Earlier this month, I watched the five-star Landmark London Hotel be transformed into a futuristic wonderland – a live illustration of the power of customer data complemented by panel debates and presentations from industry leaders. After seeing the whole process come together, and being so involved in the planning stages, it was so rewarding to have more than 400 specialists make their way to Tealium’s Digital Velocity.
It was such a career highlight to look out over a sea of faces eager to learn how to improve customer experiences and navigate the changing landscape – from new privacy laws to the increase in data sources. Delegates arrived keen to find out how Tealium’s Customer Data Hub – with features such as iQ Tag Management – can propel their businesses to new levels of success.
This year’s Digital Velocity London attracted a record-breaking number of attendees – an 80% turnout rate in fact – bringing together industry influencers, clients, and strategic partners to explore how the power of data can be harnessed to enhance customer experiences. The event drew in professionals representing the best brands in fashion, health and beauty, travel, publishing, sporting goods and more.
Attendees were privileged to hear an inspirational talk from successful businesswoman, Karren Brady, Baroness of Knightsbridge CBE. Drawing on her own experiences, Karren shared advice on how to create a strong team and instil culture at every level, from grass roots upwards. I witnessed a packed house enraptured by a stream of valuable business insights such as “confrontation is part of business” and “saying no is necessary”, as well as warnings about the perils of believing the “if it’s not broken don’t fix it” approach. Keynotes agreed this is not something that works in business, and that sometimes we have to break a process in order to improve and evolve.
Further sessions included a data governance panel moderated by David Murphy of Mobile Marketing Magazine – with panellists including experts from The Economist and Santander as well as Tealium – and a presentation on preparing for GDPR by Sheila FitzPatrick, Chief Privacy Officer, NetApp. We were delighted to have clients – Orange, TUI and Decibel Insight – also present on how businesses can achieve digital transformation with the help of Tealium’s technology.
During breaks, delegates immersed themselves in a “shop ‘til you drop” experience like no other. Visitors to TealMall and Partner Pavilion were treated to a showcase of Tealium’s technology and that of our sponsors. A series of boutiques “sold” a range of high-quality branded merchandise but instead of picking up promotional merchandise from an exhibition stand, attendees could get their hands on products via a purpose-built mobile app. Either choosing items in advance from each sponsored shop, taking advantage of a click- and-collect service, or actively going to each shop at the event to “checkout” items – all processed through the mobile app with QR codes, collating a significant volume of data for partners and sponsors.
The bespoke mobile app also gave delegates the options to personalise their agenda, check the event Twitter feed, maps, and sponsor information, as well as opt in or out of messages from sponsors and push notifications which alerted them that their device battery was running low.
Beacons positioned throughout the venue monitored delegate movements – collecting data, such as which TealMall shops were visited, which sessions were listened to, and which sponsor stands were frequented. As attendees participated, they unlocked access to Tealium’s Flappy Beast game – providing sponsors with real-time insight, while also adding to the fun.
I can’t forget to mention the hugely successful technology collaborations between Tealium and Digital Velocity sponsors such as Decibel Insight, who produced a heat map of the event using real-time data gained from Tealium’s beacons, and Usabilla, who facilitated delegate feedback using its customer survey platform.
These uses of technology highlighted what data is capable of, and what benefits and rewards can be reaped from using Tealium’s offerings. The event was as much about sharing and education as it was about turning data into something more tangible, and the enthusiastic participation from delegates only emphasised its success.
These fantastic partnerships also meant Tealium was able to capture over 220GB of data from the two-day event, and more than 1,000 separate orders were placed – offering more than 1,000 separate opportunities for delegate / sponsor engagement. All of which plunged delegates into the centre of digital innovation while showcasing the magnificence that is the data beast.
The next Digital Velocity conferences are set to take place in San Francisco and Toyko later this year. The wheels are already spinning and plans are being finalised for the next London event, so watch this space. Stay updated on all Digital Velocity events here.
