Undefined Objectives Leave Corporate Events Exposed
Event and marketing teams that cannot show return on investment are the most exposed when budgets tighten.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Remote Work
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Do you think companies get real value from the events they spend money on?
The International Corporate Events Network (ICEN) published The Big Experiment, a whitepaper on corporate event return on investment, drawing on sessions with more than 400 senior in-house corporate event leaders at its July 2026 flagship events in the UK, Germany and the United States. Corporate event teams that cannot yet prove ROI face budget pressure, and the study's findings bear directly on how such teams justify spend.
Why it matters
Events are easy to cut because their real benefit is often not clearly demonstrated, and when an event's objective is never defined there is nothing to measure against and no return to prove. The research suggests the core problem is definitional rather than purely financial, which matters for any business deciding whether to keep, expand or cut event budgets.
More than 400 senior in-house corporate event leaders took part in the study, working in tables of up to 10 across ICEN events in the UK, Germany and the United States in July 2026. Budget topped the concerns raised at every board in every market.
The players
International Corporate Events Network (ICEN)
A network of in-house corporate event professionals that runs flagship events and publishes research on event strategy and measurement.
DRPG
A creative communications agency and the headline partner of the ICEN Network, supporting the whitepaper and facilitating sessions in the UK, Germany and the United States.
The details
Each participating table worked through the same template, debating and arguing their answers before committing them to printed table coverings, followed by open feedback across the room. Participants were encouraged to examine what stops them from proving event ROI and what would have to change. The exercise treated measurement as a shared problem to be solved collectively rather than a single team's reporting burden.
Timeline
July 2026: ICEN holds flagship events in the UK, Germany and the United States, where the research was carried out.
November 3, 2026: ICEN publishes The Big Experiment whitepaper.
July 1, 2027: The Big Experiment returns at ICEN Germany.
July 8, 2027: The Big Experiment returns at ICEN UK.
July 15, 2027: The Big Experiment returns at ICEN US.
Market Landscape
The study is positioned within the ICEN flagship event series, which runs the same round-table format across the UK, Germany and the United States. Its findings frame event measurement as a sector-wide gap, with ICEN planning a common standard for objectives and measurement as the next step.
Event and marketing leaders should document a defined objective for each event before budget reviews, since the research shows unmeasured events are the ones most exposed to cuts. Finance and events teams should agree on the measurement approach in advance so return can be demonstrated rather than asserted.
The takeaway
Businesses that run events should define a specific objective and measurement method before each event, because unmeasured spend is hardest to defend. Watch for the common ROI standard ICEN has said it will develop, and review the objectives behind your own event budget ahead of the next planning cycle.
What happens next
The Big Experiment returns at ICEN Germany on July 1, 2027, at ICEN UK on July 8, 2027, and at ICEN US on July 15, 2027, where the measurement debate is expected to continue.
Further reading
For more on how business teams organize and measure their work away from the office, see the Remote Work section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mitmagazine.
Live Poll
Do you think companies get real value from the events they spend money on?
