There are a variety of new techniques and best practices to measure and prove meeting value. I had an opportunity to review some of these approaches in an article I wrote for the October 2009 Issue of Forum magazine.
The heightened level of scrutiny, due to pressures for efficiency, has forced many organizations to eliminate wasteful gatherings with questionable impact. The measurement of meeting value, therefore; has become of the upmost importance.
Many are now moving well beyond simple “smile sheets” to gauge the value of an event. This means using pre-meeting surveys to assess the needs of attendees and strengthen program design. It means having clearly written objectives for every meeting to make sure the program meets demonstrated needs; using technology in real time during the meeting to adjust programs and leverage the collective wisdom of meeting participants; and issuing post-event assessments to capture and assess “what changed” individually and organizationally as a result of the meeting.
Leaders in Continuing Medical Education have recently implemented comprehensive new assessment standards to measure meeting impact and add accountability at all levels. These changes were a response, in part, to the increasing scrutiny focused on events sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. As these standards are implemented, meetings are improving.
A growing number of meeting professionals are focusing on measurement methodologies like Return on Event (ROE) and Return on Investment (ROI). The ROI Institute, established by Drs. Jack and Patti Phillips, has developed and refined one of the best approaches to proving the value of meetings. It is credible and replicable. They have also published many “how-to” books and collections of case studies that document evolving best practices.
- Mark Fite
