EIC and Vsef Join Forces to Further Develop Digital Event Data Standards

June 2, 2022

The Events Industry Council (EIC) and Vsef, founded by Explori as the global standardized data format for the digital events industry, formed an alliance to further the mission of establishing data standardization for digital events to help organizers drive growth and innovation.

The EIC, a global federation of more than 30 member organizations representing more than 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties in the events industry, works to establish professional standards of excellence across the entirety of the international events community through initiatives including the EIC Sustainable Event Standards, the CMP Program and the long-standing Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) Commission.  

As the industry continues to face challenges in effectively leveraging the inconsistent data formats used across the digital event platform landscape, the new alliance comes at a critical time for the industry and is hugely significant, according to Amy Calvert, CEO of the EIC.

“As the global voice of the business events industry, the EIC works to establish international industry standards, and the global VSef initiative has focused on the area of digital event data standards and developed a comprehensive solution on a not-for-profit basis,” Calvert said. “We are delighted to bring our APEX Commission and VSef together to further develop and establish these essential data standards.”

Mark Brewster, founder of Explori and VSef, echoed Calvert’s sentiments and applauded the alliance as a way to further the cause of data standardization, which he said is crucial for developing event strategy.

“Ultimately, it is vital for event organizers to keep a firm grip on their data assets, and in terms of digital event data, the events industry has become a challenge to navigate effectively with every platform operating in their own data silo,” Brewster said. “This leaves event organizers with the unenviable task of operating in an incomparable, opaque and inconsistent landscape, which presents significant barriers to multi-platform integration, consistent measurement and the essential insights that event planners need to develop strategy.”

Brewster added that while it is not currently clear where the lines will be drawn between today’s event technologies and the rapidly evolving metaverse, which in his opinion, will be a huge channel for the events industry. What is clear, he added, is that data is an essential asset for all event organizers.

“Unless they can gain control, access and ownership of their digital event data, I fear that huge opportunities for growth and innovation will be missed,” he said. “VSef is an important step in eliminating silos and putting the control of data back in organizers’ hands. It also offers enormous benefits to the platforms themselves.”

The Vsef initiative has garnered accolades from numerous companies that hold digital events.

“To create the right analytics and insights along the entire customer journey, we need to be able to integrate consistent data from a plethora of event technologies into our data lake and blend it with data from other marketing and communication channels,” said Stephen Rose, head of global communication services for Siemens. “It is not realistic for every individual platform to manage the unique data requirements of every [organization], and equally, it is not viable for every [organization] to work around each platform’s unique data format.

Rose added, “The solution is to have a robust industry data standard, and that is why we support Vsef.”

VSef was launched in early 2021, with the aim of creating a global standardized data format that can be used to simplify the process of moving data between event platforms, sales and marketing systems and business intelligence tools. Using a universal data format and API makes the process easy for organizers, as well as offering access to a better range of event metrics and engagement KPIs. The goal is to inevitably lead to improved digital event experiences for organizations, benefiting their brands and the customers and stakeholders they serve.

VSef recently unveiled the second iteration of the standards, VSef 2.0, which includes a range of new features, allowing it to better meet the needs of international audiences as well as allowing for the unique data variables each platform captures.

Since its inception, VSef has received backing from many leading event organizers and platforms, including Informa Markets, Reed Exhibitions, Tarsus Group, Emerald Expositions, Clarion Events, Grip, Balluun, Notified, Swapcard, Accelevents, ExpoPlatform and many more.

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.