January 2023 - event:decision

The Critical Importance of Measurement for Event Planners

January 31, 2023/in event:decision

The most important tools in an event planner’s toolkit are the ones that help you measure your event.

As the events industry continues to grow and evolve, the use of data and insight tools has become increasingly important for event managers striving for success. Insight tools allow event managers to make data-driven decisions, measure the effectiveness of your events, and gain a deeper understanding of your audiences, as well as measure the environmental impact of the event and how well it reflects and enhances company values.

A key benefit of using data and insight tools is the ability to make informed, data-driven, decisions. By collecting and analysing data on past events, event managers can identify patterns and trends that can inform the planning and execution of future events. This leads to more effective and efficient event planning, as well as increased ROI for event organisers.

Data and insight tools also allow event managers to measure the effectiveness of their events. This includes tracking attendance, engagement, and feedback from attendees. By measuring these metrics, event managers can determine which aspects of their events are resonating with attendees and which need improvement.

Data and insight tools can also help event managers gain a much deeper understanding of their audiences. By collecting data on demographics, interests, and behaviour, event managers can create more targeted and personalised experiences for attendees. This can lead to increased engagement and satisfaction among attendees, as well as opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.

Measuring the environmental impact of an event is becoming almost the norm. With rising public sustainability concerns, measuring and reducing an event’s carbon footprint is crucial for event managers to meet the expectations of attendees and stakeholders.

There are hundreds of data and insight tools that event managers can use to measure their events. Some starting examples might include:

Google Analytics: This allows event managers to track website traffic and engagement, including page views, bounce rates, and time on site. This data can be used to optimise website design and better target digital marketing and content to improve the user experience and engagement.
Bespoke Forms: (SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Jotform for example) These allow event managers to collect feedback from attendees through surveys. The data can be used to improve the overall event experience and make changes for future events.
Eventbrite Insights: This allows event managers to track attendance, ticket sales, and revenue for their events. This data can be used to inform pricing and marketing strategies and measure the overall ROI of an event.
Track by event:decision This allows event managers to measure an event’s carbon footprint by tracking either pre- or post-event, the emissions of travel, accommodation, F&B, materials, freight & energy associated with the event. The tool also provides recommendations on how to reduce the environmental impact of the event, a benchmark against other similar format events and the potential offset value.

The use of data and insight tools is an essential component of event managers’ success. Tools like those above – and many others – allow event managers to make data-driven decisions, measure the effectiveness of your events, gain a deeper understanding of their audiences, and measure and reduce the environmental impact of the event. With the right data and insights, you can create more engaging, sustainable, and successful events, resulting in increased ROI and more satisfied attendees.

To find out more about our data and insight tools for event planners purpose, track and predict – and how they can help event planners and owners measure and track whether they’re living up to their event objectives, get in touch.

Why define your company values?

January 24, 2023/in Purpose

Defining your company values and purpose brings bottom line benefits to your business.

As a company, your values are at the core of everything you do. They guide your actions and decision-making, and help you to maintain a consistent and positive culture within your business. But, could you easily articulate and define your company values if someone asked? And, why are they important?

Company values are the principles and beliefs that shape the way your company operates and interacts with its employees, customers, and the larger community. They serve as a compass, helping to guide all your business decisions and actions in a way that aligns with your company’s overall mission and goals. However it’s not that easy to demonstrate in practice, as much research from the likes of McKinsey highlights.

Why should you define your company values in a way that is easy to understand? Here are a few reasons:

Values help to create a strong culture within the business. Your company values serve as a common language and understanding among employees, and help to build a sense of shared purpose and commitment to your business objectives.
Values help to attract, recruit and retain top talent. Companies with strong, clearly-defined values attract employees who are looking for more than just a monthly salary. They want to work for an organisation that aligns with their own personal values and beliefs. In times of a talent crisis this is more important than ever.
Values help to guide decision-making. When faced with a difficult decision, having a clear set of values can help to provide you with some guidance and a sense of which direction to take.
Values help to build trust, authenticity and credibility with your clients. Clients are more likely to do business with a company that they perceive as being trustworthy and having strong values which chime with their own. Forrester have been showing this for some time.
Demonstrating clear values has proven commercial benefits, with companies such as EY and Gallup highlighting increased productivity and profits of up to 21% per year.

Given the obvious benefits, as a business owner, what steps can you take for incorporating your company values into your operations?

