ICEN Study Links Event ROI to Clear Objectives
More than 400 senior corporate event leaders across three markets identified unclear objectives as the main barrier to proving event return on investment.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Remote Work
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The International Corporate Events Network (ICEN) published The Big Experiment whitepaper, drawn from July 2026 flagship events in the UK, Germany and the United States where more than 400 senior in-house corporate event leaders worked through the same template. Budget topped every board in every market.
Why it matters
Events are easy to cut because their real benefit is often not clearly demonstrated. When an event's objective is never clearly defined, there is nothing to measure against and no return on investment to prove.
The research drew on more than 400 senior in-house corporate event leaders working in tables of up to 10 people at ICEN flagship events. The whitepaper does not quantify how many participants agreed on measurement criteria, and no common standard has yet been adopted.
The players
International Corporate Events Network (ICEN)
A professional network of corporate event leaders that publishes research and convenes in-house event teams across multiple countries.
DRPG
A creative communications agency that is the headline partner of the ICEN Network and supported the whitepaper.
The details
Each participating table worked through the same template, committing answers to printed table coverings before debating them and taking part in open feedback across the room. Participants were encouraged to debate what stops them from proving ROI on events and what would have to change.
Timeline
July 2026: ICEN flagship events were held in the UK, Germany and the United States.
November 3, 2026: The Big Experiment whitepaper was published.
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.
Industry Context
The ICEN whitepaper extends its The Big Experiment research program by locating the core weakness in corporate events in undefined objectives rather than in budget alone. ICEN's next stage will attempt to set a common standard for objectives and measurement across the sector.
Corporate event planners who can define measurable objectives before budgeting are better positioned to defend their spending. Teams that cannot show a clear purpose for an event risk losing it when budgets tighten.
The takeaway
Defining a clear objective before an event is the most practical step corporate teams can take to make its value provable. Measuring results against that objective gives planners a defensible case when budgets come under review.
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.
Further reading
For broader context on how employers are rethinking in-person and distributed work, see Remote Work.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mitmagazine.
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Do you think companies get real value from the events they spend money on?
