Talk to people before your event
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Everyone who has ever attended a business event knows about the post-event survey. We’ve answered a few in our time; some of you may have even sent out a few. Those surveys have their place but only get part of the picture. They tend to focus on the event that has just occurred, which means they don’t necessarily deal with whether it was fit for purpose or even necessary.
We’ve had a few forward-thinking clients come over the last year or so to survey people about what shape their events should take before developing those events. Talking to people before the event is where the real value lies. And here’s why:
It removes the need to read minds. When you talk to people about what they want from an event, you are no longer guessing. Giving them more of what they liked from a previous event is OK, but what if there is something they really want that they are not getting? Asking beforehand helps.
It reveals barriers. When you survey attendees, you only talk to those who have…attended. But what about those who didn’t come? Why didn’t they come? Working out the barriers to attending your event can help you create something more attractive to a broader range of people.
It helps decide if the event is the solution. We like to discuss the mistakes organisations make in holding an event just because they’ve always held one. Asking people the right questions before an event can reveal whether you’ve been planning the right type of event or even if an event is the right solution.
It creates its own buzz. When you do the process right, word can get out that you are planning something special, that you are listening to people and that your next event will be different for all the right reasons. By including influencers within your target group, you help spread the word.
It helps build community. A community sustains events, and nothing helps build community more than a feeling of inclusiveness. By asking people what they want, you help them feel more included, which helps create a community that surrounds an event and lasts long after it has finished.
You only know what you know. A bit of a cliché, right? But true in this sense: the sorts of things that you know work in events usually only extend as far as the events you’ve experienced. But events and experiences happen every day, and nobody gets a chance to get around them all. But the people you survey might have been to different events to you and seen different things that work. Asking people before you plan an event expands your sources of inspiration.
What do you ask?
To get these benefits, you’ve got to ask the right questions. And identifying the right questions depends on what you want to find out. If attendance at the last couple of events was down but the post-event surveys were positive, then asking people about barriers to attendance might really help. If you want to change the format of your event, then throwing out some suggested changes for comment can be useful. Or checking in with your potential audience to see what content is useful to them can help you stay ahead of their evolving needs and deliver events or experiences that matter. Perhaps you’re interested in the whole lot? Ask away.
Talking to people about events before the event doesn’t replace the good old post-event survey, but it does provide a different type of valuable insight.