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Most event teams already know events create demand. The real challenge is proving how demand was created and then using that truth to power better experiences, better exhibitor outcomes, and faster, more personalized follow-up. Event marketers are not getting the credit they deserve for the demand that they create when event tech is not deployed ideally. The ideal Event Tech deployment: not “more technology,” but a connected dataset that captures each attendee’s journey from arrival to engagement to next steps so Marketing Operations and Sales can act on it with confidence. Because when your event data is complete, you can answer five questions that define modern event ROI. THE 5 QUESTIONS EVERY EVENT TEAM SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER If you can answer these on an individual attendee basis, you can stop guessing and start activating: * Of those that registered, who attended? * What content did that attendee consume? * What impact did that content have and did it generate renewed interest? * Did they sit through a one-on-one demo or key conversation? * What impact did that one-on-one demo have and did it generate renewed interest or next steps? Why do these questions matter so much? Because the value of an event isn’t just attendance. It’s the sequence of behaviors that follow attendance: sessions attended, feedback submitted, quality networking, meetings requested, booth conversations, and the intent signals that tell you who needs attention now. And when follow-up is the goal, time matters. Responding within minutes, or live during the event rather than waiting, dramatically improves your odds of closing a sale. Events are one of the few channels where you can capture high-confidence, high-context signals in person. The ideal deployment makes sure those signals don’t get lost. WHY “ONE DATASET” BEATS “MANY TOOLS” In most event stacks, the data ends up fragmented: * Registration tells you who planned to show up * Check-in tells you who actually showed up * Session tools tell you what topics are resonating and top of mind * Surveys tell you what people thought and provide an opportunity to reach out to content owners. * Lead capture tells you who had a conversation and the value of that conversation * Sales notes tell you more specifics about each meaningful conversation When these systems don’t connect, two problems appear: 1. Your reporting becomes silo’d. You can report attendance, but not intent. 2. Your follow-up becomes generic. Reps don’t know why someone is worth prioritizing. The ideal deployment solves this by building one evolving attendee record so every new interaction enriches the same journey. image (15).png [https://validar.com/media/image (15).png] THE VALIDAR PLATFORM: 5 PRODUCTS BUILT TO COMPLETE THE JOURNEY Validar’s platform is designed to capture an attendee’s entire journey so it can be treated by Marketing Operations and Sales during the event and after. Here are the five product offerings that work together to do it: * vCheckin Onsite Registration * Validar Session Attendance Tracking (active + passive) * EventHub® Attendee Tool (evaluations + meeting requests) * vCapture Lead Retrieval Product Suite * EventScore Engagement Tool Now let’s map the five questions to the tools that answer them. QUESTION → PRODUCT MAPPING 1) When did an attendee arrive? Product: vCheckin Onsite Registration Your attendee journey starts the moment someone shows up. vCheckin is built to deliver a fast, high-quality registration experience while producing the operational data event teams rely on: * Of those registered, who actually attended (by attendee type)? * How many attendees registered onsite (walk-ons)? * How many registered attendees did not attend (no-shows)? This isn’t “nice-to-have” data. It’s how you measure real attendance, protect exhibitor value, and forecast staffing and onsite workflows accurately. And once arrival is tracked cleanly, the rest of the journey becomes measurable. 2) What content did that attendee consume? Products: vCheckin + Session Attendance Tracking (active + passive) You invest heavily in content keynotes, breakouts, activations, workshops, sponsored sessions because content is where education turns into demand. Session attendance tracking helps you measure that consumption in two common ways: * Active tracking (e.g., QR scans at doors, checkpoints, or session moments) * Passive tracking (technology-assisted detection such as RFID or BLE, depending on deployment needs) The key point for event teams isn’t the acronym it’s the outcome: You want reliable, session-level proof of what each attendee actually consumed. When you deploy vCheckin + session tracking, your live dataset starts answering: * When did they arrive? * What did they consume? * How consistently did they engage across tracks, days, or topics? That’s the foundation for segmentation. 