Have you ever hosted an event and thought it went really well, only to find out later that a colleague had a completely different perspective? It can be surprising, but it actually highlights the importance of getting feedback from as many attendees as possible after any event. This is especially true if you’re looking to improve your future events. To help you get the most valuable feedback, we’ve got some sets of powerful post-event survey questions that you can use for in-person events such as conferences, trade shows, exhibitions, and more.
While getting feedback from attendees after an event is crucial to improve your future events, simply collecting the feedback is not enough. Measuring the survey results is equally important as it provides you with data-driven insights into the success of your event.
What is an event survey?
These surveys are basically questionnaires that are designed to capture attendee feedback. They can be in the form of multiple-choice or open-ended questions and can be sent out before, during, or after the event.
The best part? They’re usually sent out digitally, so you can easily fill them out from the comfort of your own home. It’s super important for the organizers to send out these surveys to everyone who was involved with the event – sponsors, attendees, and event staff alike. After all, each group has a unique perspective that can help improve different aspects of the event.
Surveys can help you figure out what your event attendees want – whether it’s getting more sponsors, making virtual events better, or just making sure people are having a great time. Getting constructive feedback is super important, because it helps you understand what your attendees are thinking and what you can do to make things even better next time!
Why should you send out event feedback surveys?
Whether it’s good or bad feedback, it gives you insight on what worked and what didn’t. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to get honest feedback from attendees, volunteers, speakers, and staff. And let me tell you, that information is worth its weight in gold! You can use it to make future events even better, which is a huge advantage for any association or organization. So, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback – it’s the best way to improve and grow!
How should you send your post-event survey?
There are actually a bunch of ways you can go about distributing your post-event survey. And if you want to maximize your responses, you can even experiment with a few different methods! Here are some options I think might work well for you:
Email is a great option to collect feedback as almost everyone these days has an email address, right? But make sure you’ve got a clean email list and can reach out to every attendee before sending out any feedback requests. That way, you’ll get the most accurate feedback possible.
Social Media
Did you know that you could easily increase the reach of your survey by promoting it on your event’s social media pages? Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are excellent tools to get your survey in front of those attendees who might have missed the initial email.
Attendee app
If you have an attendee app, you can easily send push notifications to remind attendees to complete the post-event survey. This way, you can keep the conversation going and engage with your attendees while the experience is still fresh in their minds.
Your website
If you have a landing page for the event or integrated the survey with your event software, hosting the post-event feedback on your website is a great option.
Event app
Event apps help you plan the event, create surveys and enable you to enter the survey questions. This is a great tool that helps the users send the survey link to their guests and check the results later.
Types of event survey questions
Depending on the nature of the event and the target audience, it’s important to consider the different types of questions you can use. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds! Each question type has a specific purpose, and using them appropriately will ensure you get all the feedback you need.
Open-ended questions
Open-ended questions provide valuable feedback on attendees’ experiences and opinions and can help event organizers identify specific areas for improvement. Responses may include feedback on sessions, speakers, or networking opportunities, as well as suggestions for improvements such as better signage, more food options, or increased diversity and inclusivity. Just make sure you give them enough space to answer the questions, especially if your event is conducted virtually.
An example of an open-ended question would be:
What did you like most about the event, and what could be improved for next time?
Multiple choice questions
These questions are super helpful for organizing people based on their existing knowledge. Let’s say you’re conducting a survey and asking attendees about their favorite session. If you have only four possible options to choose from, it’s a good idea to limit your choices to those four sessions.
An example of a multiple-choice question would be:
Which session did you find most valuable at the event? (Select one)
A) Keynote speaker
B) Panel discussion
C) Networking sessions
D) Workshops
Ordinal scale questions
This type of question requires respondents to prioritize a set of items or select from an ordered list. It’s useful when you want to determine the relative importance of each item. It’s also important to establish a clear numerical scale (e.g., 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest).
An example of an ordinal scale question would be:
On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate the overall organization of the event?
1 – Poorly organized
2 – Somewhat poorly organized
3 – Neutral
4 – Well organized
5 – Very well organized
Interval scale questions
Attendees can rate different aspects of the event on a scale, such as one to ten or another relevant scale. This is a commonly used question type, and it’s important to ensure that the intervals between each option are uniform. Scales may ask about agreement, likelihood, or satisfaction, with options such as “very unsatisfied” to “very satisfied.” This type of question is useful for understanding respondents’ opinions and feelings about a specific issue when presented with a scale.
