Event Marketer has partnered with the industry’s leading authority on event measurement and analytics, the Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition. The collaboration provides experiential marketers with important tools and resources designed to help them track and measure the success of their events. Learn more here.
By Dax Callner, Founder and Board President, Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition
In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, internal events are often the unsung heroes of company culture, employee engagement, and business success. From sales recognition ceremonies to internal product launches and training sessions, these events have a profound impact on employee morale, alignment with company goals, and even long-term business outcomes. Yet, despite their importance, internal events are often treated with less scrutiny than customer-facing experiences. This is a missed opportunity.
Just as external events are measured to assess their success and impact, internal events should be evaluated with the same level of care and precision. The Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition (EMMC) has developed a comprehensive framework for measuring the impact of internal events. This column offers a high-level overview of recommended measurement areas, with more detailed guidance available to EMMC members.
1. Behavioral Impact: Shaping Employee Actions
When planning an internal event, it’s crucial to define what specific behaviors the company hopes to influence or inspire. Whether it’s fostering collaboration, boosting sales performance, or encouraging innovation, understanding these behavioral goals is the first step. From there, data should be collected to gauge whether the desired behaviors were achieved.
Pre- and post-event surveys are powerful tools to track shifts in attitudes and actions. The more specific the survey questions, the clearer the insights will be regarding the event’s impact on employee behavior. This kind of measurement not only shows if the event was successful, but it also helps refine future event strategies.
2. Business Alignment: Driving Company Vision
Most internal events are centered around a company’s broader goals—be it reinforcing the corporate mission, discussing growth strategies, or aligning teams with new product initiatives. But how do you measure whether the event truly moved the needle on alignment?
The answer lies in event survey questions designed to assess how well employees understand and feel connected to the company’s direction. These insights can help leaders gauge if their messaging resonated and if attendees left the event feeling more in sync with the company’s business plans and priorities.
3. Cultural Impact: Living the Company Values
Internal events are powerful opportunities to shape, reinforce, and evolve company culture. A company’s culture is its heartbeat, and internal events often provide the platform for employees to experience it in action.
To assess the cultural impact of an event, ask questions that reflect the company’s core values and beliefs—before and after the event to understand the impact on employee perceptions. Did the event foster a sense of inclusivity? Did it align with the organization’s values of transparency, diversity, innovation? Understanding these changes in perception can give valuable insights into how well an event is supporting or evolving company culture.
4. Participant Value: The ROI of Time
One of the most critical metrics for any event is the value attendees feel they received in exchange for their time. “Was it worth it?” is the question everyone is considering, and it’s vital to measure how employees perceive the return on their investment of time.
EMMC’s core metric for this is simple yet effective: “Please rate the value received for your time spent at this event on a scale from 1 to 5.” This straightforward question provides essential data on whether employees feel that the event delivered, making this metric a crucial component of the overall measurement framework.
5. Social Impact: Sustainability, Accessibility, Equity for All
Internal events must be accessible and inclusive to all employees, regardless of background, role, or status. Companies should be mindful that everyone can access the resources, opportunities, and insights they need from these events.
To ensure equity, it’s important to follow the EMMC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) measurement guidelines and track whether the event provided equitable value across different employee demographics. This goes beyond just physical accessibility; it’s about ensuring the content, networking, and overall event experiences are impactful for all employees.
Additionally, as with external events, internal gatherings should be held to high standards of sustainability. Measuring sustainability practices—such as reducing waste, optimizing energy use, and sourcing responsibly—can keep teams accountable to critical environmental and reputational standards.
6. Event Performance: The Mechanics of Success
Measuring the performance of an event is about more than just attendee satisfaction—it’s about evaluating whether all elements of the event delivered at the level they should. Did the content resonate with attendees? Were the networking activities valuable? Did the educational sessions contribute to skill development?
Tracking these elements requires a multi-dimensional approach. For example, consider measuring:
- The quality of the content delivered, ensuring it aligns with attendee needs.
- The quality of networking activities, assessing how well they facilitated connections.
- The educational impact, particularly for skill-building events.
- The flow of people through the venue, ensuring the event’s logistical aspects supported a smooth, enjoyable experience.
By addressing these key metrics, organizations can determine if the event’s execution matched its intended goals.
Conclusion: Measuring Internal Events for Long-Term Success
Internal events play a vital role in shaping a company’s culture, aligning employees with business goals, and driving long-term success. Just as external events are evaluated for their effectiveness, internal events should be measured with the same rigor. By focusing on behavioral impact, business alignment, cultural influence, participant value, social impact, and event performance, companies can ensure that their internal events are truly delivering on their potential.
The insights gathered from these measurements not only improve future event strategies but also contribute to the broader goal of building a more engaged, aligned, and successful workforce. By adopting a systematic approach to measurement, companies can create internal events that are not only memorable but also transformative.
For more EMMC content, click here. And for more on the coalition, visit eventmeasurement.org.
Image Credit: iStock/Tasha Art
