‍

Employees attend an average of 62 meetings a month – and half of them are considered unproductive or a waste of time. This is one of the many examples that proves that even though we live in a world where we claim “time is money”, we surely do not appreciate it enough. What if there was a specific method to measure how a meeting, discussion, or event is worth the time?

Well, there is! In this article, we will deep dive into Return on Time Invested (ROTI) which can help organizers measure if their attendees feel like the time they spent commuting, preparing, and attending the event is worthwhile in such a short span of time. Without further ado, let’s dive in👇

‍

Understanding ROTI: A Powerful Metric for Event Success

ROTI itself is one of the many ways to evaluate an event’s success, focusing on whether the time someone spent for the event was worthwhile. It was first developed and popular during the pandemic days when we switched to virtual events. This is because virtual events presented a unique challenge in assessing their effectiveness and the value they provided to participants. Hence it sparked the idea and need for a more comprehensive and qualitative evaluation of event success.

This is why, even though it pursues the same idea as Return on Investment (ROI) and its complementary nature in evaluating event success, ROI primarily focuses on financial gains, while ROTI goes beyond these tangible metrics.

Now, ROTI has evolved and has been adopted for all types of events as it helps organizers better understand the impact an event has on attendees' time and make data-driven decisions to enhance future experiences. 

‍

Cracking the ROTI Code: 12 Essential Queries to Ask

In evaluating ROTI, it's essential to recognize that there isn't a fixed or rigidly set metric for this measurement. Instead, the concept revolves around gauging the qualitative aspects of event success and attendee satisfaction based on the aspects which you, as the organizer, want to know about the most. Simply put, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to measuring ROTI.

However, according to Ashutosh Bhatawadekar’s post, we can gather these twelve essential questions that you can ask which helps provide a flexible and comprehensive method to assess event impact. These questions act as a guiding framework to help unlock the attendees' experiences and identify areas for improvement:

‍

The Impact of Time: Real-Life ROTI Examples

Now that we’ve explored the essential questions for assessing ROTI, let's delve into practical examples of ROTI feedback, and understand how this valuable metric manifests in actual event experiences. From time-worthy events, concise and effective meetings, to time-optimized gatherings, these examples demonstrate the significance of efficient time utilization in maximizing attendee satisfaction and event success:

Why Should Organizers Start Utilizing ROTI?

So now, another question arises - why should event organizers utilize this method? Here are the essential reasons:

‍

Understanding Attendee Experiences:

ROTI feedback serves as a window into the minds of event attendees, allowing organizers to grasp their perspectives and gauge the effectiveness of event offerings. By understanding this, organizers can tailor future events to meet participants’ expectations, ultimately leading to a greater attendee satisfaction and loyalty. Check out more on understanding the attendee experience in our other article here.

‍

Real-Time Event Evaluation:

Not only for future events, one of the key advantages of ROTI feedback lies in its ability to provide real-time event evaluation. By collecting feedback during or immediately after an event, organizers can identify areas of improvement on the spot, allowing for quick corrective actions and enhancing attendee experiences in real-time.

You can do this by simply shooting out a question on a pop-up survey on your tools (like a push notification on your event app) that shows a simple question like “How are you enjoying the event so far?”.

‍

Data-Driven Decision Making:

ROTI feedback equips organizers with tangible data to inform decision-making processes. Instead of relying solely on subjective observations, organizers can base their choices on concrete feedback and insights, optimizing event logistics, content, and format for better outcomes.

‍

Enhancing Event Effectiveness:

ROTI feedback allows organizers to measure the impact of event content and activities on attendees. By identifying the most impactful elements, organizers will be able to refine their event strategies, focusing on what truly resonates with the audience and enhancing the overall effectiveness of their events.

‍

Measuring Event ROI Holistically:

While traditional ROI metrics focus on financial gains, ROTI feedback delves into qualitative aspects of event success. By combining ROTI with financial metrics, organizers can assess the true value of their events, providing a more comprehensive view of event ROI.

‍

Unlock Event Success with ROTI and Jublia

To maximize ROTI feedback, event organizers need efficient tools like real-time feedback apps, event surveys, event apps, audience response systems, social media listening tools, and data analytics. Embracing the right tools ensures a seamless feedback collection process, leading to impactful events and memorable experiences for all participants.

Get the support you need from our seamlessly integrated Jublia Engagement Hub, the best digital solution and platform to improve the ROI of your events. Connect with us at info@jublia.com and follow us on LinkedIn  for more insights and updates on event excellence!