3) What impact did that content have and did it generate renewed interest? Product: EventHub® Attendee Tool Attendance alone doesn’t tell you whether content landed. Impact does. EventHub® is built to capture that impact through session evaluations and attendee-facing feedback that is designed to benchmark your content, and allow the audience to continue the conversion with content owners. Why impact measurement is hard (and how to solve it) Many event organizers rely on mobile apps for evaluations, but response rates are tightly connected to app adoption. Industry benchmark guidance often cites a wide range: adoption may be 20–30% without strong promotion, while 55–65% can be a solid benchmark with good promotion and incentives. That’s exactly why the ideal deployment includes a strategy that doesn’t depend on a single channel. EventHub is built around four practical advantages 1) Promote feedback through two mediums (mobile + email) Relying only on an in-app flow limits your audience to adopters. Multi-channel outreach gives you broader coverage and better representativeness. Response rates vary substantially by channel, which is why mixing approaches is a common best practice in feedback programs. 2) You don’t need a full mobile app to collect meaningful evaluations Not every event warrants the cost, build, or overhead of a dedicated event app, especially one-day events, smaller programs, or events with limited tracks. With EventHub, you can enable in-the-moment feedback via a simple workflow: * Scan a QR code * Authenticate * Submit feedback live during each session EventHub can also be integrated into your favorite mobile application. We always recommend you augment your feedback marketing efforts with an end of day and post-event email. You’ll have a much better opportunity to increase session evaluation response rates following this method. 3) Benchmark sessions using Likert scoring Likert-type scales are a common, standardized way to quantify attitudes and satisfaction through a graded response key (e.g., strongly disagree → strongly agree). This lets event teams quickly identify: * Top sessions (repeat, expand, sponsor) * Bottom sessions (fix, retire, coach) * Track-level performance (what themes resonate) 4) Allow session attendees to request meetings with content owners This is where impact becomes action. EventHub can capture a simple “yes/no” meeting request then treat “yes” responses as a unique lead dataset tied to specific content. So instead of only knowing: * “They attended Session A” You also know: * “They attended Session A and opted in to continue the conversation.” That’s renewed interest, captured cleanly. 4) Did they sit through a one-on-one demo or key conversation? Product: vCapture Lead Retrieval Suite For demand-gen events, the exhibit floor (or sponsor activations) is where most of the highest-value one-on-one conversations happen. vCapture is built to help exhibitors and sales teams capture those interactions in a structured way so follow-up reflects reality, not guesswork. A robust lead capture workflow should do more than store contact info. It should allow teams to: * Rank or categorize leads based on criteria that matches their sales motion * Capture notes that add context (use case, timeline, objections) * Identify which leads are “skim-the-top” priorities vs. longer-tail nurture That’s how you avoid the classic post-event problem: “We have 800 leads… and no idea which 60 matter.” 5) What impact did that one-on-one have—and did it generate renewed interest or next steps? Products: vCapture + Custom Qualifiers + Lead Import for AppExchange Impact can show up in multiple ways: * A lead is marked high priority * A meeting is booked * A follow-up is explicitly requested * Engagement patterns suggest strong interest (multiple relevant sessions + booth interaction) This is where the ideal deployment becomes more than reporting—it becomes activation. By connecting: * Booth conversation outcomes (vCapture) * CRM and campaign is automatically updated with an opportunity * A notification is sent to sales live during the event …you create a record that tells Sales and MarOps what to do next and who to do it with first. WHAT THE FINAL OUTPUT LOOKS LIKE: THE ENTIRE JOURNEY AVAILABLE IN EVENT INSIGHT AND YOU MARKETING STACK In the ideal deployment, your event data shouldn’t live in isolation. Within Validar’s Event Insight platform, you get a drill-down view of each attendee’s full journey arrival, content consumption, feedback, meetings, and interactions organized as one narrative. image (16)-1.png [https://validar.com/media/image (16)-1.png] In an ideal deployment, this data should also reside within your broader ecosystem (CRM, marketing automation, AMS), so your marketing stack mirrors the truth of what happened onsite. Why does this matter? Because follow-up quality and speed drive outcomes. Lead response research commonly highlights that reaching out within minutes (rather than waiting) significantly improves qualification outcomes. Now imagine your reps receiving not just “a lead,” but context like: * Arrived Day 1 at 9:12am * Attended 2 sessions on Topic X * Rated Session Y highly * Requested a meeting with the SME * Had a booth conversation marked “Hot / 30-day timeline” That’s not a list. That’s a plan. THE IDEAL DEPLOYMENT: A PRACTICAL BLUEPRINT If you want a simple way to think about implementation, here’s the blueprint: 1. Use vCheckin as your attendance source of truth * * Clean attended vs registered, walk-ons, no-shows 1. Layer in Session Attendance Tracking * * Active (QR) and/or passive (RFID/BLE) approaches depending on event needs 1. Measure impact with EventHub® * * In-the-moment evaluations + post-event email reinforcement * Likert-based benchmarking for actionable content insights 1. Capture 1:1 outcomes with vCapture * * Integrate the entire journey into your marketing stack 1. Activate with Event Insight + Marketing Stack Integration * * One attendee record in Validar * The same record available inside your CRM/MA/AMS This is what “ideal deployment” really means: a single dataset that follows the attendee and powers action. FAQ 1) What’s the difference between session attendance and session impact? Attendance tells you who was in the room. Impact tells you whether the content resonated, and whether it created intent (feedback, meeting requests, follow-up signals). 