How do some events get better and better over time and never stagnate? What’s their secret to success? The secret is data analysis and adaptation to trends uncovered in the analysis.
When you capture the right data and analyze it correctly, you can:
- Discover hidden trends
- Uncover attendee behaviors
- Determine preferences
These findings can then be used to tailor your next event around attendee needs.
Getting Started
Taking a deep dive into your data is not as hard as it sounds. It starts with capturing the right data throughout each phase of your event.
To be sure you are capturing all the data you need, read this helpful checklist of event data points. This checklist provides guidance on important data points to capture before your event, during online registration, at the event, and afterwards.
Analyzing Your Data
Now that you’ve captured these important data points, it’s imperative you put your hard-won data to good use by conducting a thorough analysis.
Create graphs and reports of your data and ask critical questions like, “Why did online registrations peak during this time? Why did very few people attend the 3:00 p.m. session on accounting? What does the attendance data say about the interests and needs of our attendees?”
Cross tabulate sets of data to determine:
- Session popularity by age group, profession, or attendee type
- Attendance and check-in times as compared to last year and by attendee type
- Most visited in-event locations based on time of day and attendee demographics
- Peak attendance across the event, by session, and by time of day
Next, review the data closely to uncover attendee behavior patterns, preferences, and programming opportunities. Compare your findings to responses from post-event satisfaction surveys to further understand the “why” behind the data trends.
Implementing Change
Discuss your findings with the rest of your event team and develop solutions and strategies for your next event. Create an open atmosphere to discuss findings and critically review event dynamics.
Being critical of your event is paramount for your event’s ongoing success. Listening to your attendees-both what they’re telling you and what their behavior is telling you-will pay off in the end.
If you’re looking for help analyzing your event data and implementing change, there are companies that can assist.
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