet, basically saying, ‘This is what we want for the whole campus.’”
This level of support from the student body shows that an easy-to-use interface can truly change the culture of an organization. With a consolidated platform, everyone stays on the same page. You can enjoy the benefits of integrated invoicing, automated HVAC controls, seamless single sign-on access, and more.
These features don’t just make life easier for the scheduling office. They improve the experience of every stakeholder who interacts with your facilities.
How Can an Advanced Scheduling Solution Benefit Your Organization?
The real-world scheduling scenarios provided by our presenters are eye-opening and encouraging to say the least. But what would your scheduling operations look like when managed with an advanced, web-native solution?
You can find out by scheduling a live Mazévo demonstration customized to your specific needs. You can also contact us anytime with questions you have about moving your team to a highly efficient way of working.
