Data Driven Events - The Key to ROI

You’re given an event budget at the start of the year with one thing in mind: getting the best return on your investment. It can be debated for hours on how you actually measure ROI from events–new leads gathered, deals signed, amount of people who saw your product launch–but one thing holds true–it’s all measured by data.

Think about it. Each event site posts their “by the numbers” each year as an indicator of success, and reason why you should invest in the experience again. Why should companies not do the same??

How many quality conversations did your team have? How many leads did they log? How many people downloaded the media kit? How many people did they make laugh? How many Linkedin friendships were formed? How many snack recommendations did they make, or offer, and were they any good? These are all factors that define a business's growth, and metrics by which we can measure the “success” of an event, if we start to think about it in a holistic way.

Now, old school event pros will show up with a stack of business cards, some pens, and shake hands all day to try to get a deal closed. Sure, a few people will put their email on a sign up list, or let them scan their badge. When these so-called “savvy” sales pros come home, they feel like they’ve done a great job. When the CMO asks where the proof of that great job is, they have no data to back it up, just some elbows they have rubbed the right way.

In the modern world, while “vibes” are a key part of the event experience, but event pros don’t have to report back based on vibes alone.?

There are a slew of tools at your disposal when you walk onto the show floor, from badge scanners that you can access from the organizers that help gather full contact points, to tech pieces that your team has creative ownership of. Bringing them into the flow of your event marketing plan can be game changing for your post-event follow up strategy, giving the team hot contacts with comprehensive interest point data to give future conversations a constructive edge.

If you have a sales team that loves to demo on the show floor, arm them with a touchscreen kiosk and a metric tracked media kit. They can ship it off to attendees via a QR code or email, gathering contact info, as well as track what points of interest hit hardest on the floor. All of this leads to a stronger structure for the home team to use during follow up.

If you have an event team that loves to get people excited with some games and giveaways, arm them with a digital game to up the competitive edge! Creating a custom branded version of a classic arcade or phone game will spark interest with attendees, as well as increase brand recognition. Use leaderboards to urge people to compete for higher level giveaways, and in exchange, get their contact information. They’ll leave with a positive memory on the floor, and you’ll have a point to follow up with!

In the end, successful events aren’t just about handshakes and giveaways—they’re about creating meaningful interactions and tracking them with data. By integrating tech tools like touchscreen kiosks, gamified experiences, and digital media kits, your event team can build lasting connections and gain the insights needed for follow-up that converts. No more relying on gut feelings or vibes alone; with the right approach, every interaction becomes measurable. The result? A more dynamic, data-driven event strategy that maximizes ROI and leaves your team better equipped to drive future success.