The collaboration, formed in 2024, provides experiential marketers with important tools and resources designed to help them track and measure the success of their events. As the official U.S. media partner of the EMMC, Event Marketer will continue to roll out new education, research and peer-to-peer initiatives for corporate event marketers working across business events, trade shows and consumer activations.

Again this year, Event Marketer will host a quarterly series of LinkedIn Lives featuring expert panels and the release of new tactical event measurement tools with the EMMC (watch past episodes here, here and here). The EMMC will also contribute quarterly columns and updates for the Event Marketer audience, and will contribute expertise at the 2026 Experiential Marketing Summit, May 18-20 in Las Vegas. In addition, event measurement insights will be collated in an all-new newsletter, Performance IQ, launching this year.

EMMC X EM: Event measurement thought leadership, live chats, and more.

“Measurement is one of the most important topics and practices within this industry, but it requires shared resources and perspectives for industry-wide success,” said Kerry Smith, President, Event Marketer. “As we embark on another year of partnership with the industry leaders at the EMMC, we’re excited to go even deeper on the tools and insights that matter most to event professionals and their work right now.”

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Event Marketer, protecting and growing our industry through credible measurement,” said Dax Callner, President, EMMC. “Data can be a source of truth and insight—telling a compelling story about event performance and impact. Event Marketer is the perfect storytelling partner to inspire more event professionals to adopt measurement into their work.”

Event Marketer has a long history of providing event measurement best practices to the event community. Event Marketer magazine and eventmarketer.com are home to thousands of articles featuring industry leading brands sharing their event measurement tips and best practices. Since its inception 24 years ago, EM’s annual executive conference, the Experiential Marketing Summit, has featured workshops and expert-led discussions on building better measurement strategies and metrics for events. Event Marketer’s annual Ex Awards and Experience Design Awards programs are awarded in large part based on business impact and ROI.

The post Event Measurement News: Event Marketer and the EMMC Join Forces for a Third Year appeared first on Event Marketer.

Previously live on LinkedIn, we were joined by Dax Callner, founder and board president of the Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition, and Whitney Brockman, vp-sponsorship sales at North American Veterinary Community (NAVC).

Event Marketer and the Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition have renewed their partnership for a third year, with 2026 bringing even more resources and content designed to help event marketers better prove the impact of their live events.

Read more here: https://www.eventmarketer.com/category/emmc-x-em

About the EMMC: https://www.eventmeasurement.org/

The post Watch On Demand: Measurement Strategies for Event Organizers appeared first on Event Marketer.

Available Now for EMMC Members.

If you organize events with exhibitors or sponsors, whether it’s a trade show, corporate conference, or consumer festival, you already know the uncomfortable truth: success isn’t judged by a single audience. You’re accountable to three. Attendees. Sponsors. And your own organization.

Too often, measurement in this space defaults to revenue, as the easiest to track metric. Tickets sold. Booth fees collected. Sponsorship dollars closed. While important, these numbers tell only a fraction of the story. Long-term event growth depends on something more nuanced, a mutual value equation where all parties feel their investment of time, money, and energy was worthwhile.

That belief is at the heart of the Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition’s playbook for events organizers. The premise is simple yet powerful—value must be assessed and communicated using clear, credible data.

Start by Defining Value for Every Audience

Sponsored events have two types of “customers.” Attendees invest their time and attention. Sponsors invest resources, talent, and often significant budget. Whether or not either group pays a formal fee is irrelevant. Both are making a real investment.

Attendees typically seek connection, enjoyment, new ideas, and access to relevant solutions. Sponsors look for qualified prospects, brand lift, and business outcomes (e.g. leads, sales). Organizers, meanwhile, care about revenue, reputation, and repeat participation.

Your job isn’t to favor one group over another, it’s to design an environment where value can be created for all three. Measurement is how you prove success.

Measure Perception Before You Chase Scale

Event reputation is a leading indicator of future growth. If people believe your event is valuable, relevant, and credible, attendance and sponsorship follow naturally.

That’s why post-event measurement should go beyond satisfaction scores. Ask attendees and sponsors to rate the value they received for their time, measure shifts in perception of the event, track Net Promoter Scores, and intent to return. These signals tell you whether your event is building affinity or eroding it.

Questions should be asked of sponsors as well as attendees. Their experience matters just as much.

Prove You’re Attracting the Right People

Sponsors don’t just want crowds, they want the right crowds. Data should demonstrate audience quality as much as quantity.

Registration and ticketing data can help you understand who is attending and whether they match sponsor targets. Tracking attendance-to-registration ratios also matters as high no-show rates undermine sponsor confidence and operational planning alike.

Transparency here is critical. When organizers withhold attendance and audience-quality data, sponsors are left guessing, and often hesitate to return.

Relevance Is the Currency of Sponsorship

Not all sponsors add value simply by showing up. Attendees should perceive sponsor presence as relevant and useful. Post-event surveys can assess whether sponsors felt aligned with the event, and whether attendees felt the same.

This is where organizers play a pivotal role curating sponsorships that make sense for the audience and delivering the qualified access sponsors were promised.

Revenue Is the Outcome, Not the Objective

Financial results matter, but they’re the byproduct of delivering mutual value, not the measure of it. When attendees feel fulfilled and sponsors see credible returns, revenue takes care of itself.

In a crowded event landscape, measurement isn’t about proving success after the fact. It’s about building trust, improving experiences, and creating events people and sponsors are eager to return to. Mutual value isn’t just good philosophy, it’s smart strategy.