Define your values. This is the first step! Obvious perhaps, but it’s important to sit down and take the time to clearly define and articulate your company’s values.
Communicate your values. Once you’ve defined your values, make sure to communicate them clearly to your employees, clients, and the larger business community. You can put them on your website, social media channels, marketing materials, and employee handbooks – if you have them.
Incorporate your values into your hiring process. When hiring new employees, make sure to look for people who align with your company’s values. This will help to create a strong culture and ensure that new hires are a good fit for your organisation and cut down on money wasted in recruitment when you bring the wrong people onboard. Purpose the company values measurement tool from event:decision, costs less than a wasted recruitment fee if you get that hire wrong.
Use your values to guide decision-making. When faced with a difficult decision, use your values as a guide. If you’re choosing between two courses of action, which is the one that most closely reinforces your values?
Lead by example. As the owner or director of the business, it’s important to lead by example and demonstrate the importance of your company’s values in all your dealings both internally and externally. If sustainability is important for example, demonstrate you make sustainable choices personally. Remember, your teams will established their behavioural boundaries based on their leaders’ worst observed behaviours.
Reflect your values in your event planning. Incorporate your company values into your event planning, make sure any events you are involved with reflect your company’s mission and goals.
Measure your values. Many areas of businesses are measured, reported and monitored. As values are central and critical to your teams, decision-making and bottom-line, valued also should be measured to improve organisational performance.

Your values are essential to the success of any business, and event planning businesses are no exception. By making the choice to define your company values and communicate them clearly, incorporating them into your hiring process and decision-making, and leading by example, you can create a strong and distinctive company culture – easy to describe and communicate – and build trust and credibility with clients.

To find out more about company values tool purpose, and how it can help you measure and track whether you’re living up to your values, get in touch.

Ten Tips For Planning a Sustainable Event

January 17, 2023/in Track

Planning a sustainable event not only helps to reduce your event’s carbon footprint – it can benefit your business too.

As an event planner, it’s important to not only create events that are memorable and enjoyable for attendees, but also to consider the impact that the event has on the environment. Planning a sustainable event not only helps to reduce the event’s carbon footprint, but it can also benefit your business by showcasing your commitment to sustainability and potentially attracting environmentally-conscious clients. Here are ten tips from the event:decision team for planning a sustainable event:

Conduct a Sustainability Audit: Conduct a sustainability audit on what you would like to host. This will help you identify areas where you can improve and make more sustainable choices. This includes analysing your travel, accommodation, food & beverage, energy use, waste management – event virtual streaming.
Set Sustainability Goals: Then set clear and achievable sustainability goals based on your starting point. This will help focus efforts and measure progress. Some examples of sustainability goals for events include reducing waste, using renewable energy, and promoting sustainable transportation.
Choose a Sustainable Destination & Venue: Location is key. All the venue sustainability attributes will be overshadowed if you are flying 90% of your guests to attend. However, still look for one that has a strong sustainability policy and is willing to work with you to achieve your sustainability goals. A venue that is LEED certified or has a Green Key rating is a good indication that it is committed to sustainability. Can your chosen venue provide electric-vehicle transfers from the nearest transport hub?
Use eco-friendly materials: When choosing materials for signage, decor, and promotional items, opt for eco-friendly options such as recycled paper and biodegradable materials. Use digital options where possible and already in place.
Promote sustainable transportation: Encourage carpooling or use of public transportation by providing information and incentives. You can also consider partnering with a ride-sharing company or providing a shuttle service from a central location. Be aware that flights will undoubtedly account for the majority of the carbon footprint of your event, help attendees to plan their transport accordingly.
Minimise waste: Minimise waste by using reusable or biodegradable products, recycling, and composting. Encourage attendees to bring their own water bottles. Reduce the use of disposable items such as cups, plates, and cutlery.
Choose renewable energy: Use renewable energy at your event to reduce your carbon footprint. This includes using solar power, wind power, or biofuels. Ask your potential venues at the outset if they use renewable power – the more of us that ask, the quicker venues will adopt.
Consider Carbon Offset: Calculate the carbon emissions of your event and offset them by purchasing carbon offsets. This can be done through organisations that invest in renewable energy projects.
Educate attendees: Inform attendees about the sustainable practices in place at the event and encourage them to adopt sustainable behaviours. This can be done through signage, social media posts, and email communications.
Communicate Your Efforts: Finally, communicate your sustainability goals and achievements to your attendees. This will not only help educate them about sustainable practices but also showcase your organisation’s commitment to sustainability. Be honest and transparent about your sustainability goals and achievements, and encourage attendees to take action and make sustainable choices.

By taking note of these ten tips, you can plan a sustainable event that minimises its impact on the environment. In addition to the environmental benefits, sustainable events can also be cost-effective, as many of the practices that reduce environmental impact also save money. By incorporating sustainability into event planning, you can create an event that is memorable and enjoyable while also making a positive impact. But sustainability is a continuous effort and you should be continually striving to improve year-on-year and to make more sustainable choices.

To find out more about our carbon footprint and sustainability tool track, and how it can help plan and execute fully sustainable events, please get in touch.

The biggest impact on your event’s carbon footprint?

January 10, 2023/in Track

As event organisers, we know it’s important to consider the environmental impact of our events. But, while we may focus on details such as using sustainable materials for stand construction and implementing recyclable plastics, there is often a much larger issue that is overlooked in assessing an event’s carbon footprint: the impact of travel.

According to a study conducted by Eventbrite, transportation is the largest contributor to an event’s carbon footprint, accounting for up to 50% of the total emissions. This includes both air and road travel for attendees, as well as transportation of materials and equipment.

