If a Tree Falls in the Forest

We all know the philosophical riddle: If a tree falls in the forest, and no one hears it, did it really fall? A similar question can be posed of events that are produced without a clear definition of success.

How can we be sure that an event has been successful unless we measure it against some agreed upon criteria? And frankly, why would anyone want to go through the intensive process of planning and producing an event without keeping track of whether it met its goals?

None of us – not the Trumps, not the Murdocks, not even Oprah – can afford to operate without understanding how to measure the effectiveness of our endeavors. I encourage you to build into your budgets a means for collecting audience responses in at least three different modes: immediately following an event – doesn’t matter if it’s through in-person comments or instant video clips; in the days and weeks following – perhaps via emailed surveys or by tracking bumps in online giving; and throughout the larger community – traditional media placements or spikes in online chatter.

The scientific response to the earlier riddle is that if there aren’t ears nearby to pick up the sound vibrations, there is no proof that the tree fell. If you want to maintain and gain budget traction for your events, you can’t let them fall on deaf ears.