For instance:
How would you rate the quality of the keynote speaker?
Very poor
Poor
Satisfactory
Good
Excellent
Ratio scale questions
This type of question requires respondents to provide a quantifiable response. You may have encountered ratio scale questions concerning income, age, or hours worked. Ratio scale questions have a true zero point and are frequently presented in an ordinal manner with ranges. However, these ranges may still be treated as ratio responses for analysis purposes.
For example:
On average, how many hours per week do you spend in meetings with teams or clients?
0-3 hours
3-5 hours
5-7 hours
more than 7 hours
Yes/No questions
These questions are simple and straightforward, and they allow respondents to provide a clear yes or no answer, making it easier to analyze and interpret the results.
Here are some examples of yes or no questions that can be used in a post-event survey:
Did you attend the event?
Was the event well-organized?
Did you find the event informative?
Did you find the event location convenient?
Was the event worth your time?
Did the event live up to your expectations?
General event survey questions
What is your level of satisfaction with this event?
This survey question is relatively simple. It is a good starting point for the subsequent questions and provides an overall idea of how the event was performed and if it met expectations. In event surveys, it is recommended to begin with general questions and gradually become more specific towards the end.
What, if anything, did you dislike about this event?
This allows attendees to provide specific feedback on negative aspects of the event, such as logistics or content. This feedback can help organizers identify areas for improvement and enhance the experience for future events. However, responses may vary and may not always be actionable or feasible for organizers to address. Providing this opportunity for feedback can show a commitment to improving the overall event experience.
Are you likely to participate in one of our events in the future?
This question is crucial as it uncovers the level of enthusiasm of the survey participant towards your event. You can compare these figures to the number of actual attendees who come back the following year. Although circumstances can change, ideally, most of them should return. If not, it’s important to evaluate what changes or modifications need to be made.
What would have made this event better?
It’s main objective is to gather feedback from attendees on what could have been improved or what they would have liked to see at the event. This question allows organizers to identify areas where they can improve for future events and make changes based on the feedback they receive. It also demonstrates to attendees that their opinions are valued, which can help to build loyalty and encourage them to attend future events.
How did you hear about this event?
The primary aim of this question is to determine the source from which the attendees became aware of your event. By incorporating this event survey question, you can analyze and identify which marketing channels are proving to be effective and which areas need improvement.
Survey questions for attendees
Were you given enough time to ask questions?
This question is used to determine if the attendees had enough opportunity to ask questions during the event. It can provide feedback on whether the event organizers provided enough time for questions or if there was a need for more Q&A sessions. The responses can help organizers identify areas where they need to improve and adjust the schedule for future events to allow for more interaction and engagement with the attendees.
Was this the first time you attended one of our events?
Event planners can gauge the proportion of first timers versus seasoned participants and modify their event strategy accordingly by asking this question. If many attendees are first timers, the event’s organizers might change their marketing tactics or offer more details. If numerous people are coming back, the organizers can concentrate on providing value to keep them interested.
Which elements of the event did you like the most?
To get input on the event’s networking chances, ask this question. The ability to judge how satisfied guests are with the networking possibilities offered can assist event organizers in determining whether their networking events are worthwhile and productive. The feedback can also be applied to future events to improve them.
How satisfied were you with the networking opportunities provided?
This question aims to gather feedback on the networking opportunities provided at the event. It allows attendees to rate their level of satisfaction with the networking opportunities provided, which can help event organizers to determine whether their networking events are effective and worth the investment.
How likely are you to tell a friend about this event?
This helps organizers measure attendee satisfaction and the effectiveness of their event planning and marketing. A high likelihood of recommending the event indicates a positive experience, while a low likelihood suggests areas for improvement in future events.
Survey questions for exhibitors
How helpful was the staff at the event?
The purpose of this question is to gauge the level of help and support offered by the event crew. The question can be phrased in a number of ways, such as “How satisfied were you with the helpfulness of the event staff?” or “To what extent did the event staff meet your needs?” The question is designed to help organizers understand whether the staff was able to provide attendees with the assistance they needed and to identify areas where improvements could be made.
Are you likely to participate in one of our events in the future?
This question aims to gauge the exhibitor’s interest in attending future events hosted by the organization. It can help the organizers determine the overall success of the event and whether or not they should continue hosting similar corporate events in the future. The question can be answered on a scale (e.g. 1-5) or with a simple “yes” or “no” response.
Do you think this event was a success?
The definition of success may vary based on the event’s purpose and goals. The responses to this question can provide insights into the overall effectiveness of the event and help event organizers identify areas for improvement.
