Resources
Event Evaluation Guide & Template
This guide and its accompanying template help you understand how well your event performed. It leads you through collecting important metrics and feedback to see what worked and what didn’t. This evaluation is key to making your next event even better.
How to Use This Guide and Template
Each section of this guide includes suggestions on what data to collect and what to do with it.
Fill out each section of the template using data from surveys, financial reports, your event software, and other relevant sources.
Modify the template as needed to fit your event’s specific requirements.
Add sections or remove ones that aren't applicable to your situation.
Timeline Guidance
Pre-Event: Review the template to ensure understanding and preparedness.
Post-Event (1-2 days): Collect initial data and feedback while the event is fresh.
Post-Event (within 1 week): Complete all sections and compile them into the final report.
Post-Event (within 2 weeks): Review and distribute the report to stakeholders.
Handling Information
Treat all personal and sensitive information with care. Follow legal and ethical standards for data protection to ensure privacy and security.
Setting Goals and KPIs
Goals and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are essential for measuring the success of your event. They should align with the overall objectives of the event and be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Here are some types of goals and examples of KPIs that can help you track your event's success effectively.
Choosing the Right Things to Measure
Define Clear Objectives: Start by clearly defining what you want to achieve with your event. Consider the interests and expectations of your stakeholders, including attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors.
Select Relevant KPIs: Choose KPIs that directly reflect the success of each objective. Ensure they are quantifiable and easily measurable.
Use Historical Data: If this is a recurring event, use historical data to set benchmarks and realistic targets for each KPI.
Regular Review: Regularly review your goals and KPIs to ensure they remain relevant throughout the planning process and make adjustments as necessary based on evolving event dynamics or feedback.
Metrics
There’s almost no limit to the amount of measuring you can do, but not all data is useful, and information overload is a real risk.
Below, we aim to give you a library of examples that are frequently relevant and that you can use or adapt to your event, but collecting them all would be overwhelming.
Be selective in the things you choose to measure and report on, focusing on those things that most directly support your goals, and provide historical performance for comparison purposes whenever it’s available.
We’ll present the metrics according to when they’re best collected, but first, here’s a quick rundown of the categories they broadly fall into:
Types of Metrics
Engagement Goals
Increase attendee interaction and participation.
Example KPIs: Number of networking sessions attended, average session ratings by attendees, percentage of attendees interacting with the event app, and total questions asked during sessions.
Branding and Awareness Goals
Enhance brand visibility and market presence.
Example KPIs: Social media mentions and engagement rates, pre and post-event brand awareness surveys, media coverage quality and quantity.
Revenue Goals
Generate revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and exhibitions.
Example KPIs: Total revenue generated, percentage of revenue from ticket sales vs. sponsorships, number of sponsorship deals closed.
Attendee Satisfaction Goals
Ensure attendees have a rewarding and engaging experience.
Example KPIs: Overall satisfaction scores, repeat attendee rate, session satisfaction rates.
Exhibitor Satisfaction Goals
Maximize value for exhibitors through effective exposure and lead generation.
Example KPIs: Satisfaction scores from exhibitors, number of leads generated, return rate of exhibitors, number, quality, and type of attendee interactions.
Sponsor Satisfaction Goals
Deliver substantial ROI and visibility to sponsors.
Example KPIs: Sponsor satisfaction scores, visibility metrics (impressions, engagements), sponsor retention rate.
Before the Event
Number of Registrants
The total number of individuals who registered for the event. Include a comparison with previous events if available. Distinguish between advance and onsite registration if that’s relevant.
Also take note of where the following metrics stand before the event begins. You will measure them again later to get the final numbers, but it’s useful to know how engaged your audience was before the event began.
Attendees who confirmed at least one meeting rate
The proportion of attendees who successfully scheduled and confirmed at least one meeting through the event platform.
Indicators: Event platform value, attendee engagement, attendee satisfaction
Attendees who connected with at least one person
The number of attendees who made at least one new connection during the event, a measure of the size of your active community.
Indicators: Size of you active community
Total contacts made
The sum of all new connections made during the event across all attendees.
Indicators: Attendee ROI and satisfaction
Attendees who bookmarked at least one exhibitor
The total number of attendees who showed interest in exhibitors by bookmarking one or more exhibitors in the event app.
Indicators: Alignment between attendees' and exhibitors' goals
App downloads (by source, region, device, time)
Detailed statistics on the number of app downloads, segmented by source, geographical region, device type, and timing relative to the event.
Indicators: Event platform value, attendee engagement, effectiveness of app promotion efforts, size of your active community
Session registrations
The total number of attendees who signed up for one or more sessions.
Indicators: Alignment between attendees' goals and session content
1-2 Days After the Event
Number of attendees
The total number of individuals who attended.
Indicator: Overall event success
Attendance rate
The proportion of registered attendees who actually attended, relative to the total number of registrations.
Indicators: Level of registrants' enthusiasm
Attendee activation rate
The proportion of attendees who logged into the event app one or more times.
Indicators: Usefulness and user-friendliness of the event app
Total meetings
The total number of meetings held during the event.
Indicator: Event impact on creating business connections
Most popular session
Identify the session with the highest attendance or ratings.
Indicator: Topics and speakers of greatest interest.
Questions for team members who attended the event
- What were some of the group’s favorite aspects of the event content and speakers?
