The concept of data-driven decision making relies on making decisions depending on an analysis of data instead of relying on observation, tired playbooks, intuition or the vague sense of a “hunch.” While your past experiences can still prove useful to future event planning, it’s best to start with a data-driven baseline.
The value of data-driven decisions comes from the insights that data can provide which, when leveraged properly, can result in better decisions.
When it comes to event planning, data-driven decision making empowers event managers to improve attendee experiences, while supporting efficient budget allocation, mitigating risk, sharpening marketing efforts for increased precision, and allowing for post-event tracking, which proves invaluable to future event planning.
In this article, we will showcase the value of custom event mobile apps to promote these data-driven strategies, optimizing your efforts in support of better events, by providing real-time data insights, attendee engagement metrics, personalization through analytics, enhanced event flow and streamlined logistics, and, finally, the ability to analyze and measure the success of your event.
Joe Colangelo, CEO of Bear Analytics, highlights the purpose of integrating custom event apps, “You want to be able to make sure that you have the right technologies in place, so that the by-product—that data that’s being created—allows you to do something informative afterwards.”
Let’s explore these event app capabilities and illustrate how Core-Apps can help you unlock each one to do something informative and impactful in the long run.
Real-Time Data Insights
By accessing real-time data insights, event managers can analyze how the event is going as it unfolds and adjust as needed. With the right event app, it’s easy to monitor attendee interactions, engagements, and preferences.
Why is this valuable?
As Zig Ziglar is credited as saying, “The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that it does exist.”
In other words, the ability to analyze real-time data insights gives event planners the opportunity to adjust event elements on the go. If something isn’t working at your event, whether a session, logistic or piece of content, event planners are empowered by real-time data insights to make a change on the fly. Ideally, this means that a problem never really has a chance to grow or develop in the first place.
Attendee Engagement Metrics
Following on the strength of real-time data insights, event apps are able to capture KPIs (key performance indicators) relative to session attendance, interactions, and networking. These metrics expedite the ability to make data driven decisions and manage a better event experience.
And it starts with registration.
Julie Sciullo, CEO at Association Analytics, cautions against neglecting information collected during registration because it can offer a big picture perspective on how eager attendees are to attend the event and even reveal UX issues that impede registration.
She offers this mini case study to emphasize the value of insights gleaned from registration data:
“Whenever you’re doing marketing campaigns, you want to see in real time how that’s affecting your registration. One client looked at where people were abandoning the process, and then broke it down and looked at each piece of that. They were able to take their abandon rate from around 3,900 to around 1,000 this year.”
Attendee Engagement Metrics
Following on the strength of real-time data insights, event apps are able to capture KPIs (key performance indicators) relative to session attendance, interactions, and networking. These metrics expedite the ability to make data driven decisions and manage a better event experience.
And it starts with registration.
Julie Sciullo, CEO at Association Analytics, cautions against neglecting information collected during registration because it can offer a big picture perspective on how eager attendees are to attend the event and even reveal UX issues that impede registration.
She offers this mini case study to emphasize the value of insights gleaned from registration data:
“Whenever you’re doing marketing campaigns, you want to see in real time how that’s affecting your registration. One client looked at where people were abandoning the process, and then broke it down and looked at each piece of that. They were able to take their abandon rate from around 3,900 to around 1,000 this year.”
Networking
Even managers can leverage mobile apps to facilitate networking success with features like in-app messaging, contact exchanges, and participation in networking sessions, which will offer a candid view of how much networking is happening and whether it’s providing the connections attendees expected from their participation.
With data from these KPIs, event planners can shift their content scheduling, if necessary, and evaluate whether their content needs to be refreshed or reimagined completely.
Personalization Through Analytics
With the ability to accurately and immediately collect data, event apps deliver personalized experiences, such as content recommendations.
People attend events for specific reasons, often in pursuit of professional goals, and the ability to tailor their experiences in support of those goals improves attendee satisfaction.
Improving Event Flow and Logistics
The ability to analyze data such as session attendance patterns, movement of attendees within the event space, and peak times for different activities, event organizers can pinpoint areas where crowding or delays occur. With this information, they are able to quickly adjust schedules, reconfigure layouts, or allocate resources differently to alleviate congestion.
Additionally, real-time analytics can enable quick responses to potential bottlenecks, enhancing overall attendee experience by reducing wait times and improving access to event features. Essentially, these analytics transform raw data into actionable insights for more efficient event management.
The benefits of optimizing logistics based on real-time data include enhanced efficiency, stronger decision making, improved resource allocation, fortified safety and security, all for an overall enhanced attendee experience that underscores attendee satisfaction.
Enhanced efficiency
By quickly identifying and resolving issues as they present, event managers are in control of more efficient operations. Agility like this helps minimize any downtime during the event in support of a more productive and satisfying event experience for all event stakeholders.
Stronger decision making
Real-time information provides event managers with the ability to make informed and accurate decisions in the moment. This is important in all event scenarios, regardless of size, but proves particularly useful to dynamic environments prone to sudden changes. Live feedback and data allow for on-the-spot adjustments to schedules, layouts, and activities, ensuring the event runs smoothly and according to attendee preferences and behaviors.
Improved resource allocation
By monitoring various aspects of the event in real-time, such as traffic flow, resource usage, and attendee distribution, organizers can dynamically allocate resources (like staff and amenities) where they are most needed, ensuring optimal utilization.
Fortified safety and security
Real-time data can help in identifying and responding to potential safety issues promptly. This includes managing crowd densities and ensuring emergency services are readily available if needed.
By improving the event flow and optimizing logistics via real-time data, event organizers create and manage a better event experience for increased attendee satisfaction.
Post-Event Analysis and Success Measurement
While the benefits of event apps in real-time cannot be overstated, the data they provide is just as valuable after the event. These insights provide event managers with an actionable post-event analysis that can prove invaluable to future event planning.
By reviewing KPIs and attendee engagement metrics, organizers can determine what worked for their attendees against those details that still need tweaking. Even a simple post-event survey can provide post-event analytics in support of impactful data-based decision making.
“Core-Apps was able to accommodate everything we needed from our event apps with the app functionality and design, as well as responsiveness for any questions. Attendee feedback was overwhelmingly positive.” — Brad Gardner, Pasquotank County Solid Waste Director
Don’t miss out on the ability to make data driven decisions in your event strategy.
Request a demo today!
