A 9-Part Competitive Analysis Framework for Event Organizers  

Organizing a successful event takes careful planning and preparation. A key part of the process is conducting a competitive analysis – evaluating other similar events to understand the marketplace and identify areas you can differentiate. Structuring your competitive analysis using a framework enables you to undertake the task systematically and not miss out on any key aspects.

In this blog, we will walk through a 9-part competitive analysis framework explicitly tailored for event organizers. Covering competitor identification, event formatting, pricing, marketing, and more – this framework will allow you to gain a 360-degree view of comparable events and make data-driven decisions for your event. 

A 9-Part Competitive Analysis Framework for Event Organizers  

Here are nine key dimensions to consider in a comprehensive competitive analysis framework explicitly tailored for event organizers, providing a strategic roadmap to enhance event success and market positioning:

1. Competitor Identification:

The first step is identifying who your competitors are. These fall into two main categories:

Direct Competitors: 

Events in the same genre, held around the same time of year, targeting the same attendee demographic. Analyzing comparable direct competitors reveals what offerings attendees expect and where there may be gaps.

Indirect Competitors: 

While not precisely the same style of event, indirect competitors vie for the same target audience. Understanding what other event options your attendees have can uncover opportunities to better cater to their needs.

Cast your net wide when brainstorming competitor events. Check industry calendars, run Google searches, and tap your professional network to build as extensive a list as possible.

2. Event Format:

Comparing the format and schedule of competitor events provides insight into expected norms and where you may have an opportunity to differentiate.

Consider elements such as:

• Length – Is it a single-day event or a multi-day? Half-day workshop or complete eight hours?
• Structure – Are sessions, meals, and networking activities pre-set, or can attendees self-direct? Is there an awards presentation?
• Size – What is the average number of attendees, exhibitors, and speakers?
• Location Type – Hotel, convention centre, unique offsite venue?

Elements like budgets, attendee preferences, and event objectives drive formatting. Identifying patterns amongst competitors provides a baseline to align to or diverge from.

3. Speaker/Expert Lineup:

The experts featured at an event are often the main draw for attendees. Analyzing the speaker lineup gives event organizers insight into two key areas:

Industry Thought Leaders: 

Compiling a list of who key competitors recruit for their expert panels or keynotes shines a light on the influencers in your field. These are often the speaker’s attendees flock to see.

Hot Topic Trends: 

Looking at the subjects covered in competitor sessions and which speakers are matched to them reveals the current topics resonating most across your industry.

Both these insights allow you to replicate formats that work and double down on hot themes/speakers or zag and explore something completely different.

4. Content Offerings:

From keynote speeches to hands-on workshops, the content offerings at events come in all shapes and sizes. Auditing what types of content direct and indirect competitors are programming for their attendees will steer your content planning.

Some elements to compare include:

• Educational Sessions – Key takeaways, complexities covered, half-day vs hour slots, etc. Help position the level of depth and scope for your programming.
• Keynotes – Length given to speakers, level of production for big name talks, range of topics covered. Gives a sense of how these headline grabbing sessions are handled.
• Workshops – Hands-on practice, intimacy of group sizes, beginner vs advanced levels. Reveals how competitors are integrating interactive adult learning.
• Social Events – An area to potentially carve out uniqueness on the event calendar and better meet your audience’s needs.

 5. Pricing & Packages:

How competitors price their events sheds light on your pricing strategy. Compare: 

• Base Price – Multi-day passes, single-day passes, half-day rates
• Package Types – All-access, conference only (no social events), group discounts etc.

Understanding the full slate of options provides multiple data points to indicate pricing thresholds and opportunities.

When assessing this competitive data, also account for differences between your event and others that justify pricing deviations. For example, if yours features far more hands-on workshop content, higher pricing may be accepted.

6. Technology Integration:

Incorporating technology into events is becoming the norm. Ranging from basic event apps to virtual/hybrid elements or even metaverse spaces – competitors’ technology integration inspires what attendees now often expect.

While executing many next-gen formats requires more resources, even small touches like a dedicated event hashtag or app for schedules can strengthen the attendee experience. 

Seeing which technology-based offerings resonate amongst competitive events guides smart adoption for your budget and resources.

7. Marketing & Promotions:

How competitors market their events also holds learning for your strategy.

Compare things like:

• Channels – Where competitors spend their marketing dollars across email, paid ads, organic social media, affiliate partners, etc. Shows where your audience is responsive. 
• Messaging & Creative Assets – What positioning, framing, and designs are used across competitor campaigns and assets? Highlights themes and formats that compel the target attendee.
• Incentives – Contests, early bird specials, giveaways or other perks used to drive registrations

While many technology and marketing tactics require significant budgets to implement, this analysis can uncover low-fi options within reach that competitors have used successfully to engage their audiences.

8. Sponsorships:

Sponsorships make many events financially viable while also enabling deeper collaboration across the industry. Auditing competitor’s sponsor packages and recruitment sheds light on the following:

• Makeup of Current Ecosystem – What types of brands actively sponsor competitor events reveals who sees a benefit in getting in front of your shared audience.
• Levels & Perks – Comparing the tiers, perks and pricing of sponsor packages shows you standards across the industry. This assists in calibrating your offerings.

Like pricing, if a clear outlier event has achieved significantly more excellent sponsorship support, ensure you understand precisely why before mirroring their rates.

9. Venue Partnerships:

The proper venue can make a world of difference in an event experience. Professional conference centers or unique offsite locations reflect consideration for attendees’ needs while aligning with budget realities.

Gaining venue insights from competitive analysis includes:

• Understand typical event spaces used for your audience profile and standard requirements like A/V capabilities, room blocks for lodging, etc.
• Discovering more unexpected venues that competitors have integrated to wow attendees – for example, hosting a closing dinner at an art museum or moving keynotes to an outdoor festival space.

Venue selection balances many factors, but by compiling data on solutions competitors have credibly delivered, you can make more informed decisions.

Post-Event Follow Up

Just as valuable as researching the lead up to competitive events is understanding what happens afterwards.

Look at aspects like:

• Community – If they facilitate an alumni group, online community platform or work to keep conversations going year-round. Provides ideas for retention. 
• Surveys – Whether (and how) they capture event feedback and measure success. Critical benchmarking to adapt and improve experiences.
• Content Access – If presentations or materials are shared with attendees/sponsors after. Now, it is often expected value to extend learning. 

Their post-event offerings reveal attendee expectations and opportunities you may have to nurture participants long after your event concludes as well.

Conclusion

While conducting an end-to-end competitive analysis requires time and effort, it pays invaluable dividends. The insights uncovered guide nearly all strategic decisions as an event organizer – from where to diverge with creative new offerings to where to align to demonstrated industry norms. Reflecting on this importance, dedicate the resources to do it right.

Following this 9-part framework empowers you with the learning needed to deliver against attendee wants and needs while carving out your positioning amongst the marketplace clutter. The data-driven decisions lead to standout events that attract target audiences and drive sustainable growth.