Event registration data ‘is broken’ – here’s how to fix it

“Registration is broken” – that’s the claim which set the tone for the Event Tech Trends 2025 webinar.

The session – moderated by ExpoPlatform CEO Tanya Pinchuk – featured CEO of Gleanin Tamar Beck, CTO of Easyfairs Stephan Forseilles as well as Narisa Wild, CDO of Clarion Events Inc. – North America.

Panellists voiced their frustration with the outdated, inefficient nature of event registration data collected – before setting out how to do it better.

The group also explored how digital revenue models and real-time data could revolutionise event strategy as part of a wide-ranging yet tech-focused discussion.

Their insights – based on the findings of the Event Tech Forecast 2025 – highlighted emerging trends set to shape the future of event technology. Read on to get their insights.

Download the full Event Tech Forecast 2025 to learn more.

‘Registration is broken’

Registration was chosen as the most important feature in the Event Tech Forecast, with 73% choosing it as a priority.

Despite its maturity, the panellists found lots of ways this process can be digitally enhanced to improve a range of areas.

Tamar called for a rethink of how organisers collect data during event registration, criticising the current approach as overly burdensome and ultimately ineffective.

She said: “There’s lots of things broken with registration. First of all, the registration forms are too long.

“They are collecting data that is of no value to the attendee – I still get asked for my home address. I get asked for my mobile number. I get asked whether I’m a Mr. or a Ms.”

It was argued these questions are often justified on the basis of matching or segmentation, but rarely deliver meaningful outcomes for the attendee.

This disconnect is believed to be leading to a systemic issue – attendees are providing false or low-quality data because they don’t see any benefit in being honest.

Her message to organisers is they must ensure there’s a tangible value exchange when collecting personal information.

She said: “If you’re going to ask for data, make sure you’re giving the attendee something back for it.

“If someone’s going to get some value from it, they’ll give you honest answers.

“If I go to an event and you tell me that you’re going to concierge my experience – make sure that I meet the people I’ve told you I want to meet, be in the right places for the networking events – I’m interested. I will happily tell you what it is that I’m interested in seeing.”

Tamar described blanket forms with dozens of standardised questions as “crazy” and also challenged the common assumption that exhibitors value this kind of demographic data.

Narisa also emphasised the need for simplicity in data collection and clear value exchange for the participants.

At the core of Clarion’s strategy is the concept of “golden records” – the essential information that delivers the most value.

She agreed with the concept of “immediate gratification” – whether that’s showing attendees tailored session recommendations or relevant networking matches in real time.

Narisa said: “We try to run off the premise that as simple as we can be in the creation of a profile of an individual, the better.

“How can we present to them that there’s 250 people that could really be worthwhile connecting with. There’s 65 sessions, or 24 sessions now or we’re tailoring it down as you’re giving us more information.

“That’s what we’re really focused on – how do we provide that immediate gratification?”

Part of this requires a streamlined organisational structure to ensure consistency in how information is collected and used across all events.

Narisa also stressed the importance of deep vendor partnerships, describing a reciprocal model where shared product strategy improves both vendor tools and Clarion’s own data flow into its central warehouse.

It was set out that the combination of culture, structure and strategy is turning Clarion’s data vision into business transformation.

Meanwhile, Stephan set out how it made him “ashamed” that companies still have to ask for the same information from visitors every time they do a show.

This was contrasted with those of B2C giants who have a much more streamlined user experience.

He said: “Registration is broken. We cannot make appropriate identity management. We have to ask all the questions.

“Netflix, never ask me questions. Amazon, never ask me questions.”

How to improve registration

✅ Registration Do’s

1. Keep forms short and focused: Collect only essential data that delivers clear value to both organiser and attendee.
2. Provide immediate value in return for data: Show attendees why you’re asking for information and how it will benefit them – such as personalised recommendations or relevant networking matches.
3. Tailor the experience dynamically: Use the data you collect to offer real-time, personalised suggestions – like sessions to attend or people to meet.
4. Build trust through transparency and consistency: A clear and consistent data strategy, supported by internal structure and strong vendor relationships, enables smarter data use and better attendee experiences.
5. Educate internal teams on data use: Empower marketing and event teams to make data-informed decisions through accessible dashboards and training.

❌ Registration Don’ts

1. Don’t ask irrelevant or outdated questions: Avoid pointless information such as the home address and title- are your data points outdated with no attendee value?
2. Don’t use long, generic forms: Blanket forms with 40+ standard questions are not only off-putting – they lead to inaccurate or rushed responses.
3. Don’t assume data is valuable just because it’s demographic: Exhibitors often care more about meaningful engagement at their booth than abstract job titles or budgets.
4. Don’t ignore the ‘why’ behind your questions: Asking for data without a clear purpose or attendee benefit leads to mistrust and poor data quality.
5. Don’t lag behind B2C expectations: Events must move toward seamless identity management and personalised experiences, or risk being left behind.

Real-time data now a must-have

Event organisers must overhaul their data systems to meet the growing demand for real-time insights or risk falling behind in 2025, according to the panel.

Higher turnaround times in this information helps to drive better personalisation, problem solving and improving dynamics at your show.

Stephan called for a fundamental shift in how event organisers handle this information, setting out the standard for how fast we need to be in the modern event environment.

He said: “In 2025, if your data is delayed by even an hour, it’s already too slow.”

The expectation for real-time or near real-time insights is being driven by both operational needs and the rise of more advanced services at events – such as live attendee tracking, instant meeting notifications and real-time content recommendations.

The technology is there. It’s just a matter of how much effort and money you want to put into your real-time data.

He gave the example of exhibitor invite tracking: “When an exhibitor invites people to a show, they can say, I want to get the notification when that person enters the show. If it takes three hours to get the notification, it’s useless.”

At the heart of this capability is a robust data infrastructure – an essential pipeline needed to deliver timely information, from extraction and transformation to warehouse delivery and processing.

Stephan said: “Data is like cars – if you want a fast one, it’s more expensive.”

The importance of differentiating between data flows – recognising which insights are time-sensitive and which are not – was also stressed.

Stephan said: “It doesn’t make sense to refresh your data warehouse every five minutes during the night.

“But during the event – or in the final days leading up to it – speed is essential.”

Major consumer tech platforms were used as an example of how it should work.

He said: “The technology is there. It’s just a matter of how much effort and money you want to put into your real-time data.”

What are the options for digital revenue?

Almost two-thirds of eventprofs believe their digital budget will increase, although half say they generate less than 10% of revenue through these channels.

Findings from the Event Tech Forecast show add-ons to basic exhibitor packages was the most popular option at 31%, with different package levels following at 26%.

It also shows that 47% found it challenging to introduce digital sponsorship options at their events – so how can more be done?

Narisa set out a bold vision for diversifying digital revenue, using AI-powered tools to extend the life and value of event content far beyond the show floor.

She said: “Traditionally, you have media – so think about marketing services, lead generation, extending the lead opportunity for sponsors. On site, we obviously have lots of sponsors and we’re garnering leads for them. But we’re capturing that information using AI.”

Clarion is leveraging artificial intelligence to summarise sessions and produce tailored debriefs for sponsors – bite-sized content that can be marketed post-event.

This creates an extension that stretches revenue potential over a longer lifecycle.

Narisa said: “We’ve summarised day one, day two and day three for you in very short synopses, so you can capture all that information – that’s a lead. That’s a lead gen extension, which can drive revenue in different ways over a longer period of time.”

But the strategy goes further than post-show reports. Narisa is focused on building the “next generation of attendees” by repackaging event content into educational tools – offering younger professionals, who may not yet attend in person, access to Clarion’s premium insights.

Narisa said: “We might take a subsection – maybe 10 or 20% – and we’re creating educational content for the next generation of attendees.

“You’re not paying $2,000 to $3,000 for your youngest employees to come, but here’s access to really powerful content that allows them to grow in their roles and prepare for when they’re ready to attend in two, three, four years.”

This future-facing strategy is also being tested in Clarion’s emergency services portfolio, where subscription-based learning tools are already in place.

Narisa said: “We’re capturing content at the event. We’re running on-site education, continuing education, but we’re also taking that to the digital environment as a subscription… That diversification of revenue and products – extending the life of the on-site product – is what we’re really now beginning to explore.”

At the heart of this evolution is the same principle driving Clarion’s approach to data collection: build long-term value by thinking beyond the event itself.

Tamar has called for a fundamental rethink of event monetisation – one that shifts the focus away from an over-reliance on exhibitor sales and instead invests in delivering year-round value to attendees.

She said: “I’m a big fan of the subscription model and I think that there’s a big opportunity to change the monetisation of events so that there’s less dependence on coming up with new products to sell to exhibitors.”

It was argued that the industry’s current commercial model – particularly in the for-profit trade sector – too often prioritises short-term revenue from exhibitors at the expense of attendee experience.

She suggested this is what leads to decisions like bloated registration forms that offer little to no benefit for the user.

Instead, a model was put forward where events are just one part of a broader, subscription-based ecosystem – offering consistent, segmented value throughout the year via content, learning and curated networking.

Tamar added: “There’s a huge opportunity in subscription models year-round, where the event is just one moment in time.

“As part of a membership or subscription fee, attendees get access to the event – and much more.”

Learn more about how a 365 Community model can stretch your event reach and revenue.

This model not only diversifies revenue but also builds stronger, longer-lasting relationships with participants.

In her view, it enables organisers to “flip the thinking” around who the event is really serving.

She said: “Stop thinking about them as just attendees. This industry has so much value that we can charge a fee to access it – whether it’s training, content, webinars, smaller networking events. All of that can culminate in your trade show.”

While she acknowledged these models would largely operate in the digital realm, her emphasis was less on format and more on mindset.

Tamar added : “I can’t tell you how many meetings we used to have to come up with new products to sell to exhibitors – almost without thinking at all about the impact on the attendee. There’s a real opportunity for a new model.”

Very few businesses have the opportunity to understand the dynamics of a community or an industry as well as we do.

Meanwhile, Stephan argued that the future of event monetisation lies not in outdated lead-generation tactics, but in the smarter use of data and performance-driven digital tools.

He said: “We have the tools. These people use tools. This is where I’m not a huge fan of things like paper leads, for example, because it has several problems.

“A lot of the lead generation responsibility at trade shows still resides on the shoulders of the exhibitor.

“They have to be active, they have to invite people, they have to have a good profile – and if you ask them to do that and on top, pay for each lead they generate, you’re going to punish the best ones and just reward the lazy ones.”

He warned that systems based on per-lead payments are easy to manipulate and risk incentivising the wrong behaviours.

Stephan added: “It’s so easy to game such a system. If I have to pay for my leads, I’ll just not use the tools. I’ll generate leads my own way – maybe go back to collecting business cards again.”

Instead, he advocated for lead generation to be embedded into the exhibitor’s package, supported by robust tools and clear performance benchmarks.

Stephan said: “We give you the tool to generate the leads. We give you all the help we can to help you be more effective.

“Then we measure very effectively how you perform with these tools – and compare you with other exhibitors.”

This approach creates a transparent, merit-based environment that ultimately aligns with the industry’s core value proposition.

He said: “In the end, we’re still a lead generation business, right? We organise trade shows so that our customers can generate leads.”

But beyond lead capture, it is believed the real growth in digital revenue over the next three to five years lies in unlocking insights from the wealth of data the events industry holds.

Stephan added: “We are very well placed as a platform to collect data about B2B and B2C. Very few businesses have the opportunity to understand the dynamics of a community or an industry as well as we do.

“With the tools we start having now and all the data we’ve collected over the past 10 to 15 years, I think insight will be the biggest area for increasing digital revenue in the next five years.”

Smart Ways Event Organisers Can Boost Digital Revenue

1. Move Beyond the One-Off Event Model. Instead of treating the event as a standalone moment, build an ecosystem of value around it.

2. Introduce Subscription-Based Access. Offer attendees a membership or content subscription that includes training, webinars, or exclusive networking, with the event as a benefit.

3. Use Event Content to Create Ongoing Value. Repurpose content (like keynotes and sessions) into digestible, on-demand assets to extend the life of your event.

4. Target the Next Generation of Attendees. Offer affordable educational content for early-career professionals who may not yet attend in person, building brand loyalty early.

5. Monetise Industry Insight, Not Just Booth Space. Your data is an untapped asset. Package and sell it as actionable intelligence to sponsors or partners.

6. Rethink Lead Generation Models. Avoid outdated pay-per-lead structures that penalise active exhibitors and are easy to game.

7. Bundle Smart Lead Tools Into Exhibitor Packages. Provide the tech, support and benchmarking exhibitors need to succeed – without charging per interaction.

8. Go Deep, Not Wide, With Vendor Partnerships. Streamline your tech stack and co-develop solutions with trusted vendors who understand your goals.

9. Leverage AI to Scale Personalisation. Use AI to tailor content, recommend sessions and summarise learning for attendees – while feeding richer insight back to your team.

10. Design with Attendee Value in Mind. Ultimately, monetisation starts with creating something attendees genuinely want to pay for.

Thank you for reading this article. There was so much more covered in the webinar, so make sure to watch the video at the top of the article. Please download the free Event Tech Forecast 2025 if you’d like to learn more about the findings.