Build a post-event review
You want a straight review of what worked, what did not and what to change next time.
…
The short answer
Enter your objectives and how each was to be measured, the evidence you actually collected, what went well, what went wrong and why, and the actions for the next edition with an owner for each. The builder returns an editable review report.
An objective with no evidence is reported as not evidenced, even if you ticked met. Issues with no root cause and actions with no owner are flagged so they are not lost.
What to enter
- Each objective, how it was to be measured, and the evidence you collected, such as a registration report or survey results.
- Your own assessment of each objective: met, partly met or not met.
- What went well, in short lines.
- What went wrong and the root cause of each. If you do not know the cause yet, leave it blank.
- Actions for the next edition, each with an owner and, if you have one, a due date.
How to read the result
The outcome of each objective follows the evidence. With evidence and an assessment, you see your assessment. With evidence and no assessment, it shows as pending. With no evidence, it shows as not evidenced.
Issues that have no cause show as cause not identified, and actions that have no owner show as no owner. Both are counted at the top so they are easy to chase.
Limits
The review records what you enter. You judge whether the evidence is strong enough and find the causes.
Keep attendee names and other personal data out of it. Use roles or short descriptions.
Using the result
Go through the review with the team, give each action a real owner and carry the list into the next edition's plan. The event project checklist builder can turn those actions into dated tasks once the next date is set.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional members forum
Fictional results, to show how evidence changes the outcome.
A fictional association lists three objectives. Attendance has a registration report and is marked met. Session quality has survey results and is marked partly met. Winning new sponsors has no evidence written down, so it is reported as not evidenced, although the team ticked met.
Two issues are listed, one with a root cause and one without. Of two actions, one has an owner and a due date and the other has no owner and is flagged.
Use this yourself
Post-event review worksheet
Fill in one row for each objective. If the evidence column is empty, write not evidenced in the outcome column.
| Objective | How it was measured | Evidence collected | Outcome | Action for next edition | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The event was small, the objectives were simple and the team can meet and agree the lessons.
- You collected clear evidence and know who will act on each lesson.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Objectives were never written with measures, so there is little evidence to review.
- Issues keep coming back because no one owns the follow-up.
- You want an independent view of what happened and a plan the next edition can start from.
Want the review turned into a plan for the next edition?
With outsourced event project management we lead the planning of the next edition, coordinate your team and suppliers and oversee delivery, using the lessons and owned actions from this review within the scope we agree. Send us your review, and we will reply with the level of support that fits and what it would cover.
Questions organisers ask
Why is my objective shown as not evidenced when I ticked met?
Because no evidence was written down. The review only reports an outcome when there is evidence behind it.
What counts as evidence?
Whatever you actually collected, such as a registration report, survey results or sponsor agreements. You judge its quality.
What if I do not know the root cause?
Leave it blank. The issue is flagged as cause not identified so you remember to find out.
Related resources
Content record: Written by the EventConsultant team to our editorial rules. Sources are listed on pages that rely on them.