18 Feature
EYES PEELED
Cameron Roberts delves into the world of live event data and how this could be the next step for event personalisation
ata collation and usage is an increasingly popular topic among the talking heads in the events industry , however the discussion typically revolves around pre- and post-event data . However , where many organisers may be missing a trick is with onsite data collation and analysis , which would allow planners to improve events in real time , rather than awaiting further iterations to make change .
These real-time changes could contribute to a more personalised experience for attendees , higher ROI for sponsors , a safer environment for organisers and numerous other benefits for the next generation of events .
For more information on the next generation of data insights onsite , I spoke to : Peter Lidgey , global CSO , ELEVATE ;
Robert Bowell , lead IT business partner , NEC Group ; Rob Prevett , marketing director , Totem ; and Nick Fagan , creative technologist , DRPG .
Data collation onsite The first step in making improvements based on onsite data is the collation itself , this requires a combination of technical competency as well as a revamping of event processes to make data a priority .
Lidgey spoke about how “ for a lot of events , data is down the list ” and how this hamstrings a potential data strategy , as it is not embedded into the production cycle . He continued : “ the planning of it [ data collation ] is not done early enough in the event cycle . It ’ s vital to get this step done early , you need to set the objectives , what are the key KPIs you ’ re going to measure success on ?”
Once the impetus is in place it ’ s also a case of having the technology to
“ Its all about confidence on the data now , with anything with machine learning it will improve over time with the more data we collect .”
- Robert Bowell
collate that data , these solutions range from delegate tracking to facial analysis systems . DRPG implements both , however Fagan focussed on “ simple things like triangulation of an individual , using Bluetooth , Wi Fi frequencies , their Mac addresses from devices ,” as accessible tracking functions for organisers .
He continued : “ We don ’ t need to know who they are , we can do this ethically . We can figure out within a few feet of accuracy where an individual is .”
So where does the events industry stack up right now ? Lidgey explained that “ the events industry ’ s been a bit rogue and a bit of an anomaly with the value of the data ,” reinforcing the point that there is work to be done . He continued : “ I think that ’ s having to change and we ’ re seeing that all the time . It ’ s no longer acceptable when a client spends half a million pounds , on an event series or campaign , which is in a live space and the data quality is non comparable .”
Use cases Once organisers have collated data onsite , the next step is to www . conference-news . co . uk