Looking for ways to reduce the costs associated with your event, optimise processes, and increase return on investment (ROI)? The answer is in your event data. With the insight from your event data, you can make crucial decisions that drive registrations, surpass your attendee’s expectations, and fuel the success of future events.
If you’re using an online registration platform or mobile event apps, you’re sitting on an abundance of data.
Keep reading to find out how to harness your event data and grow revenue.
1. Promote more efficiently
At the beginning of your event’s life cycle — from the moment your event goes on sale to the day attendees arrive — you’ll be focused on retaining past attendees and reaching out to invite new ones.
To get the most out of your promotion budget, you’ll need to look at the event data provided by your event registration platform. Evaluate the traffic to your event registration page to determine where visitors discovered your event.
| Reports and Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sales by time | Sales by ticket type | Sales by source |
| This report from your event registration platform shows the date and time someone registered for your event. | This report from your event registration platform shows which registration (ie Early Bird vs VIP) an attendee purchased. | This report from your event registration platform shows what source (social media, email, etc) is attributed to each sale. |
For example, let’s say your event reports tell you that Facebook ads are driving the most traffic to your event website. But what if those visitors aren’t signing up for your event? If another social network or marketing channel is more successful at turning interested buyers into paid attendees, you’ll want to consider reallocating some marketing dollars to see a more significant ROI.
2. Optimise event operations
Using a combination of data from your event registration platform and mobile event app, you can prevent logistical nightmares from diluting the attendee experience.
| Reports and Data | |
|---|---|
| Top content and interests | Check-ins by time and device |
| These reports from your event app tell you which speakers, sessions, and discussions attendees are actively engaged with. | These reports from your event registration platform show you how fast — or slow — traffic is flowing into your event venue. |
By monitoring attendee activity in your event app, you can see which sessions, speakers, and content they’re most interested in. You might find, for example, that a session you thought would have marginal attendance needs to be in the largest room your venue provides.
For large scale events held in major conference halls or other venues with multiple entrances, long check-in lines can ruin the event experience before it starts. The ability to name your check-in devices and monitor the traffic in real-time ensures attendees can get immersed in the event experience as soon as possible.
3. Evaluate your success
Once your event ends and the books are closed, you can analyse your event data once more to improve your next event.
| Reports and Data | |
|---|---|
| New v. returning attendees | Session and speaker ratings |
| This report from your event registration platform gives you a glimpse into how many attendees attended previous events, and how many are brand new to your events. | This report from your event app shows which sessions or speakers attendees liked or disliked. |
For instance, looking at the ratio of new versus returning attendees is important for two reasons. First, a healthy mix of new and returning attendees helps gauge whether or not your event is growing at a steady pace. Second, retaining attendees costs much less than acquiring new ones.
Gather the session and speaker ratings from your event app and segment the responses by new and returning attendees. Look for patterns and trends that explain where your event delivered on their expectations — and where it didn’t. Use that insight to inform your event agenda moving forward.
Harness your event data
The insights provided by your registration platform and mobile event app are changing the way events measure — and claim — success in this rapidly growing industry. Now, what happens before, during, and after your event is in full view.
Find out more ways to harness your event data and determine the future of your event in the full guide, Beyond Registration: Using Data to Supercharge Your Event.
