Attendees invest time, money, and energy to attend your conference, but did they truly get what they came for? Did they leave feeling inspired and satisfied? The only way to know this is to ask them directly. The best way to separate assumptions and reality is to conduct conference feedback surveys before, during, and after the conference. A well-designed conference feedback survey is not just a list of questions but a blueprint of your conference excellence.
This blog is your guide to conference feedback surveys, their phases, key questions to ask, and the power of AI-driven feedback for better event insights.
Why Conference Surveys Matter–Stop Guessing, Start Listening
Here’s why you should conduct conference feedback surveys if you are already not:
Get Real-Time Insights for Improvement
Conference feedback surveys provide a reality check of how well the event went, identify areas of improvement, and get fresh ideas and suggestions for an even better experience.
For example, after Google’s I/O developer conference, attendees suggested having more interactive workshops. The following year, they introduced hands-on coding sessions, boosting engagement by 30%!
You can find out attendees’ expectations, and if the actual results meet those expectations, you know they are likely to recommend your events if they enjoyed the event. After receiving feedback about long registration lines, Web Summit introduced AI-powered check-ins, cutting wait times by 50%.
Measure Conference Success In Actual Numbers
Surveys help you measure event success with accurate data. Such numbers help organizers, attendees, sponsors, and stakeholders make decisions.
For example, the data can be in the following form:
- 80% of attendees found the content relevant
- 30% said they would attend again
- 72% rated networking as excellent
Strengthens Sponsor & Stakeholder Relationships
Conference feedback helps build a strong relationship between sponsors and stakeholders. Surveys can include questions about brand awareness, engagement, and conversions. A survey showing that 80% of attendees visited a sponsor booth is solid proof of ROI!
Three Phases of an Effective Conference Feedback Survey
Following are the three phases of an effective conference feedback survey:
Pre-Conference Survey
Pre-conference surveys gather information about attendees’ preferences and expectations, which can be used to tailor your conference for maximum engagement. Conducting a pre-conference survey allows organizers to design interactive elements that resonate with the audience and anticipate any special arrangements attendees may need. It also helps to align conference content according to attendees' expectations and optimize logistics such as venue accessibility.
For example, you can ask questions about:
- Preferred topics
- Preferred speakers/ presenters
- Accessibility Needs
A pro tip is to send out pre-conference surveys 2 to 3 weeks before the conference to give yourself enough time to implement changes.
Sample Questions to ask:
- Are there any speakers/presentations you are particularly excited about?
- What are your primary goals for attending this conference?
- What topics are you most interested in?
- Do you have any specific questions/topics you’d like the speakers to address?
- What do you prefer (panel discussions, keynote speeches, or interactive workshops)?
- Do you have any dietary restrictions we should be aware of?
- Will you be attending in person or virtually?
Mid-Conference Feedback Survey
Mid-conference feedback surveys are a goldmine for organizers as they provide the most authentic feedback on the spot. They help you identify problems such as sound and lighting issues, attendees' engagement level, and unforeseen circumstances that can be fixed immediately to enhance conference experiences. It can be collected in various ways, such as QR codes, live polls, SMS, or feedback stations.
You can ask questions about:
- Sound and lightening quality
- Content relevancy
- Session Engagement
- Technical and logistics aspects
A pro tip is to keep mid-conference surveys short and engaging, ideally 3–4 questions.
Sample Questions to ask:
- How would you rate the overall experience of the conference so far?
- Is the sound quality clear and loud?
- Are lighting conditions comfortable for you?
- How comfortable is the setting arrangement?
- Is the event schedule easy to follow?
Post-Conference Feedback Survey
Post-conference feedback surveys provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of all aspects of the event, and organizers can use this feedback to create strategies for improved conferences and continuous success.
You can ask questions about:
- Overall experience
- Speakers
- venue/food
- Networking opportunities
- Sponsors
- Suggestions /Improvements
A pro tip is to send out a post-conference feedback survey within 24 hours to get the highest response rate.
Sample Questions to ask:
- Did the conference meet your objectives?
- Would you attend our next conference?
- Was the venue convenient and comfortable?
- Would you recommend our conference to friends and family?
- What would the conference organizers have done differently?
- Were there any sessions you felt were unnecessary?
- Did the conference structure allow you to interact with other attendees?
Related read: Post-Event Survey Questions For Attendees: Use Cases & Best Practices
Conference Feedback Survey Question Examples
Here are some key questions to include in your conference feedback survey:
Overall Conference Experience
How would you rate the overall organization of the conference?
[Scale 0 to10]
Which session did you find most informative?
- Keynote speech
- Panel discussion
- Workshop 1
- Workshop 2
What was your primary reason for attending the conference?
- Learning
- Networking
- Business opportunities
- Others
Which aspect of the conference did you find most valuable?
- Keynote speeches
- Panel discussions
- Workshops
- Networking opportunities
- Others (please specify)
How likely are you to attend this conference again next year?
- Very likely
- Somewhat likely
- Neutral
- Unlikely
- Very unlikely
Sessions & Content
Which aspect of the conference did you find most valuable?
- Keynote speech
- Panel discussion
- Sessions
- Networking opportunities
- Others (please specify)
Select all the topics you would like to see covered in future conferences.
- Industry Trends
- Business Growth Strategies
- Leadership & Management
- Technology & Innovation
- Other (please specify)
How would you rate the quality of the audio-visual equipment used during sessions?
[Scale 0 to10]
Select all the areas where you think the conference excelled.
- Content quality
- Networking opportunities
- Speaker engagement
- Others (please specify)
Which speaker did you enjoy the most?
- Speaker 1
- Speaker 2
- Speaker 3
- Speaker 4
Logistics & Organization
Which aspect of the conference logistics could be improved?
- Venue
- Registration process
- Signage & directions
- Session scheduling
- Other (please specify)
How satisfied were you with the registration process?
- Very satisfied
- Somewhat satisfied
- Neural
- Somewhat dissatisfied
- Very Dissatisfied
Which platform did you use to register for the conference?
- Website
- Conference app
- Social media link
- Other (please specify)
Did you encounter any technical issues during the conference?
[Open text field]
What insights can be collected from conference data?
[Open text field]
Venue & Amenities
What aspects of the conference could be improved?
- Venue
- Catering
- Content relevance
- Networking opportunities
How would you rate the quality of the catering services?
- Excellent
- Good
- Average
- Poor
- Very Poor
Select all the amenities you used in the conference.
- Charging stations
- Wi-Fi services
- Lounge areas
- Breakout rooms
- Other (please specify)
Select all the social events you attended during the conference.
- Welcome dinner
- Networking cocktails
- Sponsor exhibits
- Closing party
Marketing & Future Engagement
What was your preferred method of receiving conference updates?
- Social media
- Event app notifications
- Other (please specify)
How did you hear about the conference?
- Social media
- Word of mouth
- Email invitation
- Website
- Other (please specify)
Select all the factors that influenced your decision to attend this conference.
☐ Speaker lineup
☐ Networking opportunities
☐ Reputation of the event
☐ Topic relevance
☐ Other (please specify)
Would you recommend this conference to a colleague or friend?
- Yes
- No
Technology & Digital Experience
How would you rate the reliability of the Wi-Fi service during the conference?
- Excellent
- Good
- Average
- Poor
- Very Poor
Did you experience any technical issues during virtual sessions or presentations?
- Yes (please specify)
- No
Which platform did you use to access conference updates and materials?
- Event mobile app
- Official website
- Email newsletters
- Social media
AI & Automation in Conferences
Did you interact with AI-powered features like chatbots or automated schedules?
- Yes, and they were helpful
- Yes, but they need improvement
- No, I did not use them
How effective were AI-driven recommendations for sessions and networking?
- Very effective
- Somewhat effective
- Neutral
- Not effective at all
Read - Top Conference Survey Questions with Examples to Boost Feedback Quality
The Power of AI-Driven Conference Feedback Surveys
Traditional conference feedback surveys are flat dull. Why would someone like to fill out a boring or ineffective survey? Mostly, attendees just ignore them or speed through without giving actual insights, But AI-driven conference feedback surveys are changing
the game by providing high-quality feedback effortlessly
- AI surveys don’t just ask questions; they engage in a conversation with attendees to uncover what they think about the conference.
- You don’t have to wait for weeks for data analysis. AI can automatically identify trends and key takeaways and provide actional plans for them.
- AI surveys increase participation rates because attendees are more likely to interact with fun and engaging surveys.
- With AI-powered surveys, you don’t just get conference feedback but actionable insights that help you make your next event better.
Tired of Boring Conferences feedback surveys? Here’s How TheySaid Fix That
TheySaid makes surveys fun, interactive, and incredibly insightful by Analyzing qualitative responses for key themes, identifying action items automatically, and providing real-time insights to improve future events.
AI Survey Setup
With just one click, TheySaid generates relevant and practical survey questions tailored to your goals, saving time and effort.
Engaging AI Surveys
Respondents don't just tick boxes; they engage in dynamic conversations with AI, providing deeper insights into their thoughts and feelings about the conference.
Real-Time Issue Detection
Sound too low? Sessions running late? AI flags problems during the event so you can fix them instantly.
Smart Analysis & Actionable Insights
AI summarizes key trends and tells you what to focus on no manual number-crunching is needed.
Easy Distribution
Share surveys via email, QR codes, Slack, in-app chat, or SMS to get maximum responses.
Sign up for free!
Key Takeaways
- Conference Feedback Surveys help organizers gather real-time insights, improve future events, and measure success with accurate data.
- The pre-conference feedback phase helps understand attendee expectations and tailor the event accordingly.
- The mid-Conference feedback phase captures real-time insights to improve ongoing sessions.
- The post-conference feedback phase provides valuable feedback for future event planning and enhancements.
- Cover various topics in the conference feedback survey, such as event organization, content quality, logistics, networking opportunities, technology, and sponsors.
- AI-powered tools such as TheySaid make surveys interactive, increase response rates, and provide better insights.
Read - Training Feedback Survey: 12 Questions That Boost Learning Results
Wrapping It All Up
Conference feedback surveys are a powerful tool to gather event insights but traditional survey methods often fail to capture deep insights. AI-powered survey tools, like TheySaid, make the process smarter, faster, and more actionable. By asking the right questions and leveraging AI, you’ll not only collect feedback but truly understand attendee experiences.
FAQs
What is the best way to distribute a conference feedback survey?
Send surveys via email, in-app notifications, QR codes, or Slack to maximize responses.
How many questions should a conference feedback survey have?
Ideally, 5-10 well-crafted questions to keep engagement high.
What is an AI-powered conference survey?
An AI survey engages users in a conversation, analyzes responses, and extracts deeper insights.
When should I send a post-conference feedback survey?
Within 24-48 hours after the event, to capture accurate responses.
How can AI improve conference survey results?
AI can analyze qualitative feedback, detect trends, and highlight action items automatically.
