The why and how of post-event evaluations

by | Oct 20, 2021 | Content

You’ve pulled off the event, you’ve sent the surveys and you’ve even done your post-event marketing. Excellent! But before you sit back and relax, there’s at least one more thing you need to do: your post-event evaluations. This includes not only reviewing survey data and event feedback, but having a post-mortem with your team.

If you’re saying, “But I’m so tired. Why can’t I look at this stuff later?” then trust that I feel your pain. Events take a lot of effort and time (I’m talking months) to plan and pull off, and you’re almost at the end of it all. That’s why I promise these are the last steps in stellar event management.

To get you motivated to tackle this final task, check out these stats:

  • Feedback-driven companies have been shown to outgrow the nearest competition by over 2 times! (Guidebook)
  • 91% of organizations measure the success of their events on attendee satisfaction. (EventMB, 2018)
  • 61% measure according to their specific event objectives, and 60% determine results based on staying within budget. (EventMB, 2018)

Let’s wrap this up!

Step 1: Analyze data post-event

Steps to a successful post-mortem meeting

First, you are going to want to analyze all your post-event survey results. Depending on which survey software you chose, you should be able to pull reporting on all the need-to-know data including how attendees rated the overall event, their satisfaction with the virtual experience, any technical issues, the helpfulness of the staff, suggestions for improvement, would they recommend the event to a friend, and will they be returning next year. Take note of sentiments towards the agenda and sessions, venue, breakouts, vendors, and activities, as this will give you direction for your next event.

Review vendor and staff surveys for not only what went well, but where there were hiccups or confusion. Issues that may seem trivial now, could potentially be part of a bigger problem that should be addressed sooner rather than later.

Step 2: Have a post-mortem meeting

Now is the time to get your team together to discuss the event. It’s better to capture all insights, experiences, and feedback while it’s fresh, instead of waiting until the planning the next one.

Here are a few best practices for planning a constructive post-mortem meeting:

  1. Send an agenda prior to your post-event meeting. Having an agenda will keep the meeting on track and keep it from turning into a session of complaints. Ask your team members to come prepared to the meeting with examples of what went well and what didn’t.
  2. Designate a note-taker. Assign one person to be in charge of taking notes, gathering and organizing all information, and assigning the next steps that come out of the meeting. Make sure these notes are stored in an easy-to-access place, so they can be reviewed when planning for the next event. This is especially important if there were any vendor, facility, or process issues.
  3. Thank the team. Start the meeting by saying thank you. Offer a treat or serve lunch during the meeting to show your appreciation for all the hard work your team put into the event.
  4. Go around the room for feedback. This isn’t the time for any one team member to be shy, especially those in charge of specific facets or parts of the event. Also find out if anyone got feedback from fringe workers, such as bartenders or servers. They may even have attendee input (or complaints) that they heard while at the event.
  5. Review the numbers. Present the event survey feedback. Review and compare these findings with the feedback you received from your team. This is also the time to look at event metrics and ROI. A few metrics to discuss include: registration numbers, revenue, budget and social media engagement.
  6. Start planning the next event. By now the conversation should be generating ideas and inspiration for the next event. Why not capitalize on this momentum and keep the mojo flowing! If you happen to find that your event just wasn’t a success, don’t get too down on yourself. Use this as an opportunity to better understand your audience, as well as really analyze all the data and feedback you gathered from the event. This will help you determine if it was an event issue – such as poor agenda, bad venue, wrong time of year – or if your target audience just doesn’t respond well to this type of event.

If you find your event just didn’t go as planned, we are here to help! At Content Matterz, we will work with you to review and analyze your data, gather insights, and create a strategy going forward. 

Check done!

You did it! Now I officially give you the permission to sit back and relax (and not think about events for a while).

If you find that reviewing event survey data or holding a post-mortem meeting is just not working right now, we’ve got your back. At Content Matterz, event management is our thing and we are here to make your events a success. Reach out to us today to get a consultation.