Confetti is strewn across the floor. The wait staff is clearing away abandoned cups and discarded napkins. The band is packing up. Your NYC event is over, and by all accounts, it was a raving success. Or at least everyone looked like they had a good time. But how can you know for sure? In this article, we break down the 16 post-event metrics every event planner needs to lock-in event planning success and improve future events.
Financial Success of Your NYC Event
The financial picture is the most obvious place to start when it comes to tracking event metrics, also known as event KPIs or key performance indicators. Financial KPIs for events are straightforward and serve as valuable data points for your event’s decision-makers.
1. Total Revenue is the overall income derived from the event, including ticket sales, merchandise sales, event sponsorships, and other revenue sources related directly to the event.
2. Trade Show Conversions refers to sales acquired thanks to the event. For example, a key goal of a new model car show would be to sell cars. Hence, the number of cars sold as a result of the event would go into the column labeled “Trade Show Conversions.”
3. Event Expenses capture everything from paid ads to paper cups. You can further understand your expenses when you break them down by type, for example, marketing expenses versus menu expenses.
4. Sales Qualified Leads are leads that meet a predefined set of parameters for quality. If your event is intended to drum up prospects, then this event KPI is essential.
Attendance and Participation at Your Event
Besides knowing how many people attend your NYC event, you also want to know their participation levels. You could have a gazillion people attend your event. But if they become yawning wallflowers on the big day, your event can hardly be called a success.
5. Number of Registrations refers to how many people signed up for your event. You can break this event KPI down further by evaluating the demographics of this group by age, job title, etc.
6. Number of Participants tells you how many registrants showed up, either in-person or virtually. Knowing this event KPI can help you capture the reasons why some registrants fall through the cracks. You can implement strategies, such as timed email reminders or a longer list of travel discounts for registered attendees.
7. Tickets Sales KPIs refer to knowing the activity surrounding ticket sales. For example, knowing early bird and other discount ticket sales will help you assess effective pricing strategies.
8. Satisfaction Surveys measure the subjective feedback you get from your attendees and provide essential event KPIs that help you build better future events.
9. Mobile App Metrics shed light on attendees’ movements during the conference. Find out which speakers were most popular, how attendees connected with one another, and other participation KPIs captured by your event app.
How Your Event Improves Brand Reputation
The key to measuring event KPIs surrounding brand recognition is to perform a similar analysis prior to your event’s announcement. Then, you can compare the resulting event KPIs to gauge how the event improves your client’s brand recognition.
10. Customer Surveys are a great way to get a feel for how customers feel about your client’s brand. Include questions that give a definitive answer on a scale as well as open-ended questions.
11. Search Traffic lets you know how many people are searching for your client’s brand and gives you an indication of your client’s brand recognition.
12. Earned Media measures how often your brand is mentioned in reviews, blog posts, news articles, and other media.
Social Media Metrics Surrounding Your NYC Event
Looking at your social media metrics is like looking through a kaleidoscope, where many pieces come together to form a whole picture. Through social media metrics collected before, during, and after your event, you gain a multi-faceted picture of your NYC event’s success. You’ll gain insight into your event’s reach, attendees’ perceptions, and the event’s impact on your brand.
13. Sentiment Analysis KPIs are a window into how social media users view your event and your brand. Sentiment analysis tools of yesteryear looked for certain words to gauge sentiment. Now, AI has turbo-charged the accuracy of sentiment analysis, giving you insight into your NYC event’s success.
14. Social Follower Count is an indication of whether users find your posts useful, engaging, and entertaining. Track this event KPI for your event’s social media accounts as well as accounts associated with your brand.
15. Reactions count those basic reactions, such as “Like” and are an indication of your posts’ engagement value.
16. Comments represent a deeper level of engagement than mere “Likes.” For that reason, your posts will become more visible in the channel’s algorithm as you rack up comments.
Learn More About NYC Event Success at The Event Planner Expo 2024
After attendees go home, the stage is dismantled, and the snack table cleared, it’s time to crunch numbers and measure your event’s success. These event KPIs will give you insight into ways your NYC event surpassed expectations and provide direction as you start to plan your next event. However, your event KPIs aren’t the only place to look for inspiration.
The Event Planner Expo 2024 brings together thousands of event professionals for three days of networking and learning. Revolutionize your approach to planning events when you gain insights from top speakers in the industry. What’s more, The Event Planner Expo 2024 brings together top corporate decision makers as they explore event planning services. You can showcase your business to these decision-makers when you exhibit at The Event Planner Expo 2024. Reserve your booth today!
