Organizing an event takes a lot of time, effort and resources. As an event organizer, you want to make sure that your attendees have a great experience. One of the best ways to improve your future events is by collecting feedback from attendees.
Feedback allows you to understand what your attendees liked, what could be improved, and how likely they are to attend your event in the future. With this valuable information, you can make data-driven decisions to enhance event experiences.
8 Powerful Ways To Collect Event Attendee Feedback
Here are 8 powerful ways to collect event attendee feedback, ensuring valuable insights to elevate future events and enhance overall satisfaction.
1. Event App Surveys
Event apps provide an easy way to survey attendees in real-time. With most event apps, you can create surveys with customizable questions and distribute them before, during or after your event.
Here are some tips for effective event app surveys:
1.1 Keep it Short
Don’t overwhelm your attendees with long, complex surveys. Ask 5-7 targeted questions that focus on your key objectives. Short surveys will result in higher response rates.
1.2 Send Periodic Reminders
Don’t just send your survey once and hope people respond. Use in-app notifications to remind attendees to provide feedback multiple times. Prime times are at the midpoint and end of your event.
1.3 Offer Incentives
Consider providing small rewards to attendees who complete your surveys, like prize drawings, treats or Branded giveaway items. Even nominal incentives drive increased response rates.
1.4 Ask Actionable Questions
Pose questions that shed light on areas you can improve. Get input on things like the venue, catering, session content and overall event satisfaction.
2. Post-Event Email Surveys
Email surveys continue to be one of the most commonly used methods to solicit event feedback. With a post-event email, you can reach every single one of your attendees easily.
Here are tips for getting the most value from post-event email surveys:
2.1 Send Quickly
Send your email survey within 1-3 days after your event while it’s still fresh in attendees’ minds. Include key highlights as a reminder of what the event covered.
2.2 Segment Your Attendees
Don’t send the exact same survey to all attendees. Create separate surveys for speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and general admission attendees personalized to their specific experience.
2.3 Offer a Feedback Deadline
Let attendees know when they can expect the feedback period to close, generally 5-7 days post-event. This creates a sense of urgency for them to provide timely input.
2.4 Follow-Up on Extreme Feedback
If you receive any extremely positive or negative feedback, follow up for more details via email or phone. This additional context can uncover valuable insights.
3. SMS Text Surveys
SMS text surveys are quick and convenient for collecting instant reactions while your event is underway. Attendees can provide feedback easily from their mobile device without leaving the presentation hall.
Consider these pointers for effective SMS text event surveys:
3.1 Choose a Provider
There are many online survey platforms like SurveyMonkey and SurveyGizmo that offer SMS text surveying capabilities right from your account dashboard.
3.2 Keep Texts Short
SMS allows for only 160 characters max, so questions must be concise. “On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 means very poor and 5 means excellent, how would you rate the speaker?”
3.3 Structure for Scale
If possible, automate sending survey texts at pre-designated times to various attendee segments. Unique texts can be created for different groups if desired.
3.4 Close the Loop
Share key takeaways from your text survey results on screen or via a follow up email. Show attendees that their feedback provides continuous improvements.
4. Social Media Polls
Social media polls offer a quick way to get a pulse on event satisfaction before, during and after your event unfolds.
Here is how to tap into social polling power:
4.1 Pre-Poll Hype
Ask an intriguing question like “Which breakout topic are you most excited about?” on your event page to spark excitement leading up to your event.
4.2 Mid-Event Pulse Check
Pose real-time poll questions on your event hashtag like “On a scale from 1 to 10, how are you enjoying this session?” Solicit photos and tag attendees!
4.3 Post-Event Recap Poll
Ask a summary question such as “Now that it’s over, what was your favorite part about our 2023 Annual Conference?”
4.4 Incorporate Multi-Social Channels
Post your poll questions across platforms like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook to increase visibility and input sources.
5. Paper Feedback Surveys
Though declining in popularity, paper surveys still play an important tactile feedback role. Some benefits include:
5.1 Immediate Collection
Distribute paper surveys during your closing session to capture input while enthusiasm is peaked. Collect them via dropboxes onsite.
5.2 Sensory Change of Pace
The act of writing responses helps cement event memories more than just tapping digital responses for some people.
5.3 Creative Expression
Paper allows doodling, drawing emphasis lines or circling key elements lost in digital experiences.
5.4 Easy Reference
During post-event summary reviews, concrete print surveys are handy to have close by for quick fact checking.
Just be sure to follow-up with manual data entry and keep the paper locked up!
6. Focus Group Discussions
Small focus group discussions offer in-depth qualitative feedback that surveys cannot provide. Follow these guidelines:
6.1 Recruit Various Attendee Types
Gather 6-10 willing attendees with varying backgrounds like speakers, sponsors, influencers, loyal alumni and even critics.
6.2 Use a Skilled Moderator
Hire an experienced facilitator to lead the group based on an interview guide you develop with key objectives.
6.3 Provide Food & Beverages
Focus groups work best in comfortable environments with complimentary treats that make conversations flow freely.
6.4 Dig Deeper on Feedback
Ask “why” to uncover root causes behind survey scores. Challenge the group for brutally honest perspectives.
6.5 Formalize Results
Have your moderator summarize session recordings, highlight themes with participant quotes and provide concrete recommendations.
7. Intercept Surveys
Intercept surveys involve staff members roaming event areas and personally asking attendees for quick on-site feedback. Some best practices include:
7.1 Seek Varied Opinions
Instruct staff to approach diverse attendee types based on demographic factors like age, gender, ethnicity etc. to prevent biased samples.
7.2 Keep it Brief
Limit survey questions to 2-3 focused items that can be answered in under a minute to respect people’s time.
7.3 Survey During Natural Pauses
Look for occasions when attendees are not actively engaged like standing in registration lines, exiting breakouts or lingering near vendors.
7.4 Report Topline Findings in Real-time
Have staff enter responses on tablets that automatically tally results. Then display current satisfaction levels on event signage.
8. Moderated Discussion Boards
Moderated online forums allow attendees to provide insights over an extended post-event period by sharing comments, responding to questions and reacting to other’s feedback:
8.1 Recruit Forum Ambassadors
Identify 3-4 respected attendees to help seed initial posts and encourage ongoing participation by replying to others.
8.2 Provide Themed Prompts
Pose focused questions around specific event elements like food, entertainment, swag bags etc. to spur targeted insights.
8.3 Moderate and Summarize
Appoint community managers to regularly check discussions, guide them productively and distill key themes.
8.4 Maintain Creative Freedom
Allow open suggestions and discussions instead of just reacting to set questions to gain unexpected insights.
Conclusion
Collecting event attendee feedback is a vital step in refining your future events and enhancing the overall attendee experience. Utilize a combination of these powerful methods to gather diverse perspectives and valuable insights. By actively listening to your attendees, you’ll not only improve the quality of your events but also foster a stronger connection with your audience.
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