Over the past few years, virtual event technology has transformed the way event organizers think about tech and implement it at their events, and perhaps most importantly, it has completely changed how — and how much — event data can be collected and evaluated. This has provided organizers with more insights at their fingertips than ever before, but has also left many overwhelmed and unsure about how best to capitalize on all of this information.
New research by ExpoPlatform notes that digital platforms have increased the amount of data captured at events by 20 times, and has sought to find out what eventprofs are thinking about the industry’s digital revolution and what they feel are the biggest opportunities for using event data. The majority of respondents to the survey (68 percent) indicated that their top priority is using customer insights to help shape product development.
The next most commonly cited priorities were connecting data sources to provide a 360 view of customer (65 percent) and personalizing online experiences with recommended content, suppliers, and connections. On the flip side, the fewest number of eventprofs were concerned with leveraging data to track visitor footfall around the venue (27 percent) and finding new ways to sell data to exhibitors (14 percent).
These findings reflect the growing trend that eventprofs are increasingly integrating event insights into their broader marketing and content programs to create better experiences for their audiences and stakeholders and prioritizing quality of attendees and leads over sheer quantity.
“As the industry goes into its third year of the pandemic, we are seeing organisers grappling with how they will make the best of the data they have collected with digital platforms and at in-person events,” said Mykyta Fastovets, Chief Technology Officer of ExpoPlatform, in a statement. “It’s interesting to see how this is leading to an increased maturity around product management, and how insights derived from participants’ behavioural data can be used to unlock new opportunities.”
The survey also found that the biggest challenge, by far, that eventprofs are facing when it comes to sifting through and leveraging event data is lacking a solid data foundation. This has been an ongoing challenge in the industry, one that initiatives like the Virtual Standard Export Format (VSef), led by Explori, are trying to solve. This will be something that tech providers will need to continue to work on in order for the industry to make the most of this next phase of event data.