NI Connect Austin
Client name
National Instruments
Event name
NI Connect Austin
Event location
Austin, TX
Event type
Hybrid
Event attendance
1,800
The challenge
National Instruments Corporation has been hosting its annual NI Connect event for test leaders for the past 25 years. For their 2023 event, they were looking to explore how companies use breakthrough test technologies and approaches to boost their business performance for a competitive edge in a hybrid event format.
They were looking for support to bring this to life and surpass their attendee numbers from the year before. The main objectives for this event were to position themselves as informative thought leaders within the industry and to facilitate networking amongst the audience members. This was also a chance to introduce audience members and views to Austin, Texas, where the company has its headquarters.
The result
The two-day hybrid experience brought together organisations and leaders passionate about accelerating the development of innovative technology—and gaining insights to drive product and business performance. NI Connect 2023 exceeded the primary goals for the event which were focused on increasing customer attendees and participation from Tier 1 & 2 accounts. The event generated a significant amount in marketing influence pipeline, representing a 78% YoY growth and a 10% attendance growth in comparison to last year, with 92% of registrants attending.
There was a 31% increase in live social streaming views (LinkedIn & YouTube) and 80% higher views on Instagram Reels. The average comment volume across LinkedIn livestreams increased by 25% and there was also a 26% growth of their partner forum, demonstrating higher partner demand. In addition to this, there was also a significant increase in customer satisfaction, achieved by addressing customer feedback from 2022 in addition to providing more demos and technical content.
Overall, NI Connect successfully gained year-on-year growth with attendance numbers, arranged over 200 private meetings, and received stellar feedback from attendees. The client’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) doubled from 17 to 35 YoY and 91% of attendees were pleased with NI Connect 2023, with highlights including the conference party at COTA—which provided a great opportunity for attendees to experience the famous Austin racetrack in a fun yet private setting with F1 cars!
The solution
We supported the project management of all facets of the event, from sessions and private meetings to AV, production, and transport. This required us to blend seamlessly and work in harmony with the existing internal team. We also assisted with organising the conference party, as well as overseeing the executive race car driving experience to ensure everything ran smoothly and upkeeping the standard of a longstanding event.
The testimonial
“I just want you and your team to know how much, from a business perspective at NI, this event MATTERS. We are tracking nearly 15% above goal for registration (95%!) and we already have significant revenue coming through the pipeline from this event alone. We know that as our partners you truly want us to win too, so I wanted you all to celebrate with me how truly important this event is to us. You all are such rockstars and we could not be more grateful for your partnership. Thank you so much for everything and cannot wait to be on-site CRUSHING it with the emc3 team!” —Amanda Carter, Senior Program Manager, National Instruments.