It's tempting to ask attendees about everything — every session, every speaker, the coffee, the Wi-Fi, the tote bag. But the longer your form, the fewer people finish it, and the more low-quality data you end up with.
Here are the questions that actually matter on a conference feedback form — and how to cover a lot of ground without exhausting anyone.
Long forms don't get more data — they get less
A 40-question form feels like a chore after a long day of sessions. Most people bail partway through, so you get fewer complete responses and a mountain of answers you'll never use.
The five questions that actually matter
Nearly every decision you'll make about the next conference comes from the same short set. Start here, and only add a question if you know exactly what you'll do with the answer.
Rate many sessions without a 40-question form
Session ratings are where forms balloon. The fix is a matrix question: one screen, one row per session or service, the same rating scale across the top. You cover ten things in the space of one question.
Pair a matrix with logic: only show the sessions someone actually attended, so no one is rating talks they skipped.
The one open question worth including
Close with a single open-ended question — "What's the one thing we should change next time?" It's where the ideas you'd never think to ask about show up, and one clear question gets far better answers than three vague ones.
Keep it mobile
Attendees answer on their phones, between sessions and on the move. Big tap targets and one thing per screen get finished; dense grids and tiny text get abandoned. Always preview your form on a phone before you send it.
Where to start
Cut your form to the five questions that matter.
Use one matrix question for all session and logistics ratings.
Show only the sessions each person attended, with logic.
End with one open question — and test it on a phone.
💡 A quick start
Survio's matrix question and skip logic let you rate a whole agenda in one mobile-friendly screen. See the other two guides in this collection for what to ask across the event and how to act on the results.