Here are some of the best questions for a conference participants survey about panel discussion quality, plus actionable tips for building an effective survey. You can generate such a survey in seconds with Specific—just describe what you want, and let AI do the rest.
10 best open-ended questions for feedback on panel discussion quality
Open-ended questions are essential for tapping into the authentic thoughts and detailed experiences of conference participants. We use these because they let people express themselves in their own words—providing richer, more useful feedback about panel discussion quality. These questions are particularly valuable when you want nuance or unexpected insights, but keep in mind that they require a bit more time to answer and analyze. This aligns with expert research pointing out that open-ended questions often produce deeper insights, even though they may take longer to complete or review. [1]
What stood out to you the most during the panel discussion?
How did the panelists’ viewpoints shape your overall impression of the session?
Was there a topic or question you wish the panel had explored further? Please elaborate.
Can you describe a key takeaway or idea from the discussion that you found valuable?
What aspects of the panel discussion could have been improved, and how?
How did the moderator influence the flow and quality of the discussion?
Did you feel engaged throughout the panel? Why or why not?
Were there any moments where the discussion lost focus or clarity? If so, when?
How relevant was the content of the panel to your interests or field?
If you could change one thing about how the panel was conducted, what would it be?
By focusing on these types of open-ended questions, we’re able to gather deep, qualitative feedback that speaks to both the strengths and areas for growth in the panel experience.
Best single-select multiple-choice questions for actionable insights
Single-select multiple-choice questions are great when you want to quantify opinions, spot quick patterns, or lower the mental barrier for busy participants. They’re effective for pulse checks—especially at the start—to get a quick read before diving deeper with follow-up or open-ended questions. Sometimes people find it easier to pick from concise choices, which helps you kickstart the feedback loop and identify where a longer conversation might be helpful.
Question: How would you rate the overall quality of the panel discussion?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Question: Which aspect of the panel did you find most valuable?
Diversity of Panelists
Moderator’s Guidance
Audience Q&A
Panelist Expertise
Other
Question: How likely are you to attend another panel discussion at this event?
Very Likely
Somewhat Likely
Not Sure
Unlikely
When to follow up with “why?” Don’t just settle for a rating or a single choice—follow up with “why?” when a response sparks curiosity or lacks context. For example, if someone rates the panel as “Fair,” ask: “Why did you feel the discussion was only fair? Was it the topics, panelists, or something else?” This can uncover actionable feedback that you’d miss otherwise.
When and why to add the "Other" choice? Always include “Other” when the listed options might not cover every perspective—especially for diverse conference audiences. If someone picks “Other,” follow up with “What other aspect did you find most valuable?” This can reveal feedback you didn’t expect and can be essential for continuous improvement.
NPS: a fast check on loyalty and advocacy
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a proven, simple way to gauge satisfaction and loyalty. For conference participants, asking “How likely are you to recommend this panel discussion to a colleague?” (on a 0–10 scale) gives you a clear, quick metric that is easy to benchmark. It also uncovers advocates as well as those who had a lackluster experience. The beauty of NPS is that you can instantly spot promoters and detractors, then use follow-up questions to get to the “why.” Try it out in a dedicated NPS survey for conference participants.
The power of follow-up questions
We can’t overstate how much richer your feedback becomes when you ask smart follow-up questions. Automated follow-ups—like those offered with Specific’s AI follow-up questions feature—feel natural, just like a good moderator in a real conversation. The AI listens, probes, and clarifies instantly, helping you dig deeper without the hassle of manual, after-the-fact emails. This way you capture the “why,” not just the “what,” right in the moment.
Conference participant: “It was okay—some panelists talked too much.”
AI follow-up: “Could you share which panelist you felt dominated the conversation or how it affected your perception of the session?”
How many followups to ask? We’ve found that two to three targeted follow-ups are usually enough to get the full story—more than that, and you risk losing engagement. In Specific, you can set the AI to move on once you’ve got the info you need, creating a better respondent experience.
This makes it a conversational survey: Instead of a stale, linear form, your survey turns into a real conversation—just like a chat with a helpful colleague.
AI survey analysis, fast and easy: Analyzing lots of open-ended responses used to be a headache, but now it’s easy thanks to AI. Specific provides powerful, chat-driven analysis tools that make sense of themes and key ideas—even across tons of unstructured feedback. You just ask your questions as you would in ChatGPT, and the AI interprets the data for you.
Automated follow-up questions are a breakthrough—give them a try with Specific and experience just how much better (and easier) feedback collection can be.
How to write prompts for ChatGPT and other AIs to generate great questions
You don’t have to be an expert to tap into AI’s power for building surveys about panel discussion quality. The key: write clear prompts, and give the AI as much context as possible. Here’s how to do it:
For starters:
Suggest 10 open-ended questions for a conference participants survey about panel discussion quality.
If you want even better results, give the AI detail about your audience, specific goals, or pain points:
I’m running a conference with a diverse professional audience and I’m looking to evaluate the effectiveness and engagement level of our panel discussions. Suggest 10 open-ended questions that could help me understand what resonated most, where we can improve, and how participants felt about the panelists and moderator.
Next, to organize things:
Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.
Then, for focused feedback, pick the categories that matter most and go deeper with:
Generate 10 questions for categories like 'Panelist expertise' and 'Audience engagement'.
What is a conversational survey? (& why AI changes everything)
Conversational surveys flip the script on old-school, rigid survey forms. Instead of a static list of questions, the respondent interacts with a smart AI that adapts based on their replies. The result: higher engagement, deeper insights, and a much friendlier experience for both sides. You can see the difference right away, especially in complex feedback flows like panel discussion quality—where layer after layer of context matters.
Manual Survey Creation | AI Survey Generation (Conversational) |
|---|---|
Manual question writing | Describe what you need & AI handles it |
Rigid form, no dynamic followup | Dynamic, smart follow-ups based on replies |
Slow, hard to personalize | Instant customization and rich dialogue |
Labor-intensive analysis | AI-powered summaries, fast insights |
Why use AI for conference participants surveys? Because time and attention are limited, especially at events. AI handles the heavy lifting—creating, delivering, and analyzing surveys—in a way that’s both thorough and efficient. You get expert-level question design, natural language follow-ups, and powerful analysis, all in a single workflow. AI survey examples illustrate just how quickly you can go from an idea to actionable insights, no technical background required.
Specific leads here, offering a best-in-class user experience with conversational surveys that feel engaging from start to finish. Want a step-by-step guide? Check out our article on how to create a survey for conference participants on panel discussion quality.
See this panel discussion quality survey example now
Experience true feedback depth and efficiency—see how easy it is to create smart, conversational surveys that capture the real voice of your audience with Specific’s AI-powered tools. Don’t miss out on the insights waiting in your next panel discussion.