Case Study: A Global Technology Company

A client conference needed to better address an attendee base that was significantly different in terms of roles, titles, and level of purchasing influence. Their new user community included both the traditional rank-and-file project implementation attendees as well as a significant influx of more senior-level decision-makers.

Event's value was optimized through scientific measurement of the event against business objectives.

Situation

The Client had successfully managed a high-quality User Group Conference for many years. The program provided the company with significant value at an intuitive level, building a high-performance business culture with its user community. However, the basic components of its User Group Conference had remained relatively consistent over time. Meanwhile, new acquisitions meant that the people they were trying to attract and the business challenges they were trying to influence continued to change.

The conference needed to better address an attendee base that was significantly different in terms of roles, titles, and level of purchasing influence. Their new user community included both the traditional rank-and-file project implementation attendees as well as a significant influx of more senior-level decision-makers.

The Client recognized the need to:

• Optimize the event’s value to the organization through scientific measurement of the event against business objectives.
• Understand which aspects of the current program were most effective in matching the company’s goals with the attendee’s needs.
• Analyze ‘voice of the audience’ input to successfully integrate the merged conferences resulting from acquisition activity.
• Understand and articulate the connection between User Group Conference strategy and overall business strategy.
• Understand the key elements that accelerate customers through the various stages of the sales cycle and the role this User Group Conference plays in the process.

Solution

To achieve these objectives, the Client worked with Maritz to build and implement a meeting measurement and Meetings Effectiveness process. The approach began with alignment of corporate goals and objectives with the event through a facilitated Discovery Session with all internal stakeholders. The output of this Discovery Session was used to create an Event Measurement Scorecard and to inform the design of an electronic audience survey. Once voice-of-the-participant information was gathered, a decision support simulation tool was used to aid in optimal meeting design. Measurements were taken throughout the event planning process to ensure the Client had met their goal through every aspect of the meeting. Once business objectives were defined, audience quality and value were assessed and those ideal attendees were acquired according to a plan. Creation of an event value proposition and messaging compass were used to align content with venues, activities and creative approach. Goal achievement and level of persuasion gained through the event were measured over time to direct plans for post-event communications.

Results

• Insight into the conference agenda and format preferences drove changes that led to a more targeted event.
• The event successfully attracted a new set of cross-product line attendees.
• The use of pre- and-post event studies to populate the Event Measurement Scorecard provided scientific validation of the event’s value.
• The event influenced ‘intent to purchase’ by 14% (where success was defined as a 5% increase).
• Attendees at the event expressed a 50% likelihood to purchase combined solution sets from the company.
• Since implementation of the program, the enterprise hardware and software company has experienced additional consolidation of events due to ongoing merger and acquisition activity. This User Group Conference has been integrated into an even larger event. Findings from this study were used to design the integration process to maintain the existing sense of community and optimize the design to appeal to the legacy attendee’s preferences.