Backstage Confessions: What Event Organizers Really Think About Your Questionnaire

Wouldn’t it be great if you could peek inside the mind of your event organizer…

And see what they are REALLY thinking?

Well, my friends, I’ve got great news!

Today, we’re introducing a brand-new regular feature for our newsletter:

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Backstage: A behind-the-scenes glimpse into what event organizers really think about speakers.

For each article, we’re going to interview real event organizers to learn what they think. Finally, you’ll know what makes event organizers excited to work with a speaker… and what makes them cringe with regret.

And guess what? We’re not going to sugar coat things.

For this first Backstage feature, we’re looking at those pre-event questionnaires you might send your event organizer before an event takes place.

And we have three special guests who are sharing their insights. Their names are Homer, Marge, and Lisa Simpson.

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We've tried interviewing event organizers "on the record" in the past. Unfortunately, these organizers know that anytime they appear in a speaker-related publication they suddenly get an influx of cold "pitch" emails. So, the only way we could convince organizers to participate is if we promised not to use their real names.

Yup… this is all anonymous folks.

But don’t worry. These are genuine opinions from real working event organizers who were generous enough to share their thoughts.

Without further ado… let’s go BACKSTAGE on the topic of pre-event questionnaires!

What is a Pre-Event Questionnaire?

The idea for this topic came to us from subscriber Jeff Toister who wrote:

My in-person questionnaire is 16 questions long. I have a separate version for virtual and hybrid presentations because the information I request is slightly different. I haven’t had an issue with clients not filling it out.

The primary goal is to capture the big stuff in writing. Some of these questions aren’t necessary if you have them in a contract.

Jeff was then kind enough to include a link to his Google questionnaire which included the following fill-in-the-blank, fields and questions.

Organization name
Event name
Event location
Presentation date
What time should I arrive?
Where should I check in upon arrival?
What is the name and cell phone number of my onsite contact?
What time will my presentation start?
How long is my presentation scheduled for?
What should I do if my presentation starts late? (with two options)
Who will introduce me?
Please confirm whether the following equipment will be available. (with check boxes for lavalier microphone, projection system with a screen, HDMI input for projection system, and other.)
How will the room be set up? (with check boxes for stage or rise, podium, seating in rows without tables, seating in rows with tables, seating in pods or at round tables, or other.)
Do you wish to film the presentation?
Approximately how many people will be attending?
Please provide a brief overview of the audience (roles, interests, etc.)

(Thanks for sharing, Jeff!)

Now, Jeff isn’t alone in his instinct to send a pre-event questionnaire like this. A lot of speakers send these types of forms before attending an event.

The question we want to answer, though, is this:

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Do event organizers mind if you send questionnaires?

To be clear… a lot of the questionnaires speakers send include very basic information. Some will ask about the big goals for the event, who else is on the agenda, what other topics are being discussed, or if the planner has any special requests for the speaker to include in their presentation.

The intention is for the event planner to receive a questionnaire, take some time to think about and respond to the questions, and then send it back to the speaker well in advance of the event so they have everything clearly laid out.

So, Homer, Marge, and Lisa… what do you actually think of speaker questionnaires?

Homer Simpson’s Harsh Truth

Let’s start with Homer. When he’s not chugging down donuts and Duff adult beverages, he’s an event organizer I’ve known and worked with for many years.

I first reached out to Homer to get his responses for this article by sending — yes, you guessed it – a written questionnaire!

(Believe me, the irony was not lost on me.)

And guess what I heard in return?

Crickets.

Finally, I decided I was being silly. I was great friends with Homer. So, I picked up the phone and gave him a call. Turns out, he was happy to share his thoughts… but they weren’t exactly positive.

“I don’t hire a lot of speakers who end up sending me questionnaires. But, if I did talk to someone who wanted me to fill one out, I would immediately decide this was not someone I wanted to work with.”

Phew… okay, thanks Homer.