32 Feature
Alex Temple , Felicia Asiedu , Rob Prevett
event strategy . “ Benchmarks are really important because they help us know what good and bad looks like ,” says Temple .
However , collecting and layering data sometimes can be easier said than done . “ It ’ s no mean feat when you are an organiser . You have all of this data at your fingertips , so it can be difficult to know what is useful and what is not ,” says Temple .
Asiedu agrees and says that the ability to analyse data is often one of the limitations for any organisation . “ They see it and know something is there – but to be able to pull it apart , make a decision and interpret it , is a longstanding challenge . You must know your objectives and goals , so you know
what KPI look out for ,” she says .
There ’ s also the importance of understanding that “ different data sets matter to different stakeholders ,” as Prevett points out . “ Event organisers must think about what ’ s important to my marketing teams , my sales teams or my sponsors ? How do I provide them with the evidence they need so they are confident to rebook , spend more or simply return next year ?”
Troubleshooting with tech Despite these considerations , AI can offer event organisers a helping hand .
“ Tech is there to make our jobs easier , not to replace us ,” says Asiedu . “ There ’ s so many things you can do with technology ,” adds Prevett , “ and most organisations are only just scratching the surface of it .”
However , Temple warns us that “ businesses must have all their key data points joined up first before AI can start to do the heavy lifting and suggest recommendations . Don ’ t get caught up in the tech , think about what you need and reverse engineer it ,” he adds .
Additionally , organisers must feed AI the right information . “ If you don ’ t , it will just come out with a garbled mess and then you end up feeding that back into your strategy , and it ’ s just a poor cycle ,” says Asiedu . Prevett agrees and adds “ bad data leads to bad decisions , and good data leads to good decisions .”
When AI is used correctly to break down data , it can lead to event success and even expansion . Asiedu spoke to me about
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