During election season we hear a lot about polls. Polling is integral to our democratic society. In fact, the Declaration of Independence requires that public opinion be taken into account. It states that our government functions expressly with "the consent of the governed." Abraham Lincoln took this heart when he said, "What I want to get done is what the people desire to have done, and the question for me is how to find that out exactly." This same concern should be shared by every event planner.
It is critical to remember that events exist to serve the attendees with a benefit to the planner (be that monetary or in intangible brand reputation). If attendees are not satisfied, the benefits will not be realized. To be successful, polling must go beyond leaving paper questionnaires on chairs and sending post-event surveys via email. Just like in political races, polling must happen throughout the event process.[Tweet "Just like in political races, polling must happen throughout the event process. #GovEventsBlog"]
Start before the event. Survey past attendees to find out what they want to see and hear at your event. Make them part of the speaker selection process and take their feedback into account when planning themes and activities. At the event itself, highlight things you added or changes you made based on attendee feedback so they know their voice was heard and they'll be willing to participate in future polls.
During the event, polling is critical to ensure content and experience is living up to expectations. As you build mobile apps for events, look for a way to incorporate polling into the app so you can survey people on the spot. In-event surveys can be used to more accurately evaluate speakers by getting people to provide feedback in the moment. Results from polls can show you where people are engaged and where they are bored, and you may be able to make some on-site changes to address any apathy or disappointment.[Tweet "During the event polling is critical to ensure content is living up to expectations. #GovEventsBlog"]
If training is your aim, in-event polling can show what information people are retaining and where instructors may need to focus more time later in the event. Curriculum can be adjusted in real-time to make sure training and learning goals are met.
After the event don't stop at just getting a rating for satisfaction. Ask why. It's not enough to know that someone was thrilled or dissatisfied, questions need to follow-up to find out why. This can be done with open-ended questions that ask, "Why did you rate X that way."[Tweet "Don't stop at just getting a rating for satisfaction. Ask why. #GovEventsBlog"]
If you start polling and surveying and you are getting low response rates don't despair. Bigger is not always better. In 1936 Literary Digest polled its subscribers to see who they were choosing for president. The poll predicted the Hoover win within four percentage points. In the next election they predicted Roosevelt's win within two percentage points of his actual win total. For the next election they expanded beyond their subscribers sending out 10 million ballots and tallying 2.4 million responses. This poll had Alf Landon carrying 32 states, defeating Roosevelt by 57% to 43%. The expansion of the base killed the poll (and soon after the magazine). Don't give up or discount a poll if you have a small pool of respondents. What is critical is that they are the right people.
Let us know your experience with event surveys and polls. What interesting changes have you made or seen based on surveys and polls?
