Explori Blog | Jan Barthelemy

Questex and Explori Enter Three-Year Strategic Partnership to Drive Customer Experience Excellence

Sep 9, 2025

September 9, 2025 Questex, a leading US-based trade show organizer, has signed a three-year agreement with Explori, the global leader in event customer experience (CX) benchmarking and insights. The partnership will equip Questex with advanced intelligence tools to enhance customer experience and fuel its next phase of growth. “Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a major growth driver for events, and as we enter our next stage of expansion, we wanted a partner who could deliver high-definition customer insights to inform our strategic development,” said Paul Miller, CEO at Questex. “Explori has consistently led the market in this field, and we are delighted to be deploying their platform and services across our portfolio.” Mark Brewster, CEO at Explori, added: “Questex is among the top tier of data-led event organizers and is on a very exciting growth trajectory. We’re thrilled to be working with their show teams and senior leadership to elevate their CX operations to the next level.” Questex’s portfolio includes International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF), Fierce Pharma Week, Restaurant & Bar Expo, and Stream TV, as well as recent acquisitions such as the event assets of Affordable Housing Finance and Multifamily Executive, reflecting its strategic focus on the company’s growth strategy across the built environment. The announcement follows Explori’s recent launch of version 4 of its platform, which incorporates new AI capabilities to deliver automated thematic analysis. “AI is a powerful addition to our product,” said Brewster. “There are huge opportunities to further automate analysis and reporting, enabling organizers to quickly identify insights and act with confidence. As attendee and exhibitor expectations evolve, it has never been more important for event organizers to deeply understand the impact their events create.” About Explori Explori is the leading provider of standardized feedback, benchmarking, and intelligence for the global events industry. Trusted by organizers, associations, and corporates worldwide, Explori empowers stakeholders to measure success, uncover insights, and scale with confidence. Learn more at www.explori.com. About Questex Questex helps people live better and longer. The company brings people together in the markets that help people live better - hospitality, operational real estate and wellness - and the industries that help people live longer - life sciences and healthcare - along with the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. In the experience economy, Questex connects its ecosystem through live events, enriched with data insights and digital communities, to deliver exceptional experiences and measurable results. It happens here. Learn more at www.questex.com -ENDS-

Events Venture Group Completes Investment in Explori - Accelerating Data-Driven Growth in the Events Industry

Sep 4, 2025

September 4, 2025 Events Venture Group (EVG), a braintrust of world-class founders, serial entrepreneurs, and top-tier event operators, today announced its latest strategic investment in Explori, the leading provider of standardized feedback, benchmarking, and intelligence for the global events industry. In the words of Greg Topalian, Founding EVG Board Member “I have never been as bullish about the event industry as I am right now. The challenge before us is how to deliver the highest levels of ROI, gain key insights into what our customers want and need and where industries are going. Explori is at the center of solving these challenges.” Founded by Mark Brewster, Explori is redefining how event organizers, associations, and corporates measure success, benchmark performance, and unlock growth opportunities. With its global footprint and robust data-driven platform, Explori enables event leaders to deliver measurable ROI for stakeholders and confidently develop their events businesses. “In its third syndication within a year, EVG has demonstrated resilience and conviction in the live events sector. The company's consistent dealflow aligns with venture capital ratios, reinforcing its mission to empower event entrepreneurs with transformative capital and operational expertise” said Marilú Páez, EVG Co-Founder. Backed by EVG’s syndication, Explori is positioned to: Accelerate product and AI innovation Expand its global intelligence services. Strengthen its role as the go-to source for event performance benchmarking and attendee, exhibitor and sponsor insights. The investment was led by EVG members including respected leaders across the events, finance, and advisory sectors. “Explori is poised to revolutionize how the events ecosystem leverages data,” said Harvey Hudes, EVG member. “EVG was built to support platforms like this - ones that deliver measurable impact for founders, organizers, and investors.” Mark Brewster, Founder & CEO of Explori, added: “This syndication is more than just capital—it’s a true partnership with operators and investors who have scaled events, and event technology, from the ground up,” said Explori Founder & CEO Mark Brewster. “With EVG’s backing, we’re ready to ignite Explori’s next phase of growth.” About Explori Explori is the leading provider of standardized feedback, benchmarking, and intelligence for the global events industry. Trusted by organizers, associations, and corporates worldwide, Explori empowers stakeholders to measure success, uncover insights, and scale with confidence. Learn more at www.explori.com. About EVG Events Venture Group (EVG) is a venture-backed community connecting event founders and entrepreneurs with investors, operators, and industry leaders to accelerate growth and create meaningful exits for the benefit of the entire events ecosystem. With expertise, capital, and mentorship, EVG is redefining the future of live events as an asset class. Learn more at www.eventsventuregroup.com. For founders, EVG is a gateway to transformative capital, strategic guidance, and a deeply engaged community. For industry leaders, membership offers a rare opportunity to join an elite group of changemakers redefining how the world gathers, connects, and celebrates. To learn more or get involved, visit eventsventuregroup.com or connect with us on LinkedIn. Media Contact: Events Venture Group 📩 info@eventsventuregroup.com

