Live polling at conferences: 20 questions that get the room talking

Twenty live poll questions for conferences, seminars and panels, grouped by when to ask them, plus how to show results on the big screen without slowing the session down.

A live poll turns a talk into a conversation. The audience answers from their phones and the results appear on the screen while the speaker is still on stage. Done well, a poll takes under a minute and tells the speaker something they did not know. Done badly, it is a pause where people stare at their phones. These are twenty questions that work in almost any session, grouped by when to ask them, and a few rules for using them well.

To open a session

The first poll is not about the answer. It is about getting every phone connected while the stakes are low.

Where are you joining from today? A word cloud or multiple choice breaks the ice, and shows the speaker who is in the room.
How much do you already know about this topic? A scale from 1 to 5 tells the speaker where to start.
What do you most want to take away from this session? Three or four options; the speaker can adjust on the spot.
What is your role? Useful at mixed conferences, so a speaker knows whether to talk to engineers or buyers.
In one word, how are you feeling about this year in our industry? Shown as a word cloud, it is an instant mood check.

In the middle

Mid-session polls work best right after a claim on a slide. They turn a statement into a discussion.

Which of these challenges is the biggest for you? Multiple choice, with the options from the speaker's slide.
Do you agree with this statement? Agree, not sure, disagree. Great before a panel debate.
Rank these priorities for next year. A ranking question shows the room's real order, which is often not the speaker's.
How does your organisation handle this today? Options from "not at all" to "fully automated".
What would stop you from trying this? Open text; the top answers make a good Q&A.
Guess the number. "What share of companies do X?" before revealing the research. People remember a number they guessed.
Which example should we look at next? Let the room choose the case study.

For panels

Who do you agree with most so far? One option per panellist. Panellists react to it, which livens up a polite panel.
What should the panel discuss next? Three topics prepared in advance.
Did this panel change your mind? Yes, a little, no. Ask it at the start and the end, and compare.

To close

How useful was this session? One to five stars.
What will you try first? Open text; read out the best answers.
What should we cover next time?
Would you recommend this session to a colleague? A 0 to 10 scale gives organisers a score to compare sessions.
One word to describe today. A word cloud is a good last slide.

Let the audience ask, too

Alongside the polls, open an audience Q&A: guests send questions from their phones, others upvote them, and the moderator shows the most popular one on the screen. Questions can be anonymous, so people ask what they really want to know. See audience Q&A.

Rules for good polls

One question per poll, and keep it under a minute.
Write the question so it fits on one line of the screen.
Four options at most for multiple choice. More and people stop reading.
Always include an honest option such as "not sure" or "none of these".
Show results only after most people have answered, so early answers do not steer the rest.
Say something about every result. A poll the speaker ignores teaches the room to stop answering.

Getting people to join

Put the QR code on the first slide, on table cards and on the screen during breaks.
Use one code for the whole conference, so people join once and stay joined for every session.
Ask the first question within two minutes of the session starting.
Tell the room how many have answered: "Two hundred of you, let us get to three hundred."

For organisers: plan polls with speakers

Ask each speaker for their questions a week before, set them up yourself, and send them a link to check. Speakers who have never used live polls appreciate one five-minute rehearsal. Keep a moderator in the room to start and close polls, so the speaker can keep talking.

After the conference

Export the results of every poll and the closing ratings. Send speakers their own session's results; it is the most useful feedback they will get. A short event feedback survey at the end of the day completes the picture. For using the same ideas inside a company, see how to make your town hall interactive.

Try it

See how it looks in the live polls guide, or play for free to try it before your next event.