Lesson 1: The big picture - A look back at government involvement in events

A brief history of government involvement in events and how its shaped today’s major events landscape.

We’ll also walk through how the different levels of government approach event investment and pose a few key questions that will help you think about where your event’s value lies in the eyes of government investors.

Lesson 2: Impact measurement – Why its important and how its used by government investors

Before diving into the what and how of measurement, let’s get clear on the why.

In this week’s lesson we’ll discuss why measurement is important, call out the metrics that are important to government decision-makers and walk through a foundational truth about research that should be kept front and centre when thinking about how to measure your event’s impact.

Lesson 3: Accurately estimating event attendance

Your event’s unique person attendance is the most critical figure to get right when measuring an event’s impact for government.

If your event is wholly ticketed this is something we don’t need to think too hard about. However, if your event is free, multi-day and/or covers a number of venues, then accurately estimating your attendance is going to be a harder nut to crack.

In this week’s lesson we’ll delve into how to credibly estimate the attendance of different types of events.

Lesson 4: Economic impact evaluation

In this week’s lesson we dig into the detail behind a robust economic impact assessment.

It will provide you with the knowledge and tools required to calculate the economic impact of an event in a way that aligns with the methodologies used by all levels of government.

Lesson 5: Social and strategic impact evaluation

This week we look at measuring the social impact your event delivers.

The approach we’ll provide aligns with national standards on how to measure social impacts, providing you with a level of insight and sophistication that is at the forefront of event impact measurement.

Lesson 6: Gathering actionable data from your customers

Gathering data to report for your Government stakeholders provides an ideal opportunity to better understand your core customers.

In this lesson we’ll go through a range of questions SLS use to deliver a new level of insight into your core customers. Citing a range of case-studies, we’ll explore how to get to the heart of what your attendees want.

Lesson 7: Presenting back to government in their terms

You’ve collected all your data, analysed it, and now it’s time to deliver the story in terms that government decision-makers use in their day-to-day.

In this week we will walk through: 1. the terminology governments use when it comes to event impacts, and 2. telling your event’s story in a way that resonates with government decision-makers.

Bonus module: Maximising the value derived from your data collection

In collecting the data necessary for impact assessment you’ll gain deeper insights into your audience and their behaviour.

In this bonus module we’ll provide you with ideas designed to drive further value from your data collection processes including how it can be used to attract corporate sponsors.