One of the main reasons that transportation is such a significant contributor to an event’s carbon footprint is the distance that attendees often have to travel. With the globalisation of the events industry, it is not uncommon for attendees to travel long distances, often by air, to attend events. In addition, the transportation of materials and equipment also adds to the carbon footprint, as these items must be shipped or transported by truck.

While it may be difficult to completely eliminate the need for travel to events, there are steps that event organisers can take to minimise the impact. Here are our top three tips:

#1 Choose the event location carefully

One way to minimise your event’s carbon footprint is by choosing a location that is easily accessible by public transportation, such as a city with a well-developed public transportation system. This can encourage attendees to use more environmentally friendly modes of transportation and reduce the number of cars on the road.

#2 Offer incentives for sustainable travel

In addition to choosing a convenient location, event planners and organisers can also consider offering incentives for attendees who use sustainable transportation options. For example, offering discounts or rewards for those who arrive by public transportation or carpooling can encourage attendees to consider these options.

#3 Minimise transportation of materials and equipment

Another way to reduce the carbon footprint of an event is by minimising the need for transportation of materials and equipment. Choose a venue that has the necessary facilities and equipment already in place, rather than shipping in additional items. In addition, using digital signage and other digital technologies can reduce the need for printed materials, which can also help to reduce the carbon footprint.

Travel and transportation is often the largest contributor to an event’s carbon footprint, and is frequently overlooked by event organisers in favour of focusing on the smaller (but important) details around choice stand materials and recycling options on-site. To create a truly sustainable event, travel and transportation must be at the heart of event planning.

By choosing a convenient location and encouraging sustainable transportation options, as well as minimising the need for transportation of materials and equipment, event organisers can significantly reduce their event’s carbon footprint. While it may not be possible to completely eliminate the need for travel, taking some simple steps to encourage sustainable options can help to enhance the sustainability of events.

To find out more about our carbon footprint and sustainability tool track, and how it can help plan and execute fully sustainable events, please get in touch.

The dangers of green-hushing for events

January 2, 2023/in event:decision

The events industry is no stranger to the concept of greenwashing, or the act of promoting environmentally-friendly initiatives and practices in order to appear more sustainable, without actually taking any substantial steps towards sustainability. However, in recent years, ‘green-hushing’ has emerged as a new and particularly dangerous form of greenwashing in events.

Green-hushing is the act of actively hiding or downplaying the environmental impact of an event, rather than promoting sustainability. This can take the form of not disclosing information about the carbon footprint of an event, not offering environmentally-friendly options for attendees, or simply not addressing sustainability at all.

While it may be tempting for events organisers to engage in green-hushing in order to cut costs or avoid criticism, the dangers of this practice are far-reaching.

Dangers of green-hushing

First and foremost, green-hushing is dishonest and deceptive. It misleads attendees and stakeholders into believing that an event is more sustainable than it actually is, and can damage the reputation of both the event and the industry as a whole. Trust is a critical component of any business relationship, and green-hushing undermines this trust by hiding important information and presenting a false image.

In addition to damaging reputation, green-hushing can also have negative financial consequences. As more and more consumers and businesses prioritise sustainability in their purchasing decisions, events that are not transparent about their environmental impact may face decreased attendance and sponsorship. This can lead to lost revenue and ultimately, financial harm for the event organisers.

Green-hushing also contributes to the larger problem of climate change and environmental degradation. By not addressing the environmental impact of an event, organisers are failing to take responsibility for their personal role in this global issue. This lack of responsibility not only perpetuates the problem, but also undermines the efforts of those in the industry who are working to make events more sustainable.

So, what can event organisers do to avoid green-hushing and ensure that their events are truly sustainable?

Three steps to avoid green-hushing

#1 Transparency is key. Event organisers should be open and honest about the environmental impact of their events, including the carbon footprint and any other relevant information. This not only helps to build trust with attendees and stakeholders, but it also allows organisers to identify areas where they can improve sustainability. Assessing the carbon footprint of any event at planning stage is now accessible to event organisers large and small through track from event:decision.

#2 Reduce environmental impact. Event organisers should make a concerted effort to reduce their environmental impact by implementing sustainable practices such as using eco-friendly materials, reducing waste, and offering sustainable transportation options for attendees. These practices not only help to minimise the environmental impact of the event, but they can also save money in the long run.

#3 Be proactive and promote. Finally, event organisers should be proactive in their efforts to promote sustainability. This can involve partnering with environmental organisations, educating attendees about sustainability, and offering incentives for those who take environmentally-friendly actions.

Green-hushing is a dangerous practice for the events industry. It undermines trust, can have negative financial consequences, and contributes to the larger problem of climate change. Event organisers who prioritise transparency, sustainability, and proactivity will not only do their part to protect the environment, but they will also position themselves as leaders in events.

To find out more about our carbon footprint and sustainability tool track, and how it can help plan and execute fully sustainable events, please get in touch.