How can you evaluate conferences more effectively?

2 Choose your evaluation methods

There are many ways to evaluate conferences, depending on your goals, indicators, and resources. Some of the most common methods are surveys, feedback forms, interviews, focus groups, observations, and analytics. Surveys and feedback forms are easy to administer and analyze, but they may suffer from low response rates, bias, or incomplete answers. Interviews and focus groups are more in-depth and interactive, but they require more time, skills, and preparation. Observations and analytics are objective and reliable, but they may not capture the full experience or opinions of your participants.

4 Collect and analyze your data

The next step is to collect and analyze your data using your evaluation tools. You should collect your data as soon as possible after the conference, while the memories and impressions are still fresh. You should also ensure that your data is accurate, complete, and secure. To analyze your data, you should use appropriate techniques and software, depending on the type and amount of data you have. For example, you can use descriptive statistics, charts, and graphs for quantitative data, and thematic analysis, coding, and quotes for qualitative data.

5 Report and share your results

The final step is to report and share your results with your stakeholders, such as your sponsors, partners, speakers, and attendees. Your report should be concise, informative, and actionable. It should include an executive summary, an introduction, a methodology, a results section, a discussion section, and a conclusion. You should also include recommendations, best practices, and lessons learned for future conferences. You should share your report in a timely and accessible manner, using different formats and channels, such as email, social media, blog posts, or webinars.

6 Improve your evaluation process

Evaluating conferences is not a one-time activity, but a continuous process of learning and improvement. You should always seek feedback and suggestions from your stakeholders on how to improve your evaluation process and tools. You should also review and update your goals and indicators regularly, and compare your results with previous or similar conferences. By doing so, you will be able to evaluate conferences more effectively, and deliver better value and satisfaction to your participants.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?