Prospect Research at Events: AI Methods

AI is revolutionizing prospect research at events. Here's what you need to know:

AI automates data collection and analysis, saving time and boosting accuracy
It provides personalized recommendations for networking and sessions
Real-time insights help you adapt your strategy on the fly

Key benefits of AI-powered prospect research:

41% of businesses saw 5%+ revenue growth from AI use (McKinsey)
35% more meaningful connections at Bizzabo's 2022 event using AI matchmaking
54% of connections at FOCUS event made through AI-enabled badge scanning

AI tools to consider:

Bizzabo: Attendee analysis and networking suggestions
Crowd Connected: Real-time engagement tracking
Mailbutler: Automated contact info capture ($14.95/month)

To use AI effectively at events:

Choose tools that integrate with your existing systems
Train your team on proper AI use
Set clear goals to measure AI impact
Prioritize data privacy and security

With the right approach, AI can supercharge your prospect research and lead generation at events.

What is AI Event Research

AI event research uses AI to supercharge prospect identification and analysis at events. It's like having a super-smart assistant that helps you network more effectively.

Here's how it works: AI crunches tons of attendee data, including work history, interests, and what people are doing at the event in real-time. This helps match people with potential business opportunities way more accurately than traditional methods.

AI Event Research: The Key Parts

1. Data Gathering and Number Crunching

AI tools dig through social media, company websites, and public records to build a complete picture of who's at the event.

2. Crystal Ball Algorithms

Smart algorithms try to predict how attendees will behave and what they're interested in. This helps businesses spot the best prospects.

3. Up-to-the-Second Insights

AI systems keep track of what attendees are doing and liking during the event, giving you the latest info.

4. AI Matchmaker

AI-powered platforms suggest who you should meet based on shared interests and business goals.

5. Personal Touch

Attendees get custom suggestions for sessions to attend, booths to visit, and people to meet.

AI is making a big splash in event research. Take Web Summit 2020, for example. Even though it was all virtual, AI-powered apps matched over 100,000 attendees based on their work backgrounds and interests. That's pretty impressive!

Why AI Event Research is a Game-Changer

It's fast: AI handles the boring stuff, so you can focus on making real connections.
It's accurate: AI is really good at finding high-quality leads.
It's personal: Each attendee gets a tailored experience, making the event more engaging.

"AI for prospect research can offer several advantages, such as saving time and resources by automating tedious tasks, enhancing accuracy and quality of data, increasing efficiency and productivity, and improving engagement and conversion."

But here's the thing: AI is a powerful tool, but it doesn't replace human smarts. Think of AI as your sidekick, not your replacement.

AI in Action

1. Before the Event

AI looks at past events and current trends to guess how many people will show up, when to schedule things, and what topics will be hot.

2. During the Event

AI-powered chatbots answer attendee questions on the spot, making the whole experience smoother.

3. After the Event

AI tools crunch the numbers on feedback and attendance, giving insights on how to make the next event even better.

Planning Before Events with AI

AI has changed how we get ready for events. It makes prospect research faster and better. With AI tools, you can check guest lists, look at social media, and learn about attendees before you even get to the event.

AI Tools for Event Planning

AI can help you manage and understand your guest list. Here's what AI-powered platforms can do:

Sort your guest list: AI can group attendees by things like their job or company size. This helps you focus on the right people.
Send emails automatically: AI can write and send personalized emails to keep attendees in the loop.
Guess who's coming: AI can look at past events and current trends to predict how many people will show up.
Find important prospects: AI can spot potential leads that match your ideal customer.

For example, Bizzabo uses AI to analyze attendee data and suggest networking opportunities. At their 2022 (Re)Connect event, this led to 35% more meaningful connections compared to previous years.

AI tools can also look at social media to learn about attendees. You can use this to:

See what people are talking about: AI can track event hashtags and conversations.
Find influencers: Discover important people who will be at the event.
Make your approach personal: Use AI insights to tailor your conversations.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator, which now uses AI, is great for this. It helps you find and connect with potential leads based on their recent activity and shared connections.

Automating Prospect Research

AI tools can save you time on research. For example, Potion lets you make personalized video messages quickly. It costs $99 per user each month and gives you 750 AI video credits.

Apollo is another useful tool. It helps with the whole sales process, from finding prospects to closing deals. It starts at $49 per user per month.

"AI tools for prospecting are revolutionizing the way sales teams operate." - Rafael Varona, Author

Using AI During Events

AI is changing the game at events. It's like having a smart sidekick that helps you network and gather info.

Getting Contact Info with AI

Forget business cards. AI tools now make collecting contacts a snap.

Badge Scanning: The New Handshake

Badge scanning is hot right now. Here's why:

It's fast. Scan a QR code, get the info. Done.
It's accurate. No more typos in email addresses.
It connects you instantly. Many apps link you up right after scanning.

At the FOCUS event, badge scanning was huge. It made up 54% of all connections - that's 1,814 out of 3,304 total. Talk about efficient networking!

AI-Powered Lead Capture

Today's lead capture does more than just grab names and emails. AI tools can:

Beef up contact data with info from social media and company sites
Sort leads based on your ideal customer
Give you ideas for personalized follow-ups

Take Double, for example. It uses AI to clean up, enrich, and qualify leads on the spot. You're not just getting contacts - you're getting insights you can use.

