ICP — Connecting 7 disconnected systems into a unified data platform

Our Approach

HubSpot Setup and Configuration. We started by setting up HubSpot as the central CRM, configuring custom contact properties to receive data from each external system. The data mapping document alone covers 60+ fields across ACME membership data (membership ID, level, standing, start/end dates, constituent ID), SlideRoom application data (submission status, ratings, program assignments, deadlines), and ACME transaction data (ticket types, event names, payment amounts). Each field was mapped to a specific HubSpot property with the correct field type and linked to automated workflows.

API Integration Plan. The integration follows a phased approach over six months. Months 1-2: SlideRoom OYC applications sync. Months 2-3: ACME ticket sales for exhibition reminders. Months 3-4: Raiser’s Edge member lists with bidirectional status sync. Months 4-5: Aceware student data by term. Months 5-6: Lightspeed ecommerce buyers and member lists, also bidirectional. Each integration includes field mapping, API development, automated workflow configuration, data integrity testing, and duplicate handling.

Advanced Analytics. We implemented GA4 and Google Analytics tracking across ICP’s platforms, giving the team visibility into how visitors move between the main website, the shop, and the education portal. HubSpot tracking was integrated with the Lightspeed shop and SlideRoom to close the loop between marketing activity and actual conversions.

Paid Media for Exhibitions and Courses. Alongside the advisory work, we manage paid campaigns promoting ICP’s photography exhibitions and education programs. These campaigns benefit directly from the data integration work: as more audience data flows into HubSpot, we can build better targeting segments, create lookalike audiences from actual ticket buyers and enrolled students, and measure return on ad spend against real conversion data rather than proxy metrics.

The Results

The integration project is an ongoing engagement, with core integrations being rolled out according to the 6-month roadmap. Key deliverables so far:

• HubSpot configured as central CRM with 60+ custom properties mapped to ACME, SlideRoom, and transaction data
• Lightspeed shop tracking integrated with HubSpot for ecommerce attribution
• Lightspeed storefront restyled to match ICP brand guidelines
• GA4 and Google Analytics tracking deployed across all ICP web properties
• 6-month API integration roadmap covering 5 core systems plus 3 optional additions
• Data synchronization methods defined per system (event-triggered, user-initiated, or scheduled)
• Ongoing paid media campaigns for exhibitions and photography course enrollment

What We Learned

ICP is a textbook case of a problem we see across cultural institutions and education organizations: the software stack grew organically over years, and nobody planned for the systems to work together. Each department chose the tool that worked best for their specific function, which makes sense individually, but creates a data fragmentation problem that gets worse over time.

The lesson for similar organizations is that HubSpot (or any modern CRM) can serve as the unifying layer without requiring anyone to abandon the specialized tools they already rely on. ACME is still the best tool for ICP’s ticketing. SlideRoom is still the best tool for application management. The integration layer sits on top, pulling data into a central view where marketing, membership, and education teams can finally see the same picture.