Fall chapter meetings are in full swing this month. Chapter leaders have worked very hard to put together programs that consist of relevant and important content to help CDM, CFPPs succeed in their jobs and grow professionally. One of the ways our chapters decide on content is through feedback provided from their meeting evaluations. Allowing our members and attendees to provide feedback on meetings, can help us better serve our members and meet their needs. It becomes imperative to our growth as a chapter to learn from feedback and evaluations, but perhaps most importantly that we are asking the right questions.
Meeting Effectiveness - We can start with asking a basic, yet important question, if the meeting was effective. Was the meeting a good use of their time? Did attendees get what was intended from the meeting? If it is a reoccurring meeting, has the meeting quality improved or declined over time? You could also give attendees or members the opportunity to explain their answer as a follow-up question for a more detailed explanation.
Meeting/Session Content – Another question or questions, you’ll want to include in your evaluation, address the meeting or session(s) content. Was the content relevant to your position? Did the session meet the objectives? Will you be able to apply what you learned? This will help your board and chapter leaders improve upon the education and topics provided at future events. You can also tack on feedback questions regarding speakers in this portion.
Recommendation of Event – One of the most positive forms of feedback is when a member or attendee recommends others attend your events. This is a great way to gauge if members will be back and perhaps bring others to the next event. Be sure to include the questions that ask if they would attend again or if they would recommend the event to a friend or colleague.
Topics for Future Meetings – A great way to get ahead of planning for the next meeting is asking your attendees the topics they would like to see included in the meeting. You may find some unique topics or a trend with the same topics being suggested. Asking this question can give you a great start to your content and agenda for next year as well as meet your members’ needs.
Additional, but Important Questions - You’ll also want to consider adding questions about the venue, location, cost to attend, food & beverage, networking events or expo/food show, registration process and anything else that you’d like to improve upon or change for next year’s event. This may help you understand why others may have not attended if you receive negative feedback.
These are just a few questions you can include in your evaluation or feedback survey. However, in addition to creating your survey, its important to act on this feedback and keep it in mind as you plan your next event.