Event Voting Systems: How to evaluate your choices and pick the most suitable one
One of the best ways to measure the effectiveness of your event, is by getting real-time feedback from the people who matter most at every event – your participants.
And the key to getting the most honest and accurate feedback is by asking attendees for their opinions while they’re still at the event, when the presentations and activities are still fresh in their mind – and not with a post-event survey that they receive when they’re back home or in the office. Getting real-time feedback is easy, if you have the right voting system in place.
But with so many choices, how can you evaluate which voting system is best for your event? Consider the following factors.
Set Up Time
How much time will it take to install and set up the system (both the hardware and the software)? The best voting systems should only take minutes, and integrate seamlessly with your existing technology.
Compatibility Across Platforms
And speaking of integration, your voting system should work on your device and operating system of choice.
Think about what type of laptops your technical team will be using at the event – if it’s a MacBook, choose a voting system that has MacOS compatibility, otherwise your teams will need to bring an additional Windows-based laptop just to run the voting system. (Or vice versa.)
Are the Results Instantaneous?
A good voting system should display results in real-time. This is especially useful when you ask for feedback at the end of every session, activity or presentation. This way, you can gain an in-depth look at how each segment of your event is doing, and made adjustments along the way – instead of having to wait for a report to be compiled.
Reporting
On the topic of reports, you should also enquire about how a voting system’s reporting is handled. Do you need to wait a long time (or even pay additional fees) for a report to be put together for your use?
Or do you have the option of exporting the results immediately into a Microsoft Excel sheet? The more control you can have over your report – and the more details included in the report – the better.
Scalability
It’s necessary to note that not all voting systems can handle the same crowds. Some systems may work at lightning speeds with smaller audience sizes, but slow down massively once voter numbers increase.
And systems catered for larger audiences may not be well-optimised (or cost too much) for smaller numbers of people. If you organise events both big and small, and would prefer to use one voting system across all your events, then choose a system that scales well – from small events of a few dozen people, to events with thousands of attendees.
Ease of Use
Importantly, you should also take note of how ease a voting system is to use. After all, event attendees are only going to use the system if the keypads are lightweight and easy to hold, and the buttons easy to find and press.
Need Help? Speak to Someone
If you need assistance discovering what features a voting system has - and deciding if it’s the right choice for your event - we recommend speaking to a representative to get a clearer picture, before making your decision.
And if you would like to chat with a friendly Angage team member, simple contact us here. We’ll be happy to lend a helping hand.