For full access to our latest guidance, join the EMMC at eventmeasurement.org/join-the-emmc.

WATCH ON DEMAND: Measurement for Event Organizers—The Mutual Value Equation

For more Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition content click here.

The post Guest Column: Why Measuring ‘Mutual Value’ is the Only Way Event Organizers Win appeared first on Event Marketer.

By Matt Sincaglia, Board Member, Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition

EMMC Event Sustainability Measurement Playbook

In the high-stakes world of experiential marketing, events remain one of the most powerful tools to inspire, connect and convert audiences. But their environmental impact, often significant, is becoming harder for brands to ignore. Attendees, stakeholders and regulators increasingly expect provable  progress, not just eco-friendly rhetoric. The problem? While there’s no shortage of carbon calculators, recycling programs or sustainability “pledges,” the industry lacks a universally accepted framework for tracking and benchmarking event sustainability. Without it, marketers are left with fragmented data, inconsistent methods and no clear way to compare performance across events and the industry.

The Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition (EMMC) aims to change that by offering a pragmatic, scalable approach by simplifying the complexity of environmental data into two standardized, universally applicable metrics for owned events (as opposed to brand activations at third-party events).

The two metrics suggested are:

CO₂e per participant measuring the total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions generated by an event, divided by the total number of participants (attendees, staff, sponsors).

Landfill waste per participant quantifying the weight of waste sent to landfills, again on a per-participant basis.

The per-participant lens is an important distinction. It levels the playing field across events of different sizes and types, creating a common denominator for tracking, benchmarking and industry-wide comparison. With standardized inputs and formulas, brands can start to track performance over time and make data-driven sustainability decisions.

The EMMC urges marketers to set sustainability targets at the start of every project, track results against those targets and communicate outcomes transparently—even to event attendees. Publicly sharing performance, both successes and shortcomings, builds trust and invites collaboration.

The underlying philosophy is simple but powerful: data fuels change. By moving away from vague “green” claims and toward consistent, comparable, credible metrics, the industry can collectively raise the bar for sustainable events. Event professionals get not only a clearer picture of impact but also a stronger story to tell leadership, audiences and the world.

The “EMMC Event Sustainability Measurement Playbook” provides guidance, starting with defining the right metrics, applying them consistently, and using insights to drive continuous improvement. In doing so, brands can turn sustainability from a compliance checkbox into a competitive edge. The full playbook is available to EMMC members.  

For full access to our latest guidance, join the EMMC at eventmeasurement.org/join-the-emmc.

For more Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition content click here.

The post Guest Column: From Greenwashing to Green Wins. Measuring Event Sustainability appeared first on Event Marketer.

By Matt Sincaglia, Board Member, Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition

In the world of experiential marketing, sponsorship activations stand out as a powerful tool for brands looking to create meaningful connections with consumers. The Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition (EMMC) has released new guidance on how to effectively measure these activations, ensuring that brands can track and optimize their impact.

Sponsorships at events like music festivals, sports competitions, and food expos often involve passive brand presence—such as logo placements or naming rights. In contrast, sponsorship activations invite audiences into interactive brand experiences. Measuring these activations requires a distinct approach to capture their full value. Sponsorship activations can be assessed across three primary categories: 

1. Brand & Business Impact

To gauge how well an activation supports brand perception and business goals, marketers should focus on metrics such as brand perception, purchase intent, value for time, and customer advocacy

2. Performance Metrics

To fine-tune activations and maximize efficiency, brands should monitor participation, lead generation, and trials/samples. 

3. Social Impact

Today’s consumers value brands that prioritize sustainability and inclusivity. Metrics for measuring social impact include how sustainable the activation is, the accessibility of the experience, and if it is inclusive to all. 

Data Collection

To gather these types of metrics, the EMMC recommends a mix of active and passive measurement tools. On-site or follow-up surveys is one of the best ways to collect accurate data. Best practices for effective audience surveying include:

Interview-Based Surveys: Conduct short exit interviews with at least 30 percent of activation participants. Keeping surveys under five minutes ensures higher completion rates. Place survey interceptors at activation exit points to engage participants while their experience is still fresh.

Digital Survey Options: QR codes linking to mobile surveys can be effective if paired with incentives, but typically yield lower response rates than face-to-face methods.

Email Follow-Ups: If participant contact details are available, post-event email surveys can provide additional insights.

Balanced Incentives: While small rewards can boost participation, avoid overly influencing responses by ensuring some participants complete surveys without incentives.

Diverse Question Types: Use a mix of scaled ratings, open-ended feedback, and multiple-choice questions to get well-rounded insights.

Surveys can be supplemented with digital tracking and expert observation. By combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, marketers can gain a more holistic picture of their sponsorship activation.

Continuous Improvement

Effective sponsorship activation measurement isn’t just about reporting results—it’s about learning and improving. Setting clear KPIs, comparing outcomes to benchmarks, and analyzing trends over time can help brands refine their activation strategies for even greater impact.

The EMMC’s latest guidance provides tremendous value for marketers looking to make their sponsorship activations more data-driven and impactful. By leveraging these best practices, brands can ensure their activations don’t just attract attention but also deliver measurable value.

For full access to our latest guidance, join the EMMC at www.eventmeasurement.org/join-the-emmc.

Featured Image: iStock/Smashing Stocks

For more Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition content click here.

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