Event Feedback Made Easy: How to Write an Effective Event Satisfaction Survey

Did you know that 90% of virtual event organizers and marketers rely on surveys to evaluate participant satisfaction? Every experienced event organizer knows that assessing attendee satisfaction through data-gathering methods like surveys is crucial for improving event success. However, not just any survey will suffice. You need a comprehensive event satisfaction survey designed to ask the right questions aligned with your event goals and that participants will find engaging to answer. This is where the knowledge of creating a well-crafted event satisfaction survey becomes important.

In this post, we explore event satisfaction surveys and provide easy-to-follow steps for creating them. Additionally, we introduce you to all-in-one event management software capable of handling all your event survey needs. Let's jump right into it!

What Is an Event Satisfaction Survey and Its Importance

An event satisfaction survey, also known as a post-event survey, is a vital tool for gathering feedback from attendees, staff, or other stakeholders. It asks event-related questions, particularly related to the experience and satisfaction of all parties involved or the selected target respondents. It may involve both qualitative and quantitative questions depending on the data needed to be collected and analyzed. 

Having an event satisfaction survey for your event offers numerous advantages more than you think. Below, we list them one by one.

1. Offers valuable feedback from the audience, allowing organizers to understand their experiences and expectations better.
2. Aids in identifying areas for improvement to enhance future events.
3. Helps develop new and effective marketing strategies based on current market demands and feedback.
4. Can help attract more sponsors and stakeholders with positive survey results
5. Enhances overall business growth by leveraging feedback to serve customers better.

How to Create an Event Satisfaction Survey 

Just like creating other surveys, creating event satisfaction surveys requires careful planning and a clear understanding of what information you want to gather. To make the process easier, here is a step-by-step guide you can follow.

1. Determine Your Goals

The primary objective of an event satisfaction survey is to assess the level of satisfaction among your target respondents. This involves evaluating their overall experience and pinpointing opportunities for enhancing future events.

2. Choose the Right Tool

To simplify the process of creating surveys and collecting data, you might consider using survey tools. However, it's important to note that not all survey or event management tools provide the same level of functionality and ease of use. Be sure to choose a tool that offers customizable templates for easy survey creation, is accessible to your target audience, and can assist with analyzing results. One tool that meets these requirements is StaffConnect, which allows for the creation of user-friendly surveys that are easy for respondents to complete. 

3. Write a Welcome Message

When inviting your respondents to take the survey, personalize the welcome message. This helps make the survey more appealing and engaging, especially for consumers. Surprisingly, 72% of consumers say they only engage with personalized messaging. In addition to a personalized opening message, explain briefly how your respondents’ feedback will directly impact future events, emphasizing the importance of their opinion.

4. Develop Your Survey Questions

Keep your questions concise and relevant to your goals and avoid leading or biased questions. Each question should also be designed to elicit genuine, unbiased feedback. In addition, ensure the terminologies you use are simple and comprehensible to all respondents, avoiding industry jargon unless necessary.

To assist you further, here are examples of event satisfaction survey questions that can help guide you in formulating your questions.

1. How satisfied were you with the overall experience of this event?
2. What aspects of the event stood out positively for you?
3. Were there any elements of the event that did not meet your expectations?
4. Would you consider attending our future events based on your experience?
5. How likely are you to recommend our event to someone you know?
6. Do you have any additional feedback or suggestions for us?
7. What motivated you to attend our event, and did it fulfill your objectives?
8. During the event, what did you find most enjoyable?
9. Rate your satisfaction level with these specific elements of the event: the venue/platform, the speakers, the quality and variety of sessions, and the scheduling dates.
10. How did the networking opportunities at the event meet your expectations?
11. Did you encounter any difficulties while registering for or during the event?
12. Please rate your satisfaction with the event's speakers and the session content.
13. What subjects or topics would you like the future events to focus on?
14. Was there enough time allocated for discussion in the sessions to your liking?
15. What are your thoughts on the length of the event's content and sessions?

