Analysis
‘Developer’ in their title, rather than
those with direct buying power.
When applying KPIs to gauge
the type of attendee the show is
attracting, we should consider
including measures such as ‘time
spent by the buyer on reviewing a
product’ and ‘buyer interaction with
the exhibitor’. Indeed, just how long is
the buyer’s attention span?
The ways in which attendees
interact can tell us a lot about the
performance of the event and is also
a strong indicator of engagement. But
who is best positioned to assess the
KPIs a modern exhibition organiser
should be using?
With the industry being a lot bolder
in the exploration and incorporation
of technology and digital innovations
to greater influence the customer
experience, I asked one technology
company whether their clients were
presenting them with the kind of KPIs
they would expect when it comes
to isolating the data they think they
require to succeed.
“Some clients do provide us with
the KPIs to track, and they are almost
always in line with our thinking,” said
Mykyta Fastovets from Expoplatform,
a UK-based technology provider for
business events. “Some clients do
ask for suggestions. Which scenario
happens depends on how much of
an expert the client is in the area that
they are trying to measure success
in. Often, ExpoPlatform is the expert
rather than the client, so it can be
down to us to establish KPIs together
with the client, and then deliver the
data to derive them.”
KPIs used for internal
measurement are also being
improved by technology. Revenue
isn’t the only route to a more
attractive bottom line. If that value
can be multiplied through the use
of modern exhibition tools, such as
biometrics or self-scan check-in, or
a simple-to-use smartphone-based
matchmaking tool, then the overall
performance of your operations team
is likely to improve.
50
Issue 2 2019
“Our business environment is not
the same as it was 20, 10, or even
five years ago and the way in
which we measure performance
should reflect this”
Engagement can be measured
through post-event surveys, but
it can also be assessed in a live
environment. And, in a digitally
enabled exhibition environment, KPIs
taken during the event can be used
to affect change while the show is
ongoing.
Companies such as Explori use
technology to help organisers
understand and manage audience
satisfaction through their Digital
Exhibition Management Services.
The system enables management to
have a clearer view of the customer
experience across comparable
products and portfolios, enabling
them to better understand drivers of
loyalty, growth and opportunity.
With event technology being used
more and more at events, such as
event apps which have now become
standard and allow organisers to
monitor trends more effectively,
engaged attendees can be a KPI
themselves.
Above:
Matthias Baur
Making KPIs relevant
A good 10 to 15 years ago, we all
realised that quality was more
important than quantity and
started vetting the visitors and
exhibitors a lot more, paying close
attention to the calibre and variety
of exhibitors impacting on show
standard and the potential to support
show evolution.
It may be time to now consider
how else we can measure the quality
of the experience. The ease of doing
business should be measured with
the focus on how to increase the
opportunity of conducting quality
business, providing participants
with value-based networking
opportunities to conduct quality
business done within short time-
frames. We should also be open to
benchmarking on competing events.
Events should not be measured in
isolation, they need to keep abreast
of competitors to ensure the quality
of the industry as a whole is elevated
year-on-year.
There is a variety of KPIs that can
be included to measure events and
company performance which can
promote event and industry growth.
The question is, are traditional KPIs
sufficient or do we need to choose
more relevant indicators and, if so,
how should we define these new-age
KPIs to ensure they are applicable
beyond current changing trends?
In a digital, fast-paced world,
reinvention, innovation and
maintaining the competitive edge
should be ingrained in everything
we do. Key performance indicators
are the tools to keep these driving
forces alive. Is it not time for industry
associations, organisers and venues
should start actively challenging
the current status quo and devise
new indicators that fit into the
demands and dynamics of today’s
revolutionising world?
What the KPIs of the future
should be is a question we should be
formulating to ensure the future of
our business.
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk