How Zendesk Moved from Event Feedback to Decision-Grade Event Intelligence | Explori

THE CHALLENGE

Data without answers

Zendesk's experiential marketing team was already collecting post-event feedback — NPS scores, session ratings, attendee demographics. But the data they had wasn't answering the strategic questions that mattered.

How do different attendee roles experience the event? Which sessions resonate with which industries? What's actually driving engagement? With a flagship customer conference forecasting 2,000 external attendees, decisions were being made on experience and intuition rather than evidence.

Personalised attendee journeys

Zendesk is building role-, industry-, and level-based pathways so attendees can navigate Relate on their own terms.

Session format rebalanced

Hands-on workshops resonated strongly. Over-indexed content formats are being rebalanced based on what the research revealed.

Competitive landscape reframed

When Zendesk customers prioritise one event, it's Relate. This shifted the team's view of their own event programme's strategic value.

Leadership credibility strengthened

Findings were shared with leadership and global demand generation — from presenting decisions they believed in, to decisions they could evidence.

How did Zendesk use event intelligence to improve their flagship conference?

Zendesk engaged Explori to design and manage a pre-planning research programme ahead of Relate, their flagship customer conference. Rather than relying on post-event feedback alone, the research was conducted before the event — covering attendee motivations, session preferences, and unmet expectations. The resulting insight report allowed Zendesk's experiential marketing team to make evidence-based decisions on personalisation, content format, and experience design.

What is pre-planning event research and why does it matter?

Pre-planning event research is structured intelligence gathered before an event is designed or programmed, rather than after it has taken place. It allows event teams to make investment decisions based on audience data rather than instinct. For organisations running large-scale events, pre-planning research reduces the risk of misaligned programming and gives leadership teams the evidence they need to defend and advance their event strategy.

How does Explori help event data stand up in senior conversations?

Explori standardises measurement across events and portfolios, applies industry benchmarking, and frames performance in strategic terms.

That means event data can be discussed alongside revenue targets, regional priorities, and growth objectives, not just post-event summaries.

The result is stronger internal credibility and clearer investment decisions.

How does Explori's managed service work?

Explori's managed service covers the full research process — survey design, question architecture, data collection, analysis, and strategic reporting. Clients receive a comprehensive insight report within days of research completing. The service is designed for event teams who need rigorous, actionable intelligence without building internal research capability from scratch.

How can event data improve internal credibility for experiential marketing teams?

When event decisions are backed by structured research rather than instinct, experiential marketing teams can present their strategies with evidence rather than opinion. In Zendesk's case, findings from Explori's pre-planning research were shared with executive leadership, global demand generation, and event strategy teams — strengthening the team's position internally and enabling more confident investment decisions.

What types of organisations use Explori for event intelligence?

Explori works with organisations that run complex event portfolios — including global customer conferences, flagship SKOs, executive engagement programmes, and large-scale digital events. Clients typically have senior experiential or event marketing teams who need to demonstrate the strategic value of event investment to leadership.