How to Measure Virtual Event Success
How do you measure the success of a virtual event?
You measure virtual event success by comparing results against goals you set before the event, using five groups of numbers: registration, attendance, engagement, feedback and leads or outcomes. No single number tells you whether it worked, and no benchmark applies to every event, so the comparison that matters is with your own goals and your own past events.
This guide lists the metrics in each group, gives a scorecard to fill in and explains how to read what you find. For a wider list of event numbers, see event KPIs. For survey wording, see virtual event survey questions.
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Start with the goal, then pick the metrics
Choose metrics that answer your goal. An event meant to generate leads should be judged on leads, not on how many people clicked the chat. Write the goal as a sentence, then pick no more than one or two metrics per group.
Goal: reach
Look hardest at registration and attendance.
Goal: education
Look at how much of each session people watched and what they said in feedback.
Goal: pipeline
Look at leads, meetings booked and follow-up outcomes.
Goal: community
Look at repeat attendance, networking activity and feedback on connection.
The metrics in each group
Each group tells you something different about where the event worked or lost people.
| Group | Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Number registered, and where sign-ups came from | Whether your promotion reached people and which channels worked |
| Attendance | Registered who attended, as a share of registrations | Whether the reminders and timing worked |
| Attendance | How long attendees stayed, and which sessions they left | Which content held attention and where you lost people |
| Engagement | Questions asked, poll responses, chat messages | How many people took part, not just watched |
| Engagement | Networking and meeting activity | Whether attendees connected with each other |
| Feedback | Survey ratings and written comments | How attendees judged content, speakers and technology |
| Leads and outcomes | Leads captured, meetings booked, follow-up results | Whether the event produced the business result you wanted |
| On demand | Views of recordings after the event | Whether content keeps value past the live date |
A virtual event scorecard
Fill in the Goal column before the event and the Result column after. The comparison is the point; the numbers mean little on their own.
| Measure | Goal | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registrations | |||
| Attendance as a share of registrations | |||
| Average time in the event | |||
| Questions and poll responses | |||
| Survey response and rating | |||
| Leads captured or meetings booked | |||
| Recording views in the first weeks |
Virtual event results summary (copy and complete)
Event: Date: Goal in one sentence: Registration: goal / result / main sources Attendance: goal / result Time in event: goal / result Engagement (questions, polls, chat): goal / result Feedback (rating and top three comments): Leads or outcomes: goal / result Recording views after two weeks: What worked: What did not: Three changes for next time:
How to read the results
Look for the stage where you lost the most people, since that is where a change will help most.
Compare with your goal, then with your last event
A result is good or poor only against something. Use your own targets and your own history, not another organizer's figures.
Find the drop-off
Registration to attendance points to promotion and reminders. Attendance to engagement points to format and content. Engagement to leads points to follow-up.
Read the comments, not just the ratings
Written feedback explains the numbers. Group comments by theme and count how often each appears.
Report quickly
Share a short summary within days, while the event is fresh, then follow up with attendees and leads.
Event follow-up emailWrite down the changes
End the review with three changes for the next event, each with an owner.
What Eventdex's pages say about reporting
Eventdex's event analytics page describes registration reports, ticket sales, live check-in and session attendance, lead capture reports and survey results by session, speaker or theme. Eventdex's pages describe live polling and Q&A in its event app and a virtual meeting app with chat, Q&A and recording. Eventdex's pages do not publish benchmark figures for virtual events.
The Eventdex platform
Where the numbers come from
- Event analyticsRegistration, attendance, lead and survey reports.Learn more about Event analytics
- Event survey softwareSurveys inside the event app, with results in real time.Learn more about Event survey software
- Virtual meeting appLive sessions with chat, Q&A and recording.Learn more about Virtual meeting app
- Virtual event managementServices for running an online event.Learn more about Virtual event management
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FAQ
How to Measure Virtual Event Success: common questions
What metrics measure virtual event success?
Registration, attendance, engagement, feedback and leads or outcomes. Choose one or two from each group that match your goal.
What is a good attendance rate for a virtual event?
It depends on the audience, whether the event is free and how you remind people. Rather than rely on a general figure, set your own target and compare each event with the last.
How do I measure engagement at a virtual event?
Count actions, not just presence: questions asked, poll responses, chat messages and networking activity, alongside how long people stayed.
When should I measure?
Set goals before the event, watch attendance and engagement live, send the survey straight after, and review recording views and leads a few weeks later.
Can Eventdex report on virtual events?
Eventdex's analytics page describes registration, attendance, lead and survey reports, and its virtual meeting app page describes recording. Eventdex's pages do not describe a dedicated virtual event scorecard, so ask in a demo which reports you can export.
See the reports Eventdex offers for your events
Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.