Event Surveys
Guide with Examples

Event surveys are an essential tool for gathering feedback from attendees and improving future events. By asking the right questions and analyzing the results, organizers can gain valuable insights into what worked and what didn’t. In this article, we’ll provide tips, examples, and best practices for creating effective event surveys.

Event surveys are an invaluable tool for gathering feedback from attendees and improving the overall experience of your events. They provide organizers with an opportunity to learn what worked well and what can be improved upon for future events. However, creating effective surveys can be challenging, especially if you’re not sure what questions to ask or how to analyze the results.

In this article, we’ll provide you with everything you need to know about these surveys, from the types of survey questions to ask to best practices for distribution and analysis. We’ll start by discussing the benefits of conducting event surveys and how they can help you to improve your events in the long run.

What are Event Surveys?

Event surveys are an important tool for gathering feedback and insights from attendees of an event. They are typically distributed after an event and are designed to gather information on various aspects of the event, such as the venue, speakers, content, logistics, and overall attendee experience.

The goal of event surveys is to gather honest feedback from participants so that event organizers can identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes to enhance future events. By gathering feedback from visitors, event organizers can gain a better understanding of what worked well and what didn’t, allowing them to make informed decisions and improve the overall attendee experience.

Event surveys can take a variety of forms, including online surveys, paper surveys, or in-person interviews. The survey questions should be designed to be easy to understand and should cover key aspects of the event. Event organizers can use the data collected from the survey to measure the success of the event.

Benefits of Event Surveys

Event surveys can have a range of benefits for organizations.
Here are seven of the most significant benefits:

Feedback and Insights
Event surveys provide businesses with valuable feedback and insights on their events. By gathering feedback from attendees, businesses can identify areas for improvement and make changes to enhance the overall attendee experience. The feedback can include both positive and negative aspects of the event.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Event surveys can help businesses make data-driven decisions when planning future events. The feedback and insights gathered from event surveys can be used to make informed decisions about event logistics, such as venue selection, scheduling, and speaker selection. The data can be analyzed to see which aspects of the event were successful and which were not.
Demonstrates Commitment to Customer Satisfaction
Event surveys can help businesses demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. By actively seeking feedback and making changes based on that feedback, businesses can show their visitors that they value their opinions and are dedicated to providing the best possible experience. This can lead to increased attendee trust and loyalty.
Increased Attendee Satisfaction and Loyalty
By making changes based on event survey feedback, businesses can enhance the overall attendee experience and increase attendee satisfaction and loyalty. This can lead to participants returning for future events and recommending the event to others.
Improved Return on Investment (ROI)
Event surveys can help businesses improve their ROI by identifying areas where they can reduce costs and enhance the attendee experience, ultimately leading to increased attendee satisfaction and repeat business. The data gathered can help businesses make informed decisions on where to allocate resources for future events.
Competitive Advantage
These surveys can provide businesses with a competitive advantage by enabling them to gather feedback and make changes to their events based on that feedback. This can lead to better attendee experiences and a stronger reputation in the industry.
Allows for Customization
Surveys can be customized to meet the specific needs of the business and the event. The questions can be tailored to gather feedback on specific aspects of the event that are important to the business.

Drawbacks of Event Surveys

Limited Response Rates
Event surveys may have limited response rates, as participants may not be willing to take the time to complete the survey. This can lead to a lack of representative data and limit the usefulness of the feedback gathered.
Inaccurate Data
This type of survey may also suffer from inaccurate data, as attendees may not remember certain aspects of the event or may not be honest in their responses. This can lead to misleading data that may not accurately reflect the attendee experience.
Time-Consuming
Surveys can be time-consuming for both attendees and businesses. The event participants may not want to spend their time filling out a survey, while businesses may need to spend time creating and analyzing the survey.
Costly
These can also be costly, particularly if they are conducted by a third-party vendor. This can add to the overall cost of the event and may not be feasible for all businesses.
Lack of Context
These surveys may lack context, as attendees may not have a full understanding of the event logistics or may not have attended similar events in the past. This can limit the usefulness of the feedback gathered.
Overwhelming Feedback
These may also provide overwhelming feedback, particularly if there are a large number of attendees. This can make it difficult for businesses to analyze the data and make informed decisions based on the feedback.

Why are Event Surveys Important?

Event surveys are important because they provide businesses with valuable feedback and insights on their events. By gathering feedback from attendees, businesses can identify areas for improvement and make changes to enhance the overall attendee experience. This can lead to increased attendee satisfaction and loyalty, and ultimately drive business growth.

In addition, surveys can help businesses make data-driven decisions when planning future events. The feedback and insights gathered from surveys can be used to make informed decisions about event logistics, such as venue selection, scheduling, and speaker selection. This can help businesses create more successful events that are tailored to the needs and preferences of their attendees.

Moreover, these surveys can help businesses demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. By actively seeking feedback and making changes based on that feedback, businesses can show their participants that they value their opinions and are dedicated to providing the best possible experience. This can lead to increased attendee trust and loyalty, and ultimately drive long-term business success.

Types of Event Surveys with Examples

There are different types of event surveys that can be used to achieve different goals. In this article, we will discuss the types of event surveys and provide examples.

Post-Event Surveys
Post-event surveys are the most common type of event survey. They are conducted after the event and are designed to gather feedback on the attendee experience. These surveys can cover various aspects of the event, such as registration, venue, content, speakers, networking opportunities, and overall satisfaction. Examples of post-event survey questions include:

How satisfied were you with the event overall?
How would you rate the venue and location of the event?
How would you rate the quality of the speakers at the event?

