Eventbrite hosted the RECONVENE summit in May 2021, bringing together thousands of event producers. We’re sharing key takeaways from popular sessions – on topics like safely returning to in-person events, data insights, and best practices for attracting more attendees – on our blog and our RECONVENE Recaps hub.

Every day, Eventbrite’s analytics team runs more than 5,000 queries. That helps improve analytical abilities for creators – and also provides valuable insights.

Christina Choi, head of Data Science and Analytics at Eventbrite, has gleaned lessons from a year’s worth of data about how creators grew their events business during the pandemic, setting themselves up for a bright future.

At Eventbrite’s RECONVENE summit, Choi shared data insights on pricing strategy and presented case studies using Eventbrite’s data insights. Here are three lessons that can help event organisers survive and thrive:

Watch Christina Choi’s full talk below:

Rethink how we gather using data insights

Eventbrite has seen a 10-fold increase in online events since early 2020, and creators were innovative as they came up with new ways to spark human connection. Two of Choi’s favourite examples of how creators pivoted:

  • Food Tank, a non-profit working to highlight big issues in the global food system, increased their global reach 2.5-fold during the pandemic. Their success proves that virtual events can open the door to a global online community.
  • Murray’s Cheese, a New York-based cheese shop, pivoted to virtual cheese-tasting classes. They did this by shipping cheese to attendees and hosting classes on Zoom, which allowed them to reach a new, broader audience in the US. It’s a great example of the viability of blending physical goods with live online experiences, Choi says.

As patrons’ confidence in these online events’ value grew, they were willing to pay more. Compared to the early days of the pandemic, Eventbrite has noted a 24% growth in online ticket prices for the first three months of 2021.

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Always remain nimble

Creators who remain responsive to the ever-shifting environment by hosting small, frequent events are a great example of the “pathway to building a sustainable business,” Choi says.

The majority of in-person events promoted on Eventbrite have been small, and the key to their success is frequency. Two examples:

  • MakerLabs, a makerspace in Vancouver, has hosted more than 100 safe, small events in just the past few months. They charge up to $500 Canadian (around €330) for some of their multipart workshops.
  • Badass Cross Stitch has hosted more than 100 events since the start of the pandemic. These include meet-ups to socialise and cross stitch, as well as workshops and classes. Their success proves you can build a thriving community of like-minded people via a regular cadence of a variety of event types.

Take advantage of the data insights and power of Eventbrite Boost

Cultivating and growing a community by investing in a unified marketing strategy can have a significant impact on your return on investment, Choi says.

First, attendees want to help their favourite creators thrive. In addition to a rise in donation-based events, Eventbrite noticed that patrons were supporting creators by buying merch, gift cards, and VIP experiences. There’s been a jump in the number of creators leveraging Eventbrite’s add-on functionality, and those who did made about 10% more than they would have with ticket sales alone.

Another way to sell more: Utilising Eventbrite Boost. The platform can help you reach new audiences and engage with existing ones, Choi said; it expands your audience in a data-driven way. One success story:

  • By using Eventbrite Boost, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago saw an 8.5-times return in their ad spend across a seven-day campaign. This ensured their virtual events were well-promoted and well-attended.