London – U.K. – 16 2021 June 2021 A new study found that virtual events are making data management more difficult for half of event planners. The majority is collecting more data than ever. The study also found that 82% of event planners believe that data management is crucial to running successful hybrid events.
The research, entitled ‘The Changing role of Event Data: New Challenges and Opportunities’, was conducted by Eventsforce in May 2021. It is based upon the opinions of 200+ event managers in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, who represent corporates, associations, and government agencies, as well as educational institutions and event management agencies.
The Impact Of Virtual
The research study aimed to determine the impact of virtual events on the way event organizers handle their event data. Event planners are most concerned about the volume of data they collect from virtual events. 46% say that this is more than what they get at in-person events. Data is stored on multiple systems, which makes it difficult to get a clear picture of the data (40%) and can also be a problem when trying to gain insight into data. Other 34% do not feel that they have the resources or time to make any meaningful use of the data collected from these events.
Most respondents (73%) said they used the data to improve future events and measure success. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of respondents also use data to create more detailed event reports that sponsors and exhibitors want from virtual events. 40% of respondents are using their data to understand online attendees’ behavior better and to apply that learning to hybrid events.
Hybrid
The study examines current trends to determine what role hybrid events will play for organizers in their handling of data. According to the findings, 75% of event organizers plan on hosting mixed events between 2021-2022. The majority of these will take place this fall. Interestingly, 82% of organizers feel that their data management strategy will become more important with hybrid events.
Data management has always been a concern for event planners. It seems that virtual is even more complex. “Hybrid will not make it any easier either,” said George Sirius. “Hybrid Events combine two experiences, which means that organizers will end up having to deal with a lot of engagement data than in a virtual setting or an in-person setting.” Many people say they do not have the resources necessary to focus on data properly. However, hybrid models will require them to spend more time collecting, analyzing, and reporting the data collected from events.
New Opportunities Next Steps
The research shows that despite the challenges, data management is a high priority for 94% of organizers because they understand the benefits this can bring to events. Among the new opportunities that can be created, 67% of organizers believe it will make their events more engaging. Another 59% think this will result in happier sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees. Other benefits include better hybrid events (50%) and improved data quality for attendees (42%).
73% of event organizers are taking steps now to improve their data strategies for 2021-2022. The majority, 47%, plan to spend more time analyzing data, while 36% plan to clean up data they already have. Data security, analytics, and tech stack integration are other concerns event planners have. Over 1 in 3 event planners want to improve the way they secure their attendees’ data. A similar proportion intends to invest in technology platforms that will help them better with analytics.
The lack of visibility that organizers face is a major problem, as they have data scattered across so many systems. Hybrid will complicate this further. In addition to recognizing that they need to devote more resources to managing their data, organizers also need a new perspective on event technology. “They can make it easier by using tools which integrate with their existing tech stack, or looking at event management platforms to allow them manage all of their virtual and in person data in one location.”
These platforms not only save time but also help event planners to understand how attendees are engaging with events. They can then create reports that their stakeholders will need. They also give planners the big picture they need for ALL of their events, whether they are hybrid, virtual, or in-person, which is essential to success and growth,” said Sirius.