As all meeting professionals know, the only way to prove success of a meeting or event is to measure. You should start out with a set of objectives that will demonstrate whether your event was a success. By setting KPIs at the initial stages of planning, you will be able to better gauge just how successful it was. An important objective is to provide value for everyone involved, from attendees to stakeholders. Customer satisfaction is an important measurement, it’s also important to measure the ease in travel to destination, immediate environment (the venue, the f & b etc.) to the actual content of the meeting. Consider the sponsors also - were there any repeat sponsors who saw the value from being involved in one of your previous meetings? Did you attract any new sponsors?

There are many tools to provide measurement of meetings and events – here a few:

• International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) offers an ROI Handbook and ROI Workbook that allows attendees to “identify and maximize the benefits they gain from attending.
• Cvent Event Management Platform: Rapid ROI is a key factor in decision-making and Cvent's comprehensive online event management technology platform delivers it immediately.
• Event ROI Methodology by Jack and Patti Phillips – “The most important application of the ROI Methodology is for planning meetings and events to deliver the best possible outcome. In principle, every meeting or event has to be planned according to this model, there is no known alternative.”
• Ungerboeck Software: “CRM, floor plans, financials, even conference management – so you get a clear view of your customers including event history, sponsorships, and more.”

According to USMotivation - Meeting ROI may be viewed in two different angles: at the organization and at the participant levels: 1. The organization may view ROI by combining all costs and comparing this to a value that is projected by the organization - then determines the financial benefits of the event at an organizational level and at a participant level. 2. ROI at the participant level is measured at the individual level and estimates the value on a per participant basis.

Everyone knows that corporate meetings and events professionals are increasingly being required to show the business value of meetings and events. A study by the Aberdeen Group indicated 58% of respondents said reducing costs was a top priority.

Measuring the value not only helps with future cost savings, it also helps improve outcomes across a range of metrics, including those that impact the business performance of an organization, such as knowledge acquisition, changes in work behavior, etc. You must have clearly defined objectives and expectations to help procure the measurement strategy. It helps determine the appropriate measures for data collection and how to use that data to make improvements. The Phillips ROI Methodology, supported by USMotivation, provides a map to help determine how the meeting or event affects behavior and how it substantially impacts business performance.

The ROI Methodology outlines 10 steps in ROI/ROO measurement:

1. Develop Meeting/Event Objectives
2. Develop Evaluation Plans Reaction and Planned Action
   • Measures satisfaction and perceived value and captures planned actions - Learning
   • Measures the changes in knowledge, skills and attitudes during the project program - Application and Implementation
   • Measures the changes in actions and behavior - Business Impact
   • Measures the financial impact to the business Return on Investment - Compares monetary benefits to program cost
3. Collect Data Before and During the Meeting/Event (focus groups, interviews, attendance reports, informal discussions)
4. Collect Data after the Meeting (surveys, social posts, compliance reports)
5. Isolate the Effect of the Meeting (determine the effect against other forms of marketing, communication, etc.)
6. Convert the Data into a Monetary Amount (employee time, historical costs/savings, and participant’s estimation)
7. Calculate the Cost of the Meeting (capture all hard costs)
8. Calculate the ROI
9. Identify the Intangible Benefits (increased satisfaction, brand awareness, etc.)
10. Communicate the Results Examples of Data to Collect

A case study prepared for MPI illustrating the success of SAP’s Sapphire Now event shows examples of data SAP collected to measure particular metrics. For example: how many people attended the top sessions, how many online sessions were emailed to others, the number of interactions (demo leads, collateral requests, etc.), post-event requests for information, meetings with customers. SAP gained insight from data captured by event scanners, surveys, observation and more. Planners learned who attended and what content they consumed and delivered that information to the sales force. Every salesperson had specific feedback for every customer and prospect so they could follow up with leads and thank clients. From the data collected, SAP was able to determine ROI that included influences to their pipeline, deals closed or progressed and opportunities generated.

“I believe that the pageantry associated with a great meeting or a great event inspires people to achieve goals and aspirations they could have never dreamt of in an email or some internal boring conference call.”

Bill McDermott, CEO, SAP

Article submitted by Donna Baldino

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