Event Success: Evaluation & Impact Measurement

Measuring Event Success - Evaluation Insights

• Events use significant resources (finance, time, skills, equipment).
• Evaluation is essential to understand what works and doesn't, from planning to delivery, to inform future events.
• Evaluation helps demonstrate success to stakeholders (clients, sponsors).
• Evaluation should assess the event's purpose and the teams' effectiveness.

Purpose of Evaluation

• Evaluation identifies what works well and what doesn't work in an event.
• Evaluation assesses impacts and legacies of events.

Event Evaluation

• Event evaluation is important for understanding aspects like the team, event impacts, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Evaluation helps with justifying future events and measuring their effectiveness.

Rationale for Evaluation

• Justifying future events requires demonstrating the success of past events.
• Events use many resources (financial, people, and other assets).
• Measurement of event effectiveness is important.

Hybrid Events

• Hybrid events (a combination of in-person and virtual attendees) are becoming more common.

• Hybrid events require a larger team for pre-event and event day work as they must manage multiple elements.

• Hybrid events need to ensure all attendees have identical access to information.

• Communication and coordination between in-person and online teams are critical to success

• Hybrid conferences increase the necessity for clear roles, efficient communication and timely resolution of issues.

• Online aspects of a hybrid event should allow for seamless interaction with in-person participants.

Evaluation Models and Tools

• Phillips' ROI model identifies six levels for event assessment, considering fit between the target audience and actual attendees, satisfaction with the event experience, learning, behavior change, organizational benefits, and net financial outcome.
• Kirkpatrick model is crucial for measuring individual and organizational learning based on commercial training experience.

Online Event Management Software

• Online event software significantly improves efficiency by handling event creation, organization, management, and attendee management.
• Online tools allow for integrated communications, invitations, and registration.
• Customizable tools enhance branding and attendee control over their event experience.
• Online tools provide evaluation tools and feedback mechanisms, as well as detailed reporting capabilities.

Evaluation Issues

• It is crucial to have a consistent and structured evaluation process to ensure comprehensive assessment of event activities and deliverables.
• The success of evaluation often depends on clear, measurable objectives and a commitment to capturing and analyzing data.
• Using both quantitative and qualitative data in the evaluation plan is helpful in understanding varied views and preferences.
• Evaluation should be consistently applied to all events.

Evaluation Timeline

• The evaluation timeline should run alongside the event plan, evaluating all actions, processes and factors.
• Key stages include: planning, immediately before the event, during the event, and after the event.

Impacts and Legacies of Events

• Important for larger events, the environmental, social and economic impacts should be considered.
• A well-defined post-event legacy plan is crucial for longer-term impact and sustainability.

Evaluate how well events are performing to justify future events and inform stakeholders. Assess the event's purpose and the teams' effectiveness to understand what works and what doesn't work. Understand the team, event impacts, and stakeholder satisfaction.