Real-Time Engagement Tracking

AI doesn't stop at collecting data. It can watch how attendees behave in real-time:

See which booths or talks are drawing crowds
Spot potential traffic jams or hot spots
Tweak your strategy based on where people are going

Crowd Connected has teamed up with AI tools to offer this kind of insight. It's like having a bird's-eye view of the whole event.

AI Chatbots: Your 24/7 Event Helper

Picture a tireless assistant that answers questions round the clock. That's what AI chatbots do:

Answer common questions instantly
Point attendees to the right booths or talks
Gather feedback from chats

These chatbots can work through WhatsApp or SMS, making them easy for everyone to use.

Making the Most of AI at Events

To really leverage AI tools at events:

Train Your Team: Make sure everyone knows how to use the AI tools.
Set Clear Goals: Decide what data you want and how you'll use it.
Connect Your Systems: Get your AI tools talking to your CRM.
Mind the Privacy: Be open about data collection and follow the rules.

AI Tools for Follow-Up

After an event, the real work kicks in. AI tools can boost your follow-up game, helping you sort contacts, rank leads, and fire off personalized messages without breaking a sweat. Let's dive into how AI can amp up your post-event strategy.

Adding Data to Your CRM

Getting event leads into your CRM fast is key. AI can speed this up, making sure you don't miss a single opportunity.

Automated Data Entry

AI tools can grab contact info from business cards, emails, and even chat logs. This data goes straight into your CRM, no manual typing needed.

Take Mailbutler, for example. Starting at $14.95/month, it pulls data from email signatures - phone numbers, addresses, job titles, the works. Your CRM stays fresh without you lifting a finger.

Smart Lead Scoring

AI doesn't just input data; it crunches it too. It looks at things like how engaged a lead was, company size, and what you talked about, then ranks and sorts your leads automatically.

This lets your sales team zero in on the hottest prospects first. Here's a reality check:

"80% of deals need five follow-ups to close, but 44% of sales reps quit after one try."

AI-powered lead scoring helps make sure those crucial follow-ups happen.

Personalized Follow-Up at Scale

Writing individual follow-up emails can eat up your time. AI writing tools can draft personalized messages based on your event chats and lead data.

Fireflies.ai is one such tool. It can whip up context-aware follow-up emails from meeting notes. It plays nice with over 40 business apps, logging key points and to-dos seamlessly.

"AI email writers like Fireflies are transforming workplace communication through automation and enhancement." - Ayush Kudesia, Fireflies.ai Blog

Optimizing Send Times

Timing is everything in follow-ups. AI can look at past email engagement data to suggest when to send your follow-ups, upping the chances they'll be opened and read.

Keeping the Conversation Going

For leads who aren't ready to buy yet, AI can keep the ball rolling. Set up automated drip campaigns that nurture leads over time, sharing valuable content and staying in touch until they're ready to chat with sales.

Tips for Using AI at Events

AI can supercharge your prospect research at events. But you need to plan carefully. Here's how to use AI tools effectively while keeping your data safe:

Pick Smart AI Tools

Go for AI platforms that do it all: networking, lead capture, and data crunching. Look for these features:

AI matchmaking: Tools like Grip use smart algorithms to suggest the best connections.
On-the-spot data capture: Choose systems that log and beef up lead data instantly.
Plays well with others: Make sure the AI tools link up smoothly with your CRM and marketing tech.

Keep Your Data Safe

AI use is up, and so are data breaches. A 2024 study found 77% of businesses hit by AI-related security issues. Here's how to stay safe:

Set clear AI rules: Make guidelines for using AI tools, especially with sensitive info.
Anonymize data: Strip out personal details before feeding data to AI tools.
Go offline when you can: Use AI that works without constant internet to reduce data risks.

Get Your Team Up to Speed

Your team needs to know how to use these AI tools. Here's how to make that happen:

1. Train them well: Run hands-on sessions on using AI for research, data capture, and follow-ups.

2. Talk about ethics: Teach your team about data privacy and using AI responsibly.

3. Ask for feedback: Let your team share what's working and what's not with the AI tools.

Track AI Results

You need to know if AI is worth the investment. Here's how to measure its impact:

Set clear goals: Before the event, aim for specific targets like 200 new leads or 20 potential client meetings.
Watch the right numbers: Keep an eye on lead quality, time saved on data entry, and how many AI-assisted chats turn into real opportunities.
Crunch the numbers after: Compare your results to past events to see how much AI helped.

"It's really important for teams to own a number, or else none of their programs are accountable. For teams to be successful, it all starts with clear goals." - Kelly Cheng, Head of Marketing & Growth at Goldcast

Summary

AI has changed how we do prospect research at events. It's made networking better and faster. Here's what you need to know:

AI for Event Planning AI tools help you get ready for events. Bizzabo's platform looks at who's coming and suggests who you should meet. At their 2022 (Re)Connect event, people made 35% more good connections than before.

Real-Time Insights During events, AI watches what people do. Crowd Connected uses AI to show organizers where people are going and what they like. This helps organizers make quick changes if needed.

Easy Data Collection Scanning badges is a big deal now. At the FOCUS event, more than half of all connections (1,814 out of 3,304) came from badge scans. It's a fast way to network.

Smart Follow-Ups After the event, AI helps you keep in touch. Tools like Mailbutler (costs $14.95/month to start) grab contact info from email signatures. This keeps your contact list up-to-date without extra work.

Seeing Results AI really works for prospect research. A McKinsey survey found that 41% of businesses made at least 5% more money after using AI. This shows it's good for finding new customers.

Prospect Research at Events: AI Methods

What is AI Event Research