Explori's Qualitative Research
Explori is proud to deliver two core qualitative research products as part of its wider offering: Pro Spotlight and Persona Spotlight. But what is qualitative research?
Although Explori's core research products are based on quantitative methodologies, our team can also offer a range of qualitative techniques, to better understand the 'why' and 'how' behind attendee or exhibitor behaviour.
When qualitative research is most powerful
There are a range of scenarios where qualitative research can be a powerful tool for uncovering deeper insights:
- Understanding attendee motivations. If you're launching a new event or targeting a new audience, qualitative research can help you uncover their desires and expectations. Focus groups are an ideal forum for exploring what they hope to gain from the event, what topics are of interest, and what kind of exhibitors are important to them.
- Getting feedback on event experience. Numbers tell part of the story, but qualitative research dives deeper. In-depth online interviews can help you understand exactly how attendees or exhibitors felt about the event and why: what resonated with them, and what areas might need improvement.
- Developing creative concepts. Qualitative research with potential attendees can help you explore new ideas for event themes, activities, and speaker topics. This can lead to more innovative and engaging events.
- Identifying pain points. Is there a snag in your booth set-up process? Are attendees confused about the event layout? Qualitative research during the event itself can help you pinpoint areas of frustration and confusion. On-site intercept interviews can give you valuable insights into what's not working and how to improve it.
Real-world examples
Past Explori qualitative projects have ranged from conducting in-depth interviews with exhibitors to help an event improve its retention rates, to moderating consumer focus groups to better understand which location would be best received by the event's audience.
Many of our clients find that using a combination of our quantitative and qualitative research products is what really consolidates their insights. Explori's team of seasoned research experts can help shape your event strategy by utilising a variety of methodologies: and their in-depth knowledge of the events sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between qualitative and quantitative event research? Quantitative research tells you what is happening: the scores, percentages, and benchmarks. Qualitative research tells you why and how: the motivations, frustrations, and unspoken context behind those numbers. The strongest insight programmes use both.
When should I use qualitative research instead of (or alongside) surveys? Use qualitative methods when you need to understand motivations, design new event concepts, dig into the reasons behind a satisfaction score, or hear from niche audiences (VIPs, lapsed exhibitors) where survey samples are too small to be reliable.
What qualitative methods does Explori offer? Explori offers a range of techniques including in-depth online interviews, focus groups, and on-site intercept interviews: packaged within products such as Pro Spotlight and Persona Spotlight to address specific strategic questions.
Can I combine qualitative and quantitative research in a single programme? Yes: and most clients do. Quantitative data identifies the trends and outliers worth investigating; qualitative research then explains the human reasons behind them. Together they produce insight that's both defensible and actionable.
See where your events sit against the industry.
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