Case Study: How Community Boost Streamlined Speaker and Sponsor Management with Sessionboard

At a Glance: Event Scale and Impact

• 25,000+ virtual attendees at the Nonprofit Marketing Summit
• 150+ speakers coordinated through Sessionboard
• 47 sponsors managed with centralized deliverables
• 80+ sessions delivered across multiple event tracks
• Expansion into partner programs and additional summits using the same workflows

Running a 25,000-person event is no small task. For the team behind the Nonprofit Marketing Summit, the old way of managing logistics simply couldn’t keep up. That changed when they found Sessionboard.

“Sessionboard has been truly transformational for us. Our Nonprofit Marketing Summit is a huge event—over 25,000 nonprofit professionals, 150+ speakers, and 47 sponsors—and the logistics can get overwhelmingly fast. With Sessionboard, everything is organized in one place. No more scattered spreadsheets or miscommunications—it’s become our single 'source of truth' for all event details.”

That’s how the team describes their shift to Sessionboard. What was once chaotic and reactive is now organized, visible, and professional. Let’s take a closer look at how they’re using the platform, and why they say they’d never go back.

A Single Source of Truth for Event Operations

Managing a large event means dealing with endless moving parts. For the Nonprofit Marketing Summit team, Sessionboard became the operational backbone.

“It’s also allowed multiple team members to jump in and support speaker and sponsor management without missing a beat. And the biggest win? It's completely streamlined our communications, helping us work faster and more professionally across the board.”

With centralized session management, sponsor coordination, and content approvals, the team can loop in multiple staff members without missing a beat. Everyone knows what’s happening and what’s next.

Speaker and Sponsor Portals That Just Work

Collecting speaker bios and sponsor logos might sound simple—until you’re managing hundreds of them.

“The sponsor and speaker portals have been a total game-changer. When you need to collect bios, headshots, logos, and assets—and then distribute everything again later—it can get messy fast. Having one clean, centralized portal makes it easy for everyone involved. I also love the session management features: adding speakers, updating sessions, approving content—it’s all incredibly intuitive and saves us so much time compared to doing it manually.

Rather than chasing down assets via email, the team uses Sessionboard’s portals to collect and distribute everything in one place. This alone saves hours of manual follow-up—and helps partners stay on track without constant reminders.

A Better Experience for Speakers and Sponsors

Before Sessionboard, communication was a full-time job. The team often overcommunicated to stay ahead of missed tasks and confusion.

“Without a doubt. Before Sessionboard, a lot of our speakers and sponsors were confused about what tasks they had completed, and we were overcommunicating just to try to stay on top of it. Honestly, I think we overwhelmed some participants out of necessity. Now, with everything clearly outlined in Sessionboard, the process feels streamlined and manageable. They still have a lot to get done, but it's laid out in a way that's much easier to follow—and it shows. It’s been a night-and-day difference in the speaker experience.”

Participants know what is expected, what has been done, and what is next. That’s led to fewer questions, less stress, and more time to focus on content and engagement.

Built-In Flexibility for a Growing Team

As the summit has grown, so has the internal team. With Sessionboard, multiple staff members can jump in and manage different parts of the process without stepping on each other’s toes.

“ allowed multiple team members to jump in and support speaker and sponsor management without missing a beat.”

This kind of operational flexibility has helped the team stay responsive and professional, even as event complexity has increased.

What Makes the Experience Even Better? Support.

Technology is only part of the story. What stood out most to the team was the support they received from the Sessionboard team.

“Catrina has been such an incredible asset throughout our onboarding and beyond—ensuring we always have the answers we need, and jumping in when we’ve needed a little extra help. Having a responsive, knowledgeable support team has made a big difference in how confidently and quickly we’ve been able to maximize the platform.”

From onboarding to problem-solving, the partnership helped accelerate their learning curve and get the most out of every feature.

Looking Ahead: Expanded Use Across Events

Sessionboard started as a solution for one event but is now becoming a central part of how the team runs multiple programs.

“We originally brought Sessionboard on board for the Nonprofit Marketing Summit, but now we’re using it across even more of our programs—including managing our ongoing partner program and the Fundraising.AI Summit. We're excited to keep expanding how we use Sessionboard and continue streamlining even more of our event and program management!”

The time savings, consistency, and clarity gained from using Sessionboard have made it a valuable part of the team’s broader strategy.

A Few Wishes for What’s Next

Like any power user, the team has ideas for what could be even better.

"A few small UX improvements around task editing would go a long way. And more flexibility for assigning custom deliverables would be huge, which I know is coming, and we’re excited to try it."

Final Thoughts

“I recommend Sessionboard 100%. If you're managing anything with a lot of moving parts—speakers, sponsors, sessions—it’s a lifesaver. It lets you coordinate everything at a higher, more professional level and really uplevels your operations. Plus, the support team is truly fantastic, which makes the experience even better. It’s one of those tools that once you use it, you can't imagine going back.”

Want to see how Sessionboard can work for your team? Request a demo →

About Community Boost

Community Boost is a digital marketing agency that exists to empower social ventures changing the world. In 2022, the Community Boost team will directly serve over 400 nonprofits and generate over $40 million in online donations. 

Trusted by the Equal Justice Initiative, Cancer Research Institute, charity:water, KIVA and many other great causes, Community Boost has been committed to helping the social sector scale online revenue and impact since 2012.

Community Boost’s passionate culture was built on the foundation of purpose. We are always looking for new nonprofit clients to partner and collaborate with so reach out to us today at CommunityBoost.org.

Community Boost also founded the Nonprofit Marketing Summit, the world’s largest nonprofit conference that runs twice a year and attracts over 20,000 registrations per event.

About the Nonprofit Marketing Summit

The Nonprofit Marketing Summit is one of the largest virtual conferences dedicated to nonprofit professionals, hosted by Community Boost. Drawing over 25,000 attendees and featuring more than 80 sessions, the event brings together marketers, fundraisers, and organizational leaders to explore what’s next in digital strategy, fundraising, and community impact. Past speakers have included Deepak Chopra, Neil Patel, Julia Campbell, and other influential voices shaping the future of nonprofit work.

Backed by leading technology sponsors such as Blackbaud, Donately, and The Giving Block, the summit offers accessible, high-impact content designed to help nonprofits grow their missions. With themes like “EVOLVE” guiding each edition, the summit provides a space for learning, inspiration, and actionable insight—tailored to the realities nonprofit teams face today.