Conference Survey Questions
Which questions should a conference survey ask?
A conference has several audiences, and each needs its own questions. Attendees can rate the venue and the program. Speakers can rate how well you prepared them. Exhibitors can say whether the show was worth the cost. One survey for all three leads to weak answers.
This guide gives a question bank for each group, with rating scales and send times. Use it to build an event feedback form that is short, specific and easy to answer.
Updated by the Eventdex team
4.7/5 from 39 reviews on each
Pick your rating scales
Use few scales and use them the same way each time. That makes results easy to compare across sessions and across years.
| Scale | Example | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Five-point rating | 1 = Very poor to 5 = Excellent | Sessions, speakers, venue, food |
| Agreement scale | Strongly disagree to Strongly agree | Statements such as "The content was relevant to my work" |
| Likelihood scale | 0 = Not at all likely to 10 = Extremely likely | Recommend, return, refer |
| Yes or no | Yes / No | Facts, such as "Did you meet someone new?" |
| Open text | A free comment box | Why, what and what next |
Attendee questions
These cover the event as a whole. Keep the list to about 12 questions.
Attendee feedback form
ATTENDEE FEEDBACK FORM 1. Overall, how satisfied were you with the conference? (1 = Very dissatisfied, 5 = Very satisfied) 2. How would you rate the program of sessions? (1 = Very poor, 5 = Excellent) 3. How relevant was the content to your work? (1 = Not relevant, 5 = Very relevant) 4. How would you rate the venue? (1 = Very poor, 5 = Excellent) 5. How easy was registration and check-in? (1 = Very difficult, 5 = Very easy) 6. How would you rate the food and drink? (1 = Very poor, 5 = Excellent) 7. How good were the networking opportunities? (1 = Very poor, 5 = Excellent) 8. How easy was it to find information during the event? (1 = Very difficult, 5 = Very easy) 9. How likely are you to recommend this conference to a colleague? (0 to 10) 10. How likely are you to attend next year? (1 = Very unlikely, 5 = Very likely) 11. What was the best part of the conference? (Open text) 12. What is the one thing we should change? (Open text)
Session and presentation questions
Ask these right after the session, with one short form per session. They are also the presentation survey questions speakers will want to see.
Session and presentation questions
SESSION AND PRESENTATION 1. How would you rate this session overall? (1 = Very poor, 5 = Excellent) 2. The content was relevant to me. (Strongly disagree to Strongly agree) 3. The speaker was clear and well prepared. (Strongly disagree to Strongly agree) 4. The session length was right. (Too short / About right / Too long) 5. I learned something I can use. (Strongly disagree to Strongly agree) 6. There was enough time for questions. (Yes / No) 7. What would have made this session better? (Open text)
Speaker questions
Speakers see the event from the stage and backstage. Ask them what made their job easier or harder.
Speaker feedback form
SPEAKER FEEDBACK FORM 1. How clear was the information we sent before the event? (1 = Very unclear, 5 = Very clear) 2. How easy was it to submit your slides and details? (1 = Very difficult, 5 = Very easy) 3. How well did the room and technology suit your session? (1 = Very poorly, 5 = Very well) 4. How well did the team support you on the day? (1 = Very poorly, 5 = Very well) 5. How would you rate the audience questions and interaction? (1 = Very poor, 5 = Excellent) 6. Would you speak at this event again? (Yes / No / Maybe) 7. What should we change for next year's speakers? (Open text)
Exhibitor and sponsor questions
Exhibitors pay to be there. Their answers decide whether they return. Ask while the show is fresh, but give them a few days to count their leads.
Exhibitor feedback form
EXHIBITOR FEEDBACK FORM 1. How satisfied were you with the show overall? (1 = Very dissatisfied, 5 = Very satisfied) 2. How would you rate the quality of the attendees who visited you? (1 = Very poor, 5 = Excellent) 3. How well did the number of visitors meet your goals? (1 = Very poorly, 5 = Very well) 4. How clear was the exhibitor manual and the move-in process? (1 = Very unclear, 5 = Very clear) 5. How would you rate your booth location? (1 = Very poor, 5 = Excellent) 6. How easy was it to capture and follow up leads? (1 = Very difficult, 5 = Very easy) 7. How likely are you to exhibit again? (1 = Very unlikely, 5 = Very likely) 8. What would make the show more valuable to you? (Open text)
When to send each survey
Match the send time to what the person needs to remember.
| Audience | When | How |
|---|---|---|
| Attendees, per session | Right after the session | A short in-app or QR-linked form |
| Attendees, whole event | Within a day or two of the close | Email with one clear link and a reminder |
| Speakers | Within a few days | Email, and a thank-you call for keynotes |
| Exhibitors and sponsors | A few days after, once leads are counted | Email, with a follow-up conversation |
Tips to get honest, useful answers
A few habits make the difference between a stack of 5s and answers you can act on.
Keep it short
Every extra question lowers the chance that someone finishes. Cut any question you will not act on.
Avoid leading wording
"How great was the keynote?" pushes people to say great. Use "How would you rate the keynote?".
Allow anonymous replies
People are more direct about what went wrong when they are not named.
Close the loop
Tell people what you changed because of their answers. It lifts replies next time.
Where Eventdex fits
Eventdex's survey page describes in-app surveys with star ratings, multiple choice, open text and sliding scales. They can be targeted by session, speaker or time block, with results shown by session, speaker or theme. Attendees can stay anonymous or give their names.
Eventdex's pages do not describe separate speaker or exhibitor survey templates. Build those with the question types above, or ask in a demo.
The Eventdex platform
Ask, collect and read feedback in one place
- Event surveysIn-app surveys targeted by session, speaker or time block.Learn more about Event surveys
- Conference managementRegistration, schedule and attendee tools for conferences.Learn more about Conference management
- Event analyticsRead attendance and results together.Learn more about Event analytics
“We really appreciated the adaptability of the software to meet our changing needs. For example, we liked being able to create promo codes to offer reduced rates to conference attendees with special circumstances.”
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FAQ
Conference Survey Questions: common questions
What questions should a conference survey ask?
Ask about overall satisfaction, the program, relevance, venue, registration, networking and whether they would return. Add one open question on the best part and one on what to change. Use separate forms for sessions, speakers and exhibitors.
How many questions should an event feedback form have?
About 10 to 12 for the whole event, and 5 to 7 for a single session. Longer forms are finished less often. Cut any question you will not act on.
When should I send a conference survey?
Send session surveys right after each session and the full attendee survey within a day or two. Send speakers a form within a few days and exhibitors one after they have counted their leads.
What are good presentation survey questions?
Ask for an overall rating, whether the content was relevant, whether the speaker was clear, whether the length was right, whether there was time for questions and one open question on how to improve it.
Can Eventdex run conference surveys?
Eventdex's pages describe in-app surveys with several question types, targeted by session, speaker or time block, with a results dashboard. They do not describe ready-made speaker or exhibitor survey templates.
Run your conference surveys on Eventdex
Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.