One request: Two days next time! Woohoo!
And preferably closer to downtown!
Is it the person online who will read reviews later? Is it local people who don't have access to tons of gear who want to try things to make a new purchase? Is it enthusiasts who want to try our exotic gear? Is it large vendors who are using this as a marketing engine for a niche population? Is it small vendors who do 10-25% of their annual business at or around these meets/shows? Is it the members who want to show off their own rigs?
I have noticed that these events have a "TARGET EVERYBODY" approach and it makes it incredibly difficult to segment the population and collect data. If you want to continue to see forward momentum, you're going to have to spend some time understanding your customer here . Straddling the line between show and meet adds a ton more complexity here, too so I don't really envy your situation.
I'm unsure of what data you guys can pull out of Huddler for HF. I hope you have full analytics access and can take a look at the population in the areas where you run the meet and see their ads activity and site behavior for both members and guests on HF.
Unfortunately, we have zero access to HF stats. All the info we have is gathered and gleaned from past meet history. We're starting to see a distinct pattern whereby 40%-50% are first-time meet goers (many of whom created an account and posted just to say they were coming to the meet). Another 40%-50% are veteran members (though not all are recently active). And apparently up to 20% hear about it through other means and just wander in.I guess my point is, there's going to be more trial and error moving forward before we hit Nirvana.
I have some ideas on better in person data collection so it's not just intuition and I'll think about them more. I might reach out with some recommendations later on once I have some breathing room at work.
deleted some stuff from my post and the next that might look bad when viewed in a vacuum
