data-collection

The first thing that pops into your head when you think of event planning probably isn’t data collection; event management is perceived as more of a creative than a scientific endeavour. However, data collection is an important part of planning events that are not only well attended but achieve the desired goals of captivating guests and meeting those all-important brand objectives.

Ensure that you have the latest information about your guests

Detailed information about your guests is vital when it comes to successful conference and event management. The most critical information is the guests’ contact details: name, email, mobile number, landline and company. Regularly updating and maintaining this data is crucial for cultivating good relationships with guests. A mispelled name or not knowing they’ve changed company might irk your guest, making your brand look unprofessional and disinterested in them.

Collecting the correct data ensures that as many people respond to your invites as possible

Making sure the information is up to date will also guarantee a lower bounce rate when sending invites out. Using data collection software will assist you with integrity checks to make sure that you’re not sending out invitations that’ll never even be opened. Event database software checks for things like email addresses and mobile numbers in the incorrect format, as well as details like split first and last names.

Personalising your event and communication will make your brand stand out from the crowd

Data collection helps you create personalised events that resonate with your guests, and also lets you tailor your communication to every guest. We live in an age of cold-calling and impersonal marketing messages: if you reach out in a personalised manner, your invitees are more likely to respond to invitations and attend your event. Everything from how a guest would prefer to be contacted for RSVP follow ups and reminders, to whether they prefer meat or fish – even their golf handicap, glove size and spouse’s name can be recorded with event database software.

Event relationship management (ERM) helps you plan successful events in the future

Data collection isn’t just useful prior to the event. Gathering and analysing data from event surveys – event relationship management (ERM) – will bolster the information already at your disposal. All data collected using event database software can be exported into an Excel file and manipulated to determine ROI. Without such analysis, you’ll fail to plan successful events in the future or create an effective event strategy.

To learn more about how to manage and manipulate guest data throughout the event planning process, contact us today.