A virtual event platform enables trade fairs to be transformed into online gatherings allowing you to collect valuable data. Compared to the traditional format, virtual trade exhibitions generate a swarm of analytics both during and after the event.
Event data are a gold mine. It should be a significant priority to put this information to use. It can not only help you improve future events, but it can also provide you with a better insight into your company and its clients.
In this article, we’ll look at different approaches to using this data and how it can help you even after the final guest has left!
Why to befriend analytics?
Your virtual event platform is hard to analyze what is happening while your trade show attendees are enjoying themselves. Metrics can include which online meeting was the most popular, which types of content received the most engagement, and how different demographics of attendees behaved.
Detailed reports can provide you with insights on the following aspects of your overall approach:
Selection of exhibitors and speakers
As you plan a trade show, make sure to put together a list of exhibitors and speakers. You may have a long number of options depending on the industry or event theme. Given this, it’s understandable that not every booth or speaker is a tremendous success. But knowing who does well and who doesn’t is valuable information, and it may be a valuable learning experience.
Your event staff can examine the data to determine which booth, exhibitor, presentation, and webinar were popular with attendees. The information provided here can help you choose better vendors at your next virtual trade show. Those well-received exhibitors and speakers should be returned, and those who were not should be replaced. To put it another way, cut the fat and give an even more enjoyable event next time.
Creating and sharing content
Even more in-depth analysis of event data can identify which collateral and types of content were the most effective. This comprises both the core content supplied by the trade show presenters and the content offered at each booth.
Be sure to wow your audience with content they will appreciate across the board, with the information they can put to use, in addition to showcasing the most outstanding exhibitors. It is not worth your time or resources to waste them on content that does not engage visitors, let alone if it does not reflect well upon your suppliers. You can share the results with exhibitors and improve your own content strategy in the future by examining the performance of the content based on data from your virtual event platform.
Real-time Reaction
People are familiar with Facebook and LinkedIn reactions, making the transfer simple and effective. Individual reactions can be tailored to your event, providing branded intelligence that goes beyond likes and hearts. Presenters can even view the audience’s reactions while on stage, providing feedback sometimes lacking in virtualization.
After the show, overlay the data of who liked what and when on your program’s tape, with a line graph showing the spike in reactions at their exact time throughout the broadcast. People typically have five reactions per stream, which indicates a great deal of enjoyment. It is in the people’s interests to get what they want, so give it to them!
Getting to know your audience
The most common way virtual event organizers measure their success is by tracking attendance. When thousands of people show up, it can be challenging to keep track of them all or get to know them individually. Attendee statistics come very handy in this situation. When organizing a sizeable online event, such as a virtual trade exhibition, the platform will keep track of the types of people who attend (e.g., demographics, location, etc.). You can also learn more about their activity at your event, such as how many sessions they attended, what they bought, and so on.
For trade show exhibitors and organizers alike, lead generation is ideal both during and after the event. You may improve audience targeting efforts during events and general brand marketing by evaluating your audience through these reports. Vendors and exhibitors at trade shows are in the same boat. Understanding the demographics and habits of the audience can also aid in the planning of future events for the best results, based on the most likely attendees – and whom you hope will attend next time!
Easy customer segmentation
Each song can be tailored to a specific audience, generating various overall experiences. It’s common to practice to divide attendees into parts, but understanding how they interact with your information exposes hidden insights about them. Examining how the groupings function as a unit reveals the more profound significance and expands your understanding of who they are.
Layout and design of an event
A virtual trade exhibition is far easier to navigate than a physical one, both literally and metaphorically. Small factors in your event’s plan, such as booth design, exhibit hall layout, colors, and graphics, can significantly impact visitor outcomes.
Your staff can gain a sense of the attendee experience in exploring the event through the online meeting hall, from the foyer to specific booths. What were the most and least popular areas? Which booth designs were successful and which were not? You can reinforce the design decisions of particular components and find places for design improvement around the event by observing the data. These findings can also be shared with exhibitors to help them prepare a more efficient display.
Retention and attendance of viewers
We know where individuals attended by scanning your badge at the door of a session, just like watching your badge at the door of a session communicates to the convention organizers. We don’t miss anything. That’s the difference. We know when people arrived when they left and how many of them stayed for the entire event. You can notice a drop-off in the crowd at a given point in the program or session and decide how to engage the audience better.
Summary
These days, data is everywhere. This is for a good purpose. While much of what you see in your analytics reports is noise, the gold nuggets are priceless to your company and customers. Through event analytics enabled by virtual event platforms, there is a tremendous amount of actionable data that is simply not possible with live events. This data can provide guidance from all angles for events like virtual trade exhibitions. Simply put, don’t ignore the reports. Data from your next virtual trade fair could help you make better strategic decisions, win more customers, and drive more business to your industry partners. Connect the dots now.