As an event planner, it can be easy to jump from one event to the next, checking tasks off your to-do lists without really even thinking about them. However, it is important to remember that your event isn’t over once all of your guests have left, the lights are shut off and the door is locked. After your event concludes, make sure to block off some time to evaluate how it went. Doing this will help you narrow down what aspects of your event were successful and what aspects need to be improved or reworked for next time. Celebrating and bragging about your event is also an essential part of the process. All of that hard work wasn’t for nothing! The points below break down aspects of your event in a way that helps you to evaluate and celebrate it!
Evaluate your event:
ATTENDANCE: Was this event well attended in comparison to other similar events?
YES
↓
- Was it because you did a great job promoting the event?
- Do you think you picked the perfect artist/speaker for your audience?
- Was attendance more or less guaranteed because of the nature of the event (ie: tailgating concert / University homecoming / free festival, etc.)?
NO
↓
- Did you forget to promote the event in key places?
- Did you pick an artist in a genre that doesn’t really suit your audience right now?
- Was there another event happening nearby that might have taken some of your potential attendees away?
FLOW OF THE EVENT: On a scale of 1 to 10, how smooth was the event as a whole? (1 = the whole event was a dumpster fire. 10 = everything about the event went perfectly!)
Things to consider when answering this question:
- Did all of your staff show up on time? Did you have an adequate amount of staff/volunteers?
- Did the artist show up on time? Was the artist team easy to work with? Did the artist fulfill their contractual obligations – (correct set length, followed conduct/content restrictions, etc.)
- Did the timeline of the day fit your event or should you make adjustments for next time?
- How did entrance/check in go? Were there any changes that you could make to ensure show days are even more successful? For example, if the ticket software crashed, make sure you resolve that issue in time for your next event.
Talk it over with your team. If you were the lead for this event, ask for feedback. Ask your team what they thought you did well, and what they would have done differently if they were in your shoes. Surrounding yourself with a team filled with diverse ideas will only help make your events stronger. (AND exposing yourself to constructive criticism will only make you a better employee / leader / human.)
Celebrate your event:
This cannot be stressed enough – BRAG about your events!! Post a recap or a photo dump of your event on your organization’s socials. Create FOMO for those who missed out so that they remember to mark their calendars in the future.
The more you brag about your events, the more potential audience members will gain awareness of your “brand” – the types of events you put on, the days that tend to be event heavy, etc. This will teach them to pay attention to your event calendar and make sure they don’t miss out on another fun event.
Future artists will take a look at your socials to determine whether to play your event. Bragging photos not only help you gain potential new audience members, but also help artists visualize what they could expect when playing at your venue!
Be sure to archive the details of your event somewhere. Make a folder filled with all of the paperwork, preparation, and recap notes. Details can get lost over time. Organizing these notes allows your team and other event organizers to look back on what went well and what could be improved upon, and paves the way to success for future events. As a leader, creating this folder will allow your team to continue to learn from your example even after you move on to a different position. This folder will allow them to use your experience as a starting point or template for their events instead of starting at square one every year.
Your event isn’t over when the artist leaves the building. Taking time to evaluate and celebrate your event helps you and your team become a stronger programming entity and it gives you a good excuse to post about all of the cool things your organization does! It may feel tedious or pointless at times, but it will pay off in the future.
Alanna Tisler
Entertainment Operations Coordinator | How To Concerts
Alanna is a talented singer. This love of performance naturally inspired a passion for the music industry. After planning many events on her own college campus, she now helps our clients with contracts, paperwork, and marketing. Have questions for Alanna? Feel free to reach out.
Alanna Tisler
Entertainment Operations Coordinator | How To Concerts
Alanna is a talented singer. This love of performance naturally inspired a passion for the music industry. After planning many events on her own college campus, she now helps our clients with contracts, paperwork, and marketing. Have questions for Alanna? Feel free to reach out.
Freebie Alert!