Measurement Tip 9

Staff surveys after every event define event effectiveness and gently remind the staff of their responsibilities!

Staff and Stakeholder surveys are one of the most valuable measurements of event effectiveness. They provide "internal customer feedback" on your events. This feedback should be a cornerstone for any well run event marketing program.

These surveys serve to measure the perception of event marketing effectiveness among those who worked or funded the event. Often those who staff an event represent the sales function of the business. A post-event survey provides the staff with the opportunity to report their perspectives on the quantity and quality of participants, how the company compared to the competition, documentation of high-ranking guests and other important performance assessments. As a bonus, a staff survey can do much more! A well designed survey reminds and reinforces for the staff what they were/ are expected to deliver and asks them to rate themselves against these expectations. Many of our clients have witnessed notable organizational change through the use of these types of surveys.

Staff and Stakeholder surveys are especially useful for companies with multiple event managers, spread across geographies or divisions. Event managers can filter their own responses from the aggregate data for a division or geo level review of effectiveness at any event. Event managers typically have little time for anything extra. Fortunately a well designed staff and stakeholder survey can be administered by simply sending an email to the staff and then wait for the results to arrive in their inbox. The results for all measured events may be aggregated into quarterly and annual performance summaries for review and program adjustment.

Performance reviews allows the event managers to gather and react to event staff suggestions for improvement and new tactics for future shows. For example, you an event manager may have identified and event that should be cut or significantly downsized. When the staff clearly indicate that an event should be reconsidered, people take notice. It’s hard to argue with rock-solid responses from the company employees who witnessed the action first hand and know the value derived from participation.

Ed Jones

Constellation Communication Corp. provides essential services to optimize event impact and ROI on all types of events, including trade shows, conferences and hybrid events.