1. Leslie Gail Scamacca, PhD, CMP lscamacca@lagcc.cuny.edu
Success: Determining Non-Financial Success Metrics for Meeting and Event Professionals
Leslie Gail Scamacca, PhD, CMP

2. About LaGuardia Community College
Located in Queens, the city’s most ethnically diverse borough, the college provides access to higher education and serves New Yorkers of all backgrounds, ages and means. (About LaGuardia, n.d.) LaGuardia’s student body is one of the most ethnically diverse in the world (Latino 41%, Black 20%, Asian 21%, White, 14% and Other/Unknown 4%); approximately 45% of our students are foreign born and speak over 124 languages.
About LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York is named for Fiorello H. LaGuardia, New York City’s New Deal mayor, who inspired a city of immigrants. Located in Queens, the city’s most ethnically diverse borough, the college provides access to higher education and serves New Yorkers of all backgrounds, ages and means. (About LaGuardia, n.d.) LaGuardia’s student body is one of the most ethnically diverse in the world (Latino 41%, Black 20%, Asian 21%, White, 14% and Other/Unknown 4%); approximately 45% of our students are foreign born and speak over 124 languages. This rich cultural mix is a distinct advantage for any college, but can also bring obstacles in the learning environment, particularly when trying to engage students in critical thinking and problem solving (Scamacca, 2015).
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
2/25/2019

3. Study Background
This study comes at a critical time. As the industry continues to grow and mature, and meetings and events become strategic solutions for clients, meeting planners are required to show business value in the events that they plan. Clients need constant reassurance that their event will have a positive or a successful outcome.
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
2/25/2019

4. An Industry Matures
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5. Then What Happened?
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6. Which Led To…
The Convention Industry Council published its 2012 Economic Significance Study. The total output of the meetings industry in the U.S. is worth 770 Billion dollar. The Meetings Industry's Direct Contributions to the U.S. Economy in 2012: 1.83M corporate and business meetings, trade shows, conventions, congresses, incentive events and other meetings take place in the U.S., resulting in: $280B in direct spending 1.78M U.S. jobs $115B contribution to GDP $28B in federal, state and local tax revenue $66.8B in U.S. labor income The indirect effects are valued $276B and the induced spending 213B bringing the total impact to a stunning $770B. Learn more:
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
2/25/2019

7. Metric of Success: Return on Investment
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
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8. Phillips’ ROI Model Level 1: Satisfaction and Planned Action
Level 2: Learning
Level 3: Application
Level 4: Business Impact
Level 5: ROI
Another gap in current meeting and event evaluation models is the focus. Models such as the Phillips’ Return on Investment (ROI) Methodology measure return on investment for the client, but much of the data is not relevant or collectible for the meeting planner. Little information exists on how planners can measure the success of their meetings and events. The need to demonstrate business value and limited success metrics are the key reasons to conduct this study.
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
2/25/2019

9. Wait, How Much?
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10. Purpose What about the other 95%?
From an evaluation standpoint, industry professionals are faced with two primary issues.
What is the definition of a successful meeting or event?
How to appropriately measure intangible, non- financial success?
From an evaluation standpoint, industry professionals are faced with two primary issues. What constitutes success may vary by industry segments or meeting type, but these nuances aren’t addressed in current evaluation models, such as ROI. ROI is only an appropriate measure in five percent of meetings and events (Myhill & Phillips, 2006). This suggests that additional success metrics can be developed and tested, and perhaps debunk the “one size fits all” nature of the ROI model.
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
2/25/2019

11. Pine and Gilmore’s Experience Economy
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12. Methodology
a. What are the key tangible, intangible, and /or non-financial traits in the planning process that contribute to success for educational events?
b. What are the key tangible, intangible, and /or non-financial traits in the planning process that contribute to success for entertainment events?
c. What are the key tangible, intangible, and /or non-financial traits in the planning process that contribute to success for escapist events?
d. What are the key tangible, intangible, and /or non-financial traits in the planning process that contribute to success for esthetic events?
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
2/25/2019

13. Summary of Findings Educational Content Retention Learning Styles
Entertainment
Amenities
Excitement
Escapist
Going outside norms and boundaries
Location
1: Attendance, Evaluations, Meeting pre-determined goals and objectives, Learning styles, Effective event management (utilizing resources), ROI
2a: Educational: Location, Goals and Objectives, Learning styles, Network building, Content retention
2b: Entertainment: Amenities, Balance, Excitement
2c: Escapist: Going outside norms and boundaries, location selection, activity selection
2d: Esthetic: Details
3: Educational: Certified properties and venues, attendee surveys, interviews and feedback, pre/ post assessment
Entertainment: attendee surveys, interviews and feedback
Escapist: attendee surveys, reactions
Esthetic: attendee surveys, reactions
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
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14. Summary of Findings, continued
Esthetic
Details
Engaging the Senses
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15. Conclusions and Next Steps
Continue to clarify definitions
Educational
Entertainment
Escapist
Esthetic
Conclusions and Next Steps
Meetings and Events Congress 2016
2/25/2019

16. THANK YOU! Leslie G. Scamacca, PhD, CMP lscamacca@lagcc.cuny.edu
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