2) Should I use QR scanning or passive tracking (RFID/BLE)? It depends on the event design and friction tolerance. QR is explicit and simple. Passive approaches can reduce friction, but require thoughtful infrastructure and goals. Passive RFID is commonly discussed as a tag/reader model where reads occur without attendee action. Passive is also more expensive. Make sure you have a plan in place to use the data before deploying. 3) Why do session evaluation response rates vary so much? Because channel matters (app adoption, email engagement, onsite prompts). That’s why multi-channel collection tends to outperform single-channel approaches. 4) What is a Likert scale and why use it for sessions? A Likert scale is a graded response method (e.g., strongly disagree → strongly agree) used to quantify attitudes and satisfaction, making sessions easy to benchmark. 5) How does this help exhibitors? It increases the value you deliver by proving attendance quality, spotlighting high-intent engagement, improving lead prioritization, and supporting smarter follow-up. 6) What’s the biggest mistake teams make with event data? Treating each tool as a separate report instead of building one attendee journey record that can be activated in the marketing stack. WRAP-UP: ONE JOURNEY. ONE DATASET. BETTER FOLLOW-UP. When you can see each attendee’s full journey arrival, content, feedback, meetings, and conversations you don’t just “run a successful event.” * You create a dataset that: * Improves attendee experience * Increases exhibitor value * Strengthens monetization opportunities * Makes sales follow-up dramatically more relevant That’s the ideal deployment. If you want to see what this looks like for your event stack, request a demo: https://validar.com/demo [https://validar.com/demo]

First impressions matter especially at events. The moment an attendee arrives, the check-in experience sets the tone for everything that follows. Long lines, unclear instructions, or last-minute scrambling can quickly undermine even the most thoughtfully planned event. That’s why more event organizers are turning to self-service check-in as a smarter, more reliable approach. At Validar, self-service isn’t about removing control, it's about designing check-in experiences that are intuitive, efficient, and ready the moment doors open. With vCheckin self-service check-in stations, everything needed for a seamless arrival is prepared in advance, allowing events to run smoothly from the very first interaction. WHY SELF-SERVICE CHECK-IN IS BECOMING THE STANDARD Today’s attendees expect speed and autonomy. They are accustomed to self-service in airports, hotels, and retail and events are no exception. For event organizers, self-service check-in stations provide: * Faster throughput during peak arrival times * Reduced dependency on large on-site staff teams * Consistent check-in experiences across venues and locations * A professional, organized first impression Self-service doesn’t replace staff, it supports them. By removing repetitive tasks like manual check-in and badge distribution, teams can focus on attendee support, hospitality, and problem-solving where it matters most. BUILT TO BE EASY: REDUCING TECHNOLOGY STRESS FOR EVENT TEAMS Introducing new technology on-site can be stressful especially when timelines are tight and expectations are high. Event organizers need solutions that feel dependable, familiar, and easy to deploy. vCheckin stations are powered by a PC-based solution that is purpose-built for live events. This architecture provides a stable, robust foundation while remaining simple for event teams to operate. Rather than relying on unfamiliar or restrictive systems, vCheckin leverages a PC-based environment that is intuitive and easy to manage. Before deployment, event teams are trained on the exact kit they’ll be using, ensuring confidence well before arriving on-site. By the time doors open, teams know what to expect and how the system works eliminating unnecessary uncertainty. Because the solution is PC-based and designed specifically for event use: * Setup is straightforward and repeatable * The system is highly reliable in high-volume environments * On-site staff do not need deep technical expertise * Kiosks are ready to run with minimal configuration By combining hands-on training with a robust, PC-based platform, Validar helps remove one of the most common sources of event-day stress: unfamiliar technology. The result is a self-service experience that feels controlled, predictable, and easy to execute. WHAT SETS VCHECKIN SELF-SERVICE KIOSKS APART Effective self-service check-in requires more than just hardware. It requires a system that is purpose-built for live events. vCheckin self-service kiosks are designed to be: Intuitive – Attendees can check themselves