ANALYSIS
Untapped potential 42%
of event professionals
never collect social
media information
during registration
A new survey by Aventri and Little Bird Told Media reveals that the
events industry has room for growth when it comes to social media
L
77% 65% 56% 52%
Service
42%
38%
38%
79% 87%
Gamification/
96% 15% 11% 1%
33%
50%
66%
71%
90%
Facebook is still
overwhemingly the
preferred platform
15%
February 2019 | exhibitionnews.co.uk
always collect social media
information during registration
88% of event
professionals use social
media at their events.
They use it for:
1. Social Media Monitoring Software (47%)
2. Pre-Scheduling Tools (42%)
3. Analytics Tools (23%)
4. Content Creation Software (21%)
15%
42%
of event professionals
say their organisation
relies on one person
to manage their
social media
14
ast year, event management software company
Aventri partnered with Little Bird Told Media to
carry out a survey into the social media habits of
event professionals. 185 event professionals were surveyed,
and the report covered a range of questions including what
social media platforms event professionals use, what they
use those social media platforms for and what social media
management tools are used. What emerged from the report
is that, while the majority of event professionals use social
media, very few are taking advantage of all its uses.
“As expected, our survey revealed social media usage
is widespread,” Michael Burns, executive vice president
of global sales and marketing at Aventri, tells EN. “At
the same time, the industry has a lot of room for growth
when it comes to harnessing the full power of this unique
communications platform. Many organisers ignore key
metrics when gauging social media success. As a result, they
miss opportunities to sell more sponsorships and gain new
insights about attendee interests, top influencers, potential
problems and more.”
Facebook maintained its historic lead as the preferred
social media, while video streaming app Periscope struggled
despite the popularity of online video (perhaps due to
Facebook Live’s similar and more easily accessible offering).
Thirty-nine per cent of those surveyed use YouTube for
live streaming, compared to 81 per cent who use Facebook.
Only 15 per cent of event professionals actively promote the
use of social media channels at their events, with only 28
per cent of respondents reporting that they always explain
to attendees the benefits of engaging with the event on
social media. One final finding, perhaps less surprising, was
that social media is rarely prioritised or given the attention
it arguably deserves; six per cent of those surveyed had a
volunteer or intern running their social media, while a third
don’t use any tools to manage their social media. EN
of event professionals don’t
promote their social channels