But is your event truly fulfilling its potential? Are you making the most of your investments? How are you uncovering any blind spots? 

Your event is a strategic investment for your company, and to measure its impact, you need to look beyond standard metrics. You must explore the event's soul, fundamental purpose, and influence—which all starts with conducting a thorough event audit.

This internal guide offers direction and specific focal points for your event audit to guide your evaluation process.

When we conduct event audits for our clients, we gauge success across 15 key areas. The following audit guide outlines the strategic approach to understanding how to maximize the potential of your event.

Let’s move. 

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Event Audit Guidelines 

Helpful Areas to Explore and Questions to Ask When Auditing an Event 

For easy reference, the items below are arranged alphabetically.

1. Accessibility
   When auditing for accessibility, start by examining your event's physical and digital spaces of your event. Are all venue areas, including stages, seating, restrooms, etc., fully accessible to people with mobility challenges? Have you provided necessary accommodations like sign language interpreters, captioning, and neuro-inclusive practices? Review your event materials and platforms to make sure they meet accessibility standards and ensure people using assistive technologies can easily navigate them.
   
   
2. Agenda
   Balance is crucial. Evaluate the mix of content delivery, networking opportunities, and breaks. Ensure a good rhythm to maintain attendee engagement and prevent fatigue. Consider whether the agenda feels like an enriching experience or an endurance test.
   
   
3. Belonging
   True belonging goes beyond representation. Reflect on the atmosphere and culture of your event. Do attendees feel they can be their most true selves? Are they genuinely accepted and valued? Authentically engage with attendees to make them feel heard and respected and to create an environment of trust, safety, and support. Empower micro-communities like first-time attendees, young professionals, and underrepresented groups to ensure they thrive at your event.
   
   
4. Community
   Is your event designed for connection? Are you encouraging attendees to meet, share ideas, develop relationships, and become lifelong brand advocates? A thriving community creates FOMO and sustains engagement throughout the year. Communities flourish through rituals, traditions, and organic interaction. Are you effectively utilizing activities and tools to strengthen your community?
   
   
5. Content
   Content is the core of any experience. Dive into the substance of your event by breaking down sessions by number, tracks, and format to determine whether they cater to various learning preferences and styles. Assess the priorities set by session lengths, tracks, and formats offered to understand the core focus of content delivery.
   
   
6. Experience
   Is the event threaded together as a holistic experience instead of a series of disconnected moments? Beyond the main stage, what experiences are you crafting? What’s popular and driving engagement? What unexpected surprise-and-delights or interactive activations are you offering? Determine what makes your event truly unique and memorable.
   
   
7. Inclusion
   Focus on how your event represents and engages diverse groups. Do your speakers, ambassadors, and attendees reflect a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and perspectives? Are there equitable opportunities for everyone to participate and contribute? Evaluate your comms and marketing to ensure you are reaching different communities, and explore inclusive registration options for underrepresented groups.
   
   
8. Logistics
   Pay attention to the details. Venue choice, room rates, transportation, contingency plans, and ancillary events create the canvas for the overall attendee experience. These logistical elements foster a welcoming, engaging, and secure event environment.
   
   
9. Messaging
   Keep a finger on the pulse. Engage with the event’s communication strategy from start to finish by opting into comms from an attendee perspective. Analyze how the messaging captures the audience’s attention before, during, and after the event. The goal is to understand the effectiveness of the messaging in creating a continuous engagement loop.
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10. Registration
    Price points are storytelling. What does the fee structure say about the event's accessibility and audience targeting? Analyze registration fees to gauge the event’s positioning and the inclusivity or exclusivity of its attendee base. Examine the registration platform and process. What data are you collecting? What attendee records are you building?
    
    
11. Sponsorship
    Trace the financial backbone of your event. Identify sponsors and the depth of their engagement. Understanding the sponsorship landscape provides insight into the event’s support network and potential areas for growth or adjustment. Review your sponsorship prospectus document to gain insights into your event’s business strategy. Analyze your pricing model and audience mix to determine whether sponsors get adequate ROI and unique sponsorship opportunities.
    
    
12. Speakers
    The caliber and diversity of speakers can make or break an event. Look beyond star power and evaluate the blend of voices, expertise, and perspectives presented. This aspect is critical for enriching the attendee experience and broadening the event’s appeal.
    
    
13. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)
    Investigate the event’s commitment to ESG principles. Assess environmental policies and practices and look for explicit commitments to sustainability goals like carbon neutrality, waste reduction, and energy efficiency. Examine social impact initiatives, community engagement, and ethical sourcing. Consider governance structures and decision-making processes to ensure transparency, accountability, and responsibility. Explore relevant certifications and standards like LEED, ISO 20121, and B Corp, and look into any existing post-event evaluations to measure progress.
    
    
14. Technology
    How seamlessly does technology enhance the attendee experience? Are you leveraging tech to streamline processes, personalize interactions, and gather valuable insights? If your event is hybrid, does it offer equal value to in-person and virtual attendees? Consider how your tech strategy demonstrates adaptability and inclusivity.
    
    
15. Theme and Value Proposition
    Does your event have a specific theme or event brand? Does it resonate with the audience, tie back to content, and enrich the experience? Dive into the narrative through promotional materials, websites, and attendee communications. Look for opportunities to bring the theme to life in the space. Understand the event offerings and the underlying reasons that make your event unique and valuable to your audience.

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Audit into Action

An event audit is a powerful tool for uncovering opportunities and identifying areas for improvement—but that’s just the beginning. The real value comes from transforming insights into action. 

Once you’ve completed your audit, the next step is to combine and analyze your findings. Look for patterns, identify strengths and weaknesses, and prioritize areas for focus. Consider using a framework like SWOT analysis to help organize your thoughts.

Rank initiatives based on potential impact, feasibility, and alignment with your overall event goals. By focusing on high-value, achievable actions, you maximize your efforts. 

Ultimately, an event audit is a catalyst for change. It’s an opportunity to refine your strategy, elevate our attendee experience, drive better results, and shine a light on those pesky blind spots. 

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Big Idea

Addressing these areas will help you gain a comprehensive understanding of your event. This evaluation will serve as a foundation for actionable improvements, ultimately enhancing the event's overall impact and success.

Looking for an outside perspective? Opus Agency has the event audit process down to a science.
Start here.

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