Use Polygons to get non-attended events into your data lake
Our Polygons feature has been extended to support two additional event categories: public holidays and observances. In the API, previously we indicated if an event affected a larger area using the scope field but we did not include details of the geographic area impacted by the event. These events were previously represented on the map by a single point in the center of the country or region.
We now provide polygons information on the geographic area covered by the event in the API. They are also available in our web application when you click on the map, you'll see a polygon that shows the exact area that the event covers for both public holidays and observances:
Save time getting public holidays and observances into your data lake
This update streamlines the process of finding which events impact a location in Snowflake, ADX, or other data lake solutions. Previously, to find the events impacting a business location (such as a store, restaurant, hotel, or parking location) in a data lake, you would need to use our places hierarchy API and information. Now, you can simply query using the geo field to find which events are within a specific radius or area.
Polygons use our geo field, which is how to find the location information for events in our system. You can also use PredictHQ event data within tools like Snowflake to more easily find the geographic area impacted by events to determine whether an event impacts a given location.
For example, let’s say you have PredictHQ events data in your data lake and you want to find all events that are impacting demand for your hotel or retail store. You would use PredictHQ’s suggested radius API to find all events around your locations that are impacting demand. Previously, you could use the geo field in the data to find attended events and severe weather events around your location, but you couldn’t find holidays and observances with it. This led to some customers needing to take extra steps to call the places hierarchy API to find relevant holidays and observances.
Now with this change, you can also use the geo field to find holidays and observances impacting your location. For example, for a hotel in central Madrid, we found that music events at the nearby WiZink Centre impacted demand. But by using the geo field, the hotel operator can also see that All Saints' Day and the Feast of the Holy Family also are impacting demand. Before this change, it was extra work to see the holidays and observances impacting a location in the data lake.
Unlock more accurate planning with polygons for holidays and observances
This update makes it easier to get non-attended events into your data lake, so you don’t have to spend days writing code for it. With an accurate visual of where holidays and observances are going to be, you can boost forecasting accuracy and prepare for the demand fluctuations these events may cause.
Polygon support for more event categories is especially helpful for businesses that operate in multiple regions, as it makes it easy to quickly integrate the data and identify which areas will be impacted by upcoming holidays. You can use these insights to make data-driven decisions about staffing, inventory, marketing, and more in advance.
Log into your PredictHQ account now to explore polygons for public holidays and observances. Simply open an event from one of these two categories in Control Center, and click on the map!
