Measuring the ROI of a corporate event is about knowing what worked and how it helped your business. Events can take a lot of time, money, and effort, so you need a clear way to see if that investment paid off. Whether the goal was to meet new clients, generate leads, or build your brand, understanding the results is key.
If you’re not tracking ROI, you could end up spending money on things that don’t really help your business. You might feel like the event went well, but feelings don’t secure budgets or prove value. In this article, we will give you several ways to gauge your ROI on a corporate event.
1 – Measure the intangibles
The value of a corporate event isn’t just about the money it brings in. Some benefits, like building connections or boosting your brand, are harder to measure but still matter a lot. These can have a big impact over time, even if you can’t see the results right away. For example, getting your audience engaged, which you can learn more about here, during the event can leave a lasting impression that helps build loyalty or open doors for future opportunities.
To track these kinds of results, you’ll need to look at things like social media activity. Are people posting, commenting, or sharing about your event? That’s a sign it made an impact. You can also send out surveys to get honest feedback from attendees about their experience. If your event gets media coverage or online mentions, those are valuable too.
2 – Track the tangibles
To see how successful your event was, you need to look at the results it delivered. One of the easiest ways to measure this is by tracking direct outcomes, like sales or deals made during or after the event. These numbers show if the event helped you reach your business goals.
It’s also important to look at how many leads you collected and what they could mean for your business. A good follow-up system, like a CRM, can help you track those leads and see which ones turn into real opportunities. Using things like unique discount codes, QR codes, or special landing pages can make it even easier to connect results back to the event. These tools let you see what worked and how people took action.
3 – Establish KPIs
KPIs, or key performance indicators, are a great way to measure if your event hit its goals. The right KPIs will depend on what you were aiming for, but some common ones include how many people showed up, how much of your target audience you reached, and how many meaningful business connections you made.
To tie these KPIs to ROI, think about how they connect to actual results. For example, if your goal was to generate leads, track how many turned into paying customers and how much money they brought in. If you want to build brand awareness, look at things like social media engagement and how it might lead to future opportunities.
