Event Tech
How to seek the single source of data truth
Rob Curtis , managing director of UK-based technology consultancy Event Footprints , advocates a needs-based approach when building an effective tech stack for events
Above : Rob Curtis he event tech stack has
T developed and evolved out of the data systems you ’ re already familiar with – email marketing , registration , badging , event apps , onsite engagement tools , spatial analysis platforms and so on .
Taken individually , systems and platforms like these generate data that can be collated and analysed to reveal insights and knowledge about particular aspects of your events , helping to enhance performance and success , reduce unnecessary costs and increase engagement .
So , whether you have chosen a ‘ best-in-class ’ approach for each component , or opted for an all-in-one solution , your event tech stack is probably largely in place , and you ’ re poised to take the next step : bringing all this data together into a single picture , allowing you to identify patterns in attendee behaviour across the whole life cycle of your event . You may have gaps here , but they should be straightforward to bridge given the availability of live survey and Q & A platforms , event apps , smart badges and lead capture tools .
At the Event Tech Forum in May in London , I used Vevox ’ s polling feature to sample opinions from event professionals . When asked to rate the importance of measuring ‘ event impact ’ on a scale from 1 to 5 , the average rating was 4.33 , indicating its high significance . However , the average rating for their organisation ’ s level of maturity in event measurement was only 2.23 . This discrepancy suggests that while there is an understanding of the importance of measuring events , the implementation and reporting needs improvement .
The key to successfully deploying your event tech stack to support a robust measurement approach relies on having clearly defined data needs and goals – finding the right data job and avoiding the trap of it remaining siloed within the various platforms .
Define your data needs by engaging with your key stakeholders to identify essential metrics .
Sponsors might seek exposure , engagement and leads ; event managers may want to focus on effective execution ; Sales may prioritise lead generation ; and Marketing could aim for brand exposure . Understanding and defining these needs is foundational to selecting the right tech stack , and ensuring the right metrics can be captured . EW
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