in with minimal instruction Reliable – Built for high-volume environments and peak arrival surges Flexible – Easily switch between self-service and staffed modes Scalable – Suitable for everything from small meetings to large conferences Each kiosk is pre-configured and event-ready, ensuring that organizers aren’t troubleshooting on-site or managing unnecessary complexity. DESIGNED FOR EVENT ORGANIZERS, BUILT FOR ATTENDEES For event organizers, predictability is key. Knowing that check-in will work consistently and efficiently allows teams to focus on the bigger picture. With vCheckin self-service stations, organizers gain: * Greater control over attendee flow * Reduced on-site stress and staffing pressure * A repeatable setup that works across multiple events * Confidence that the first touchpoint reflects the quality of the event itself For attendees, the experience is simple: arrive, check in, print a badge, and move on no lines, no confusion. A BETTER FIRST IMPRESSION STARTS AT CHECK-IN Check-in is more than a logistical step; it's the first physical interaction an attendee has with an event brand. A clean, self-service setup communicates readiness, professionalism, and respect for attendees’ time. When everything is already in place and working as expected, the arrival experience becomes seamless rather than stressful. That’s the goal of vCheckin: to ensure that when attendees arrive, the event is already prepared for them. FINAL THOUGHTS Self-service check-in isn’t about doing less, it's about doing things better. By leveraging vCheckin, event organizers can deliver faster arrivals, smoother operations, and stronger first impressions without sacrificing flexibility or control. When everything is ready out of the box, check-in becomes one less thing to worry about. Interested in learning more about self-service check-in for your events? Explore how vCheckin can support your next event experience.

As we step into a new year, it’s a natural moment to pause not just to look back, but to recognize the people who make what’s ahead possible. To our event producers: you are the driving force behind every experience, every connection, and every moment that matters. And as 2026 begins, we want to start it by acknowledging you. THE MOMENTUM YOU CREATE Event production doesn’t reset when the calendar flips. The planning, problem-solving, creativity, and resilience you bring to your work carry forward building momentum year over year. You’re constantly balancing timelines, technology, stakeholders, and attendee expectations, all while delivering experiences that feel effortless on the surface. That momentum is what fuels successful events. From early-morning load-ins to last-minute pivots, you make complex operations feel seamless and that impact extends far beyond event day. PARTNERS IN PROGRESS At Validar, we view our relationship with event producers as a true partnership. Every deployment, whether fully serviced or remotely supported, reflects the trust you place in us and the confidence you have in your own teams. Over time, we’ve seen more producers take full ownership of event technology deploying registration, badge printing, and attendee tracking with precision and independence. Your willingness to embrace new tools, share honest feedback, and push for better outcomes challenges us to continually improve. You don’t just use our technology you help shape it. BUILDING BETTER EXPERIENCES, ONE EVENT AT A TIME The most successful events are built on intentional choices. How attendees are welcomed. How data is captured and used. How engagement is encouraged. You understand that every detail contributes to the bigger picture, and your leadership ensures those details work together harmoniously. By trusting Validar to support check-in, badge printing, and attendee journey tracking, you allow your teams to focus on what matters most: delivering meaningful, memorable experiences. LOOKING FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE The event landscape continues to evolve, and with it comes new expectations, new technologies, and new opportunities. As we head into this next chapter, we’re excited to continue supporting your vision helping you adapt, scale, and innovate with confidence. Whatever this year brings, know that we’re committed to being a dependable partner in your corner. THANK YOU AND HAPPY NEW YEAR To our event producers: thank you for your trust, your collaboration, and your relentless commitment to excellence. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and even more excited about what’s ahead. Here’s to a new year filled with successful events, strong partnerships, and unforgettable experiences. Warm regards, The Validar Team

