Recaps – From Afterthought to Strategy: Embedding Measurement Throughout the Event Marketing Lifecycle

By Marco Lopez, MBA – Experiential & Sponsorship Measurement Expert • Integrated Marketer • Multicultural & Belonging Champion

The flow to make recaps an integral part of event strategy rather than a final checkbox.

A common pushback I hear about adopting measurement for event marketing isn’t about not wanting quantifiable results, but many times [sadly too often] “is it hard?” or “our client’s don’t really ask for it”, or the best one yet: “we’ll tackle it when we do the recap”. Too often, measurement becomes an afterthought, relegated to post-event recaps while the demands of production and activation consume all the oxygen in the room.

Here’s the reality: Marketing objectives from the initial brief should echo through every aspect of activation. The solution isn’t to just to improve recaps [that was my initial hypothesis when launching onxite] – it’s to weave measurement throughout the entire event journey.

I’ve found that implementing strategic assertion points transforms measurement from a final checkbox into a powerful optimization tool, where trust is built through marketing accountability and becoming stronger event sponsorship marketer:

Pre-Event:

• Turn marketing objectives into measurable asset designs [assets should reflect the original objectives of why the brand chose to activate the sponsorship, given a purpose to exist]
• Set up validation checkpoints
• Establish clear tracking methods [surveys, technology – RFIDs, Beacons, etc]

During Event:

• Monitor real-time performance [a simple checklist to your client with the assets and their purpose, can be powerful to understand how people will engage with every aspect of the experience]
• Enable quick feedback loops [all laddering up to the initial objectives – awareness, consideration, trial, action]
• Make data-driven adjustments [assuming you follow all the steps, even if this is the first time, now there is a benchmark]

Post-Event:

• Capture comprehensive insights [just from who attended and if they were your target audience, to where the event took place, and how they engaged with your activation, are simple ones to start building your insights]
• Analyze objective achievement [did people in attendance were aware of the brand sponsoring, or was the objective trial: and the target audience sampled or tried the product]
• Build future optimization roadmap [what worked, what didn’t, should we continue to give out hats, if no-one liked them, or should the lemon-lime was the most liked flavor, to adjust and not wait until the entire program ends]

This approach means that by the time you reach the recap stage, you’re not scrambling to prove value – you’re telling a story of strategic success backed by consistent data.

The future of event sponsorship marketing IS about creating great experiences AND about adopting common measurement to optimize them every step of the way, unleashing our creativity to truly deliver memorable moments.