How does an open house benefit your organization?

Area of Science:

• Marketing Research
• Public Relations Evaluation
• Event Management Analytics

Background:

• Corporations increasingly value marketing and public relations (PR) function evaluations.
• However, evaluation findings are often unreported, and special event assessments (e.g., open houses) rely heavily on subjective senior management opinions.
• There is a need for objective evaluation methods for corporate events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on an objective evaluation of a corporate open house using research methods.
• To provide a model for future evaluations of similar special events.
• To detail the methodology for objective event assessment.

Main Methods:

• The study employed research methods to objectively measure the success of an open house event.
• Data collection focused on attendee numbers, demographics, perceptions of the event and organizing company, and knowledge gained.
• The evaluation was conducted at Kaiser Permanente's Park Sierra Medical Offices in Riverside, California.

Main Results:

• The evaluation quantified attendee numbers and identified key demographics (employees, Health Plan members, prospective enrollees).
• Attendee perceptions of the open house and Kaiser Permanente were systematically assessed.
• The extent to which attendees acquired new information during the event was measured.

Conclusions:

• Objective research methods provide a more accurate measure of special event success compared to subjective assessments.
• The methodology presented can serve as a replicable model for evaluating corporate open houses and similar events.
• Understanding attendee demographics, perceptions, and learning is crucial for effective marketing and PR strategies.