Businesses can measure the success of the events they host or put together in a number of ways. One of the best ways to accomplish this is with an event evaluation survey conducted through online survey software.
Of course, the real challenge is asking the right questions of the right people. To get the full story about how successful an event truly is, you must survey the people who helped create the event as well as those who attended the event.
Measuring Internal Success
When it comes to the people who made the event happen, emotions can often become raw in the aftermath -- especially if there were a few hiccups along the way. Using the survey tool online rather than conducting a small group post-mortem helps people view the event more objectively, even critically, rather than simply focusing attention on their roles in the planning of the event.
Specific issues the survey software should be used to address include the following.
* Costs
* Attendance
* Entertainment
* Venue
* Organization
* Actions/Awards/Acknowledgements
* Registration Process
* Table Arrangements
* Appropriate Prep Times
* Invitation
* Event Timeline
* Food and Drink
* General Atmosphere
Keep the focus on the event itself and not on specific contributions to the success or failure. Keep it impersonal and objective in your questions whenever possible. The goal is to gauge the success of the event to determine where improvements can be made and if similar events are viable in the future.
Gauging External Success
The guests of any event are the main attraction. If they aren't happy with the event in general, there's no point in trying to go a single step further unless serious changes are going to be implemented.
You need to ask questions that gauge the following rates of satisfaction among guests in your event evaluation survey.
* Overall Appeal of the Event
* Venue (Size, Convenience, Location, and Appropriateness)
* Ease of Arrival and Departure (Check In and Check Out)
* Food and Beverage
* Entertainment
* Suggestions for Changes
* Favorite and Least Favorite Portions of Event
* Willingness to Attend Future Events
In addition to guests attending the event, sponsors can be surveyed as they can provide valuable feedback about the event process, and they are an important part of the event itself, at least from a financial consideration.
Giving Your Next Event a Boost
Online survey software is a convenient and cost effective way to get answers about how successful your events are. It's only a good plan though if you put the information you learned from the survey tool to work to make your next event even better.
You can learn a wide range of important information about the planning timeline, how important timing of invitations going out impacted attendance (too early and people forget, too late and they have other plans), and many other vital details by implementing a survey tool to measure event success.
Don't forget to conduct the survey fairly soon after the event, while it's still fresh on the minds of those who worked so hard to make it happen, as well as among those who attended for best results.
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