Whether it be a sales conference, a virtual event, marketing, brand revitalisation or revenue generation, every live event needs a clear purpose – or it simply isn’t worth the time, money and effort to run. But setting out what you want to achieve isn’t enough. To know if your event has been a success, you need to be able to measure against those objectives. Which is why UKSV loves delivering measurable results.
WHY DO WE LOVE MEASURABLE RESULTS?
An event which delivers a return on investment is the only kind worth running. Gone are the days of simple promotion and parties, corporate events are now strategic and goal-focussed, with the data to demonstrate results a priority from the get-go.
That laser focus is vital; in today’s world of tight budgets and accountable spending, being able to demonstrate that an event was money well spent is invaluable.
HOW TO ENSURE YOUR EVENT DELIVERS…
First things first – decide what you want to achieve. Your goal might be delivering a specific message, sharing ideas, marketing, training, generating sales, developing relationships or reputation building. Rather than risk data overload, focus on one or a few key priorities, and then decide on suitable metrics to measure them, and what your specific targets are. Is there a certain number of people you want to attract? An amount of press coverage you want to secure? A certain number of sales? Make sure you take baseline measurements where appropriate to compare against later. Then make data gathering as simple as you can. Technology is your friend here, so make sure it’s working for you.
If your event is engaging with prospective customers, measuring sales and leads should be relatively straightforward. But how do you measure relationship building? While serendipitous networking around an event space is hard to quantify, you might consider factoring in more formal get-to-know-you sessions as part of your event. Connecting delegates with like-minded attendees prior to a conference is useful, and a speed networking session will definitely allow you to record the number of connections made. Consider gamification too, allowing attendees to earn rewards or virtual ‘badges’ related to the number of new contacts they’ve made. Gather feedback via an event app or online survey as to whether attendees felt they met the right people.
If the main aim is to ensure people come away with knowledge, then it isn’t enough to simply present it to them – you need to know if they’ve retained it. Again gamification can be useful here; use quizzes or challenges to measure how much delegates can recall, along with motivational rewards. While a school-style ‘test’ might be a turn off – who doesn’t love a quick quiz on their smartphone, and a chance to pit themselves against their peers for a spot on a virtual leader board?
How far an event has developed a brand or product awareness is less tangible – but here keeping it simple is a good rule of thumb. Recording the number of attendees, level of social media activity – particularly relating to an event-specific hashtag, web traffic, or the resulting press coverage can all be useful.
Once you have your data, you’ll need to take time after an event to crunch the numbers, to calculate some tangible figures to reflect the return on investment. For example, you might work out the amount of revenue generated, or the number of people reached, for every £1 spent.
Being able to quantify your success across defined goals with clear data will not only keep you focused, but a post-event dissection of what worked is absolutely the best way to hone your approach and ensure that future events deliver an even greater return on your investment.
Need help to ensure your next event delivers on your investment? Our team of expert professionals can help you set measurable goals – and then achieve them. Get in touch with us on info@uksv.co.uk or call 01425 480444.