Your exhibiting community plays a critical role in your event’s success both in driving revenue and enhancing the attendee experience. That’s why it’s essential to equip exhibitors with tools that help them connect, measure, and prove ROI. At Validar, we’ve learned a lot from working alongside some of the most innovative event marketers in the world. By increasing exhibitor value, organizers can justify higher sponsorship fees, improve satisfaction, and strengthen long-term partnerships. Here are four proven strategies our customers use to deliver more value to exhibitors using the Validar platform. 1. OFFER A SUITE OF LEAD RETRIEVAL OPTIONS—NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SOLUTION Every exhibitor approaches lead capture differently. Some want to scan and store leads quickly; others want deeper qualification or to integrate directly into their CRM. With vCapture, you can offer multiple retrieval options tailored to each exhibitor’s goals, including: * Dedicated mobile or device-based scanning * Custom qualifiers to rank and categorize leads * Bring-your-own-device access * Offline capture that works even in low-connectivity environments By providing flexible solutions and ensuring exhibitors understand their options before the event you empower them to capture better leads and measure ROI with confidence. 2. TRACK SESSION ATTENDANCE ON BEHALF OF EXHIBITING SPONSORS Session sponsorship is one of the most valuable opportunities you can offer exhibitors. Using Validar’s session attendance tracking (passive or active), you can provide sponsors with verified data on who attended their session, how long they stayed, and which topics generated the most engagement. This transparency not only validates sponsorship investments but also gives sponsors actionable data to nurture leads post-event. 3. ENABLE ATTENDEES TO REQUEST MEETINGS BASED ON SESSION INTEREST When an attendee engages with session content sponsored by an exhibitor, that’s a warm lead waiting to be activated. Through EventHub Dynamic Session Evaluations, you can allow attendees to immediately request a follow-up meeting if the topic resonates. This feature bridges the gap between education and connection helping exhibitors turn audience interest into meaningful conversations. 4. USE GAMIFICATION TO ENCOURAGE ATTENDEE-TO-EXHIBITOR ENGAGEMENT Gamification is one of the most effective ways to boost exhibitor ROI. With EventScore, you can drive targeted engagement by rewarding attendees for visiting booths, attending sponsored sessions, and interacting throughout the event. Our clients have achieved extraordinary results using this approach significantly increasing booth traffic and deepening attendee-exhibitor connections. FINAL THOUGHTS Your exhibitors invest heavily in your event. By empowering them with the right tools lead retrieval, session tracking, feedback capture, and engagement you deliver measurable value that keeps them coming back. If you’d like to see how Validar can help maximize exhibitor ROI and enhance your next event experience, we’d love to show you how. 👉 Book a free demo with our team → [https://validar.com/demo]

Recognizing and rewarding attendee engagement can be one of the best investments an event organizer can make—if it’s deployed with intent and structure. Gamification isn’t just about adding points and prizes. Done well, it creates meaningful interactions that drive product demand, increase exhibitor ROI, and give your attendees an experience they’ll remember. At Validar, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the smartest event producers in the world. Through those partnerships, we’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. Here are the best practices we recommend when deploying gamification at your next event. 1. DEFINE YOUR GOALS BEFORE YOU LAUNCH Gamification must start with purpose. Is your objective to increase attendee-to-exhibitor interactions, improve session attendance, encourage networking, or boost session evaluations? Review past event performance, identify where engagement fell short, and set measurable KPIs to improve against. By knowing your goals upfront, you can structure your engagement tool to drive the exact behaviors that matter most to you. image (10).png [https://validar.com/media/image (10).png] 2. BUILD AWARENESS BEFORE THE EVENT BEGINS Your community should know about your gamification investment well before they arrive onsite. Promote the challenge in pre-event communications, mobile apps, and social channels. If attendees understand the opportunity ahead of time, they’ll be more likely to engage from the moment the gates open. 3. MAKE RECOGNITION PUBLIC Recognition is a powerful motivator. Display real-time leaderboards, celebrate winners on event screens, or share updates in mobile apps and social posts. When recognition is visible, you amplify motivation across the entire attendee base—not just for those already participating. 4. DISTRIBUTE RECOGNITION THROUGHOUT THE EVENT Don’t save rewards for the end. Spread recognition across sessions, days, and networking opportunities. This keeps momentum alive and ensures that engagement stays consistent rather than peaking only once. 5. CREATE RULES THAT DRIVE YOUR PRIORITIES Game mechanics should encourage the outcomes you value most. For example: * Award points for booth visits to increase exhibitor ROI. * Reward feedback submissions to capture session insights. * Recognize networking actions to build community. * Well-structured rules align attendee motivation with event objectives. 6. SELECT REWARDS THAT RESONATE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE Choose incentives that your audience will find meaningful—whether it’s tech gadgets, exclusive experiences, or charitable donations. The reward should feel aligned with your community’s values and interests. When prizes resonate, participation rises. image (11).png [https://validar.com/media/image (11).png] FINAL THOUGHTS Gamification, when deployed with clear intent and thoughtful design, can transform engagement at your event. We’ve seen extraordinary results—from increased session evaluations to stronger exhibitor connections—that prove the impact when it’s done right. If you’re curious about how gamification could boost engagement and product demand at your next event, we’d love to share some of our success stories. 👉 READY TO MAXIMIZE ENGAGEMENT AT YOUR NEXT EVENT? Book a free demo with our team → [https://validar.com/demo]