Why Meeting Existing Customers is the Hidden ROI Driver for Exhibitors — and Organisers

Sep 3, 2025

If you ask most exhibitors what success looks like at a trade show, you’ll often hear familiar answers: generating new leads, showcasing products, or raising brand awareness. But Explori’s latest Channel Insights research highlights a less obvious — but far more powerful — driver of success: meeting with existing customers. Explore the full findings and see what’s next for B2B events — download the 2025 Channel Insights Report. Across more than 3,000 B2B events, only half of exhibitors set this as an objective. Yet those that do consistently outperform their peers across all satisfaction metrics. They report higher overall satisfaction, stronger Net Promoter Scores, and greater expected return on investment. Why this matters for exhibitors In today’s virtual-first working world, sales teams are starved of the face time they once had. Dropping by a client’s office is no longer a reliable option. Trade shows, however, provide a rare and efficient touchpoint to connect with multiple existing customers in one place. For companies with complex portfolios, that face time is critical for nurturing relationships, upselling, and cross-selling. The data also shows that exhibitors who actively invite their customers to meet on-site achieve even greater outcomes. Rather than seeing trade shows as risky environments where competitors might “poach” clients, the evidence suggests that leaning into these interactions strengthens loyalty and improves ROI. "No longer can sellers go to New York City and meet with their top five customers in their offices, because they’re not consistently in the office anymore. But their customers are at key industry events, so they can go to an event and meet with their top 20 customers there. That’s incredibly valuable." Dean Armintrout, Senior Director, Experiential Marketing, Zendesk Why this matters for organisers For organisers, the idea of encouraging exhibitors to invite their existing customers isn’t new. Many have been advocating for it for years — but too often, the message hasn’t fully landed. What’s different now is the evidence. This latest data shows beyond doubt that exhibitors who prioritise customer meetings don’t just succeed more — they’re also more satisfied, more likely to return, and more likely to invest. That’s good news for exhibitor retention and for the long-term health of the event itself. Organisers can use these findings as powerful proof points to help their exhibitors lean further into the strategy. Whether through matchmaking, hosted buyer programs, or simply providing clear data and playbooks, organisers can position their events as a space where account growth and relationship-building happen — not just lead generation. "If I were an exhibitor, what would my strategy be in this economy – to secure the foundation. I want to have quality time with my existing customers, make sure I maintain them, and potentially I can grow that…. So, we as organisers need to understand that." Adam Ford, COO, Clarion Events The takeaway For exhibitors: stop thinking of events as just a hunting ground for new prospects. Start using them as a strategic touchpoint for your existing customer base. For organisers: lean in. You’ve long encouraged exhibitors to bring their existing customers onsite — now you have the data to prove just how powerful it is. By reframing the event as a place where customer relationships deepen, not just where deals begin, you can give exhibitors the confidence to lean into this strategy. Their success will drive greater satisfaction, stronger retention, and the long-term health of your event. Explore the full findings and see what’s next for B2B events — download the 2025 Channel Insights Report.

