Event planning questionnaire: 30 questions to ask

You know more than anyone just how much goes into planning the perfect event. It’s on you to nail the right setting, the invitations, the music, and the small yet significant details that bring it all together. 

There’s nothing better than seeing the delight on your clients’ faces when they see your vision come to life on the day of the event. But the times that your work didn’t live up to their expectations? Eek! We don’t ever want you to be in that position. 

One way to knock your events out of the park is to include an event planning questionnaire as part of your discovery process. By asking your clients the right questions pre-event, you can rest assured that you’ll deliver the event experience your clients are after.

What questions should I ask clients in my event planning questionnaire? 

Here are 20 questions to ask in your event survey that can be applied to just about any event management process - weddings, graduations, corporate events, conferences, fundraisers, birthdays, networking events, and the list goes on!

Questions about the working relationship 

Ask these questions to get a feel for what the client is looking for when working with you as an event planner. 

1. Have you worked with an event planner before? If so, how was that experience? What went well and what didn’t?
   
   
2. What is the most important thing to you in a working relationship with an event planner? What do you need most from me?
   
   
3. What is your preferred method of contact? Are there any best hours to reach you?
   
   
4. How hands-on or hands-off would you like to be in the process of planning your event? Are you set on your own ideas? Do you expect to work collaboratively or hand most things off to me?

Questions about event specifics 

Ask these questions to understand exactly what type of event you’re planning. 

5. What type of event are you planning? What’s the occasion?
   
   
6. Do you have an event location/venue yet?
   
   
7. How many people do you plan to invite?
   
   
8. How will you be inviting guests?
   
   
9. Can you describe the demographic you’re inviting?
   
   
10. Do any of your guests have personal challenges the event will need to accommodate (e.g. disability access)?
    
    
11. What is your desired start and end time of the event?
    
    
12. What is your main goal for this event?
    
    
13. How will you measure the events’ success (ticket sales/ profit/online reviews/ social media engagement?)
    
    
14. What is your total budget or budget per person?
    
    
15. Do you plan to purchase event insurance?
    
    
16. Will you need sponsors?
    
    
17. Do you have any concerns or potential challenges in mind for this event? Are there any other events taking place that might be competing with yours?
    
    
18. What food options would you like to offer guests?
    
    
19. What other dietary options will you need to offer (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free)?
    
    
20. What beverage options would you like to offer guests?
    
    
21. What types of vendors will you need for the event?
    
    - Photographer
    - Videographer
    - Caterer
    - Baker
    - Attire
    - Band
    - DJ
    - Transportation
    - MC
    - Photobooth
    - Lighting
    - Accommodations
    - Bartender
    - Rentals - tables, chairs, chair covers
    - Invitations
    - Decor
    - Salon/Spa
    - Florist
    - Other (please list) 

Questions about client preferences 

Ask these questions to narrow down what’s most important to the client and where their preferences lie. 

22. What are your top 3 must-haves for your event?
    
    
23. What are 3 things you definitely do not want for your event?
    
    
24. Do you have a theme in mind?
    
    
25. Do you have a colour palette in mind for your theme?
    
    
26. Have you collected any visual aids like a mood board / Pinterest collection to guide the event that you can share with me?
    
    
27. How would you like guests to feel as soon as they arrive?
    
    
28. How would you describe the atmosphere you’re looking to create?
    
    
29. What impression would you like guests to leave with? 

Questions about extra support needed

Ask this question to find out what other tasks your client needs your assistance with.

30. Do you need my assistance with:
    
    - Sourcing vendors?
    - Finding sponsors?
    - Coordinating travel + accommodation for guests?
    - Marketing your event?
    - Finding volunteers?
    - Developing a menu?
    - Gathering post-event feedback?
    - Anything else? (Please specify) 

What’s the best way to create an event survey? 

You can create and send out your event survey using a few different tools. We’ll explore some pros and cons here. 

Use online forms like Google Forms, Gravity Forms

Google Forms and Gravity Forms are two online forms tools you can explore to develop your event planning questionnaire. They are easy to use but two things to keep in mind are that:

1. Clients have to finish forms in one go

Ideally, you want to make life as easy as possible for your client. And when they use online forms like these, they have to submit all their answers in one go. They can’t save their work and come back to the form later when they have more time. If your client has to deal with inconveniences like this, it will only mean that there will be delays in getting content back from them.

2. You need to use email to follow up on form completion   

The downside of using online forms like Google Forms or Gravity Forms is that it’s still on you to do the manual work of following up with your client over email to remind them to complete your survey. This can be a huge time suck!

Use a purpose-built tool like Content Snare

When you use a tool like Content Snare intended to collect this kind of information, you avoid these two headaches.

1. Clients can fill out the questionnaire in chunks 

When your client gets their questionnaire through Content Snare, they can answer as much of it as they want to, and come back to it later. Easy peasy. With an auto-save feature built into the forms, all information is saved and your clients can complete the form over multiple sessions, picking up where they left off last.

2. You don’t need to use email to follow up 

Content Snare cuts out the need for you to send email reminders. You can choose how often you want the platform to send your clients reminders then sit back and let it do the work for you. Content Snare will remind your clients to complete the questionnaire till all the information is complete and received.

How does Content Snare work?

Content Snare is the ISO 27001-certified platform trusted by over 1,600 businesses worldwide to streamline document collection, client onboarding, and data gathering. According to a recent survey, organizations using Content Snare experience a 71% reduction in time spent gathering information and a 77% drop in associated costs, delivering a 9x return on investment. 

Related: How this consulting agency turned their content collection worries into wins

Since its launch in 2016, Content Snare has evolved into the most innovative and flexible client data collection solution, with integrations spanning Zapier, Make, and dozens of industry tools. Featured on platforms including GoDaddy, Xero, and HubSpot, Content Snare empowers teams to prevent stalled projects while delivering a professional client experience that builds trust.