Validar is proud to announce our new integration with Wicket’s facial authentication platform, designed to accelerate registration, enhance security, and elevate the attendee experience. This partnership combines Validar’s vCheckin onsite registration solution with Wicket’s privacy-first facial authentication technology, delivering a frictionless and secure way for attendees to enter events. FASTER, FRICTIONLESS ENTRY Attendees can opt in by uploading a selfie during registration, linking it to their event credentials. Upon arrival, Wicket’s sensors authenticate them in under a second — reducing wait times and allowing them to head straight into the event. SECURE AND PRIVACY-FIRST Security and data privacy remain top priorities. Wicket’s platform ensures that: * Participation is always opt-in * Personal data is encrypted and purged post-event * Attendees stay in control of their information This helps prevent badge sharing while giving organizers peace of mind. PROVEN AT SCALE The integration launched at the 2025 M&IW Summit, showcasing how facial authentication can streamline entry and improve flow. Wicket’s platform has already powered over 4 million credential scans at major events and venues, demonstrating both reliability and scalability. WHY IT MATTERS FOR EVENT ORGANIZERS By integrating Wicket with vCheckin, Validar is helping organizers: * Speed up the check-in process * Enhance event security * Improve the attendee experience * Free up valuable time for human connection As Chip Begley, Director of Event Technology at M&IW, put it: “Wicket’s facial authentication, paired with Validar’s vCheckin onsite registration platform, promises to deliver a frictionless experience — allowing attendees to breeze through registration and head straight into the event, saving valuable time for what matters most, human connection.” Learn More To read the full announcement, visit the official press release here: 👉 Validar + Wicket Integration Press Release [https://www.prweb.com/releases/validar-announces-integration-with-wickets-facial-authentication-platform-to-transform-event-check-in-and-elevate-attendee-experience-302519882.html]

This year marks Validar’s 20th year helping event producers and exhibitors succeed with attendee tracking and lead capture solutions. Our mission has always been to help event professionals measure performance, optimize engagement, and maximize ROI and we’ve built two decades of experience doing just that. We’re proud of the technology we’ve built, but even prouder of the partnerships we’ve developed along the way. What truly sets us apart is the depth and breadth of our experience delivering: * Onsite registration and badge printing * Attendee behavior tracking * Session attendance measurement * Lead capture and content engagement tools Here are five key advantages our 20 years of industry experience bring to every event we support: 1. Deep Industry Knowledge With two decades of experience, we understand the nuances of event production. From trade shows and conferences to corporate events, we’ve seen the challenges firsthand and solved them. This allows us to deliver solutions that align with your goals, anticipate common roadblocks, and ensure your team avoids costly mistakes. 2. Streamlined Communication When your vendor speaks your language, collaboration becomes easier. Our team knows event terminology, tech protocols, and show floor dynamics. This fluency creates smoother communication, fewer missteps, and stronger partnerships between your team and ours. 3. Innovation Rooted in Experience Being in the industry this long means we’ve seen trends come and go and we know what actually works. Our experience helps us bring innovative ideas to the table, not for the sake of buzzwords, but to solve real problems and create differentiated experiences for attendees and exhibitors. 4. Proven Credibility Over the past 20 years, we’ve supported thousands of events and worked with some of the most trusted names in the industry. We’ve earned our reputation through consistent delivery and measurable results. From glowing testimonials to long-term partnerships, our track record speaks for itself. 5. Smart Investment and ROI Experience leads to efficiency. We can scope projects more accurately, make smarter recommendations, and help you maximize your event tech budget. From optimized staffing to better onsite workflows, our solutions are designed to help you drive value without sacrificing quality. Final Thought While experience matters, we believe it should be paired with adaptability, innovation, and a customer-first mindset. At Validar, our 20-year journey is just the beginning. We’re still evolving because your events are, too. If you're ready to put 20 years of experience to work for your next event, let’s talk. [https://validar.com/demo]

