Checklist: How to measure the impact of your event

Step 2: Link with strategic themes

Does this event align with larger strategic themes like inclusion, sustainability, or innovation?

If so, how? 

To help you get started, here are a few examples:

• Is sustainability a priority and have you, for example, focused on less waste, sustainable materials, local suppliers or something else?
  
  
• Have you taken inclusivity into account, for example in your speaker and/or participant selection? 
  
  
• Is knowledge exchange important within certain areas, and was this a key focus of your event?

Step 3: Identify the right Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) 

For each objective, select one or more KPIs that align well with it. 

Hard: 

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Soft: 

Step 4: Determine how you will measure the results

Measuring results doesn't always have to be complicated. Below, you'll find a suitable measurement method for each KPI type, along with a brief explanation.

Step 5: How do you map indirect conversions?

The impact of an event isn't always immediately apparent. But that doesn't mean it's not there. Someone attends an event and only registers months later. Naturally, you want to know if your event has truly made a difference—for yourself and for others. But how do you make these kinds of indirect results measurable?

Below, we offer several options for measuring both hard and soft indirect results. Some require mature systems like a CRM, but we also suggest simple steps.

5.1 Measuring indirect hard results

a. Label your participants

Add a tag in your CRM for everyone who attended the event. This way, you can see what these contacts did afterward in a single dashboard. This allows you to make connections over time.

Then you can immediately follow up with smart follow-up steps such as:

• Use lead scoring. Assign points based on behavior, including attending an event. If someone later converts, you can demonstrate that the event played a role in nurturing the lead.
  
  
• Use attribution models. By using first-touch, last-touch, or time-decay attribution in your marketing tools, you can analyze the role the event played in the overall conversion path. This is especially effective if you're working with a marketing automation platform or integrated CRM.
  
  
• Measure follow-up activities. After the event, see if participants download a white paper, subscribe to a newsletter, watch session recordings, or register for a follow-up session or open house. 
  
  

b. Use UTMs and trackable links

A quick, easy way to measure impact. Add UTM tags to your thank-you email, recording page, or follow-up offer, and track your target audience's behavior in the weeks following the event. This will give you an indication of engagement and conversion readiness.

c. Comparative analysis of conversion rates

Compare event attendees with a similar group that didn't attend. Is the conversion rate consistently higher within the group of attendees? Then that's a strong indirect indicator of impact. You can use your CRM for this, for example, but a segment in GA4 can also provide insights (e.g., based on visits to an event page). 

5.2 Measuring indirect soft outcomes

a. Simple brand perception measurement

Measure your target audience's perception of your organization at regular intervals. Consider short, recurring surveys asking about image, brand associations, or brand awareness. Focus on questions like:

• “How would you describe our organization?”
• “What is your overall impression after the event?”

By doing this periodically you can identify trends – even long after your events. 

b. Measure community feeling

In a survey or evaluation, explicitly ask about the sense of connection. You can also use CRM labels to see if participants are more likely to participate in other community activities..

c. Repititive behavior

See if participants are registering for future events, returning to your website more often, or clicking through from your emails more often. UTMs can help monitor this behavior.

d. Observe referral behavior

For new registrations or signups, you can ask: "How did you hear about us?" or "Who referred you to this event?" Note: this feedback depends on what people remember and isn't always completely reliable. However, it can help you understand the impact of word-of-mouth marketing.

e. Conduct quality interviews

Engage with a few participants and ask:

• What has stayed with you?
• Has this changed your view of our organization?
• Has this influenced the choices you made?

These conversations provide nuance, context, and narrative impact. Combined with your data, you can create a strong overall picture.

Step 6: Analyse

Not everything has to be perfect. The most important thing is to understand where you can make adjustments. Analyze your data. Work with your team to identify the biggest learning points and build on them. Ask the following questions

• What went well?
• What needs further development or improvement?

Use this moment to reflect on the past with the future in mind. Tip: Many benchmarks can be found online for guidance, but results vary by sector and organization. Therefore, always consider your organization's past performance and consider growth. 

Disappointed with the results? First, look at:

• Not enough participants? Check promotional channels, timing, or topic relevance.
  
  
• Low session rating? Ask if it was due to the theme, content, interaction, or speaker.
  
  
• No new contacts? Check if networking opportunities or calls to action were missing. Were these sufficiently included? Perhaps the theme was less engaging, the audience composition wasn't well-suited, or the networking opportunities weren't well-paced.