Ask With Purpose – The Real Power of Event Surveys
It’s often said that surveys are overused. That people are tired of answering them. That the data collected is rarely applied. But here’s the truth: if you’re not asking questions, you’re making assumptions. And assumptions can lead to missed expectations, disengaged attendees, and missed opportunities for growth.
Surveys—when done right—are among the most powerful tools an event professional has. They tell you what your audience wants, what worked, what didn’t, and what you need to do differently next time. But the key is asking the right questions at the right time to the right people.
Why Surveys Still Matter (and Always Will)
No matter how experienced your team is, you’re never truly inside the minds of your attendees, speakers, sponsors, or exhibitors. Each group brings unique goals and measures of success to your event. If you don’t ask them what those are, you’ll never fully deliver value—or prove it.
Surveys validate your strategy, guide your content decisions, and inform logistics like room layouts, F&B, and networking opportunities. They help measure impact and create a cycle of continuous improvement.
The Art of Asking the Right Questions
Good survey design isn’t just about getting feedback—it’s about actionable insight. Here’s what makes a great question:
Clear and specific: Avoid vague questions like “Did you enjoy the event?” Instead, ask, “How valuable did you find the breakout sessions on Day 2?”
Purpose-driven: Don’t ask a question unless you know how you’ll use the answer.
Audience-aligned: A speaker cares about different things than an attendee. Tailor your questions accordingly.
Pre-Event vs. Post-Event: When to Ask What
Timing matters. Some questions are best asked during registration. Others belong post-event, when reflection is clearer. Here’s a general rule of thumb:
| Timing | Ideal Questions |
|---|---|
| During Registration | Preferences (sessions, food, accessibility), goals for attending, special needs |
| Post-Event | Satisfaction, content value, ROI, likelihood to return/recommend, suggestions |
How Pre-Event Responses Inform Planning
Say 80% of attendees want more networking and less formal keynotes. You now have license to adjust your schedule and layout to prioritize connection. Or maybe 30% of exhibitors want product demos included in sessions—you now have a chance to create a stronger value proposition.
Surveys allow you to be agile. To pivot with purpose. But only if you build in time to analyze and respond to the data.
A Strategic Framework for Survey Design
Here’s a quick strategy to help you build out the right questions:
Define your goal for each audience.
What does success look like for an exhibitor vs. an attendee?
Identify what decisions you still need to make.
Still planning your networking sessions? Ask about preferred formats.
Match your questions to actions.
If you can’t act on it, don’t ask it.
Keep it short.
Respect your audience’s time. Focus on high-value insights.
Use a mix of formats.
Use scales, multiple choice, and a few open-text fields for clarity and nuance.
Real Results: How the Right Questions Led to the Right Decisions
To bring this conversation to life, we wanted to share a few real-world examples from our client work—cases where simply asking the right questions made all the difference. Whether it was about where to host a conference, how to shape an incentive program, or whether to introduce a new element to the event, the answers came directly from the people who mattered most.
These aren't hypotheticals—these are insights that helped our clients avoid wasted effort, reallocate budgets, and deliver experiences that truly resonated. Here's what happened when they chose to ask instead of assume.
Should the Annual Conference Move Across the Country?
For many national associations, it's a long-standing tradition that their annual conference rotates across regions to ensure accessibility for all members. One of our newer association clients, just beginning to build their annual conference model, questioned whether this rotation made sense for them.
So, we added one simple question to the post-event survey:
“Would you prefer the conference to stay in Ontario, or rotate across the country?”
The response? Over 50% of respondents said they would prefer it stay in Ontario—because that's where the majority of the industry is based. That single question gave the organization clarity, allowed them to focus their planning efforts, and reassured them that staying put was actually meeting member needs.
Thinking About a Spousal Program? Just Ask.
In the same event, based on the demographic of the attendees, I had suggested the idea of a spousal program—something to offer added value to those who might be traveling with a partner.
Instead of assuming it was a good fit, we added the question to the survey.
“Would a spousal program add value to your experience?”
The answer? A strong, clear no from over 50% of respondents.
That’s time, budget, and resources saved by not investing in something that wasn’t wanted. That’s the power of asking first.
Incentive Travel: Sunshine Isn’t Always Enough
Another client running an incentive trip assumed that a nice hotel and sunshine were enough. So, they cut all the extras—no spa, no golf, no off-site dinners or excursions. Just a beach and a buffet.
The result?
Survey responses made it clear:
“It didn’t feel like an incentive.”
“We didn’t get to experience the culture of the destination.”
“The food felt generic.”
Ouch. But what a learning moment. Incentive programs are about recognition, yes—but they’re also about memory-making. And if your participants could have booked the same trip with their loyalty points, it doesn’t hit the mark.
Ask. Listen. Act.
The common thread through all these examples? We didn’t guess. We asked.
Surveys are not about data collection for the sake of it. They are about decision-making. They let you test assumptions, avoid missteps, and create experiences that truly resonate.
But asking questions is only step one.
You have to:
- Ask the right questions (relevant, timely, and respectful of people’s time)
- Ask them at the right time (registration for planning, post-event for reflection)
- And then—most importantly—act on the answers.
Because when the people speak, you’ve got your blueprint.