How Do You Know If You Produced a Good Event? This question is the driving force behind Validar’s vision. In our experience, event producers often don’t receive the credit they deserve especially when it comes to events designed to generate product demand. Why? Because measuring success can be incredibly difficult. Event data is often unstructured, offline, siloed, or difficult to connect to business outcomes. That’s why we believe in deploying event technology that helps our customers not only measure success—but articulate their value with confidence. So how do you define and measure event performance? It starts with understanding your event’s intent. 1. Start With Event Intent To measure success, you need clarity on why you're hosting the event in the first place. Some events are designed to generate direct revenue. You might invest $1M with the goal of bringing in $4M through ticket sales, sponsorships, and activations. Others are focused on driving product demand. These events are often free to attend and deliver premium experiences compelling content, engaging demos, executive meetings, and entertainment all designed to build pipeline, educate your audience, and support sales teams with qualified leads. Each approach is valid but your event KPIs must align with the intent. The success metrics for a revenue-generating event will look very different from those meant to drive demand. 2. Ask the Right Performance Questions There’s no better way to create demand than through face-to-face events—but understanding how well you did takes more than a headcount. Here are a few key questions your event data should help you answer: * How effective were we in driving attendees to key content and activations? * What were our highest and lowest scoring sessions? * Did our content resonate with attendees? * How did attendee engagement compare to previous events—or to industry benchmarks? * Which underperforming KPIs need attention and refinement? The answers to these questions help validate your strategy, prove ROI, and fine-tune future events. 3. Leverage Attendee Behavior KPIs With the right event technology, you can capture and analyze over 120 unique attendee behavior KPIs. This includes: * Session attendance and duration * Booth visits and dwell time * Evaluation scores and sentiment * Meeting participation * Engagement touchpoints (scans, polls, downloads, etc.) These insights allow you to identify what worked, what didn’t, and how you can optimize future events to better align with your business goals. 4. Close the Performance Gap Benchmarking is the final step in leveling up your event strategy. By comparing your performance to similar events or producers, you can identify critical gaps and uncover opportunities to improve. If you’re interested in gaining a clearer picture of your event’s performance and how it stacks up across the industry, we’re here to help. Validar’s platform is built to surface the right data, make it actionable, and help you get the credit you deserve. Let’s Talk About Your Event Success Want to better understand the impact of your next event? Request a free demo [https://validar.com/demo] and we’ll show you how to capture the full picture—from intent to outcome.

When an event is designed to create product demand, it must go beyond brand exposure and focus on measurable influence. Whether you're hosting a product launch, a demo-heavy booth, or a session-driven experience, the ultimate goal is clear: drive qualified interest and pipeline. At Validar, we’ve supported hundreds of event marketers looking to convert in-person engagement into real business outcomes. Based on those experiences, here are four best practices to maximize product demand generation at your next event. 1. Make the Attendee Journey Visible Within Your CRM One of the biggest missed opportunities in demand-driven events is not integrating the full attendee journey into your CRM or marketing automation system. Your team should be able to see more than just badge scans. Every booth visit, session attended, evaluation submitted, and meeting held should be part of a single, unified attendee record. This creates context for post-event outreach and empowers your sales team to follow up intelligently—without relying on guesswork. Tip: Validar’s vConnect for Salesforce [https://validar.com/products/vconnect-salesforce] makes it easy to sync attendee behavior directly into your CRM, enabling smarter, more contextual follow-ups. 2. Let Attendees Control How They’re Treated In today’s experience-driven economy, attendees expect personalization—and permission. Events that perform best in generating demand are ones that let attendees define their own journey and indicate how they want to be engaged post-event. This can be as simple as letting them opt into specific content tracks or as advanced as using lead capture tools that allow attendees to categorize their interests and level of urgency. Giving them that agency improves the quality of the interaction and increases trust in your brand. How Validar Helps: With vCapture [https://validar.com/products/vcapture], you can empower your sales team to capture attendee preferences in real time—turning one-size-fits-all follow-ups into meaningful conversations. 