Measure what matters: how to prove the real value of your event.

But have you really considered all things?

The truth is there are a lot of things that determine whether your event is worth the time and money invested. Sure, the participants say they loved it, but that’s only one small part of the story. If your meeting was designed to affect your audience (as all meetings in some way should) you’ve got to go beyond basic event feedback.

You cannot claim success without assessing exactly how the event impacted the audience. Attitudes, beliefs and behaviors are important levers that feed into what the corner office really cares about: business outcomes.

You might be thinking this sounds complicated. It’s not. But it does take a little extra planning. Here’s the key: you can’t possibly measure change without establishing a baseline first. It is critical to measure and document attitudes, behaviors and business outcomes before the event so you have a solid comparison for measurement after the fact. In the midst of your pre-event planning it will be tempting to put it off – but don’t. Your future self will thank you (read on to see exactly why).

The sample event scorecards show why measurement can’t be a one-and-done exercise. Compare the metrics and pick the scorecard you’d prefer to show your CEO. Seamless execution only goes so far but proving impact makes you an undeniable asset.

If you’re responsible for an event, don’t forget to plan for measurement. Participant satisfaction surveys just begin to scratch the surface of real event measurement.