In today's landscape of corporate events, trade shows and global conferences, there is one metric that is going unnoticed but threatening the foundations of an industry valued at $1.5 trillion: the Return to Assistance (o Return on Attendance, ROA).
While organizers have historically been obsessed with ROI (Return on Investment) for sponsors and exhibitors, they have neglected the real experience and benefit of the main protagonist: the attendee.
What is Return on Attendance (ROA)?
The Return to Assistance is not measured in direct sales or the number of QR code scans, but in the tangible value an individual takes away after dedicating their time and energy to an event. It is the ratio of effort invested (travel, cost of entry, time away from the office) to the knowledge or connections that are actually retained and applied in the long term.
The Oblivion Curve: The Invisible Enemy
One of the most alarming facts revealed by the industry is the impact of the "forgetting curve". The statistics are stark:
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At 24 hours event, attendees have forgotten all about it until the end of the event. 70% of what has been learned.
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At one weekthe figure amounts to 90%.
This means that even if an event seems like a resounding success at the time, the actual impact on attendee performance is minimal if value retention strategies are not implemented.
The phenomenon of "Return to Exhaustion".
We not only fight against oblivion, but also against fatigue. The concept of "Return to Exhaustion." describes the reality of thousands of professionals returning from conferences with overloaded inboxes and cognitive fatigue.
Upon returning to routine, the assistant rarely has the mental capacity to process contacts made or implement new ideas. By the time they catch their breath, the forgetting curve has already done its work, erasing most of the intellectual investment made.
The Role of Technology: From Logistics to Cognitive Retention
Despite the fact that the event technology market (Event Tech) continues to grow and is estimated to reach record numbers by 2029, most of today's tools are designed to make the organizer's life easier: quick registrations, lead scanning and logistics metrics.
However, to bridge the value gap, technology must move from being just a management tool to becoming a learning support and connection. The focus must change: the priority is no longer just to make the event smooth, but to make it memorable and useful in the long term.
Artificial Intelligence as a bridge to real value
The key to rescuing the Return to Assistance lies in how we use Artificial Intelligence (AI) not only to automate processes, but to personalize the assistant experience and combat forgetfulness. The future of the industry points to two key avenues:
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Personalization of learning: Use AI to help attendees digest the vast amount of information received by providing personalized summaries, reminders of key points and networking recommendations that align with their specific objectives.
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Post-event continuity: Technology should act as an active support after the close. Instead of the event ending when the attendee leaves, AI can make it easier to follow up on the knowledge gained, ensuring that the value is kept alive well beyond the first 24 hours.
Conclusion: A new standard of success
The events industry can no longer operate under the assumption that value delivered at the venue automatically translates into value retained. If we do not begin to measure and prioritize the Return to AssistanceIn this context, we run the risk that companies and professionals stop seeing events as a necessary investment and start seeing them as a superfluous expense.
The success of the next decade will not be measured by how many people attended, but by how many people attended. how many people transformed their career or business thanks to what they were able to retain. ROA is ultimately the only metric that guarantees the sustainability of this $1.5 trillion industry.
Based on the EventTechLive article: Return on Attendance: The Hidden Crisis Threatening a $1.5 Trillion Industry
