Study Reveals Data Management is a Growing Concern for Events Industry

70% of organisations plan to make improvement on data strategy in 2017; online registration systems seen as most effective data collection tool

survey photoLondon, UK – 4th April 2017 – A new industry study has found that 84% of event planners find data management a challenge, with 70% planning to make improvements to their data strategies in 2017. The study from Eventsforce – which investigates the importance of data in the events sector – was conducted with more than 120 senior event planners representing corporates, associations, event management agencies and public institutions in the U.S. and the UK.

“The study shows that data management is a growing focus in our industry and this is largely due to all the different data collection tools we are now using around events – from registration systems and event management software to mobile apps, engagement tools and so on. The more systems we use, the more data we are able to collect.  The more data we collect, the more important it becomes to have a clear strategy that outlines what data is needed and how it will be used.  Not doing this effectively is a real lost opportunity,” said George Sirius, CEO of Eventsforce.

According to 74% of event planners, calculating ROI and measuring event success tops the list of reasons why organisations collect data from events.  Another 68% use data to plan goals, activities and content for upcoming events, while other applications include profiling attendees for marketing and personalisation and generating leads for their organisations.

When investigating what data event planners look at to measure event success, the study found that feedback from attendees, exhibitors and sponsors topped the list at 69%.  This was followed by registration numbers at 66% and actual attendance rates at 65%.  The study also asked respondents which technology tools they found to be the most effective for collecting valuable information around their events.  Online registration systems were the most popular at 76%, followed by event management software and mobile apps.  Other tools that got the vote include social media and audience engagement tools, as well as web analytics and check-in systems.

Other areas the Eventsforce study looked into were the kind of challenges event planners were facing with regards to data management. More than 50% of respondents felt it was difficult to consolidate all their event data as most of it was dispersed across different systems.  Another 35% said they had too much data and didn’t have the time or resources to do anything useful with it.  Other issues include not having the adequate tools to collect the data needed and not knowing the kind of data that should be collected in the first place.

Despite these challenges, however, the study does indicate that event planners do understand the importance of data with 70% of respondents planning to make improvements in the way they collect and manage data around their events. More than 30% of these planners want to invest more time and resources in data analysis and reporting, while another 18% plan to address the issue by integrating their event tech systems.  Other plans include investing in new data collection tools and involving other stakeholders for better data planning.

For a more comprehensive look at the results of the ‘How Important is Your Event Data?’ study, please have a look at the infographic below:

How Important is Your Event Data_Infographic

About Eventsforce

Eventsforce provides web-based event management software that powers thousands of successful events each year. With headquarters in London (UK), its customers span 14 different countries and represent some of the leading names in finance, education, government, associations, PCOs and publishing. Its highly customisable, modular software provides a complete end-to-end management solution that addresses every aspect of the event lifecycle: from event planning, marketing and registration, to abstracts and awards management, as well as post-event analysis and reporting.

Eventsforce also has expertise in managing complex data integration projects, which help organisations save time, improve data sharing and bring value to their events.  It has partnerships with leading technology vendors and its open API allows organisations to seamlessly integrate Eventsforce solutions with payment gateways, CRM solutions, finance and membership systems.

For more information, please visit www.eventsforce.com

Media Contact:

Taline Jones, Content Manager

Tel: +44 (0)20 77856997

Email: taline.jones@eventsforce.com