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This article is the final part of a four-part series designed to help you intentionally connect events and continuing education into one cohesive strategy.
Measure impact across the full member journey.
Attendance and completion of education courses should be the start of your members’ journeys. Those numbers matter, but they only capture what happened in a single moment. If you want to understand true member growth and long-term program impact, measurement needs to reflect how your members engage across events, education, and everything in between.
The fourth play is about shifting measurements from activity metrics to impact metrics, so you can justify investment and maker smarter decisions.
What this play unlocks:
- A clearer story of member impact beyond one-time participation.
- Stronger justification for investment through outcomes over time.
- Better visibility into year-round engagement across events and education.
- Higher confidence in reporting to leadership, boards, sponsors, and stakeholders.
Measurement questions (use these every time):
- Are members returning?
- Are they progressing?
- Are they engaging across programs?
When measurement reflects the full member journey, it becomes one of your most powerful tools for sustainable growth.
Implementing Play 4 (in 30 Days)
Choose one program (can fall under an event or education initiative) and complete these actions:
1. Define success across time horizons: Measurement becomes meaningful when it reflects how engagement evolves over a set time.
Example: Define success as:
- At event (0-7 Days): Participation and session engagement.
- Post-event (7-60 Days): On-demand consumption and CE/CME completion.
- Long-term (60-365 Days): Return participation in another program or event.
2. Build one shared grading card: This makes measurement repeatable and easier to communicate.
Example: Create a one-page grading card that includes:
- Attendance and engagement indicators.
- Content utilization metrics.
- CE/CME completion.
- Cross-program completion.
- Returning engagement signals.
3. Turn data into a narrative: Data becomes invaluable when it’s communicated as a story with clear direction.
Example: Replace “here are the numbers” with:
- What happened: Attendees increased 12% and engagement was the highest in Track A.
- What it means: Members are seeking practical content and shorter formats.
- What we’re doing next: Expand Track A into a 90-day learning pathway and promote it to new members.
4. Use measurement to guide decisions: Metrics should drive both action and documentation.
Example: Use results to decide:
- What themes to expand into education offerings.
- Which sessions should become on-demand pathways.
- Which topics or formats are declining and can be retired.
- Where to invest for next year’s growth.
Cheat Sheet: Metrics to Track
Engagement over time:
- Repeat logins & return visits.
- Returning attendance year-over-year.
- Time between event participation and next program engagement.
- Engagement trends across 30/60/90 days.
Content utilization:
- On-demand views per session.
- Completion rate by content type.
- Most saved, shared, and downloaded sessions.
- Utilization by audience segment (new versus returning members).
Cross-program participation:
- % of event attendees who complete CE/CME afterward.
- % of education learners who register for an event.
- Participation overlaps across event and education programs.
- Pathway profession (intro -> intermediate -> advanced learning).
Common Pitfalls
Measuring only what’s easiest to count.
- Attendance and completions are useful data points to collect, but it can be difficult to use them to explain behavior or long-term impact.
- What to do instead: Add at least one metric in each category: engagement over time, content utilization, and cross-program participation.
Reporting numbers without interruption.
- Raw dashboards don’t build confidence or guide effective decisions for your team.
- What to do instead: Pair every metric with meaning that answers the following questions. What happened? Why does it matter? What will we choose to do next?
Tracking too many metrics at once.
- Too many metrics can dilute your association’s focus and create reporting fatigue.
- What to do instead: Start with a small set of shared metrics, then expand them once the grading card becomes repeatable and trusted.
Measuring what matters helps you show real impact. When you can tell that full events and education story with confidence, you’re demonstrating true value over reporting vague activities.
Closing Remarks
Events and education are two parts of one continuous member journey, and associations that successfully connect them will be positioned to scale their impact without causing strain. By aligning goals, simplifying workflows, building a supportive ecosystem, and measuring what matters, you and your teams can create experiences that make your members feel more connected to your association.
You don’t have to change everything at once. Start with one program, one workflow, or one shared metric. Then you can build from there.
