What is a conference survey?
A conference survey collects feedback from the people who attended, spoke at or sponsored a conference, so organizers can decide what to keep, change or drop next year. It usually runs within a few days of the closing session and covers sessions, speakers, networking, logistics and whether people plan to come back.
A conference has several audiences who had different experiences. One survey for everyone produces averages that describe nobody, so build a short core for all attendees and add a few questions for each group.
Which questions for which audience?
| Audience | Ask about | The decision it supports |
|---|---|---|
| In-person attendees | Sessions, venue, networking, pace of the days | Program and venue for next year |
| Virtual attendees | Platform, audio and video, chat, how included they felt | Whether to keep, change or drop a virtual option |
| Speakers | Briefing, room or platform, audience fit | Speaker support and selection |
| Sponsors and exhibitors | Traffic, access to members, value for the cost | Packages and renewals |
21 conference survey questions
Overall (all attendees)
- How would you rate the conference overall, from 1 to 5?
- How likely are you to attend next year?
- How likely are you to recommend it to a colleague?
- What was the single most valuable part of the conference for you?
Sessions and speakers
- Which sessions did you attend, and how useful was each?
- How relevant was the content to your work?
- Did the sessions match what the program described?
- Which topics should we cover next time?
- Which speaker or session would you most like to see again?
Virtual and hybrid experience
- How easy was it to join sessions online?
- How good were the audio and video?
- Could you ask questions and take part in discussion?
- Did you feel included alongside in-person attendees?
- Would you attend a virtual option again?
Networking and exhibitors
- Did you meet the people you wanted to meet?
- Which networking format worked best for you?
- Did you visit exhibitors or sponsors? Was it useful?
- Did you make a connection you expect to follow up on?
Venue, logistics and next year
- How easy was registration and check-in?
- Was the venue or platform accessible for you?
- What is one change that would make next year better?
Report a hybrid conference by group
Do not average in-person and virtual ratings. They answer different questions about different experiences. Report each group with its own response base, and compare only the questions both groups saw.
Suppose 1,200 people register, and 900 attend: 600 in person and 300 online. The survey gets 360 completed responses from 350 different attendees: 245 in person and 105 online. In-person coverage is 245 ÷ 600 = 41%. Online coverage is 105 ÷ 300 = 35%. Overall coverage is 350 ÷ 900 = 39%. If 84 of the 105 online respondents rate the platform 4 or 5, that is 80% of online respondents, which says nothing about the 195 online attendees who did not answer.
Compare respondents with attendees by membership status, first-time or returning, and attendance mode. Check that one group, such as sponsors or first-time attendees, is not missing before you generalize.
When to send it, and how long it should be
Send the core survey within two days of the final session, while people remember the sessions. Keep it to ten questions or fewer: pick the overall questions, the group that matches the audience and one open comment. Send speaker and exhibitor surveys separately, with their own short set.
Turn the answers into changes
- Name the decisions for next year before you write the survey.
- Send each audience its own version and record who received it.
- Report coverage by group, and keep hybrid groups separate.
- Group comments into themes and keep the quotes.
- Choose two or three changes, assign owners and set dates.
- Tell attendees what you heard and what will change.
Start earlier with pre-event survey questions, use the post-event survey questions for smaller events, and read event feedback survey analysis for what to do with the results. For the full method, use the membership course.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions should a conference survey have?
Ten or fewer for one audience. Use the groups above to build a short version for each audience instead of one long survey.
When should a conference survey be sent?
Within two days of the closing session. Response quality drops quickly after a week.
How do we survey virtual and in-person attendees together?
Use one core set of questions for everyone, add a virtual-only block, and report each group on its own base. Do not average their ratings.
Should sponsors get the same survey?
No. Sponsors and exhibitors care about traffic, access to members and value for cost. Give them a separate short survey.
What do we do with open comments?
Read all of them, group them into themes, count how many attendees raise each theme, and keep a few representative quotes.
