Post-Event Review

Debrief. After-Action Review. Postmortem.

There are many names for this task - but what doesn’t vary is our urging to complete this task post-event. If you plan to host this event on a recurring basis - or your group/organization plans to host events in the future - a post-event review is a must. Why is this so important?

• It allows to you review what went well, and what needs to be tweaked for future events.

• You can evaluate your process to capture data, guest information, etc.

• You can review the plan you have in place for lead generation, sponsor/donor connection, etc.

• And so much more

Here are the parameters we suggest for this action:

1. Complete this review within 1-3 weeks post event. The further you get from the event the harder it will be to truly remember the details.

2. Send a survey to your attendees the day after the event asking for feedback. This will help during your overall review.

3. Include all stakeholders in the process. Venue, vendors, committee members, event planners, etc. You’ll have the attendee data as well (See above) and you need all of these viewpoints to be considered to get a full picture of how the event went.

4. Keep these notes handy in the folder or drive you create for the following year - that way you can reference this again when you start the process for the next cycle.

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The Review

So what do you review? There are so many areas of an event that can/should be reviewed. But the actual details will vary based on your event, your needs in the future, your org. structure, and more. Here are some general areas you might review, if applicable:

• Communications

  • Pre-Event Comms to attendees

  • Comms during the event

  • Pre-Event Comms to vendors/stakeholders

• Ticketing & Registration

  • Ease of use pre-event

  • Ease of use on-site

• Planning

  • Planning Process

  • Planning Partners

  • Planning Timeline

• Vendors

  • Review vendors and vendor details

  • What went well, what didn’t

  • Include the venue in this section

  • Make sure you include a review of menu/food in this section

• Run of Show

  • Where were there delays? What caused the delays?

  • What tweaks could be made

  • What went well

  • A/V, guest speakers, breakouts, etc. could fall in this area

• Floor Plan, Logistics, and other areas

  • This could include signage and wayfinding

  • This could also include ease of “use”

• Revenue & Expenses

• Marketing & Promotion

All feedback should be recorded - good, bad, and ugly! It’s all helpful and getting a wide array of input helps ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Even if you don’t plan to produce THIS event again - if you plan to produce any event in the future with the same group or organization, an after-action review is a must!