The New Exhibitor Mindset: Doing More with Less

Aug 28, 2025

The post-pandemic exhibitor rebound

Aug 21, 2025

Events are back. But not how you remember them The B2B events industry has done more than bounce back from the pandemic — it’s entering a stronger, more strategic era. New research we've conducted in partnership with UFI and SISO, shows exhibitors aren’t just returning to trade shows and conferences; they’re getting more value from them than ever before. The data behind the rebound We analysed feedback from more than 3,000 B2B events worldwide between 2017 and 2025. Four key KPIs — Overall Satisfaction, Net Promoter Score (NPS), Likelihood of Return, and Event Importance — surged in 2022 and have stayed well above pre-pandemic levels. The standout stat: Average exhibitor NPS is up 27 points since 2019 — one of the largest positive shifts we’ve seen in any marketing channel. This isn’t a short-lived “honeymoon phase” — improved scores have held steady for three consecutive years. Why the rebound happened The return to in-person events met a deep human need for connection after years of remote work. But exhibitors also returned with a sharper, more deliberate approach. Many are: Prioritising quality over quantity – focusing on meaningful interactions rather than chasing footfall. Strengthening existing relationships – using events to meet customers they can’t easily reach in other ways. Rethinking ROI – moving beyond lead counts to track business outcomes and customer impact. For organisers: Keep audience quality at the centre of event design. Offer tools and data that help exhibitors prove ROI beyond leads. Maintain the momentum by innovating — don’t revert to pre-pandemic formats by default. “I think we in a good place at the moment, but as an industry we can't become complacent... you need to be vigilant; you have to look at data. You have to be asking why; you have to be pulling back the layers to really understand the dynamics that are at play.” Adam Ford, COO, Clarion Events For exhibitors: Set clear objectives for each event. Engage strategically with both new prospects and existing customers. Use post-event data to refine your approach for next year. "People are so happy to gather again. But if everyone returns to the old formats, I think over time we will find that not everything, even before the pandemic, had a reason to exist. So, some shows may not continue, only the most valuable." Stephen Rose, Head of Communication Services, Siemens Explore the full findings and see what’s next for B2B events — download the 2025 Channel Insights Report.

Explori Launches Next Generation Event Measurement Platform

Jun 4, 2025

Explori’s Next Generation Platform is Here Smarter insights. Effortless measurement. Built for today’s event teams. Today’s event teams are under pressure to deliver strategic insight with limited time and resources. That’s why we’ve launched the Next Generation Explori platform — our most powerful, intuitive platform yet. Built in partnership with the industry Developed in collaboration with teams across the exhibition, corporate, and association fields, the new platform transforms how feedback is captured, analysed, and reported. It delivers a faster, more intuitive user experience while unlocking richer, more strategic insights. “This isn’t just a facelift, it’s a fundamental upgrade,” explains Mark Brewster, CEO of Explori. “We’ve listened closely to our customers and rebuilt the platform to make robust, comparable measurement and research not just possible, but effortless.” What’s new (and why it matters) The platform has been designed for ease of use, speed, and scale — helping event teams of all sizes prove the impact of their work with less effort. Launch surveys in minutes With smart templates and built-in best practices, teams can create high-quality surveys that meet business goals — without needing research expertise. Track performance in real time Our new flexible dashboarding suite lets you monitor key metrics live, whether for a single event or your entire global portfolio. Unlock meaning from open-text feedback Our AI-powered text analysis tool identifies themes and sentiment from open comments — using a code frame built specifically for events. Ready-to-share PowerPoint reports Need to update the exec team fast? Export expertly designed slides that bring your insights to life, helping you communicate value to drive decisions with clarity. Benchmark against the right standards Compare performance year-on-year, across departments, or against our industry-wide benchmarks to see how your events are truly performing. From insight to action — faster than ever Whether you're running a flagship trade show or a global series of conferences, Explori’s Next Generation platform helps you move from reporting what happened to understanding why it mattered — and how to improve next time. No more data silos. No more guesswork. Just faster, clearer insights you can trust. For an in-depth walk-through click the below video:

