Case Study: CloudFest

• Expert Survey Design and Programming
• Demographic and Psychographic Research
• Research Analysis
• Written Report for Distribution
• Live Presentation

CloudFest, with a community of over 13,000 industry professionals, sought expert partners to conduct a market research study that would translate real-world experience and thought leadership into actionable insights. This diverse and knowledgeable community is a valuable resource for understanding macro sentiments within the cloud computing industry. The goal was to leverage these insights to shape CloudFest’s annual conference with high-value, relevant, and tailored content addressing key themes, needs, and challenges. Open Eye was tasked with capturing community responses and transforming them into actionable insights.

Consumer and Brand Research Partner, Brooke Edge, PhD, was an ideal fit for the assignment due to her extensive market research experience. Brooke and the Open Eye team were well-prepared to help CloudFest create more value for its attendees and the broader industry, while also optimizing community engagement and year-over-year attendance growth.

The process began with a client kickoff meeting where objectives were established, hypotheses were predicted, and desired outcomes were clarified. Brooke collaborated with the client to craft the survey, incorporating industry-specific language and a comprehensive set of research questions designed to yield actionable results and address priority goals. The survey was then distributed to the CloudFest community and fielded online over the course of two weeks.

Upon collecting the survey responses, Open Eye entered the analysis phase, mining data for significant trends and segmented insights across user groups. Crosstabs and statistical tests revealed statistically significant patterns and insights. This analysis debunked several internal client assumptions, revealed previously unforeseen opportunities, and provided a clearer picture of community priorities and challenges.

A comprehensive research report was developed from the survey insights and presented by Brooke at the annual CloudFest conference. This report was also used post-event to drive email subscriptions at cloudfest.com, with client goals of community engagement and growth top-of-mind.

In 2023, the CloudFest Report became a crucial value driver for the organization and a benchmark survey for the cloud computing industry. Due to its success, Open Eye was recruited to repeat the study the following year. The initial survey gathered 1,000 responses, which grew by 80 percent to 1,800 responses the next year. Attendance at CloudFest increased from 6,000 to 8,700 over the same period, with attribution to growing community interest. Brooke’s presentation of the actionable research findings received highly positive audience reception, making her speaking engagement a favorite among conference attendees.

Further analysis over the two-year assignment revealed important trends and shifts in industry needs and optimism for the future. A preliminary short survey conducted in the second year helped to refine the main survey, resulting in an improved, even more targeted and relevant questionnaire. By highlighting emotional and psychological perspectives within the industry, CloudFest and its community were better equipped to address industry concerns more effectively.

Open Eye’s partnership with CloudFest exemplifies the value of third-party field studies in understanding customer sentiments as to inform products and services. These studies help create stronger solutions tailored to customer needs, delivered to them in their own words.