Additional tip: aim for balance to garner both quantitative and qualitative feedback. Include a mix of question types, such as the following: 

1. Rating scales to quantify satisfaction levels

For example: On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied were you with the overall experience of this event?

2. Open-ended questions to gather detailed insights

For example: What are your thoughts on the overall experience of this event?

3. Multiple-choice questions for quick, straightforward responses. 

For example: How satisfied were you with the overall experience of this event?

- Extremely satisfied
- Quite satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Not very satisfied
- Not satisfied at all

This balanced approach in survey design not only makes it easier for respondents to provide their input but also enriches the data you collect with both broad trends and deep, actionable insights.

5. Keep The Survey Short

Respect your attendees' time by making the survey short enough to complete in just a few minutes. A survey by HubSpot suggests that the ideal survey duration is between 10 to 14 minutes, with consumers feeling comfortable answering 7 to 10 questions. In addition to using concise surveys, we suggest sending your survey promptly post-event—ideally within 24 hours—while the experience is still fresh in your respondents’ minds to gather more accurate and thoughtful responses.

6. Write a Thank You Note for Respondents

Always close the loop by thanking your attendees for their participation. You may also consider sharing what you learned and how you plan to incorporate their feedback, reinforcing the value of their input.

Event Satisfaction Survey Template

Creating an event satisfaction survey can be approached in various ways. For your convenience, here's a template that you can customize to better fit the specifics of your event and the information you seek to gather.

Header Section

The header section is located at the top of your survey and should include basic information about the event. This might consist of the event name, date, location, and a brief description. The purpose here is to remind participants of the event details and to set the context for the questions that follow.

Below is a format you can follow for the header: 

• Title: "Event Evaluation Form" - This is centered at the top of the page to clearly indicate the purpose of the document.

• Event: A blank line for writing the name or title of the event.

• Date: A blank line to note the date when the event took place.

Welcome Message 

Below is an example of a welcome message you could use:

"Hey there! Thanks a ton for coming to our concert. We'd really love your thoughts on how it went to make our future events rock even more."

Main Survey Sections

After your heading and welcome message, you can finally add the questions for your survey. In designing this section, you can categorize the questions into categories such as the following. 

1. Event Content
2. Speakers and Presentations
3. Venue and Location
4. Organization and Logistics
5. Overall Satisfaction

Closing Section

In your closing section, thank your participants for their time and contributions. Assure them that their feedback will be carefully reviewed and considered for future planning. You may also want to provide information on how they can stay informed about upcoming events or findings from the survey results.

Below is an example closing message you can use. 

"Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. Your input is invaluable to us and will be instrumental in planning our future events. Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming events and the outcomes of this survey, which we'll share on our social media channels!"

Create Event Surveys Efficiently With StaffConnect 

Are you tired of the slow and complicated process of creating surveys? Say goodbye to those hassles. With innovative event management apps like StaffConnect, crafting event satisfaction surveys is now simpler and more efficient than you ever imagined.

To quickly set up a new survey on StaffConnect, simply start by clicking "Reports & Uploads" on the left-hand menu and then choose "Surveys." Click the blue plus sign to open the "Survey Creation Menu," where you'll enter your survey's title and an optional description. After that, select "Create," and you'll be redirected to the "Survey Designer Menu." Here, you can add, rearrange, and customize your questions. Once you're satisfied with your survey, you may use the "Test Survey" function to preview your progress or finish up by hitting "Save Survey" to secure your survey's content and layout. That's it!

Easy, isn't it? But that's not all. StaffConnect offers a full suite of event management tools, including easy onboarding, communication features like live chat and a communications hub, a centralized database, GPS check-in and check-out, a customizable app, and more.

If you want to learn more about StaffConnect, don’t miss the chance to sign up for a free demo here and explore the various features that can help enhance your event management efforts.