Putting Your Event Data to Work, with Matt Grant of Impact XM
Whether it be a live, in-person or a hybrid event, we all look for key indicators and metrics of success to support our event and content strategies.
At this year’s Experiential Marketing Summit, The Scoop took a deep dive with Matthew Grant, VP of Live + Digital Production and Technology at Impact XM, to discuss all things data and how we can use metrics to reveal insights to improve our events.
For many organizations who previously had little involvement and exposure to the power of digital engagement, the pandemic shed light on one important factor – we need digital in some capacity. Of the “great pivot,” Grant said even his organization had to “flex muscles they didn’t have” to service their clients with virtual events. “The need to connect was still there,” said Grant. So, the teams of Impact XM took their existing experience and turned it into a craft for virtual events.
As more and more surveys and studies show, some audience communities would prefer to keep attending and engaging digitally. Grant cites one example of an organization that bought out space in the metaverse to rent out to other organizations looking to host virtual events. Amazing concept… digital real estate!
With the conversations and idea sharing around pivoting and changing our marketing mindset, how does data influence event strategies and execution? “We look at data very narrowly,” said Grant, of the typical pre-pandemic mindset. “We need a more comprehensive, holistic view.” One of the best ways to set KPIs (key performance indicators), is to look at the event in its entirety, leading to a more comprehensive outlook, helping us to better utilize all pieces of data.
Data consumption can be overwhelming, so The Scoop asked Matt to break down his top tips for navigating the “data ecosystem” and becoming more data driven.
- Align the appropriate teams and partners: Collecting and analyzing data reaches beyond just a marketing team. In many instances, it includes an IT team and a team of data analysts as well. When we pull in all relevant stakeholders, it makes the process more collaborative. When everyone has a role and understands the goals and execution, they’re more willing to participate and you get better outcomes.
- Think Big: Think about your entire program and not just the tactics. When you take a more comprehensive approach and consider all aspects from point A to point B, you’re likely to gain more insights from your data that are useful to inform future events and marketing strategies.
- Understand your needs and tools prior to the event: Events spin-off tremendous amounts of data and having control over that data is key. Understanding what data tools you have, how they integrate and work together should be part of your onsite plan.
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