Debriefing

Debriefing with meeting organizers, preferably within two weeks of an event’s end or sooner so it is fresh, helps organizers consider what worked and what did not work. Take compliments and criticisms to heart. No event is perfect.

Collecting feedback

Another way to add to your debrief is to get feedback from attendees. You may also send out an invite for attendees to share their thoughts about the event, either electronically or even in quick one-on-one follow-ups with select attendees if you have their contact information. You can also provide a post-survey or similar handout materials, but these can be challenging to get back as attendees may be eager to get home after an event ends. Even asking a few questions, such as what they liked about the event and what didn’t go well or was confusing can be helpful for future event planning.

Summarizing

Consider storing a summary of things learned somewhere accessible for future staff to reference before they do a similar event.

• What did you learn?
• Are certain venues to be avoided
• Did a specific format work particularly well?
• What can be replicated in the future?