How Aalborg City turned events into measurable impact

Industry

City Centers & Public Spaces

Challenge

Aalborg City needed reliable visitor data to document the impact of events and strengthen dialogue with retailers and the municipality.

Results

Documented visitor flows, stronger commercial discussions, and measurable proof of city-center activity.

Key Product

Footfall Analytics, Real-Time Data Dashboards

aalborgcity.dk/

+40%

Better event traffic documentation

100%

Data-backed reporting for city events

12+

City eventsmeasured annually

2×

Stronger municipality & retailer dialogue

Earlier we estimated how many visitors attended our events. Today we have real data. That makes it much easier to demonstrate the value we create for the city and for our members.

Jes Asmussen

City Manager @ Aalborg City

About your Customer

Aalborg is one of Denmark’s largest regional cities with a vibrant city center and an active retail community.

Aalborg City Association coordinates events, marketing initiatives, and collaboration between retailers, the municipality, and local stakeholders to strengthen the attractiveness of the city center.

Events such as seasonal markets and campaigns are essential for driving visitors into the city, but documenting their real impact has historically been difficult.

The Challenge

City center organizations face increasing pressure to demonstrate impact.

Retailers want proof that events drive visitors. Municipalities expect measurable value from city marketing initiatives. And stakeholders increasingly ask for documentation rather than estimates.

Previously, Aalborg City relied on experience and rough estimates when discussing event attendance.

This created challenges:

Difficulty proving the real impact of events
Limited data in discussions with the municipality
Uncertainty when renting event stalls or planning campaigns
No consistent way to measure visitor flows during major events

Without reliable data, city development decisions were based largely on assumptions.

The Solution

Aalborg City implemented the CountMatters visitor analytics platform to measure pedestrian traffic in the city center.

Using advanced sensors and analytics, the organization can now monitor visitor flows in real time and analyze historical patterns across events and campaigns.

The platform enables Aalborg City to:

Measure visitor traffic during major events
Compare activity before, during, and after campaigns
Provide documented numbers to retailers and partners
Demonstrate the impact of city-center initiatives to public stakeholders

The solution is fully GDPR-compliant and designed for public environments, ensuring reliable insights without collecting personal data.

The Results

The introduction of visitor analytics has changed how Aalborg City manages and communicates the impact of its activities.

Today, the organization can document the real effect of events such as the Christmas market and other city-center initiatives.

Key outcomes include:

Clear documentation of visitor flows during events
Stronger dialogue with retailers and event partners
Better arguments in discussions with the municipality
More confidence in planning future campaigns

Instead of relying on assumptions, Aalborg City now operates with measurable insights.

For city-center organizations, that shift—from estimation to documentation—creates stronger credibility and better decision-making.