- Recall an anecdote that represents the overall feel and success of the event.
- What areas are in need of improvement before the next event?
- What else would help make the next event successful and special?
1 Week After the Event
Session registrations
The number of attendees who signed up for one or more sessions.
Indicator: Alignment etween attendees' goals and session content
Session participation rate
The proportion of attendees that participated in the sessions relative to the total number of attendees.
Indicators: Alignment between attendees' goals and session content, quality of sessions, suitability of the venue, attendee satisfaction
Attendees who confirmed at least one meeting rate
The proportion of attendees who successfully scheduled and confirmed at least one meeting through the event platform.
Indicator: Event platform value
Attendees who connected with at least one person
The number of attendees who made at least one new connection during the event.
Indicator: Size of your active community
Total contacts made
The sum of all new connections made during the event across all attendees.
Indicator: Attendee ROI and satisfaction
Average contact quality
The average of the ratings given by participants to each of their contacts.
Indicator: Value of your event for attendees
Attendees who bookmarked at least one exhibitor
The number of attendees who showed interest in exhibitors by bookmarking one or more in the event app.
Indicator: Alignment betwen attendees and exhibitors' goals
App downloads (by source, region, device, time)
Detailed statistics on the number of app downloads, segmented by source, geographical region, device type, and timing relative to the event.
Indicators: Event platform value, attendee engagement, effectiveness of app promotion efforts, size of your active community
Questions for team members who attended the event
- How effective did you perceive the mobile app to be?
- How satisfactory was the third-party onsite technical support?
- How suitable was the venue for the event?
- What did you appreciate about the venue facilities?
2 Weeks After the Event
Overall attendee satisfaction
Rate from 1-5, where 1 is Very Dissatisfied and 5 is Very Satisfied. This metric helps in gauging the general sentiment of the attendees regarding the event.
Contacts made per active user
The average number of new contacts made per active attendee.
Indicators: Attendee engagement and ROI
Total messages exchanged in the event app
The total number of messages sent between attendees through the event app.
Indicators: Attendee engagement, event app user-friendliness and usefulness
Total discussions created in the event app
Th number of discussions started within the event app.
Indicator: Attendee engagement, event app user-friendliness and usefulness
Login by device (web, Android, or iOS)
Breakdown of app logins by device type.
Indicator: Attendee technology preferences
Engagement score
A composite score based on various engagement metrics like session check-ins, app interactions, and participation in polls, useful for summarizing performance in a single metric and tracking its change over time to drive continual improvement.
Best networker
Highlight the attendee who made the most meetings and contacts, showcasing networking success.
Most popular exhibitor
Exhibitor who received the most attendee interest, whether through bookmarks, visits, or inquiries.
Most popular sponsor
Sponsor with the highest engagement from attendees, measured by interactions, mentions, or promotional activity success.
Most contacted user
User who received the most messages or contacts through the event app, indicating high interest or engagement.
Financial performance
Primary revenue sources
Describe the main channels through which revenue was generated, such as ticket sales, sponsorships, or exhibitor fees.
Number of sponsor/exhibitor packages sold
The total number of packages sold, providing insight into the commercial success of the event.
Revenue Generated
The total revenue generated from the event. This helps in understanding the financial outcome and planning for future budget allocations. Provide comparisons with previous events if relevant.
Learnings and Future Planning
Learnings and future planning synthesize the insights gained from the event to guide the organization of future events. This step helps in documenting key lessons, setting actionable objectives, and outlining strategies based on the collected data and feedback.
Key learnings from the event
Document significant lessons learned regarding project management, product usage, or attendee engagement. Include a section on any unexpected challenges and how they were handled.
Next event SMART objectives
Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives for future events based on insights gained.
Preparations and strategies for future events
Outline steps and strategies to improve future events, considering the learnings and feedback gathered.
Regular review
Regularly review your goals and KPIs to ensure they remain relevant throughout the planning process and make adjustments as necessary based on evolving event dynamics or feedback.
Presenting Your Evaluation Results
After you’ve gathered your metrics and qualitative feedback, compile the results into a clear and concise report. Here’s how to make your report informative and engaging:
Summarize Key Findings
Start with a summary of the most important findings. Highlight what went well and what could be improvedUse Visual Aids
Incorporate charts, graphs, and tables to visualize data like attendance rates, satisfaction levels, and financial performance. Visual aids make it easier to understand trends and patterns at a glanceRecommend Actions
Based on the evaluation, suggest specific actions for future events. Be clear about why these actions are recommended based on the data.Include Quotes and Testimonials
Add direct quotes from attendees and stakeholders to give more depth to the feedback sections.Format for clarity
Use headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to organize the report, making it easier to read and follow.Share with stakeholders
Distribute the report to everyone involved in the event—this includes your team, sponsors, and key stakeholders. Ensure that everyone understands the outcomes and the next steps.
Conclusion
You should now have a pretty good idea about what information to collect and report on for your next event. Remember, the key to successful event reporting is flexibility and continuous learning.
Adjust the template to suit each event's unique needs and use the insights to drive improvements.
Share your findings with your team and stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page and ready to act on what they have learned.
This evaluation isn't just about looking back—it's about planning ahead to make each event better than the last. Here’s to your continued success and the ongoing improvement of your events!
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