Realtime Questionnaire Results

For over 20 years MeetingMetrics, and parent company GuideStar, has been involved in the meetings and events industry. Their mission is to "become an essential resource of information about meeting content and meeting communications strategies. (www.meetingmetrics.com)" Recently PCMA and MeetingMetrics announced a new web-based system to give planners realtime results on meeting questionnaires as well as reduce the use of paper during events. 

The system is entirely web based, which does not require individuals to download any information, which makes it simple for attendees to fill out survey's from their personal computers, cell phones or computers provided at the event. The survey would be previously organized by the planner and can be used solely for responses regarding the overall event, break out sessions, the general session, or any other feedback a planner may require. 

The article "New Session Evaluation Tool (www.migegasite)" discusses the benefits of this program and its ability to reduce paper waste at an event. I think that this is a valid marketing tool for the product but instead i think that it makes collection and follow through of a survey more realistic. During a session if attendees are encouraged to use their cell phones or computers provided during the event attendees will be more likely to give their feedback on the spot. Additionally it simplifies the collection or surveys, often once a survey is filled out it is easy to use it as scrap paper or throw it away. Instead this online system manages all of the surveys and allows the planners instant gratification. 

An important feature of this new program is the ability to print reports and transfer them into Word, Excel or PowerPoint easily. This reduces the need for a planner to build their own system or database to analyze results and streamlines attendee responses for easy analysis. 

I think the idea of this type of questionnaire is fantastic however, I feel that often times attendees do not fill out surveys unless they feel very strongly about an experience at an event. I do not think that the process will encourage the average attendee to respond and that planners will have to take that into consideration creating incentives for attendees to respond. Additionally, I think the streamlined process and easy analysis of the system is very important, this allows the planner to understand what is positive and negative about their program instantaneously and may even provide them the opportunity to perfect things as the event continues.