So you’ve just hosted another successful event. Everything went off without a hitch. Members were engaged and energized. To capitalize on this engagement, send out a member survey to collect feedback. Not only can you use this information at your next event to make it better but also “to create future business and marketing strategies,” says Susan Wyse of Snap Surveys.
A post-event survey “gives attendees the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of … individual speakers, seminar topics, training sessions, product demonstrations, exhibitors and sponsors, accommodations, as well as rate their overall experience with the event” (Wyse). Surveys also show members that you care about their opinions and ideas. Their answers can direct your efforts at the next event and help you decide what activities to continue.
When To Send Survey
The best time to send out a member survey is as soon as the event has ended. If you have an event app, ping the user with a link to a survey. They’re more likely to fill out your survey with the event clear in their mind. Rule of thumb – send it at least 24hrs after the event.
How to Format the Survey
“The most important information collected from post-event surveys is whether attendees found value in the event, whether it was worth their investment of time and resources, and whether they would participate in the event again” (Wyse)
Timing
Tell members how long the survey will be – number of questions and average time it takes to complete the form. Your members are busy professionals and they’d appreciate you giving them a time frame. Remember, anything that takes longer than 5-10 minutes probably won’t get the best response rate. “A maximum of 10 questions will ensure the highest completion rates” (Eventbrite).
Type of Field
Multiple choice or single select is the easiest way to collect feedback. It’s also easiest for members. Requiring them to fill out a text box could deter them from completing the survey. “Not only that, while free-text answers provide bespoke feedback, they are much harder to analyze,” (Eventbrite). Fields like checkboxes, radio buttons or single select allow you to analyze data in charts and graphs.
Flow of Survey
Order questions in a way that follows the timeline of the event. Ask first about pre-event operations. Was there enough information shared before the event? Was the event advertised well? Follow a members pathway throughout the event process – registration, pre-event information, event, post-event. Think about the natural order of questions based on the the members actions.
Net Promoter Score
To help gauge whether or not a member would recommend your event to a colleague, we use what’s called a Net Promoter Score. A Net Promoter Score “measures customer experience and predicts business growth,” says Net Promoter Network. It goes like this…
How likely would you recommend this event to a friend? Scale 0 – 10, 10 being most likely and 0 being very unlikely.
- 9 or 10 are your “promoters” — they’re the ones who will most likely tell friends or colleagues about your next event.
- 7 or an 8 are your “passive respondents”— these are people who probably liked your event but are indifferent about sharing it with others
- 6 or below are considered your “detractors” — though these people may have liked your event, they probably won’t share it with others
Credit: Net Promoters Network
To calculate your Net Promoters Score, you take your percentage of promoters minus your percentage of detractors. This answer gives you your net promoter score. So what do we do with that number? Use that metric to compare the success of your last two events. Did one have a higher score? What did you do differently at that event? This is an easy number to calculate and can be understood by most people across the board. It’s simple and effective.
Planning your next event? Check out our other resources on event planning here >>
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