ICCA launched a Big Data Search for local association representatives in May 2014.

The new Big Data Search gives ICCA members a unique way to identify local representatives who could help them to bid for an international association meeting.

Utilising the vast databases of Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Search, ICCA members can now identify leading academic contacts in specified cities and regions, related to a specific meeting in the ICCA Association Database or a specific meeting subject. Involving local association representatives is crucial for preparing a successful bid to host the next edition of an association’s international meeting.

In November 2014 an extra sophistication was added to the original ambassador search, identifying whether selected “ambassadors” in local universities are also featured within the websites of associations and congresses in the selected academic field. The new edition also significantly upgrades the module which identifies the relative academic strength of the local university in a particular field, to now enable ICCA members to more easily identify new scientific, technological or healthcare fields where they have an academic advantage, or to compare their academic strength with that of direct rivals in any competitive bid.

The tool is provided by new ICCA member Human Equation, a centre of innovation in digital marketing, specialising in the development of interactive solutions designed to perfect the business needs of its clients.

This exciting initiative with ICCA member Human Equation presents a revolutionary new way of applying Big Data search techniques in the international association meetings market. The version is ICCA’s first step in harnessing the power of Big Data and combining it with our own unique data on associations and their meetings, and we anticipate adding new functionality and data sources to ICCA Big Data Search as we receive feedback from users.

ICCA is also offering Human Equation’s Lead Analytics tool to its members, which identifies organisation names and tracks online behaviour of website visitors.

The Big Data Search > Find meeting contacts can be accessed via the My ICCA section as part of the ICCA Association Database Online.

For members who are interested in learning more please see the following links to some good generalist books about the theory and practice of Big Data: