Partner Playbook
Measuring Partner Value
Not all event partners deliver equal value. Some partners drive registrations, attendance, and qualified leads. Others are dead weight. This playbook shows you how to measure partner contribution using Success Score principles and run effective partner debriefs.
Why Partner Measurement Matters
The Partner Problem
Most companies run co-marketing events with partners but never objectively measure partner contribution. Common issues:
- Partner A brings 50 registrations but only 10% show up
- Partner B brings 20 registrations and 80% show up (same net attendance, way better)
- Partner C brings high attendance but low-quality leads
- Partner D brings fewer people but all are qualified buyers
Without measurement, you can't tell which partners to work with again.
The Partner Opportunity
When you measure partner contribution, you can:
- Double down on great partners (run more events together)
- Optimize mediocre partners (give feedback, improve alignment)
- Cut bad partners (reallocate resources to partners that deliver)
- Negotiate better (use data to justify budget splits and sponsorship tiers)
Partner Contribution Metrics
Core Metrics to Track
For every partner at every event, track:
| Metric | What It Measures | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Registrations Driven | How many people registered via partner promotion | 20-30% of total |
| Attendance Rate | % of partner registrations that attended | 60%+ |
| Lead Quality | % of partner attendees that are target accounts | 50%+ |
| Engagement | Did partner promote the event? (email, social, sales outreach) | High |
| Follow-up | Did partner follow up with attendees post-event? | Yes |
Partner Success Score Score
You can calculate a Partner Success Score using these components:
Partner Success Score = (Quantity × 0.30) + (Quality × 0.40) + (Engagement × 0.30)
Quantity Score (30%)
- Based on: Registrations driven, attendance rate
- High score: Partner drove 25%+ of total attendance
- Medium score: Partner drove 10-25% of attendance
- Low score: Partner drove < 10% of attendance
Quality Score (40%)
- Based on: % of attendees from target accounts, lead quality
- High score: 60%+ of partner attendees are qualified buyers
- Medium score: 30-60% are qualified
- Low score: < 30% are qualified
Engagement Score (30%)
- Based on: Did partner actively promote? Did they follow up?
- High score: Multiple touchpoints (email, social, sales calls), post-event follow-up
- Medium score: Sent 1-2 emails, minimal follow-up
- Low score: No promotion or follow-up
Partner Grade Scale
| Partner Success Score | Grade | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 80-100 | A | Premier Partner - Run more events together |
| 60-79 | B | Good Partner - Optimize and improve |
| 40-59 | C | Weak Partner - Give feedback, consider alternatives |
| 0-39 | D/F | Cut Partner - Don't work together again |
Partner Debrief Framework
After every co-marketing event, run a structured debrief with your partner. Use this framework:
1. Pre-Debrief Prep (Before the meeting)
Calculate the numbers:
- Total registrations (yours + theirs)
- Attendance rate (yours vs. theirs)
- Lead quality (target accounts, qualified buyers)
- Pipeline generated (if trackable)
Create a simple scorecard:
Event: [Event Name]
Date: [Date]
Partner: [Partner Name]
Contribution Summary:
- Registrations driven by partner: [X] ([Y]% of total)
- Partner attendance rate: [X]%
- Lead quality: [X]% from target accounts
- Partner Success Score: [Score] (Grade [A/B/C/D])
Overall Event Performance:
- Total attendance: [X]
- Event Success Score: [Score]
- Pipeline generated: $[X]
2. Debrief Meeting Agenda (30-45 minutes)
Agenda:
- Review event outcomes (5 min) - Share overall Success Score and key metrics
- Discuss partner contribution (10 min) - Present partner scorecard
- What worked (10 min) - Celebrate successes
- What could improve (10 min) - Honest feedback on gaps
- Next steps (5 min) - Decide on future collaboration
3. Debrief Questions
What Worked?
- What promotion tactics drove the most registrations?
- Which of your attendees were most engaged?
- What feedback did you hear from your customers?
- What surprised you positively?
What Could Improve?
- Why was your attendance rate [X]%? (If below 60%)
- How can we better align on target audience?
- What would make you promote the event more actively?
- What resources do you need from us to drive better outcomes?
Future Collaboration?
- Should we run another event together?
- What format would work better? (webinar, in-person, dinner, etc.)
- How should we split budget/responsibilities next time?
- What would make this a bigger priority for your team?
4. Post-Debrief Actions
For Grade A Partners (80-100):
- Schedule next event within 30 days
- Increase budget/support for partner
- Feature partner in case studies or success stories
- Introduce partner to other teams for broader collaboration
For Grade B Partners (60-79):
- Share specific feedback on how to improve
- Offer resources (templates, training, co-marketing support)
- Run one more event to see if improvements work
- Track progress quarter-over-quarter
For Grade C Partners (40-59):
- Deliver honest feedback about underperformance
- Set clear expectations for next event
- Consider reducing budget or co-marketing commitment
- Explore other partnership models (non-event collaboration)
For Grade D Partners (0-39):
- Have a direct conversation about results
- Pause co-marketing events
- Reallocate resources to better-performing partners
- Consider ending the partnership if there's no path to improvement
Real-World Partner Scenarios
Scenario 1: The Volume Partner
Profile: Partner drives tons of registrations but low attendance rate
Example Metrics:
- Registrations driven: 150 (60% of total)
- Attendance rate: 30% (45 actually showed up)
- Lead quality: 40% from target accounts
- Partner Success Score: 55 (Grade C)
Diagnosis: Partner is spraying invites to their entire database without targeting
Actions:
- Ask partner to segment their list (send only to qualified personas)
- Provide partner with target account list to cross-reference
- Improve partner's email copy (make the value clearer)
- Add a pre-event confirmation call to boost attendance
Expected Outcome: Next event, attendance rate increases to 60%+, Partner Success Score jumps to 70+
Scenario 2: The Quality Partner
Profile: Partner drives fewer registrations but high-quality attendees
Example Metrics:
- Registrations driven: 30 (20% of total)
- Attendance rate: 80% (24 showed up)
- Lead quality: 75% from target accounts
- Partner Success Score: 85 (Grade A)
Diagnosis: Partner is doing targeted outreach to the right accounts
Actions:
- Double down on this partner (run more events together)
- Increase partner's budget allocation
- Ask partner to share their targeting/outreach playbook
- Co-create a case study showcasing the partnership
Expected Outcome: Expand partnership to other regions/formats
Scenario 3: The Ghost Partner
Profile: Partner committed to the event but didn't promote it
Example Metrics:
- Registrations driven: 5 (3% of total)
- Attendance rate: 60% (3 showed up)
- Lead quality: Unknown (too small sample)
- Partner Success Score: 25 (Grade D)
Diagnosis: Event wasn't a priority for partner, they didn't allocate resources
Actions:
- Have an honest debrief: "Why didn't you promote this?"
- Understand their constraints (bandwidth, priorities, budget)
- Decide if there's a path forward (mutual commitment needed)
- If no path forward, cut the partnership
Expected Outcome: Either partner commits to next event or partnership ends
Partner Tiering Strategy
Use Partner Success Score to create a tiering system:
Tier 1: Premier Partners (Success Score 80+)
- Commitment: Quarterly co-marketing events
- Budget: 40-50% of event budget covered by partner
- Support: Dedicated co-marketing manager, custom content, executive alignment
- Volume: Run 4+ events per year together
Tier 2: Active Partners (Success Score 60-79)
- Commitment: 2-3 events per year
- Budget: 30% of event budget covered by partner
- Support: Shared marketing resources, standard templates
- Volume: Run 2-3 events per year together
Tier 3: Emerging Partners (Success Score 40-59)
- Commitment: 1-2 pilot events
- Budget: 20% of event budget covered by partner
- Support: Self-service resources, limited custom support
- Volume: Run 1 event to evaluate fit
Tier 4: Do Not Work With (Success Score < 40)
- Commitment: None
- Budget: $0
- Support: N/A
- Volume: 0 events
Partner Promotion Best Practices
To help partners drive better results, share these best practices:
1. Segmented Outreach
Don't: Blast entire partner database with generic invite Do: Target specific personas/accounts that match event audience
2. Multi-Channel Promotion
Don't: Send one email and call it done Do: Use email, social, sales outreach, and account-based campaigns
3. Clear Value Proposition
Don't: "Join us for a webinar on [topic]" Do: "Learn how [customer] reduced costs by 40% using [solution]—get the playbook"
4. Personal Invites
Don't: Mass email from marketing@partner.com Do: Personal invites from partner sales reps to their accounts
5. Follow-Up Post-Event
Don't: Go dark after the event Do: Send recordings, resources, and schedule follow-up calls within 48 hours
Partner Negotiation Tips
Use Partner Success Score data to negotiate better terms:
If Partner Success Score is High (80+)
You can ask for:
- Increased budget contribution (50%+ of event costs)
- Dedicated co-marketing headcount
- Executive sponsorship of events
- Multi-year commitment
If Partner Success Score is Medium (60-79)
You should offer:
- More marketing support (templates, training, resources)
- Better targeting tools (account lists, persona guides)
- Joint success metrics and quarterly reviews
If Partner Success Score is Low (< 60)
You should require:
- Proof of commitment (concrete promotion plan, timeline)
- Minimum registration guarantees
- Reduced budget contribution until they prove value
Partner Debrief Template
Use this template for your post-event partner debrief:
# Partner Debrief: [Event Name]
**Date**: [Event Date]
**Partner**: [Partner Name]
**Attendees**: [Your team], [Partner team]
---
## Event Overview
- **Total Registrations**: [X]
- **Total Attendance**: [X] ([Y]% attendance rate)
- **Event Success Score**: [Score] (Grade [A/B/C/D])
- **Pipeline Generated**: $[X] (if trackable)
---
## Partner Contribution
- **Registrations Driven**: [X] ([Y]% of total)
- **Partner Attendance Rate**: [X]%
- **Lead Quality**: [X]% from target accounts
- **Partner Success Score**: [Score] (Grade [A/B/C/D])
---
## What Worked
- [Specific thing partner did well]
- [Another success]
- [Another success]
---
## What Could Improve
- [Specific area for improvement]
- [Another gap]
- [Another gap]
---
## Action Items
**Your Team**:
- [ ] [Action item with owner and deadline]
- [ ] [Action item]
**Partner Team**:
- [ ] [Action item with owner and deadline]
- [ ] [Action item]
---
## Next Steps
- [ ] Schedule follow-up meeting: [Date]
- [ ] Decide on next event: [Yes/No, if yes, what format?]
- [ ] Budget commitment for next event: [Amount]
---
**Decision**:
☐ Run another event together
☐ Pause partnership and revisit in [X] months
☐ End partnership
Next Steps
- Calculate Partner Success Score for your last co-marketing event
- Schedule debriefs with all partners using the framework above
- Create a partner tiering system based on Success Score scores
- Double down on Grade A partners and cut Grade D partners
- Track partner performance over time to see if improvements work
Need help tracking partner metrics? Use Event Karma to automatically score partners and generate debrief reports.