Form questions
Pre event survey questions to shape the program
Ask 8 to 12, three to six weeks before the event. Never skip what attendees most want to get out of the event, their dietary needs and their accessibility needs. Goals shape the program, and dietary and access needs must be known in time to arrange them properly.
Pre event survey questions ask registered attendees what they want from an event before it happens, so the program, catering and access arrangements fit the people coming. These twenty questions cover goals, sessions, level, networking, dietary needs and accessibility, and work as part of registration or as a short survey a few weeks out.
The questions
About you
Which best describes your role?DropdownRequired
Use the categories your sponsors and program committee care about.
How many years have you worked in this field?Single choice
Have you attended this event before?Single choice
Goals and program
What do you most want to get out of the event?Multiple choiceRequired
Learn new skills, hear about research, meet suppliers, meet peers, find a job, other. Limit to two choices in the instructions.
Which topics would you most like covered?Multiple choice
What level of content suits you?Single choice
Introductory, intermediate, advanced.
Which session formats do you prefer?Multiple choice
Talks, panels, workshops, case studies, roundtables.
Is there a speaker you would like to hear?Short text
What question would you most like answered at the event?Long text
Often gives the program committee its best panel topic.
Networking
How interested are you in organised networking?Single choice
Very, somewhat, not really.
Who would you most like to meet?Multiple choice
Would you use a meeting booking service at the event?Single choice
Logistics and access
Dietary requirementsMultiple choiceRequired
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, halal, kosher, allergies listed below, none.
Please list any allergiesShort text
Do you have any accessibility requirements?Long textRequired
Write none if not. Asked plainly, so attendees know the organiser wants to plan for them.
Will you need a hearing loop, captions or an interpreter?Multiple choice
How will you travel to the venue?Single choice
Will you need accommodation?Single choice
Would you like to receive the program as soon as it is published?Single choice
Anything else the organisers should know?Long text
Which questions to make required
Four are required: role, what they most want from the event, dietary requirements and accessibility requirements. The first two shape the program and the networking plan. Dietary and access needs are required because missing them causes real harm on the day, and asking every attendee to answer, even with none, is the only way to be sure nobody is missed.
- Which best describes your role?
- What do you most want to get out of the event?
- Dietary requirements
- Do you have any accessibility requirements?
The form built from these questions
A static copy of the finished form, from its own example page.
Three ways to change this bank
For an internal company offsite, replace networking with which teams people want to work with, and ask about travel approvals instead of accommodation. For a community event, shorten the program questions and add childcare and transport needs. For an online event, drop dietary needs and accommodation and ask about time zone, preferred session length and whether attendees need captions. In every version, send the survey early enough to act on the answers, and close it a week before the catering and seating numbers are due, so late replies do not leave anyone without a meal or a seat they need.
Questions people ask
When should a pre event survey be sent?
Three to six weeks before the event is common: late enough that most attendees have registered, early enough to change the program and order catering. Dietary and access questions can be asked at registration instead, and the program questions a few weeks later, once the speaker list is taking shape.
Should pre event questions be part of registration?
Practical questions such as dietary and access needs fit well in registration, because every attendee must answer them. Program questions can make registration feel long, so many organisers send them separately. The linked registration form asks the practical questions at sign up.
How do you use pre event survey results?
Adjust the program toward the most wanted topics and levels, plan networking around who people want to meet, and give caterers and the venue exact numbers for dietary and access needs. Tell attendees what you changed, which builds goodwill before the event starts.
Why ask accessibility needs before the event?
Some needs, such as interpreters, captioning, accessible seating or a quiet room, take weeks to arrange. Asking everyone, with a plain question, means people do not have to chase the organiser. The W3C accessibility introduction is a good primer on why access needs vary so widely.
How many questions should a pre event survey have?
Around eight to twelve, finished in a few minutes. Attendees have already committed by registering, so they are willing, but long surveys still lose people. Ask only what you will use to change the event, and move anything merely interesting to the post event survey.
Should speakers see the pre event survey results?
Sharing a summary of attendee goals, levels and questions helps speakers pitch their talks. Remove anything that could identify a person. Speakers who know their audience in advance give more relevant sessions and pitch the level correctly for the room.
Can the survey help with sponsors?
Role and goals tell sponsors who is coming and what they want, which helps them plan their stands and staff. Share grouped results only, never contact details, unless attendees have agreed to be contacted by sponsors through a separate, clearly worded consent question.
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Session feedback questions to ask after every talk
Session feedback questions are asked straight after a talk, so they have to be few and quick: was it relevant, how was the speaker, was the length right and what will the attendee take away. These twenty questions give a core set of four for every session and optional extras for workshops and panels.
On writing the questions themselves, read Event registration form fields, by event type. For everything the builder can do, see the form maker. Step by step: Create a form from scratch with AI, then View, export and manage your responses.
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