On this sequence, Speak information to me, we chat with leaders from the world’s largest manufacturers and businesses about how they’re utilizing insights to drive their enterprise methods.
We caught up with Dominique Batiste, Senior Group Supervisor of Market Analysis at Eventbrite, to get her ideas on privateness, experiences, and personalization.
Inform us a bit about your function.
My function is main market analysis at Eventbrite. I oversee all of the analysis initiatives that basically assist form the corporate’s technique. My staff digs deep into understanding our viewers: occasion organizers and customers. We use this information to essentially information choices throughout the enterprise, whether or not it’s exploring market traits, analyzing our aggressive panorama, or serving to the product staff refine options or worth choices.
We’re centered on offering very actionable insights that basically drive development.
Loads of what I do entails connecting the dots between what’s occurring out available in the market and what we have to do internally. But it surely’s extra than simply numbers, it’s offering an understanding to our stakeholders on what our customers have to succeed on our platform.
What’s conserving you busy for the time being?
One of many main focuses for us proper now could be refining our viewers segmentation. We’re getting actually granular about who our organizers and our customers are, taking a look at their behaviors, taking a look at their motivations, and their ache factors. It’s actually thrilling as a result of the extra we perceive the customers, the extra we are able to personalize their experiences, whether or not that’s by our product or our advertising and marketing efforts. This venture is all about ensuring we’re assembly our viewers the place they’re and giving them what they want.
On high of that, we’re additionally ramping up our aggressive intelligence. The occasion panorama is altering quick, and we should be on high of it. So we’ve constructed a framework to observe what’s occurring within the trade and the way opponents are transferring. This helps us to remain proactive and proceed main within the house.
Lastly, we’ve bought our annual world traits report, which is all the time a giant venture for us, and it pulls collectively insights from all of our analysis and offers us a transparent image of the place the trade is heading, and what we must be specializing in.
What’s your favourite stat in the entire world?
I’m a giant fan of notion metrics. It’s a captivating measure as a result of it tells you the way your model is being perceived within the minds of your viewers, which works past simply gross sales or engagement. It’s about model fairness, it’s about belief, which is one thing that’s constructed over time. It’s about deeper relationships and the way your model is positioned available in the market. For instance, at Eventbrite, we’ve shifted from being seen as only a ticketing platform to being perceived because the go-to market for stay occasions. And that’s a strong change in notion.
Speak to me about an instance of data-led creativity that you just liked.
I like how the music streaming trade has leveraged information to personalize the listening expertise. Platforms like Spotify have taken consumer habits, like listening habits, favourite genres, and even skip charges, and so they’ve turned that information into very dynamic, very customized experiences. I uncover artists on a regular basis that I might’ve by no means identified from options based mostly on what I like. They’ve bought that discovered. The method turns chilly information into emotional engagement.
What’s essentially the most attention-grabbing factor in regards to the Eventbrite viewers?
They’re extremely numerous, each of their wants and expectations, and the way they have interaction with Eventbrite.
On one hand, you could have our organizers – the folks placing on the occasions. These vary from local people organizers internet hosting small workshops to massive producers who’re operating huge festivals. And their wants are wildly completely different. Some organizers want a easy, streamlined platform and others are on the lookout for extra strong options to handle complicated and large-scale occasions.
After which on the flip aspect, our customers are simply as various. You could have attendees who’re deeply invested in area of interest occasions, like a neighborhood craft truthful or typically even main festivals, after which others who’re on the lookout for one thing enjoyable to do on the weekend. What’s actually attention-grabbing is how private the event-going expertise is for them. It’s not nearly attending, it’s about connection, neighborhood, and discovering one thing significant. So the motivations behind why they select sure occasions over different occasions inform us a lot about their values and what drives them.
Should you had a magic wand to alter something about your use of information, what would you modify – and why?
I’d concentrate on simplifying information, making it extra sensible and impactful for on a regular basis decision-makers.
Throughout industries, persons are sitting on mountains of information, but it surely’s typically too sophisticated or disjointed to essentially use successfully. We have to simplify the method, turning that uncooked information into one thing clear and actionable. However the problem can also be about making information intuitive sufficient for anybody, whether or not it’s a small enterprise proprietor or a nonprofit director, they should perceive and act on it with no need superior levels. We have to discover a strategy to democratize information and stage the enjoying area.
What would be the largest risk in your sector within the coming years?
The largest risk or problem within the occasions trade is shopper expectations round personalization, particularly as privateness rules proceed to tighten. Folks need occasions and experiences that really feel tailored to them, however with restrictions on how we accumulate and use information, it’s going to be robust to satisfy these expectations. Firms that don’t work out methods to use first-party information received’t have the ability to ship these customized experiences that individuals have turn out to be accustomed to. And you’ll’t reduce now. The expectation has been set.
I believe one other problem is financial uncertainty. The occasion house is intently tied to modifications within the financial system, and with the rise in prices and inflation, folks may begin pulling again on spending for non-essential experiences. And I believe that places stress on occasion corporations to ensure that each occasion feels prefer it’s definitely worth the worth, particularly when persons are watching their wallets extra intently.
What would be the largest alternative in your sector within the coming years?
The largest alternative is creating seamless end-to-end experiences. It’s not nearly tickets and getting folks within the door. Attendees are on the lookout for richer experiences, from the second they uncover the occasion to interactions through the occasion. Your entire journey must be cohesive and interesting, and that’s the place the chance lies. We will leverage expertise and information to personalize the journey by providing perks, and recommending post-event content material or follow-up experiences.
I believe the businesses that may nail this whole expertise from begin to end will stand out in a crowded house.
What would you say is the highest rising development in your trade?
Proper now, there’s a rising demand for immersive customized experiences over conventional large-scale occasions. In our 2024 annual report, we noticed that persons are more and more in search of out occasions that permit for deeper engagement and private transformation. It’s not about merely going to an occasion to look at a efficiency, folks need to actively take part and go away with one thing extra. Whether or not that’s a brand new ability, a contemporary perspective, or a way of connection.
We’re additionally noticing folks transferring away from huge festivals or massive venues, and into smaller, extra intimate occasions. They’re craving that closeness and that authenticity that bigger festivals simply can’t present. I got here throughout an article earlier that defined customers are on the lookout for extra significant, nearly boutique-style occasions the place they will join on a private stage. So whether or not it’s a workshop, a distinct segment gathering, or a live performance at a neighborhood bar – it’s much less about scale and extra about creating areas the place folks really feel seen and heard.
