When i first got to Philly2Night I was asked to make a list of any goals or outcomes that I expected to receive from my internship. And although I knew what I expected from the internship I had no idea just how much I would learn during my time here. One of the goals that I listed was to learn different and proper techniques that can help evaluate the effectiveness of an event or promotion. In school we learn how to put things together, whether they are media plans, press releases, campaigns and even major events; however when it comes to evaluating most of these creations , many students find that they only have a paper assignment and a grade to judge how effective their creation is. In reality students are often times not given the chance to evaluate themselves because the assignments given are not put into action.
While helping run the first major event that I helped to plan, the Halloween Scavenger hunt, I realized quickly that evaluation doesn’t necessarily come after the project, but instead that there are times when it will be up to an individual to correct a minor detail right then and there. During the event, in which interns were heavily involved, there were some complications, and while you may think it is because we interns do not have as much experience as others, these were complications that could not have been avoided, more than they were. Instead of let the event finish on a bad note, we hit the streets in order to reach out to the participants of the hunt. And although some participants were upset many responded in an understanding manner and some even laughed the issue off.
After the event was through, we were able to evaluate the night through each others’ stories, a profit measurement system and participant reactions. Our event was successful! Not only was there tons of people at the event, many of them made purchases of the advertised brand at the intended points. The next day photos were posted online of the event and people immediately responded to them. Surveys were also used to collect thoughts and opinions on the event. It seemed as though evaluating the event was an entirely different section of the event. The evaluation helped us become more aware of issues and concerns amongst each other as well as amongst the participants. From the evaluation we were able to decide and prove how successful of an event we ran.We also were given the chance to gather issues, concerns, and even solutions that may be of use for the next project. Overall I was pleased to work with such a talented team on a successful event that can be added to my portfolio and resume.
