Number of events held

Additions, clarifications, extended definition

The metric expresses how many events (e.g. press conferences, workshops, presentations, webinars, internal meetings, public events, etc.) the organisation actually delivered. It can be further specified – for instance by a particular event type (e.g. number of press conferences).

Interpretation

A higher number of events may indicate a higher level of activity and engagement, but on its own it says nothing about the quality or effectiveness of the individual events. The metric should therefore always be combined with indicators mapping, for example, attendance or satisfaction.

Watch out: limits and risks of distortion

• The number of events says nothing about their quality, success or effectiveness. Comparisons (internal or against competitors) can therefore be very misleading if this metric is used on its own.
• We recommend always adding context (event type, audience size, budget, etc.). It is essential to be clear about which events should or should not be counted – and to have explicit criteria for this.

Where and how to measure

• Internal records.
• Planning calendars.
• CRM systems.
• Reports from the communication or marketing department.

Context

It helps assess workload in the context of team capacity and the frequency of communication activities.