Event Evaluation Research

This article describes the results of an investigation of the current use and importance of event evaluation criteria by tourism destination authorities (TDAs). The study involved a Delphi survey of Australian and international experts in event evaluation from the public and private sector. Both pre- and postevent evaluation criteria were investigated. The importance of alternative methodological issues, including return on investment (RoI), use of multipliers, and the issue of time switching and event-related travel, was also investigated. The results demonstrate consensus on the frequency of use and importance of a range of criteria and provide a platform for the development of a standardized approach to pre- and postevent evaluation. These pre- and postevent criteria are discussed in detail, and factors that should be considered when framing a model for standardized evaluation of events are suggested.