You’re struggling to measure your progress in event production. What are the best ways to track it?

1 Set SMART goals

One of the first steps to measure your progress in event production is to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for each event you produce. SMART goals help you define what you want to accomplish, how you will measure your success, and how you will overcome potential challenges. For example, a SMART goal for an event could be: "To increase the attendance of our annual conference by 20% compared to last year, by creating an engaging online program, promoting it through social media and email marketing, and offering early-bird discounts, within the next six months."

2 Collect feedback and data

Another way to track your progress in event production is to collect feedback and data from various sources, such as your clients, attendees, sponsors, vendors, staff, and yourself. Feedback and data can help you assess the quality, impact, and satisfaction of your events, as well as identify areas of improvement and best practices. You can use different methods to collect feedback and data, such as surveys, polls, interviews, testimonials, reviews, ratings, analytics, reports, and observations. For example, you can use a survey tool like SurveyMonkey to ask your attendees about their experience and expectations of your event, and use a platform like Google Analytics to track the traffic and conversions of your event website.

3 Review and reflect

A third way to track your progress in event production is to review and reflect on your feedback and data, and compare them with your SMART goals. Reviewing and reflecting can help you evaluate your performance, learn from your mistakes and successes, and celebrate your achievements. You can use different tools to review and reflect, such as charts, graphs, dashboards, journals, portfolios, and case studies. For example, you can use a chart tool like Excel to visualize your attendance and revenue data, and use a journal tool like Evernote to write down your insights and lessons learned from each event.

4 Seek feedback and mentoring

A fourth way to track your progress in event production is to seek feedback and mentoring from others who have more experience or expertise in this field. Feedback and mentoring can help you gain new perspectives, insights, and advice on how to improve your skills and grow your career. You can seek feedback and mentoring from different sources, such as your peers, colleagues, managers, mentors, coaches, trainers, and consultants. For example, you can join a professional network like Eventbrite to connect with other event producers and exchange feedback and tips, or you can hire a coach or a consultant to guide you through your challenges and goals.

5 Update your skills and knowledge

A fifth way to track your progress in event production is to update your skills and knowledge by learning new trends, technologies, and techniques in this field. Updating your skills and knowledge can help you stay relevant, competitive, and innovative in the ever-changing event industry. You can update your skills and knowledge by different means, such as reading books, blogs, magazines, and newsletters, watching videos, podcasts, and webinars, attending courses, workshops, and seminars, and earning certifications, badges, and credentials. For example, you can read a book like The Event Planner's Toolkit by Allison Saget to learn the latest best practices and tools for event production, or you can watch a webinar like How to Produce Engaging Virtual Events by EventMB to learn the latest trends and tips for online events.

6 Track your progress regularly

A sixth way to track your progress in event production is to track your progress regularly by setting milestones, deadlines, and checkpoints for each event and each goal. Tracking your progress regularly can help you monitor your performance, adjust your plans, and celebrate your wins. You can track your progress regularly by using different tools, such as calendars, planners, timers, trackers, and reminders. For example, you can use a calendar tool like Google Calendar to schedule your tasks and meetings for each event, or you can use a tracker tool like Trello to organize your goals and projects and track your progress and status.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?