The five-step guide to becoming a data-driven event manager

By incorporating both in-person, virtual, and video-on-demand components, hybrid events offer the best of both worlds. Attendees can enjoy the benefits of networking and interacting with other attendees in person, while also having the flexibility to connect with content asynchronously. This not only helps drive engagement levels up but also provides unprecedented access to data that can be used to inform decision-making.

Data has always been a key ingredient in event management, but it’s only recently that we’ve had the tools and technology to collect, analyze, and act on data in real time. The percentage of planners who consider themselves comfortable or savvy with virtual event tech increased from 42% in June to 53% in October, according to  research carried out by Skift Meetings.

This shows that the event industry is adapting and learning how to use new technologies, which is crucial in the current climate. Virtual and hybrid events are at the forefront of the event industry and it is important to be ahead of the curve if you want to stay competitive. Data should be at the heart of every decision you make as an event manager. By basing your decisions on data, you can ensure that your events are as successful as possible.

As an event manager, you’re tasked with putting on successful events that deliver a return on investment (ROI) for your company. And yet, many event professionals are still relying on intuition and gut feeling to make decisions about their events.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve in today’s data-driven world and deliver truly successful digital events that maximize the ROI for your company, you need to become data-driven as an event manager. Here’s a five-step guide to help you get started:

Step one: Define your goals

The first step to becoming a data-driven event manager is defining your goals. What does success look like for your event? For a lot of event managers, a successful event is one that increases brand recognition. Rather than simply spruiking the benefits of your brand, you want your attendees to walk away with a positive association with your company. For other event managers, the purpose may be community-building or generating leads or something else entirely.

It is only when you are totally clear on your goals that you can start to measure whether or not you’re achieving them.

Step two: Collect the right data

Measuring engagement in live events is notoriously difficult. There are a lot of factors that contribute to whether or not someone has a good time, and it’s hard to pin down exactly what those factors are. That’s why data-driven event managers collect as much data as possible.

But it’s not enough to just collect every piece of data you can lay your hands on – you need to make sure you’re collecting the right data. This means thinking carefully about which metrics will actually give you insights into whether or not your event is achieving its goals and delivering ROI.

For instance, when it comes to virtual and hybrid events, one of the most important things you can do is track attendance. This data will give you insights into which marketing channels are most effective at driving registrations, and whether or not your event is appealing to your target audience.

Another vital metric is engagement. You can track engagement by looking at things like time spent viewing content as well as the number of interactions. This type of data collection is enhanced if you use an events platform that facilitates ways for people to connect with each other before, during, and after the event. This includes not only live chat functionality but also community meetups on the platform itself.

Step three: interpret your data

Once you’ve collected the data, it’s time to start analyzing it. Data-driven decision-making is all about turning data into insights that you can use to improve your event.

By measuring interactions, time spent viewing content, and other engagement metrics, you can start to get a picture of which sessions were most popular with attendees. This data can help you shape future events, ensuring that you’re delivering content that your audience actually wants to see.

An events platform should let event managers view an array of critical data sets, such as the number of registrations, accounts created, sessions booked or schedules edited. With this data, event managers can help create a more engaging and interactive experience for everyone involved.

Step four: Make data-driven decisions

Once you’ve analyzed your data, it’s time to start making data-driven decisions about your event. This means using the insights you’ve gleaned from your data to make changes that will improve your event.

Additionally, event platforms should provide ways for people to connect with each other before, during, and after the event. This could include chat rooms, forums, or even video conferencing. By providing these features, digital event platforms can help create a more engaging and interactive experience for everyone involved.

Step five: Rinse and repeat

The final step in becoming a data-driven event manager is to rinse and repeat. The world of data is always changing, so it’s important to stay on top of the latest trends and technologies. And as your event grows and changes, so too will your data needs.

But if you can master the five steps in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a data-driven event manager.

Data-driven decision-making for event managers in the digital age

A data-driven event manager is somebody who uses data to inform their decisions about everything from event marketing to on-site operations. They’re constantly collecting data, analyzing it, and using it to improve the event experience for attendees.

Not only that, event managers can glean useful data insights to find to share with their sales and marketing colleagues to help them drive more business value from the event. And doing so can also inform marketing and sales strategies moving forward.

One very powerful way of doing this is to use hybrid event data to segment your audience. This data can help you to identify your most engaged customers and prospects, and then target them with tailored content and offers. Additionally, you can use hybrid event data to track conversions and measure ROI. By understanding which hybrid events are driving the most valuable outcomes, you can allocate your resources more effectively in the future.

How Dexper is empowering data-driven decision making

With Dexper’s enterprise-level digital events platform, you can put your data to work for you in your event marketing, on-site operations, and post-event analysis.

Dexper’s event data insights help you to track both the big-picture trends at your events and the specific interactions of each attendee. This data is updated in real-time, so you can always be sure that you’re getting the most accurate information possible. And because all collected data is presented in easy-to-understand visuals, you’ll be able to make data-driven decisions before, during, and after your events.

At Dexper, we believe that enterprises should focus on creating impactful events that drive their business goals. And our serverless infrastructure is designed to scale up seamlessly, so you can focus on what’s important: the event itself.

Using Dexper’s video-on-demand capabilities, your content will be available immediately after your event, so your audience can watch it at their convenience. This will ensure your investment in the event continues to pay off long after it’s over and the data collected can continue to inform your decision-making.

Final thoughts

Data is becoming increasingly important in the business events industry, and data-driven event managers are leading the charge. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, it’s time to start thinking about how you can use data to inform your event decisions. And Dexper is here to help you every step of the way.