When done right, event-led growth can deliver up to 7x ROI. But most teams are stuck running ad hoc, one-off events without a clear path to get there.

In this episode, Camille Arnold, Director of Experiential Marketing at Splash (now part of Cvent), joins hosts Felicia Asiedu, Rachel Andrews, and Alyssa Peltier to map out a five-stage event-led growth (ELG) maturity model. Together, they unpack how events can become a true growth engine when they’re tied to the right goals, tech, and internal alignment. 



You’ll learn the four non-negotiable prerequisites for ELG, how to build an intentional event portfolio, and ways to use data and AI to scale impact without burning out your team.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The ELG maturity stages: Find out how targeting, engagement, tech, and attribution evolve as your program matures.
• How to pick metrics for different event types: Not every event should be judged on MQLs; choose KPIs that match the real goal of the program.
• How to turn internal stakeholders into champions: Get sales, customer success, and marketing aligned so events are seen as a growth lever, not just logistics.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introducing Camille Arnold

(03:05) Are events and marketing still disconnected today?

(06:13) The four prerequisites for an event-led growth strategy

(09:06) What audiences need in an AI-heavy world

(11:41) Moving from one-off events to intentional strategy

(20:02) The stages of event-led growth maturity

(27:11) Why alignment gets harder as teams grow

(29:15) Defining success for each type of event

(36:04) The future of event-led growth 

(41:04) How to assess your own event-led growth maturity

Assess your event strategy:  https://www.cvent.com/en/resource/event/event-led-growth-maturity-model