Unlock Exhibit Success: The 7 Data Pillars You Need to Track

Apr 17, 2025

Event Success - 7 Data Pillars to Success Are you tired of guessing whether your trade show was truly effective? Do you want a clear, data-backed understanding of what's working and what's not? Then you need a robust exhibit measurement strategy and a powerful & easy to use platform developed by Explori. It all starts with their best practice framework of the seven data pillars of our exhibit evaluation tool, Maxbi. Let's dive into the seven data pillars that Maxbi champions: Expo Characteristics: It all begins with context. Understanding the "who, what, when, and where" of the event is fundamental. Maxbi's wizard prompts you to record details like the expo's name, date, location, and the industry it serves. This contextual data is crucial for anchoring your results and enabling valuable year-on-year comparisons for specific events. Booth Details: Your physical presence matters. Maxbi encourages you to capture specifics about your booth, such as its size, whether it was a custom build, and the number of booth personnel on-site. Correlating these booth characteristics with your performance metrics can reveal powerful insights into the impact of your physical setup. Sentiment Data: Numbers don't tell the whole story. Maxbi recognizes the growing importance of sentiment-based KPIs by prompting feedback from your team about their thoughts and feelings regarding the booth and the overall trade show experience. This qualitative data adds a valuable layer of understanding to your quantitative metrics. Budget Allocation: Where did your money go? This seemingly obvious pillar is crucial for effective exhibit budget management. Maxbi encourages you to categorize your exhibit spending, allowing for insightful comparisons across your entire exhibit program and providing a clear view of where your investments are being directed. Strategic Execution: Planning and preparation are key. Maxbi delves into the strategic decisions made before and during the event. This includes how far in advance you booked your booth, your pre-show promotion efforts, and the team you selected to represent your organization. Analyzing the correlation between these strategic elements and your performance scores helps identify winning strategies. Objectives: Why were you there? This is a core pillar, and a key element of Maxbi's approach, driving its Return on Objectives (ROO) algorithm. Recognizing that lead generation isn't always the sole goal, Maxbi emphasizes defining and weighting all your objectives – be it brand perception, product launches, or customer engagement. Scoring the achievement of these objectives provides a strategically critical ROO score. Leads: The lifeblood of many businesses. Finally, Maxbi focuses on lead data, prompting you to record targets, actual numbers, and the qualification split (hot, warm, cold). This allows your dashboard to provide robust financial value insights into your leads and different lead types. While not the only measure of success, lead generation remains a vital objective for many exhibitors. By embracing these seven data pillars, as outlined by Maxbi, you can move beyond superficial evaluations and build a comprehensive exhibit measurement strategy. This framework empowers you to gain deeper insights into your performance, optimize your future, and ultimately, unlock true exhibit success. Stop guessing and start knowing – the power lies in the data.