3. Use Technology That Enhances—Not Interrupts—the Experience It’s easy to overengineer the event tech stack. But technology should feel like an extension of the experience, not a barrier. Choose tools that help your team stay present while capturing key data. * Sessions + Evaluations = Meeting Drivers Well-run breakout sessions can build authority, and when paired with post-session evaluations, they become incredible tools to identify interest and intent. * Lead Capture That Lets Attendees Categorize Themselves Rather than guessing an attendee's level of interest, give them the option to self-identify—“I want a follow-up,” “Just browsing,” “Ready to buy.” Reminder: Your goal is to reduce friction while capturing rich engagement data. Every touchpoint is a signal—make sure your tech is listening. 4. Get the Credit You Deserve Through Marketing Stack Integration Your event’s impact on revenue should never be a black box. If your event data isn’t integrated into your demand gen ecosystem, you risk losing credit for one of your most high-impact channels. From first touch to closed-won, you need to attribute pipeline and revenue to your event efforts accurately. That means integrating with Salesforce, Marketo, HubSpot, or whatever tools you rely on to measure performance. Bottom Line: Revenue recognition starts with smart data collection—and ends with flawless integration. Make sure your systems talk to each other so you can prove ROI and secure future budget. Final Thoughts Product demand doesn't happen by accident. It happens when events are built to educate, engage, and empower both attendees and your internal teams. From CRM visibility to attendee-led engagement, it’s about making every touchpoint intentional and measurable. Whether you're hosting a product showcase, leading a user group, or owning a booth at a major trade show—Validar helps you turn real-world engagement into real results. Ready to maximize product demand at your next event? Book a free demo with our team → https://validar.com/demo [https://validar.com/demo]

Recently, we supported an exhibitor at one of the largest trade shows globally. This exhibitor made a significant investment with a booth featuring: * 20 Demo Stations for partners and product demonstrations * An in-booth Theater for product showcases and educational sessions * Private Meeting Rooms for one-on-one conversations * A Satellite Event located offsite but nearby the primary venue Here are our top strategies to ensure you capture leads effectively and maximize your investment: Tip 1 - Optimize Demo Station Interactions Create customized customer qualifiers that align naturally with the conversations your sales team typically engages in on the show floor. Effective custom qualifiers should seamlessly integrate into the conversation flow, allowing for intuitive data capture without disrupting the interaction. Consider these key points: * Clearly categorize attendee conversations and interests. * Offer attendees an easy "opt-out" if their main incentive is promotional items or giveaways. * Ensure you record renewed interest, specific product needs, and actionable follow-up points. This ensures your post-event outreach directly continues the dialogue started at your booth. image (9).png [https://validar.com/media/image (9).png] Tip 2 - Comprehensive Tracking for Theater and Satellite Events While detailed custom qualifiers might not suit theater sessions, tracking attendance and content engagement is crucial. Employ lead capture technologies that enable attendees to provide immediate feedback post-session. Key actions include: * Implement session evaluations to collect audience insights. * Reward attendees for providing feedback, enhancing engagement and participation. * Analyze evaluations to score content quality and benchmark speaker effectiveness. * Integrate feedback forms with meeting scheduling tools, automatically notifying sales teams to follow up immediately if an attendee requests further discussion or product demonstrations. Tip 3 - Leverage Session Evaluations to Schedule Sales Meetings Session evaluations aren't just about gauging content effectiveness; they're powerful tools to drive meaningful interactions between attendees and your sales team. By embedding a straightforward, logic-based opt-in question within evaluations, you can effortlessly identify qualified leads. Make sure to: * Use Boolean logic to segment your audience, distinguishing attendees interested in a deeper dive. * Prompt attendees directly about their interest in meeting subject matter experts. * Automate notifications to sales teams, facilitating prompt follow-ups and meeting scheduling within demo stations or dedicated meeting rooms. Tip 4 - Offer Opt-in Opportunities for Introverted Attendees Remember, not every attendee feels comfortable engaging directly with sales representatives in busy exhibition environments. However, this doesn't mean they aren't valuable prospects. Provide discrete and approachable options for quieter attendees to express interest and engage further at their own pace. Practical recommendations include: * Digital kiosks or tablets strategically placed throughout your booth to allow attendees to request information discreetly. * QR codes or easy-to-access digital forms enabling attendees to opt-in privately. * Clearly communicated follow-up processes, reassuring these attendees that their comfort and interest levels are respected and valued. By implementing these targeted strategies, you'll maximize engagement, ensure comprehensive lead capture, and enhance your event's return on investment.