German software company SAP is leading the way in using attendee-tracking technology at its events. A widespread installation of iBeacons and Wi-Fi sensors at its Sapphire Now conference in Orlando in May is delivering invaluable data for the company. In the months since the event, attended by more than 20,000 customers, partners, and SAP staff, organizers have been analyzing more than one million data points that are providing useful information for both the sales staff and the event team.
“We got some really, really rich insights about what people did at the event … seeing the traffic patterns on the floor, how people moved around, what were the areas of interest. It’s leading us to rethink even where we put things on the floor next year,” said Michael Trovalli, SAP’s vice president of global events. “For example, if you want somebody to see the entire floor, do you spread out certain key things as opposed to clustering?”
For the sales staff, the tracking data is allowing them to have more relevant conversations with their customers. “We’ve been able to give them insights such as: Here’s what your customer did, here’s where they went, here’s how much time they spent,” Trovalli said. “And what we are seeing are just incredible increases in the amount of business we’ve converted since Sapphire Now and the new opportunities we’ve generated.” At the event, 1,000 iBeacons were located throughout the expo floor in every demonstration station, partner exhibit, presentation theater, and meeting room to assist attendees with navigation and wayfinding. Because users had to opt in through the event app, provided by Eventbase, Trovalli can break down the data by industry and job titles. The second tracking system consisted of 30 sensors that monitored mobile devices as they communicated with Wi-Fi, providing an anonymous view of general traffic patterns.
For next year Trovalli said they will expand the use of iBeacons to provide a more personalized experience for attendees. “For example if you are watching a demo, you can get a notification that will say, ‘If you want more information tap here.’ You’ll get the information sent to your email and then we can track that you received it,” he said.
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