Return on relationships: Measuring the true success of your event

Nothing replaces meeting in person. A handshake, a conversation or simply sharing the same space builds trust in ways digital channels can’t. That’s why live events remain essential. In fact, 77% of people trust brands more after meeting them at live events.

Leading event planners now recognise this shift, and over 93% of corporate event planners now use attendee satisfaction as their key success metric.

Why relationship quality matters

Strong relationships are the foundation of successful events. Attendees who feel connected to your brand attend more events, engage more and drive long-term growth.

For this to happen, you need to understand your audience: their challenges, needs and interests. Moreover, the real impact comes from the connections they make with each other. When people network, exchange ideas and collaborate, those relationships last even after the event.

And these connections don’t happen by accident. It requires a structured approach to measure and strengthen audience connections. In the next section, let’s look at practical ways to turn these interactions into valuable insights about your audience.

Five ways to build and measure relationships

Turn actions into insights

Understanding your attendees' actions reveals what they truly value. A structured scoring system using engagement scoring tools can turn event interactions into meaningful insights.

Start the process by mapping engagement touchpoints. Session questions, poll responses, content downloads, and networking meetups each demonstrate different levels of interest. Assign point values based on involvement: example, one point for a quick poll response and five points for scheduling follow-up meetings.

These scores spotlight your most engaged participants. High-scoring attendees who actively join discussions could become future speakers. Those downloading technical content might seek deeper industry expertise. Use these insights to guide your next steps.

Send personalised VIP session invites to highly engaged attendees and deliver targeted content based on demonstrated interests. Connect people with shared subject expertise to initiate business partnerships.

Tracking engagement patterns like session timing, popular topics and format effectiveness over time helps refine your strategy. When attendees ask session questions, follow up with relevant resources. For active networkers, facilitate introductions to peers with similar interests. 

Remember, you're not grading your attendees. You're learning what they need so you can deliver it. The more you understand these signals, the better your events become.

Grow your event community

Live events create powerful connections, but a strong community keeps them alive. Attendees want to stay engaged but need the right space to do it.

Start by creating a dedicated hub where conversations continue naturally. This could be a LinkedIn group, a private community platform, recurring virtual meetups or even a coffee shop.

Your community needs a clear purpose. If you want to increase event attendance, involve members in shaping session topics. To generate high-quality leads, create opportunities for industry experts to collaborate and solve problems.

Watch how members interact and contribute. Notice which topics spark discussions and who regularly helps others. These engaged members often become your best event ambassadors. 

Share helpful content, facilitate introductions, and highlight their successes. When people find real value, they stay involved and bring others along.

Create an integrated content strategy

Strategic content creation keeps attendees engaged and builds stronger relationships. It bridges the gap between your events.

Before the event, build excitement through targeted content. Give attendees a behind-the-scenes look at speaker prep or share insights on industry challenges they’ll explore. When they arrive, they’ll already feel engaged and ready to dive in.

During the event, capture memorable moments. Use on-the-spot vox-pop style videos for “social media walls”, allowing participants to share these via their social channels. Turn session content into practical reference guides. Record important discussions and breakthrough insights. Your event app should serve as more than a schedule; make it a resource hub that attendees actively use.

After the event, use content to cement these connections. Convert group discussions into action plans. Repurpose speaker presentations into short, digestible videos. Answer common attendee questions with solution-driven resources. All this content reinforces learning and keeps the conversation going until your next event.

Automate surveys

Move beyond basic satisfaction surveys. Discover how your event impacts your attendees' work, mindset and business outcomes. 

Timing matters. For example, a quick poll during a coffee break captures immediate reactions, while a follow-up survey a few days later uncovers what truly stuck. Layering these insights helps you see what resonated and what faded.

To get meaningful data, ask the right questions to the right people because different stakeholders need different takeaways. Sponsors want to know about the quality of connections made. Delegates care about practical skills gained. Exhibitors focus on qualified leads generated. Design your questions to uncover what matters to each group.

Even with strong data, interpretation matters. A packed session with lukewarm reviews might signal a scheduling issue rather than weak content. A speaker who engaged a small but highly invested audience could be the perfect fit for a more intimate breakout session next time. 

Once you have the right insights, put them to work. Help sponsors turn survey data into real sales opportunities. Give speakers feedback they can use to improve their sessions. Show exhibitors which products generated the most interest.

Measure the real event impact

Attendance numbers matter, but what happens after the event paints the real picture. Use reporting software to measure the impact: stronger connections, new opportunities and lasting business outcomes define true success.

A quiet attendee today might lead a discussion next month. A first-time visitor who returns with their entire team signals actual value. A casual “hello” turning into a major partnership says more than any survey score. These are the moments that reveal your event’s long-term influence.

These shifts lead to measurable business results. Track how introductions turn into signed contracts. See how many attendees register for the next event or monitor referrals from your most engaged participants.

Conclusion

There are numerous ways to measure and refine your approach towards return on relationships at your event. If roundtable discussions drive more deals than keynote speeches, adjust the format. If certain topics consistently engage, dive deeper. Treat your event data as a roadmap for your next event.

Stay adaptable. Experiment with new session formats or unexpected topics. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. Every event is an opportunity to learn, evolve and make the next one even better. Let’s remember that face-to-face meetings, events and interactions are key to building brand value and trust.

About the Author

Diana Tamboly is Field Marketing Manager, Europe for Cvent's Hospitality Cloud business in Europe. In her role, she's responsible for setting and delivering the strategic marketing direction for Venue Directory, a Cvent company.