Template · free
Session feedback questions
A bank of twenty-four feedback questions that can be mixed by session type: talks, panels and workshops each get their own questions. Each question has an answer format, a time to ask it and a note on how to read the answers.
No sign-up needed.
Who it is for
- Association secretariats collecting feedback on many sessions
- Corporate event managers who want short, comparable forms
- Programme committees who choose speakers for the next edition
How to use it
- Pick five to seven questions per session type and leave the rest.
- Always include the relevance and recommendation questions for comparison across sessions.
- Ask the end-of-day questions once, in the evening, not after every session.
- Read the open answers before you read the scores.
The contents
| No | Question | Type | Answer options | Required | Asked when | What it tells you | Reading note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How relevant was this session to your work? | Scale 1 to 5 | 1 Not at all to 5 Very | Yes | Right after the session | Fit between topic and audience | Compare across tracks, not across days |
| 2 | How clear was the speaker's main message? | Scale 1 to 5 | 1 Unclear to 5 Very clear | Yes | Right after the session | Delivery clarity | Low scores with high relevance mean a coaching issue |
| 3 | Did the session start and end on time? | Choice | Yes, Started late, Ran over, Both | Yes | Right after the session | Schedule discipline | Feed straight into next year's slot lengths |
| 4 | How much new knowledge did you gain? | Scale 1 to 5 | 1 Nothing new to 5 A lot | Yes | Right after the session | Novelty of content | Experts and newcomers may differ, so tag the respondent |
| 5 | What is one thing you will try after this session? | Short text | Free text, 140 characters | No | Right after the session | Intent to act | Cluster themes and quote the strongest three |
| 6 | Which part was most useful? | Choice | Opening, Core talk, Demo, Questions, Handouts | No | Right after the session | Which format worked | Use to trim sections that nobody picks |
| 7 | Which part could be shortened or dropped? | Choice | Opening, Core talk, Demo, Questions, Handouts | No | Right after the session | Where attention dropped | Read together with question 6 |
| 8 | Was there enough time for questions? | Choice | Too little, About right, Too much | Yes | Right after the session | Interaction balance | Pair with the moderator's own note |
| 9 | How was the room for this session? | Scale 1 to 5 | 1 Poor to 5 Excellent | No | Right after the session | Audio, sightlines and temperature | Send low scores to the venue lead the same day |
| 10 | Could you hear and see the content easily? | Choice | Yes, Audio problem, Screen problem, Both | No | Right after the session | Technical quality | Flag sessions with repeat problems |
| 11 | Did the moderator keep the discussion useful? | Scale 1 to 5 | 1 Not at all to 5 Very | No | Panels only | Moderation quality | Skip for single-speaker talks |
| 12 | Did the panel represent different views? | Scale 1 to 5 | 1 One-sided to 5 Balanced | No | Panels only | Panel composition | Use when choosing next year's panellists |
| 13 | Was the hands-on exercise at the right level? | Choice | Too easy, About right, Too hard | Yes | Workshops only | Workshop pitching | Break results down by experience band |
| 14 | Did you have the materials you needed? | Choice | Yes, Partly, No | No | Workshops only | Preparation quality | Use to fix pre-reading and kits |
| 15 | Would you recommend this session to a colleague? | Scale 0 to 10 | 0 Unlikely to 10 Very likely | Yes | Right after the session | Session-level advocacy | Keep a separate figure for each session |
| 16 | What topic should we add next time? | Short text | Free text, 140 characters | No | End of day | Demand for new content | Count repeats before judging |
| 17 | Which speaker should return? | Short text | Free text, name only | No | End of day | Speaker pull | Combine with attendance in the room |
| 18 | How was the pacing of today's programme? | Scale 1 to 5 | 1 Too rushed or slow to 5 Just right | Yes | End of day | Overall schedule balance | Share with the programme committee |
| 19 | Were breaks long enough to network? | Choice | Too short, About right, Too long | No | End of day | Networking time | Compare with attendance in post-break sessions |
| 20 | Did you attend sessions outside your own track? | Choice | None, One or two, Several | No | End of day | Cross-track curiosity | Informs how you build parallel tracks |
| 21 | Did the app help you find the right session? | Scale 1 to 5 | 1 Not at all to 5 Very | No | End of day | App usefulness | Ask only if the app is in use |
| 22 | Anything that stopped you taking part? | Short text | Free text, 200 characters | No | End of day | Barriers to participation | Read every answer and act on access issues first |
| 23 | May we share your comment with the speaker? | Choice | Yes with name, Yes anonymously, No | Yes | End of day | Consent for sharing | Respect the answer in every report |
| 24 | Anything else you want the organisers to know? | Short text | Free text, 300 characters | No | End of day | Open feedback | Tag each answer by theme once, then count |
Where it has been used
Shaped by session-level feedback used in the APMI annual conference and EEMA Connect case studies.
Questions people ask
How many questions per session is right?
Five to seven. A form delegates can finish in under a minute is answered by more people than a longer one.
Should feedback be anonymous?
Offer it. The consent question lets people choose whether their comment goes to the speaker with a name, without one or not at all.
What do I do with low scores?
Read the comments first. A low clarity score with high relevance points to delivery, and a low relevance score points to who was in the room.
Want this running inside your event app?
Sociana turns lists like this into live screens, requests and reminders for your guests and your desk. A 20-minute walkthrough shows how.