Gathering attendee feedback is an essential step in enhancing the success of your future events. Whether you choose to tap into post-event emails, engage in lively conversations on social media platforms, or have discussions with your colleagues, there’s a plethora of avenues available for collecting valuable insights into your attendees’ thoughts and experiences.
Now, let’s dive right in and explore these different channels! By doing so, you can uncover valuable insights that will help you refine and perfect your events for the future.
Digital/online surveys.
Post-event emails are a fantastic method to capture your guests’ opinions while the event experience is still fresh in their minds. These emails can lead them to a dedicated landing page or survey so they can share their thoughts effortlessly! Depending on your objective for the survey, you can use an open-ended text box to gain general ideas or a list of concise multiple-choice questions for specific details.
Remember: brevity is key! Keep the survey short and to the point. Your followers have busy schedules, so this can enhance the chance of a higher response rate. With post-event emails, you can gain fresh insights, improve your event, and foster stronger connections with your attendees.
Connect through social media.
Social media is one of the best ways to gather feedback. Monitor the discussions happening about your event to find out what the community thinks can improve. Don’t be afraid to engage! By engaging with your followers in a genuine way, you foster a sense of connection so they can share their experiences. Be sure to stay prompt in your responses and always remain professional – don’t take the feedback too personally.
Additionally, monitoring online reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google Reviews, or event-specific forums can give you a treasure trove of ideas.
Have an in-person polling station.
In-person interactions offer an opportunity to gather guest feedback and enrich the event experience! On-site feedback stations provide attendees with a physical space to share their thoughts and suggestions in real life. Live polling during sessions or workshops allows everyone to participate and give instant insight to your audiences’ thoughts.
QR codes are everywhere now, and for good reason! Place QR codes in strategic locations throughout your event venue, offering a convenient way for guests to fill out digital surveys using their smartphones.
Plus, don’t underestimate the power of a personal conversation. Engaging in genuine discussion with the people you meet at your events allows you to understand them and build meaningful connections. Embrace the interactive on-site methods!
Ask your colleagues.
Your event staff and collaborators have unique insight into your events, so create a space for honest discussion. With their hands-on experience, team members can share their thoughts and ideas on various aspects of the event. This is a great way to find areas for improvement, but from a whole new perspective. When things go wrong, your staff is the first to see tensions rise amongst guests. They’ve heard those off-hand remarks, so they know which issues need addressing better than anybody.
Plus, when you get your team involved in making big changes, they are more likely to keep a mental note of other changes to make in the future. We’re all in this together!
Make a game plan.
So you’ve gathered up a mountain of helpful feedback – now what? Before you can jump in and start making big changes, it’s helpful to organize. It’s impossible to change everything at once, so this gives you a better idea of where to begin.
First, keep a tally for which issues seem to come up most often. What do guests have the biggest gripe with? Any issues mentioned very frequently should be addressed first. Once guests seem satisfied with the changes you’ve made, you can move on.
Consider your timeline, or how long you’ll need to resolve each issue. Some things require a simple tweak, while other issues can take weeks or months to resolve. Use a mix of long-term goals and immediate tweaks to create an action plan for your team to follow. Progress over perfection!
If you’re ready to get into the event planning process with these things in mind, check out this article.
Remember to stay positive.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the things wrong with your event, but always remember the positives! You are actively making moves in improving your event and the guest experience. Give yourself a pat on the back! When sifting through those reviews, be sure to check out the good ones too. Share ‘em with your team, too! Especially if a particular person was mentioned by name.
Remember: progress over perfection!