Did the event result in quality lead generation?
This question aims to evaluate whether the event was successful in generating quality leads for the company or organization. It is an important question to ask because lead generation is often one of the main goals of events. The answer to this question can help the company or organization determine the effectiveness of the event in terms of achieving their goals and whether changes need to be made in future events.
What suggestions do you have for improving our events?
This question asks the survey participant to provide suggestions on how the event can be improved. This type of open-ended question is important as it allows respondents to share their ideas and opinions freely, providing valuable feedback for event organizers. The suggestions received from this question can help organizers to identify areas of improvement and make changes to ensure a better experience for future attendees. It is important to carefully review and analyze the responses received from this question to identify common themes and prioritize the changes that should be made.
Survey questions for sponsors
What was the ROI of sponsoring this event?
It seeks to understand whether the sponsor received a positive return on their investment in terms of generating business leads, building brand awareness, or achieving other objectives. This question is often included in event surveys to assess the effectiveness of the event in terms of meeting the goals of the sponsor and to gather feedback for future events.
Are you likely to participate in one of our events in the future?
It helps the host to understand if their event was effective in attracting potential sponsors and if they are likely to continue investing in their events. The response can also give insight into what factors are important to sponsors and what changes the host may need to make to attract more sponsorship in the future.
How relevant was the audience for your business/industry?
It seeks to understand how well the event’s audience matched the sponsor’s target market. If the audience was highly relevant, the sponsor is more likely to consider participating in future events. If the audience was not relevant, the sponsor may seek out other events that better align with their target market. The question can be phrased in different ways, such as “How closely did the event’s audience match your target market?” or “Did the event attract attendees who are potential customers for your business?”
Did you have all the resources and materials you needed to effectively sponsor the event?
Being prepared is crucial for a successful sponsorship. You can evaluate your sponsor preparation by asking them whether they had the necessary resources and materials to sponsor effectively. This can help you identify areas of strength and weakness. If a sponsor answers negatively, make sure to follow up with them personally to obtain more information. This will not only make them feel heard, but also provide you with valuable feedback on how to improve your approach for future events.
What could we do to improve?
This question asks sponsors to provide feedback on how the event organizers can enhance their sponsorship experience. Sponsors receive branding and other benefits in exchange for financial support. The question seeks to improve the partnership by asking for suggestions on areas such as visibility of branding and networking opportunities. The goal is to ensure a mutually beneficial partnership.
Survey questions for speakers
Did you have all the information you needed to succeed at the event?
The question is asking whether the person had all necessary information to achieve their goals at the event, such as schedule, audience demographics, and location. This could impact their ability to succeed, whether as a speaker or attendee, by affecting networking opportunities or the ability to generate leads or learn something new.
Were you satisfied with the event venue and equipment for you keynote presentation?
Asking if the speaker was satisfied with the event venue and equipment provided for their keynote presentation is important since it can significantly impact the presentation’s quality and event success. The feedback gathered on the venue and equipment can help identify areas for improvement, ensuring that future events meet the speaker’s needs and provide a positive experience for attendees.
Is there anything we could have done to make your event experience easier or more convenient?
It is important to prioritize the needs of the VIPs that you wish to impress, as this can help to maintain their participation and support for future events. Ensuring that their needs are met can foster a positive and lasting relationship.
Would you recommend our future events to other speakers?
Frequently, speakers have strong connections and are actively involved in their professional communities, working with experts in their field. From this group, it is possible to quickly find innovative and novel presenters for the following year. If a recommendation comes from someone who has already presented it, it will likely be an easy decision for the potential presenter to accept the invitation.
What suggestions do you have for improving our events for future speakers?
Asking this question enables organizers to obtain valuable input that assists in customizing future events to the requirements of their speakers, resulting in an event that is more successful and captivating. Since speakers are crucial to any event, making certain that they have a favorable experience is crucial and will ultimately benefit all involved parties.
Conclusion
Events can be a powerful marketing tool for businesses, but gathering constructive feedback from attendees can be difficult.
While positive feedback is great, admitting mistakes can be hard, especially after putting in so much effort. Surveys are necessary to accurately assess success and identify areas for improvement.
A post-event survey should be included in your planning checklist and executed with confidence. Make the survey process easy for attendees to provide valuable information for better decision-making. Consider using an event management platform like Canapii that enables you to create and conduct post-event surveys for your upcoming events. Reach out to learn more and schedule a demo!
