How to prove the value of events through better measurement

If you care about proving the value of your events and want practical ways to do it, this webinar is for you. But if you're in a rush, here's a snapshot.

In our July Evolve webinar, I sat down with three brilliant voices in event measurement, with a special bonus segment at the end. Suzanne, Head of Research at Explori, brings deep expertise in turning feedback into decisions. Rob Curtis, Director at Event Footprints, specialises in stitching together the data that lives in all your platforms to show real impact. And, in a short follow up recorded later, Matt Gray, CEO at Event Decision, tackles responsibility and sustainability head on, showing how to start measuring what matters without getting stuck.

Across forty five minutes, the panel gets straight to the point. We start with the most common mistake teams make with data. Jumping in without first deciding the decisions you want to make. Suzanne shares a crisp reminder to work backwards from your goals, your strategy, and the choices you need to take. Collect only the data that will move those choices forward. It sounds simple, but it is the difference between a tidy dashboard and a better event.

From there, Rob maps an event life cycle into four clear pillars of measurement. Reach and acquisition before the event, operational performance as you build, on site experience when it all comes to life, and finally impact and ROI once the lights go down. He shows how to align stakeholders early, agree a measurement charter, and avoid the usual silos across registration, badging, Q&A tools, and sales systems. If you have ever tried to reconcile scans from the show floor with marketing data and sponsor expectations, you will find this section oddly calming.

We also demystify Net Promoter Score. If colleagues toss NPS around without context, Suzanne explains in plain English what it measures, why benchmarks must be like for like, and how promoters, passives, and detractors roll up into a score that can guide growth. Crucially, she shares how to use promoters well. Add an opt in at the end of your survey and invite them to become advocates or to let you use their comments as testimonials. Simple, ethical, and effective.

There is plenty of practical nuance too. We compare vanity metrics with value metrics. Attendance is useful, but quality beats volume. Lead scans can be misleading if your team are collecting them like confetti. Passive tracking and smart badges can enrich the story of who engaged where, for how long, and why it mattered, while we also discuss ethics, consent, and accessibility. We touch on things like facial recognition with care, and we call out good practice around opt ins and anonymity. The aim is not to creep on your audience, it is to serve them better.

One of my favourite moments comes when we talk about designing sessions around delegate outcomes. Ask, “what do we want attendees to achieve,” not “what do we want to deliver.” It sounds small, but it shifts a steering group from filling slots to shaping change.

Stay to the end for Matt’s segment on sustainability. He shows two approachable starting points. First, carbon. Travel is usually the biggest driver, so influence it early with honest options and clear guidance. Second, social value. Look beyond carbon to the S in ESG. Measure the good your event does in the destination, in your supply chain, and across your community. This is where meetings shine, and it is a compelling story for members, sponsors, and boards alike.

If you run events for a membership organisation, this webinar will save you time, help you ask better questions, and give you usable language for internal conversations about value, growth, and future proofing. It is friendly, practical, and built for people who want to get on with it.

Ready to see it in full? Grab a cuppa, hit play, and tell us your biggest measurement challenge in the comments.

If you enjoy it, share it with a colleague, and keep an eye out for our next Evolve sessions. This community is here to help you deliver better events, one smart decision at a time.

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