3 Ways You Should Be Using Event Verification Data for Your Trade Show

May 2, 2017

Marissa Maybee

As Senior Director of Engagements and Analytics at Bear Analytics, Marissa Maybee shapes spreadsheets and exports story and forward-looking insights into data to help empower clients to grow their events and engagements.

Of all the types of event data we deal with at Bear Analytics, attendee verification data is one of the least exciting, but failure to understand who truly attends your trade show, conference or event robs your logistics and marketing teams of critical insights that can fuel event growth and more sophisticated forecasting and marketing.

Do you know how your event’s AOV coding is generated? Do you know, for sure, which registrants actually attended your last show?

Most large trade shows adhere to the Advance/Onsite/Verified (AOV) framework when it comes to verifying that a registrant actually attended the show: People who register in advance have several ways to get “verified” onsite, including at badge pick-up or check-in, security checkpoint scans, education session scans, and exhibitor lead scans from the show floor. 

Often, event registration companies will combine several sources of verification data to make a final pronouncement on whether or not each advance registrant attended or not.

Here are the three reasons your organization should be placing an emphasis on the quality and utility of your attendee verification data.

1. Better forecasting and planning

While we’d like to be able to count on every registrant converting and coming to our events, we know life gets in the way via competing business priorities, family emergencies, even inclement weather or traffic snarls on the day of the event. This no-show behavior is especially prevalent at large trade shows, where certain segments of attendees often pay a nominal (or nonexistent) fee to only walk the exhibition floor.

Without trade show and event verification, there’s no way to distinguish registrants from actual attendees, and your projected attendance numbers could be significantly off from the real number. If you plan for 100 percent of registrants to attend, but historically only 80 percent have come, you could end up over-budgeting and losing money over these no-show registrants.

2. Sending different messages to attendees and no-shows

Sending the same message to all of your past trade show and event registrants assumes that they all attended your event and you lose an opportunity to tell no-shows that their absence was noted and their presence missed. 

Despite the fact that we know the “no show” component exists, event marketers often ignore the difference between registrants – people who committed to attend an event at some point in the past – and attendees – people who actually showed up on site, had experiences and made valuable connections.

If you’re looking to increase attendance numbers, focus on targeting attendees and no-shows with distinct, targeted messages. Encourage attendees to return and get the past year’s no-shows excited enough to follow through and attend next year. No-shows are a warmer prospect pool than entirely new registrants – they have already taken the time to register once.

3. Verification data from multiple sources gives you insights on your attendees’ behavior

Beyond just telling you who’s coming to your show, event verification can show you what your attendees are doing once they arrive. Scanning attendees in at different locations can show how many people are actively visiting the exhibit floor or attending breakout sessions, and can also highlight which parts of your event are lacking in attendee involvement.

With this scan information, you can see what’s working, what’s not and which aspects of your event need the most attention to enhance its success.

Don’t overlook the value of your attendee verification data!

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Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact