Surveys are a big part of event success. They are the best way to learn what attendees thought of the event and what you might want to change for the next event you plan.
Unlock valuable insights with our post-event survey questions! Discover essential event feedback strategies and free templates, such as event evaluation forms, to measure the success of your event. Everything you need is right here.
Table of Contents
Post-Event Survey Questions for Every Occasion
- Post-Event Survey Questions for Attendees
- Post-Event Survey Questions for Virtual Attendees
- Post-Event Survey Questions for Staff
- Post-Event Survey Questions for Speakers
- Post-Event Survey Questions for Sponsors
- Post-Event Survey Questions for Vendors
- Post-Event Survey Questions for Volunteers
Best Practices for Creating Event Survey Questions
Essential Post-Event Survey Questions for Measuring Event ROI
How to Ask for Feedback Post-Event
Using Event Survey Data to Improve Future Events
Post-Event Survey Questions for Every Occasion
Creating a survey is easy with some great prewritten questions. Here are some of the best survey questions for different types of event participants.
Post-Event Survey Questions for Attendees
Why are post-event questions for attendees important? Feedback. You want to learn about the event's strengths and weaknesses from people who attended, contributed to and/or supported the event. Survey feedback will give you a much better understanding of each group’s experiences and insights.
The best questions for post-event surveys for your nonprofit event measure success with key performance indicators, or KPIs. Some questions you can ask include:
- Did the event inspire you to support the cause?
- Were the activities engaging and impactful?
- Do you have a clear understanding of the organization’s mission and goals?
- Was the event appropriate and accessible for all attendees?
- Was the event well-organized and run?
Looking for a Free Survey Template? Download the Word Document!
Post-Event Evaluation Template
Post-Event Surveys for Virtual Attendees
Since COVID, virtual events have grown in popularity. In fact, in EventMB’s survey of event planners, which examined attitudes on the most positive effects of online events, increased attendance ranked number one (34%), followed by lower costs (27%).
However, it can be difficult to know what virtual attendees think about an event. You can’t gauge attendees’ reactions online, which makes post-event surveys even more critical than they are for live events. For example, ask virtual attendees these questions:
- Did you find the virtual event platform easy to use?
- Did you find the content and topics relevant to the event?
- Were there enough opportunities for interaction and networking?
- Were you satisfied with the technical aspects of the event?
- Did the virtual event exceed your expectations? Why or why not?
Looking for a Free Survey Template? Download the Word Document!
Post-Event Virtual Survey Questions for Attendees
Post-Event Survey Questions for Staff
Creating survey questions for staff managing the event is something many event planners overlook. With these questions, you can identify the challenges that the staff encounters, giving better insight into the communication between planners and staff. You can ask these questions in your survey for staff:
- Did you feel prepared for your role in the event?
- How was the communication from the event organizers?
- Did you have all the resources needed to perform your duties?
- Was the workload reasonable?
- Did you understand the overall goals and objectives of the event?
Looking for a Free Survey Template? Download the Word Document!
Post-Event Survey Questions for the Staff
Post-Event Survey Questions for Speakers
Another questionnaire audience that is often overlooked is event speakers. Ask speakers these questions to understand how you can create a better experience for future speakers:
- Were your instructions clear?
- Did you know the event schedule and was it adhered to?
- Was the venue appropriate for your presentation?
- Was the audience engaged and interactive during your presentation?
- Did the event meet your expectations as a speaker?
Looking for a Free Survey Template? Download the Word Document!
Post-Event Survey Questions for Speakers
Post-Event Survey Questions for Sponsors
Most events have sponsors, but how many sponsors are actually pleased with their sponsorships? Many nonprofit sponsors make contributions for the common good after receiving a sponsorship proposal letter; however, they may have other concerns. For example, many companies sponsor sporting events because they generate more business for them. In fact, 20% of individuals will base their purchasing decisions solely on an organization’s sponsorship of a sports team or event. Aside from a business’s bottom line, there are additional considerations such as feeling appreciated and knowing their investments actually achieved something meaningful. As an event planner, it is key that you address all of these concerns, which is why you need your sponsors’ feedback. Here are a few questions you could ask:
- Did the event attract more customers and clients to your business?
- Were you satisfied with the visibility of your brand?
- Were your needs and requests addressed?
- Will you consider sponsoring future events?
- What was your overall event experience?
Looking for a Free Survey Template? Download the Word Document!
Post-Event Survey Questions for Sponsors
Post-Event Survey Questions for Vendors
To have a successful event, you need satisfied vendors. This is normally what attracts people to the event. Here are examples of questions for vendors to include in your survey:
- How was the vendor registration process?
- Did the event help attract customers to your booth?
- Will you consider participating in future events?
- How was the overall experience as a vendor at the event?
- Were there any logistical challenges the event organizers couldn’t resolve
Looking for a Free Survey Template? Download the Word Document!
Post-Event Survey Questions for Vendors
Post-Event Survey Questions for Volunteers
No event can succeed without volunteers, especially if your event is for charity. Some questions you can ask volunteers in your survey include:
- Did you know your role and responsibilities for the event?
- Did the organizers provide instructions and support?
- Did you feel that you were appreciated for your efforts?
- How was your experience as a volunteer at the event?
- Will you volunteer for these organizers again?
Looking for a Free Survey Template? Download the Word Document!
Post-Event Survey Questions for Volunteers
Best Practices for Creating Event Survey Questions Attendees Will Actually Answer?
To make your survey easy and interesting to complete, the questions should be relevant to your event and the audience. The number one thing to know is to keep the survey short and simple.
What Should Be Included in a Post-Event Survey?
There are a large variety of questions you can include in a post-event survey. However, always include these basic types of questions to make your survey effective:
- Overall experience: Ask the audience to rate their overall experience using a rating scale from 1-5.
- Quality of the speakers or presenters: It is important to know what the audience thought about the presenters or speakers. The question can be a rating scale question or a multiple-choice question.
- Venue and location: A simple question, but one you should ask every time. This helps identify any issues with the venue or location that you aren’t aware of.
- Virtual aspects for online meetings: It’s essential to know your virtual audience’s thoughts on the quality of the online streaming and the technical performance to see if you need to change anything for the next event.
How Do Open-Ended Questions Enhance Event Surveys?
Open-ended questions require more than a “yes” or “no” answer. The audience answers the questions in their own words. Why is it important to have open-ended questions in your survey? Here’s why:
- As organizer, you will get detailed and qualitative feedback. You will know exactly what people thought about the event.
- It is easier to identify unique concerns that can’t be answered with “yes” or “no.” It will give you insight into the areas that need improvement.
- It is easier for the person to be honest and unbiased about the event.
- People answering the survey questions might have suggestions that you didn’t think about that can have a positive effect on the next event.
Why Are Rating Scale Questions Crucial for Measuring Event Success?
Rating scale questions are where respondents rate their answers from 1-5 or 1-10. It is easier to answer these questions, and responses can be more accurate than yes or no answers. Other reasons to consider rating scale survey questions include:
- Rating scale questions are easier to measure and analyze. You get the average score for each question.
- You can track successes or failures over time, making it easier to evaluate your long-term success or problems.
- Everyone answers the questions consistently. It is easier to see patterns and trends with rating scale questions than with open-ended questions.
- These questions make surveys quick and easy to complete, making it more likely that people will answer these surveys.
How to Balance Closed-Ended and Open-Ended Questions in Your Survey?
It is essential to balance closed-ended and open-ended questions in your survey to get structured and quantitative data. It isn’t just important to include both types of questions, you need the right number of each type of question. Here are tips on how you can balance the two types of questions in your survey:
- Always start with a closed-ended question. This will result in quicker responses and people will be more likely to take the time to answer the rest of the survey.
- After a couple of closed-ended questions, ask a couple of open-ended questions. Leave enough space for respondents to give details.
- Include more closed-ended questions than open-ended questions. People will not complete the survey if they think it will take a long time to answer.
- End your survey with an open-ended question, like “What do you want us to change in future events?”
What Techniques Can Make Your Survey Questions More Engaging?
To make survey questions more engaging, use these proven strategies to get more valuable feedback:
- Use a conversational tone. It should seem like you are talking directly to the survey-taker. Formal questions are boring and may not get helpful responses.
- Your language should be simple but correct. Never ask questions with long and complex phrases. Short surveys – and short survey questions – are more likely to be successful than long ones.
- Use appropriate icons and emojis. This can make your survey more modern and friendly. These extras can be used in scale questions or with yes/no questions.
- Avoid using the same standard questions. Make your questions interesting and relevant to the event topic.
What Post-Event Survey Questions Are Essential for Measuring Event ROI?
What is ROI? It is the return on investment for events. You can calculate ROI by using a survey with both quantitative and qualitative questions. Here are some samples of post-event survey questions that will help you measure ROI:
- How satisfied were you with the event overall?
- Do you think that the event provided value for money?
- Will you recommend the event to others?
- Did you achieve the goals you set for participating in the event?
Which Questions Best Assess Overall Event Experience?
To gauge the overall event experience, ask questions that measure if the event was successful, for example:
- What was the best part of the event for you?
- Will you recommend the event to a friend or colleague?
- Did you feel that you received value for your money from the event?
- Did you enjoy the event’s atmosphere? Why or why not?
- What can we improve next time?
What Questions Help Measure the Success of Event Marketing Efforts?
The key reason to create a post-event survey is to see if the event was a success. A few questions will help measure the success of the event’s marketing efforts, such as:
- Where did you hear about the event?
- What was the main reason you participated in the event?
- Was the information you received about the event accurate and clear?
- Did any of the promotions available at the event influence your decision to attend?
- How was the pre-event communication? Did it help you understand what the event was all about?
How to Ask for Feedback Post-Event?
What’s the best way to ask post-event survey questions to get relevant and accurate feedback? Try these best practices:
- Be clear and direct. Simply say that the survey is designed to collect honest feedback. Don’t make respondents guess what you are asking with vague or complicated language.
- Be friendly. Even on a survey, it will make a huge difference in the feedback you get.
- Ask a variety of questions. A combination of multiple-choice, open-ended and closed-ended questions makes answering the survey questions easier, and you will get better feedback on the survey.
- Keep it short. Short and simple questions that relate to the event make a survey successful.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Post-Event Surveys
Survey Fatigue
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the percentage of people responding to surveys falls off after more and more survey requests. In fact, the University of New Mexico did a study on its students and found there was a 22% drop in responses after students completed just two prior surveys.
The key is to ask for feedback sparingly. Otherwise, you won’t get enough responses for an accurate sample to help you make decisions. In the same study, response rates were above 50% for the first two surveys, but the third fell below 50%. This means you’ll likely want to conduct only one survey per event to prevent fatigue, especially if your organization is reaching out for details on multiple events.
Irrelevant Questions
Let’s face it. The ability to focus on a single task for an extended period of time is becoming more difficult. In fact, during the past 20 years, attention spans have fallen to 45 seconds from 2.5 minutes according to Northeastern University.
Unfortunately, the decline in attention span likely won’t likely improve. A poll of TikTok users found that 50% admitted that watching a video over a minute long was stressful. When you consider that most of TikTok’s users are under 35, and a quarter are between ages 10 and 19, the task of filling out survey questions will likely become more taxing to respondents. That’s why it is key to be precise in the questions you ask:
- Ask only necessary questions.
- Ask questions on a scale or closed-ended or multiple-choice questions.
- Limit open-ended questions to those topics that are most important for qualitative feedback.
No Follow-Up
When you receive your survey responses, it’s a mistake to continue planning the next event without following up. When you receive negative feedback, try to follow up on it. Ask more questions about the feedback and what you can do to improve your event next time.
How Can You Use Event Survey Data to Improve Your Next Event?
You have your survey answers, now what’s next? How can you use the event survey data to improve your next event? Start by analyzing your feedback and sorting it from positive to negative. Focus on impactful areas that are the most important or areas where there were the most negative answers.
Setting goals related to the problems or negative areas of your event helps you improve it going forward. Make a list of the things you can change for the next event and look for ways to make them better next time.
What Questions Help Identify Areas for Improvement in Future Events?
Identifying areas where your next event can improve is not as hard as you might think. You just need to know what questions to ask in your post-event survey. Here are some ideas:
- How would you rate the quality of the event and speakers?
- What topics did you wish we covered during the event?
- How would you rate the location and venue?
- Were you satisfied with the networking opportunities provided to you?
- Do you have any suggestions on what to improve our next event?
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