We were great...weren't we?!

Whew! All done…well, almost!

The prizes have been awarded, auction items carried off to their new homes and the decorations have been packed away.

The event has ended.

But before the books can be closed, its time for the post event wrap up. This is the Monday morning quarterbacking after the Sunday night game report. A small exercise that if done right can yield valuable lessons and ideas to make that next event even better. The areas covered will vary by event but here are some common ones: Venue, Entertainment, Food, Activity, and Operations. The Activity could be live/silent/online auction, raffle, on-course games (for a golf event), etc. Operations could be registration/check-out process, communications, etc. For maximum impact, feedback is needed from staff, volunteers, vendors, and guests. Each group will have a different vantage point and areas of interest.

It is important to get this feedback as quickly as possible after the event, while things are still fresh in people's minds. It's a good idea to do this the week immediately following the event. Surveys are a good tool for guest feedback. For my team, we gather and just chat to decompress. I find nuggets of information in the stories from event night. I do this within 24-48 hours of an event since we often move right into the next one. The nuggets and stories where applicable become the event recap information that is provided to the client, excluding the guest feedback which usually goes directly to the client contact.

The information not only helps our clients with planning their next event. It helps us identify areas of improvement enabling us to better serve all clients.

When creating the recap, include specific example, for instance:
"The outlets were too far from the registration tables. There were too many cords running along the floor. While they were taped down to avoid tripping, detracted from the aesthetics."
"Too few vegetarian meals for the number of guest requests. Kitchen created alternative to make up the difference."
"The music was too loud. Unable to hear dinner companion."

Get the idea? Well, I've got to run and write up some event recaps…until next time.

Image credit: madmaxer / 123RF Stock Photo