Important Questions For Your Post Virtual Event Survey

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Important Questions For Your Post Virtual Event Survey – by Accelevents (01m:58s)

Pre-Event Surveys
Pre-event surveys are conducted before the event and are designed to gather information about attendees’ expectations and preferences. These surveys can help organizers tailor the event to the attendees’ needs and preferences. Examples of pre-event survey questions include:

What are you hoping to gain from attending the event?
What topics would you like to see covered at the event?
How important is networking to you at the event?

Mid-Event Surveys
Mid-event surveys are conducted during the event and are designed to gather feedback on specific aspects of the event. These can help organizers make adjustments in real-time and improve the attendee experience. Examples of mid-event survey questions include:

How is the pacing of the event?
How would you rate the quality of the food and beverage options?
How satisfied are you with the level of interaction with other participants?

Post-Session Surveys
Post-session surveys are conducted after specific sessions at the event and are designed to gather feedback on the session content and delivery. Post-session surveys can improve the quality of the content and the delivery of the sessions. Examples of post-session survey questions include:

How would you rate the relevance of the content presented in this session?
How engaged were you during this session?
How would you rate the quality of the visual aids used in this session?

Sponsor Surveys
Sponsor surveys are conducted after the event and are designed to gather feedback from sponsors on their experience at the event. Sponsor surveys can help organizers improve the sponsor experience and attract more sponsors in the future. Examples of sponsor survey questions include:

How satisfied were you with the level of exposure and engagement with attendees?
How would you rate the quality of the leads generated from the event?
How would you rate the value of the sponsorship package?

Quick Tips for Writing Good Event Surveys and Questions

To ensure that your survey provides accurate and insightful feedback, it’s important to craft effective survey questions. Here are eight tips for writing event survey questions that will provide valuable insights into the attendee experience:

Define your survey objectives – Before crafting your event survey questions, it’s important to define your survey objectives. This will help you to focus on the questions that are most important for gathering feedback and insights related to your event goals.
Keep questions concise and clear – When crafting your survey questions, keep them concise and clear. This will help to ensure that attendees understand the question and can provide accurate feedback. Avoid using complex language or industry jargon, and ensure that each question is easy to understand.
Use open-ended questions – Open-ended questions allow participants to provide detailed and nuanced feedback, providing you with valuable insights into their thoughts and opinions. Avoid asking yes/no questions or questions with limited response options.
Avoid leading questions – Leading questions can bias the responses of attendees, providing inaccurate feedback. Ensure that your event survey questions are neutral and avoid leading language that may influence attendee responses.
Cover a range of topics – Ensure that your survey covers a range of topics related to your event goals, including the event content, speakers, venue, logistics, and more. This will provide a comprehensive understanding of the attendee experience and help identify areas of improvement.
Use rating scales – Rating scales are an effective way to quantify attendee satisfaction and provide a clear understanding of overall satisfaction levels. Use rating scales with clear response options, such as a 5-point scale, to gather accurate feedback.
Provide opportunities for participants to elaborate – In addition to rating scales, provide opportunities for attendees to elaborate on their responses. This can be done through open-ended questions or through a comment section at the end of the survey. This will provide participants with the opportunity to provide more detailed feedback and insights.
Test your survey questions – Before sending out your event survey, test your survey questions to ensure that they are clear, concise, and provide valuable feedback. This can be done through a small sample group of participants or colleagues to ensure that your survey is effective and provides accurate feedback.

Conclusion

In conclusion, event surveys are a valuable tool for event organizers to measure the success of their events, gain insights into attendee preferences, and improve future events. There are different types of these surveys, including pre-event surveys, post-event surveys, and follow-up surveys, each with their unique benefits and purposes.

By asking the right questions and collecting feedback, organizers can identify areas of improvement, increase attendee engagement, and demonstrate the ROI of their events. These surveys can also help organizers to collect valuable data and insights that can be used to improve event planning and make necessary changes for future events. Overall, event surveys are a crucial element in event management and should be incorporated into event planning strategies to ensure the success of events and enhance attendee experience.

Learn about further Types of Online Surveys

FAQs

What are event surveys used for?

Event surveys are used to gather feedback from attendees and improve the overall experience of events. They can be used to gather feedback on various aspects of the event, including content, speakers, venue, logistics, and more.

What types of questions are included in event surveys?

Event surveys can include a variety of question types, including open-ended questions, rating scales, and multiple-choice questions. The questions should be designed to gather feedback on key aspects of the event and help organizers identify areas for improvement.

How should event survey responses be analyzed?

Event survey responses should be analyzed by identifying trends and patterns in the data. This can be done by looking at response rates, frequency of responses, and overall satisfaction levels. The data should be used to inform future event planning and improvements.

How can event organizers encourage attendees to complete surveys?

Event organizers can encourage attendees to complete surveys by making the survey easy to access and complete. This can be done by sending out the survey via email or providing a link to the survey on the event website. It's also important to incentivize attendees to complete the survey by offering a prize or discount on future events.

How can event organizers use survey data to improve future events?

Event organizers can use survey data to identify areas of improvement for future events. This can include changes to the event content, speakers, venue, logistics, and more. By analyzing survey data and making necessary changes, event organizers can improve the overall experience for attendees and ensure the success of future events.