The Freeman Company sold its Encore Event Technologies unit to national event production company PSAV while its Freeman brand experience division is focusing on a problem many planners and companies have struggled with—event data analysis.
ROI Analysis Made Easier
In early January, Freeman launched Data Solutions, which includes five software and service offerings that allow planners to create and execute successful events by better tracking key analytics.
“Our Brand Marketer/Event Marketer research study released in November coupled with Freeman Show Organizer Data Pulse Survey released at PCMA Convening Leaders 2019 confirm the enormity of the demand for these offerings,“ said Ken Holsinger, vice president of data solutions for Freeman. “As meeting planners and sponsors invest more into the overall experience for attendees, the demand for ROI is critical.”
More: 6 Ways to Drive Success with ROI Technology
Freeman found that 49 percent of nonprofit show organizers expressed frustration with an inability to receive meaningful insights from event data. Freeman’s new Data Solutions platform provides companies with the ability to learn and employ effective strategies in real time.
The five technologies Data Solutions offers include:
- Fuzion, which connects data from every point along the event life cycle.
- Quant, which provides “decision-based metrics” through data visualization on a real-time dashboard.
- Data Analysis (formerly ESI, which became part of Freeman in 2016), which gives insight into data while “expanding data research and measurement” gleaned from more than 50 years of industry benchmarks.
- Data Design, a team that grants event planners insight on how to drive growth.
- Data Science, a partnership between Freeman and the University of South California on “a return on experience (ROX) environment study” and the University of Missouri of a growth drivers study.
“[U]ntil now, the industry didn’t have an all-encompassing solution to compile metrics and data that ultimately could help increase audience acquisition, retention and engagement,” said Chief Digital Officer Richard Maranville. “The new Freeman Data Solutions enable event organizers to capture data to both define and redefine strategy and establish key performance indicators.”
More: The 1 Big Idea Worth Stealing from Day 4 of PCMA Convening Leaders
Encore Moves to PSAV
In a separate announcement, The Freeman Company explained the sale of its Encore Event Technologies unit as expanding the breadth of PSAV’s capabilities throughout North America and Asia Pacific.
PSAV, which is headquartered in Schiller Park, Illinois, is in 1,500 on-site venues and has 49 branch offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. The sales could be final later in 2019. Details of the price were not announced. The Freeman Company retains ownership of event technology specialist Alford Media.
