How can you use online and hybrid conferences for better evaluation and feedback?

1 Define your goals and indicators

Before you start designing your online or hybrid conference, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. What are the main objectives of your conference? Who are your target audience and stakeholders? What are the expected outcomes and impacts of your conference? How will you collect and analyze data to evaluate your conference? These questions will help you define your goals and indicators, which will guide your decisions and actions throughout the conference cycle.

2 Choose the right platform and tools

The platform and tools you use for your online or hybrid conference can make a big difference in how you deliver, monitor, and evaluate your conference. You need to consider several factors, such as the size, format, and duration of your conference, the features and functionalities you need, the budget and resources you have, and the preferences and needs of your participants. You also need to ensure that the platform and tools are reliable, secure, user-friendly, and compatible with your evaluation methods. For example, if you want to use surveys, polls, quizzes, or feedback forms, you need to make sure that the platform and tools can support them.

3 Engage your participants and speakers

One of the main challenges of online and hybrid conferences is to engage your participants and speakers, who may have different levels of motivation, interest, and attention. You need to find ways to capture their attention, stimulate their curiosity, and encourage their participation. You can do this by using various methods, such as gamification, storytelling, interactive sessions, live chats, Q&A, breakout rooms, networking opportunities, social media, and incentives. Engaging your participants and speakers will not only enhance their learning and satisfaction, but also provide you with valuable data and feedback for your evaluation.

4 Monitor and adapt your conference

Online and hybrid conferences require constant monitoring and adaptation, as they may face unexpected issues, such as technical glitches, connectivity problems, or low attendance. You need to have a contingency plan and a responsive team to deal with any potential problems and ensure that your conference runs smoothly. You also need to monitor and adapt your conference based on the data and feedback you collect during the conference. You can use various tools, such as analytics, dashboards, reports, or feedback forms, to track and measure your conference performance and identify areas for improvement. You can then make adjustments and modifications to your conference design, delivery, or evaluation as needed.

5 Collect and analyze data and feedback

Data and feedback are essential for evaluating your online or hybrid conference. They can help you assess the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and impact of your conference, as well as identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of your conference. You can collect and analyze data and feedback from various sources, such as participants, speakers, sponsors, organizers, or external evaluators. You can use various methods, such as surveys, polls, quizzes, feedback forms, interviews, focus groups, testimonials, or case studies. You can also use various tools, such as analytics, dashboards, reports, or software, to process and visualize your data and feedback.

6 Share and use your findings and recommendations

The final step of your online or hybrid conference evaluation is to share and use your findings and recommendations. You need to communicate your results and insights to your audience and stakeholders, such as participants, speakers, sponsors, organizers, or external evaluators. You can use various formats, such as reports, presentations, infographics, videos, or podcasts. You also need to use your findings and recommendations to improve your future online or hybrid conferences. You can use them to inform your decision-making, planning, implementation, and evaluation processes, as well as to demonstrate your impact and value.

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?