ROME Insights Launches First-of-Its-Kind Framework to Measure Emotional Impact and ROI of Live Events

A new venture co-founded by event tech innovator Justin Zebell and Chief AI & Marketing Officer Bob Hutchins introduces Return on Memorable Experiences (ROME), a technology that combines attention data with AI-powered emotional analysis to prove event value.

ROME Insights, a new data analytics/AI startup focused on live event measurement, announced the launch of ROME (Return on Memorable Experiences), a framework designed to measure what matters most at conferences, trade shows, and corporate gatherings: the quality of human attention and emotional engagement.

Co-founded by Justin Zebell, a veteran of event technology and experience design, and Bob Hutchins, a marketing executive and AI strategist/researcher, ROME Insights addresses a gap that event organizers have struggled with for years. Traditional metrics like attendance numbers and booth visits tell only part of the story. ROME captures the depth of engagement and the lasting impression an event creates.

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“We built ROME because the events industry has been measuring the wrong things,” said Zebell. “Organizers need to prove value to sponsors, stakeholders, and attendees. ROME gives them a way to do that with data that reflects real human experience.”

The ROME framework integrates multiple data streams, including behavioral attention tracking and qualitative and quantitative analysis, to produce a composite score that reflects both immediate engagement and long-term recall. The result is a clear, defensible metric that event teams can use to justify budgets, refine programming, and demonstrate impact.

“Live events are one of the few places where people still gather in person to learn, connect, and be moved by ideas,” said Hutchins. “ROME helps organizers protect and prove the value of that experience in a world that demands measurable outcomes.”

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ROME Insights will work with event organizers, trade show producers, and corporate experience teams to implement the ROME methodology across a range of event formats. The firm also offers consulting services to help clients interpret findings and apply insights to future event design.

Early adopters of the ROME framework and technology have reported stronger sponsor renewals, more confident budget approvals, and a clearer understanding of which moments during their events create the most value.