Category: Content

Measuring human movement in spaces has become essential for businesses, event organisers, and urban planners in our increasingly interconnected world. Analysing how people interact with their surroundings can unlock valuable insights that drive decision-making and enhance experiences. 

But how do you get the most value from the data?

As the saying goes, “Repetition is the mother of learning”. The actual value lies not merely in measuring a snapshot in time but in embracing continuous assessment, understanding the challenges of limited data, and adopting an evolving measurement strategy.

Measuring a moment in time can provide intriguing insights and figures, but it’s crucial to recognise that understanding behaviour requires a more comprehensive approach. Taking action based on these initial measurements and then re-evaluating the results is where genuine value emerges. For example, if an event organiser measures foot traffic at a conference and identifies underutilised areas, they can optimise the space or adjust the event layout. By reassessing foot traffic after implementing changes, they can determine the effectiveness of their actions and make data-driven decisions for future events.

While gathering data from a single event or brand activation may seem practical, it can present limitations in decision-making. A sample size of 1 lacks the statistical significance needed to draw broader conclusions reliably. For instance, relying solely on the data from one live event to gauge attendee preferences may lead to misinformed assumptions. To overcome this challenge, businesses should aim for larger, diverse datasets over time to obtain a more precise and representative understanding of people’s behaviour in various contexts.

In the pursuit of effective measurement, standardisation plays a vital role. Organisations can compare data across different periods, events, or locations by establishing consistent metrics and methodologies. However, an exclusive focus on static measurements can prove detrimental. A good measurement strategy should evolve to accommodate changing behaviours, technological advancements, and societal shifts. Relying solely on isolated snapshots of data risks rendering the measurement strategy outdated and out of touch with current realities.

Embracing continuous assessment and measurement ensures organisations stay agile and responsive to the ever-changing dynamics of human behaviour in spaces.

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For more information about how spatial analytics can help you make data-driven decisions for your organisation, contact us at info@meshh.com. 

Spatial analytics has become an invaluable tool for event organisers seeking to understand visitor behaviour and improve event experiences. While the principles of data collection remain consistent, setting up spatial analytical data collection systems at indoor events, such as trade shows, and outdoor events, like festivals, present unique challenges and opportunities. This blog post will explore the key differences between these two settings, focusing on power requirements, sensor capabilities, and the ability to monitor visitor touchpoints.

Indoor venues typically provide mains power outlets, facilitating sensors that rely on continuous power supply. This allows for more sophisticated and resource-intensive data collection methods, such as high-resolution cameras or advanced tracking systems. Organisers can connect sensors directly to the mains power supply, ensuring uninterrupted operation throughout the event.

Outdoor events often lack access to reliable mains power sources, necessitating battery-powered sensors to collect spatial analytics data. Battery-powered sensors offer greater flexibility and mobility, as they can be strategically placed without power cables. However, they may have data transmission and processing capacity limitations due to power constraints.

Indoor and outdoor events differ in sensor capabilities. Indoor venues often offer fewer variables to make it easier to implement precise sensor technologies. Infrared sensors, Wi-Fi tracking, Bluetooth beacons, and Bluetooth beacons can monitor visitor movements in a confined space. This allows organisers to create a curated experience and monitor touchpoints, enabling real-time adjustments to optimise visitor flow and engagement.

On the other hand, outdoor events present unique challenges due to their open and expansive nature. Battery-powered sensors, such as GPS trackers, RFID tags, or low-power wireless networks, are often used in outdoor settings to gather data on visitor behaviour. These sensors can measure crowd density, traffic flow, and popular attractions. While the granularity of data may be lower compared to indoor events, the advantage lies in capturing visitor movements across a wider area, providing insights into popular areas, potential bottlenecks, and overall event flow.

The nature of indoor and outdoor events affects the ability to monitor visitor touchpoints throughout the event. In curated indoor settings, organisers have greater control over the visitor experience. They can implement spatial analytics techniques to monitor interactions at touchpoints such as booth visits, product demonstrations, and networking areas. This enables event organisers to assess the effectiveness of specific elements and make data-driven decisions, enhancing attendee satisfaction and engagement.

Conversely, outdoor events often offer a more fluid and unmonitored experience. Once visitors purchase tickets, they can navigate the festival grounds at their leisure. Spatial analytics techniques become essential for capturing visitor movements and interactions that would otherwise go untracked. By deploying sensors strategically across the event space, organisers can gain valuable insights into popular attractions, traffic patterns, and overall visitor behaviour. This information can be leveraged to optimise event layout, enhance crowd management, and improve the overall attendee experience.

Setting up spatial analytical data collection systems for indoor and outdoor events requires careful consideration of various factors. While indoor events offer the advantage of mains power supply and the ability to monitor curated visitor touchpoints, outdoor events demand the use of battery-powered sensors and present unique challenges in tracking visitor movements across expansive areas. By leveraging the appropriate sensor technologies and data collection methods, event organisers can gain valuable insights to optimise event experiences, improve crowd management, and make data-driven decisions.

In the fast-paced world of experiential marketing and brand activations, deploying spatial analytics can appear daunting. During the bustling season of back-to-back events, experiential agency teams find themselves fully immersed in delivering captivating activations with little time for anything amidst living out of hotels and constant travel; data collection often takes a backseat.

However, there is a solution that allows agencies to deploy a measurement system effortlessly, providing accurate and valuable insights. Meshh sensors offer a simple plug-and-play solution that can be easily activated by anyone familiar with turning on a mobile phone.

The demanding nature of managing event programmes leaves little room for complicated technical installations. However, with Meshh sensors, deploying anonymised wifi tracking becomes straightforward. Placing and turning the sensors on is easy, and agency personnel can quickly activate the sensors without the need for technical expertise or dedicated technicians. This plug-and-play approach allows agencies to seamlessly integrate data collection into their activations without adding unnecessary complexity.

Meshh sensors not only simplify deployment but also streamline the data collection process. By effortlessly capturing key metrics, such as visits, dwell times, and engagement levels, the sensors provide accurate insights into the performance of brand activations and promotions. Once the data is collected, Meshh analyses and presents the results to the agency. Meshh also provides a custom dashboard for clients to see the results building and final results in real time. Using a custom dashboard eliminates the need for extensive manual data analysis or interpretation.

Meshh sensors add significant value for clients and agencies. The data collected provides concrete evidence of an activation’s impact and effectiveness. Clients can gain insights into audience behaviour, engagement levels, and overall performance, enabling them to make informed decisions about future marketing strategies. For agencies, the ability to present accurate measurement results strengthens their credibility and enhances their ability to showcase the value of their activations to clients.

Even if the event season is already in full swing, there is always time to integrate spatial analytics into brand activations. By leveraging the plug-and-play nature of these sensors, agencies can effortlessly collect valuable data, empowering them to measure their activations’ impact accurately.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your activations with effortless spatial analytics – to find out more, email Meshh at info@meshh.com.

Festival Insights published the article, “Looking at the bigger picture with event data”, by our CEO, Caroline McGuckian.

Traditionally UK and Europe-centric, Festival Insights has an increasingly international readership and provides in-depth coverage of festivals across the globe. It comprises the latest business news, thought leadership content, and comprehensive features and encompasses the entire spectrum of the festival circuit. So, we are especially pleased that they wanted to hear what Meshh had to say:

First published by Festival Insights on June 7, 2023 – https://www.festivalinsights.com/2023/06/bigger-picture-event-data/