Event ROI - A Comprehensive Guide for Event Professionals

Feb 1, 2025

Event ROI or return on investment is a critical metric for measuring the success of any event. It provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your event strategy and allows you to make data-driven decisions for future events. This video tells you more about event ROI and why its so essential to understand. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into everything you need to know about event ROI and event measurement, including why it matters, which metrics are the most important, why you should leverage benchmarking, and how technology, such as Explori and Maxbi, can help boost your event measurement. With strategic goal setting and proper measurement, you can ensure that your next event delivers not just expenses, but tangible ROI. Jump to: Understanding the importance of calculating event ROI Crucial metrics to consider The role of technology in measuring event returns on investment The role of benchmarking in proving event success Strategic goal setting for optimal event returns Case Study: Real-life example of successful event measurement Key takeaways and action steps Understanding the Importance of Calculating Event ROI Calculating event ROI is more than just a fancy financial term; it is an essential practice for any event marketer looking to maximize the impact of their events. Understanding the importance of calculating event ROI allows you to gauge the success of your events, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions for future events. Valuable insights on event strategy One of the primary reasons why calculating event ROI is crucial is that it provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your event strategy. By measuring the return on investment, you can determine whether your efforts and resources were well-spent and if they generated the desired outcomes. This information is vital for event marketers or exhibit organizers who want to optimize their event planning and execution processes. Demonstrate event value to stakeholders Event ROI measurement allows you to demonstrate the value of your events to stakeholders, sponsors, and even attendees. It provides tangible evidence of the benefits and impact your events have on various parties involved. This can be particularly important for securing future funding from senior management, attracting sponsors, and building credibility within your industry. Prove the business value of financial investment Calculating event ROI the right way helps you justify your event budget and spending decisions. By understanding the financial impact of your events, you can ensure that you allocate resources effectively and prioritize areas that deliver the most significant returns. Overall, understanding the importance of calculating event ROI and having the right strategy in place, empower you to make data-driven decisions, demonstrate the value of your events, and optimize your event strategy for future success. With event ROI measurement, you can elevate your events from mere expenses to valuable investments. Crucial Metrics to Consider for Measuring Event ROI Calculating event ROI requires careful consideration of the metrics that truly matter. While there are various metrics you can measure, some are more crucial than others in evaluating the success of your event and determining its overall ROI. One of the primary metrics to consider is attendee satisfaction. The level of satisfaction among your attendees directly correlates to the success of your event. You can gather feedback through surveys, post-event evaluations, or social media sentiment analysis. By assessing attendee satisfaction, you can gauge how well your event met their expectations and identify areas for improvement in future events. Another important metric is lead generation and conversion. If one of your event goals is to generate leads and convert them into customers or clients, tracking these metrics is essential. Monitor the number of leads generated at the event and how many of them ultimately convert into paying customers. This metric not only demonstrates the direct impact of your event on business growth but also allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your lead generation strategies. In addition, consider the engagement level of your attendees. This metric measures how actively and deeply your audience interacts with your event content, speakers, and/or exhibitors, depending on your business model. Look at metrics such as session attendance, booth visits, social media mentions, and app usage. High engagement indicates that your event was compelling and valuable to attendees. Lastly, financial metrics are vital in assessing event ROI. Measure the overall revenue generated from the event, including ticket sales, sponsorship deals, and exhibitor fees. Compare this to the event expenses, such as venue costs, marketing expenses, and staffing fees. By analyzing the financials, you can determine if your event delivered a positive ROI. Remember, these are just a few crucial metrics to consider when measuring event ROI. It is essential to align your metrics with your specific event goals and objectives. By tracking and analyzing the right metrics, you can gain valuable insights into the success of your event and make informed decisions to optimize future events for higher ROI. The Role of Technology in Enhancing Event ROI Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing event ROI by providing event organizers with the tools and resources needed to streamline processes, gather data, and optimize event outcomes. With the right software solutions, event organizers can leverage technology to boost attendee engagement, improve event efficiency, and increase overall ROI. One way technology enhances event ROI is through the use of event management software. This software allows event planners to automate various aspects of event planning and execution, such as registration, ticketing, and communication. By automating these processes, event planners can save time and resources, allowing them to focus on more strategic aspects of event planning. The most important tool is one that can provide valuable insights and data analytics that can help optimize event outcomes. By tracking attendee behavior, engagement levels, and satisfaction, event organizers can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions for future events. This data-driven approach enables event planners to allocate resources effectively and prioritize areas that deliver the most significant ROI. At Explori, we enable event organizers to gather vital insights to demonstrate the impact of their events against the wider company objectives. Our major goal is to empower exhibit