How to Survey Attendees to Improve Your Virtual Event Strategy [Sample Questions and Metrics]

Throughout 2020, marketers and event planners had to quickly transition to a digital format due to the pandemic. Now, teams have learned how to adapt to a virtual environment, and hybrid events featuring a mix of in-person and virtual experiences are becoming popular. However, engagement remains a significant issue, with only half of virtual event attendees in 2020 reporting being engaged. To improve engagement, teams need to understand how to delight their event attendees, and the best way to do this is by conducting surveys before, during, and after events.

Pre-event surveys should be conducted 4-6 months in advance to understand what attendees hope to gain from their experience. During the event, surveys should be kept short and focused. Consider giving incentives to boost response rates. Post-event surveys should be sent a day or two after the event and measure how well speakers performed, the effectiveness of session styles and length, and how well the event platform performed.

Monitor KPIs such as attendee count, attendees per session, and average number of people each attendee met to gauge whether your strategy is successful. Through surveys and social listening, your company can become a standout event provider and improve engagement for future events.