Better Than Surveys—Interactive Event Feedback
Occasionally, an article surfaces offering event planning advice or food-for-thought that leaves us savoring its morsels of wisdom. We recently came across such an article from EventMB, 5 Interactive Ways To Get Real-Time Event Feedback, written by James Morgan, that recognizes the value of real-time event feedback. Much like the author, Kennedy Events is big fans of techniques that glean real-time sensory feedback.
POSTCARD EVENT TAKEAWAYS
We have distributed postcards at conferences and encouraged participants to fill in the blank on a sentence (e.g., “I was excited to learn…” “When I get back to the office, I’m going to…”) and then display the cards on a bulletin board for others to read and ponder.
TRY A HUMAN SPECTROGRAM
Another real-time feedback tool we employ is a “human spectrogram,” sometimes called 2-dimensional polling, where we get participants on their feet, ask a question or make a statement, then have them line up along a wall to express where they “land” on the question (e.g., "The weather in San Francisco is perfect today. Stand at that end of the room if you strongly agree, over there if you strongly disagree, the middle if neutral. You’ll have to talk to one another to see where you are in relationship to one another. Now go.")
ASK QUESTIONS THAT SPUR DISCUSSION
Once attendees have tried this and have the hang of the technique, our clients can put subject-relevant questions to them. For instance, at a technology training, the presenter might ask, "I can see a clear path to implementing this new technology in our workplace—strongly agree or strongly disagree?" then have an open group discussion about attendees' thoughts, concerns, and hurdles to overcome.
ENGAGE & LEARN FROM ATTENDEES
Live, interactive techniques (unlike mobile apps and digital surveys) can capture emotions and impressions—invaluable feedback for organizers—that are still being felt and often can capture the “buzz” of the event.
Morgan explains:
"Whilst you are in the planning stages of your event, you should already be thinking about how you are going to get feedback on the effectiveness of your event design. Particular questions run through your mind. Is my survey going to get many responses? Will it be constructive criticism? Will attendees remember the bad bits more clearly than the good bits? Or, how can my survey gauge the emotional response to my event? All these sorts of questions are common, but what if there was another way? A more creative and inspired way to collect feedback!"
Morgan also lists five techniques with titles like "The Cupcake Method" and the "Emoji Exit Strategy.” (The names alone make us want to employ them now.) Read the full article, 5 Interactive Ways To Get Real-Time Event Feedback, on the EventMB website.
Do you have a conference, gala, fundraiser, or strategic meeting on the horizon? Contact Kennedy Events for a free consultation.
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Paige Buck
Paige Buck is the co-owner of Kennedy Events, a large-scale event management company based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Our team creates stress-free conferences and events with a positive impact, which allow our clients to resonate with their audience. Kennedy Events specializes in producing flawless product launches, award ceremonies, fundraisers and multi-day conferences while keeping our eye on retention and engagement goals.
About Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events began in 2000 with one goal in mind to produce corporate events with just as much strategy as style. Since then, Paige, Maggie, and their team have built one of the most sought after corporate event companies in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
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