leaders with advanced technology and real-time data to measure trade show value and build exhibit programs based on past success. Technology also plays a crucial role in enhancing attendee engagement. With the use of event apps, interactive displays, and virtual reality experiences, event organizers can create immersive and interactive environments that keep attendees engaged throughout the event. Increased engagement not only enhances the attendee experience but also increases the likelihood of achieving event goals and generating ROI. The Role of Benchmarking in Proving Event Success Benchmarking is a critical practice that allows marketers and event organizers to assess the success of their events in comparison to historical, organizational and industry standards. By benchmarking your event ROI, you can gain valuable insights into how your event performance measures up in terms of attendee experience, engagement, and overall success. It also allows you to identify areas for improvement, learn from best practices, and continuously optimize your event strategy. "Any metric in isolation only paints a small portion of the bigger picture that an organization needs to assess how well their events are performing. To understand whether you're on the path to growth and future success, you need to view event performance in context." - The Explori Guide to Benchmarking A major challenge in benchmarking events lies in acquiring accurate and representative data. Most events don't readily share data like customer satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Scores (NPS), making it difficult to create robust benchmarks. However, the solution lies in the hands of dedicated event industry suppliers who have access to extensive historical event data. And this is where Explori comes in, a supplier of choice to over 7,000 events and conferences around the world, amassing a wealth of data that forms the basis of performance analysis for benchmarking solutions! Benchmarking in event ROI provides valuable insights and helps you set realistic goals for future events. By benchmarking, you can ensure that your events are not only successful but also stand out in the industry. Strategic Goal Setting for Optimal Event Returns on Investment By clearly defining your event goals and objectives, you can create a roadmap that aligns your efforts towards maximizing returns. Setting strategic goals allows you to focus on what really matters and make informed decisions throughout the event planning and execution process. To begin with, identify your key event goals. These could include lead generation, brand awareness, attendee satisfaction, or revenue generation. It is important to prioritize and set measurable goals that are specific, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will provide a clear direction and ensure that your efforts are concentrated on the areas that will yield the greatest returns. Next, develop a plan of action that outlines the steps you will take to achieve your goals. This includes determining the target audience, creating engaging content and experiences, selecting the right technology tools, and allocating resources effectively. It is essential to be proactive and adaptable, as goals may evolve or change as the event progresses. Regularly monitor and measure your progress towards achieving your goals. This will allow you to identify any gaps or areas that require adjustment to optimize ROI. Utilize event planner software solutions or other measurement tools to track metrics such as attendee satisfaction, engagement levels, lead generation, and revenue generation. Lastly, evaluate the success of your event in achieving your goals and objectives. Analyze the data collected, assess the impact on attendees, sponsors, and stakeholders, and determine the overall ROI. This will provide valuable insights for future event planning and enable you to continuously improve and refine your strategies. By strategically setting goals, monitoring progress, and evaluating results, you can ensure that your events deliver maximum ROI and provide valuable experiences for all involved. Remember, event ROI is not just about the financial returns, but also about creating lasting connections, building brand reputation, and achieving long-term success. "Event ROI is not just about the financial returns, but also about creating lasting connections, building brand reputation, and achieving long-term success." Case Study: Real-life Example of Successful Event Measurement When it comes to measuring event success, it can be incredibly valuable to look at real-life examples of successful events. These case studies provide practical insights and demonstrate how ROI can be achieved in different event scenarios. Below is an example of how Clarion Events put customer experience at the heart of their event strategy with the right data. Tap the image below to access the report. Key Takeaways and Action Steps for Achieving High Event ROI As you navigate the world of event organization and strive to maximize the return on investment for your events, it's important to keep a few key takeaways in mind. By following these action steps, you can ensure that your events deliver high ROI and provide valuable experiences for all involved. Set clear and measurable goals: Before planning any event, clearly define your goals and objectives. Make sure they are specific, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. By setting clear goals, you can align your efforts and make informed decisions throughout the planning process. Track and measure the right metrics: Choose the metrics that align with your goals and track them consistently. Whether it's attendee satisfaction, lead generation, engagement, or financial metrics, make sure you have the tools and systems in place to measure these metrics accurately. Leverage technology: Utilize technology solutions to streamline processes, gather data, and enhance attendee engagement. By embracing technology, you can optimize event efficiency and increase overall ROI. Benchmark your performance: Compare your event ROI to industry benchmarks and your competitors' performance. This will help you identify areas for improvement and set realistic goals for future events. Learn from successful case studies: Look to real-life examples of successful events to gain insights and inspiration. Analyze what strategies and tactics they used to achieve high ROI and apply those lessons to your own events. By following these key takeaways and taking action steps to optimize your event strategy, you can elevate your events from mere expenses to valuable investments. With the right approach and measurement practices, you can ensure that your events deliver exceptional ROI and leave a lasting impact.

