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.

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter HERE, listen to our latest podcast HERE and engage with us on TwitterFacebook and  LinkedIn!

 

Add new comment

Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact