At Conference Group, we have been at the helm of many events. We have walked with event management companies in London as both hotel bookers and conference experts to help them make the best decision for their event.
But if you have an event coming up, there is one step in the process that you need to keep in mind—measuring success.
Chances are this will not be the last event you hold, so it’s important to know what you did right and where you could have improved.
Here are a few steps to take to measure your event’s success.
Set Measurable Goals
Before you begin developing your event, think about the specific objectives you want to meet that can be measured at the event itself.
Why should you do this?
Because without measurement and data, you could make the same mistakes and you won’t be able to differentiate your focus for the event.
On the contrary, if you set measurable goals for your event you can keep everyone on the same page and track where your event goes and what happens. You can be successful at your event, but it all starts with how you will measure the experience overall.
And remember, SMART goals provide the most concrete ways of redefining your event and sticking with a plan that actually works. Here is a great checklist for setting SMART goals for your event.
Check out the Competition
Once you have your basic standards of measurements, another tip we conference experts suggest is to define what your competition is doing.
One way you can do this is by going to a competitor’s event that is similar to the one you’re attempting to organise.
Take notes while you’re there and see how your event planning stands up to your competition.
Isolate some of their key features and then get yourself a list that shows you what they did great, from an attendance perspective, and then see how you can meet those standards with your own event.
Isolate The Key Features of Your Event
Countless event management companies in London choose us to help with their event, and one of the key things we tell them to do is to isolate the key features of their event.
First, assign staff to follow up and record the success of your event in the various categories you’ll set. Each of these elements that you’ll outline should be answerable with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.
Some key features would be, did the event start on time? Were the beverages and appetizers served on time?
Start with those little details and see exactly where you were successful and where you could strengthen your experience for your guests.
Ask for Feedback
This one is a big one that many companies forget about.
Even as hotel bookers we ask for feedback from our clients and customers. You should do that as well.
Once your event is through, send guests home with a survey they can take—perhaps something they can fill out online at your website.
A great trick is to incentivise your survey by offering a free pair of tickets to your next event, or something similar.
Have a Discussion with Your Team
Another great tactic to implement is discussing your event with your team.
Your team knows what happened during your event probably better than you do. Once your event is over with, have a debriefing meeting where you can discuss everything they saw as it happened in real time.
Be sure to do this as quickly as possible after your event since it will still be fresh in their minds.
Show Me The Money
Of course, money is also a key and measurable data point to pay attention to. Prior to the event, put aside a target for your investment and money made. Once your event is over with, count the money and see how you stack up with what you set as your budget and return goals.
This is also a great way to analyse the success of your special event.
We Can Help!
To meet the measurements you’ve put aside for your event, you might need to save income through booking affordable event spaces. That’s where we can help!
As your personal hotel bookers and conference experts, we can help you make the most of your event. Contact us today to learn more about our process and how to implement these tips into your next event.