From SaaS to Events: What Can Event Professionals Learn About Data-Driven Strategy?

Oct 24, 2024

It’s nearly 2025, and yet millions of $ continues to be spent on event programs without optimal guidance from data-driven strategies. When measurement of other marketing channels, particularly digital, is getting increasingly sophisticated and trusted, now is the time for our industry to step up to the mark. In 2018, after years in the events industry, I made a significant shift by stepping into the world of scaling SaaS startups, particularly in the video and conversational AI spaces. This experience transformed my understanding of strategic decision-making, especially when it comes to data. Now, having come full circle, I’ve returned to the events world with a fresh perspective and a new lease of life, blending my passion for events and technology in my role at Explori. So, what does this fresh perspective look like? Working in SaaS opened my eyes to the power of data-driven decision-making— something that event professionals can increasingly benefit from today. To not only improve the attendee experience, but also prove the value of events to the C-suite, event professionals must take a more strategic approach to decision-making, informed by data. There are three core lessons that I’m bringing back with me: Lesson 1: Data Over Gut Feel One of the biggest shifts I experienced when moving from events to SaaS was how much we rely on gut instinct, intuition, anecdotal evidence and past experiences to drive strategy. While creativity and intuition are valuable, they should be informed by data to make more impactful decisions. Every product feature is scrutinized by metrics; how many users interact with it, how often, and what outcomes it drives. Even the smallest change in a product feature can yield dramatic shifts in engagement and success. Marketing strategies are meticulously tracked, with A/B tests, user behaviour analysis, and conversion rates providing clear indications of what works and what doesn’t. This culture of data-driven iteration has taught me the value of harnessing the right metrics to drive decision-making. It becomes second nature to make decisions based on user data rather than intuition. This rigorous approach to building and scaling a tech product made me wonder: Why don’t we apply the same data-driven rigour to the events industry? Lesson 2: Personalization Through Data In SaaS, personalization is key—whether it's tailoring a chatbot’s response based on user behavior or crafting personalised onboarding experiences, tech companies use data to customize the user journey. Event professionals can apply the same approach. Using attendee data to create personalized experiences not only increases satisfaction but also maximizes engagement. By analyzing data such as past attendance, interests, and session participation, event professionals can recommend tailored agendas or suggest relevant networking opportunities. Personalization isn't just about making the event feel special—it's about increasing its impact. When attendees feel the event is designed with them in mind, they are more likely to return and recommend it to others which suggests positive brand perception and increased loyalty which will justify continued or increased investment in the event. For event organizers, this data is crucial in proving ROI, optimizing future events, and securing future budgets. Lesson 3: Proving Value and Defending Budgets with Data Perhaps one of the most critical lessons from the SaaS world is the importance of proving value through data—a mindset that event professionals need to embrace, especially when justifying budgets to the C-suite. In SaaS, you measure success through hard data—customer acquisition costs, retention rates, and lifetime value, among other metrics. This data isn't just for internal use within your team; it's shared with senior stakeholders to demonstrate the product's success and justify ongoing investment. Event professionals need to take the same approach. For many organizations, events are a significant investment, but it can be difficult to show direct ROI. Reactive metrics like attendee numbers and leads generated provide some insight but aren't enough to demonstrate the true business impact. That’s where strategic event measurement comes in. To truly defend the budget spent on events, deeper data analysis is required. Key areas to focus on include: Benchmarks: Event performance can’t be communicated without context. If you can compare one event to the performance of others in your company, and even the industry you operate in, you can begin to pinpoint what success looks like for your team in a meaningful, data-driven way. Behavioural analysis: It’s crucial to track how your events influence attendee sentiment, brand affinity, and purchase intent. Attendee satisfaction and loyalty: Monitoring your events’ year-over-year increases in NPS (Net Promoter Score) and repeat attendance will help to truly measure long-term impact. This level of precision shifts the conversation from simply justifying costs to demonstrating your event program’s essential role in driving business objectives, making it easier to secure future budgets. Coming Full Circle: Combining Events and Technology at Explori After my journey through SaaS, my return to the events industry through Explori has allowed me to blend my passion for events with the power of data-driven technology. As we approach 2025, it’s clear that data-driven decision-making is no longer optional for event professionals. With marketing channels like digital growing more sophisticated and trusted, the events industry must rise to meet this standard. My journey from the events world to SaaS, and now back to events, has shown me that applying the same data-driven rigor used in tech can lead to smarter decisions, stronger event impact, and ultimately, the ability to prove the true value of event programs to senior leadership. By embracing these principles, we can move beyond instinct and creativity alone, ensuring our events not only inspire but also deliver measurable business outcomes that the C-suite can confidently support.