AMA Los AngelesAmerican Marketing Association

How to Use Surveys to Choose Your Next Chapter Event Topic

A strong event topic begins with a clear understanding of what members need now. For the American Marketing Association Los Angeles, that means listening to marketers across industries, career stages and business environments before booking a speaker or building a programme.

Surveys provide a practical way to turn broad interest into useful direction. Rather than relying on the loudest suggestion at a networking event, organisers can gather comparable feedback from a wider group and identify patterns in professional goals, skill gaps and current workplace pressures.

This approach is equally relevant for marketers in Australia who follow global trends while working within local conditions. A Sydney agency, a Melbourne technology company and a regional Queensland business may face different priorities, even when they share an interest in analytics, brand strategy or artificial intelligence.

A well-designed survey also creates early engagement. When people see their views reflected in an event programme, they are more likely to register, share the invitation with colleagues and contribute to the discussion once the session begins.

Start With The Audience You Want To Serve

Before writing a single survey question, define the audience for the proposed event. Consider whether the session is intended for students, early-career practitioners, marketing leaders, small business owners, freelancers or a cross-functional group. A broad audience may produce a wide range of answers, while a focused audience can reveal a sharper need.

Review recent attendance, registration data and questions raised during previous speaker events. If participants repeatedly ask how to prove campaign value to senior leaders, a session on measurement may have stronger appeal than a general presentation about marketing trends. Comments from mentoring programmes and volunteer teams can add further context.

The topic should also fit the chapter’s professional identity. A session about visual communication, for example, may benefit from principles explained in this visual identity guide, while still being adapted to the needs of marketing professionals and the Los Angeles business community.

Design A Survey People Will Complete

Short surveys usually produce better completion rates than long questionnaires. Aim for five to eight questions that can be answered on a mobile phone in a few minutes. Explain the purpose in plain language, state how responses will be used and avoid collecting personal details that are not needed for event planning.

Use a mixture of question formats. A ranking question can show which themes have the greatest demand, while a multiple-choice question can identify preferred formats such as a panel, workshop, case study or hands-on bootcamp. Include one open response field so participants can describe a challenge that the fixed options may miss.

Survey Design Essentials

The timing of distribution matters. In Australia, avoid launching a survey during the end-of-financial-year rush in June or across major holiday periods when response rates may fall. A reminder sent during a normal Tuesday or Wednesday workday is often more effective than repeated messages at random times.

Ask Questions That Reveal Real Demand

A useful survey explores the difference between general curiosity and a problem people are prepared to spend time solving. Ask respondents to identify their current challenge, the outcome they want and the level of experience they already have. These answers help organisers shape the event promise.

For example, “Which marketing trend interests you?” may generate vague responses. A stronger version asks, “Which capability would help you perform better in the next six months?” with choices such as reporting return on investment, improving customer research, using generative AI responsibly or presenting insights to executives.

Include a question about preferred depth. Some participants may want a strategic discussion, while others need templates, demonstrations or practical exercises. Asking this early can prevent a mismatch between the advertised event and the audience’s expectations.

Survey responses become more valuable when they are interpreted alongside attendance and engagement data. The AMA’s data storytelling guide offers a useful perspective on turning numerical findings into a narrative that stakeholders can understand and act upon.

Turn Responses Into A Clear Decision

Once the survey closes, group similar answers rather than treating every response as a separate idea. Combine terms such as “AI content tools,” “automation” and “generative technology” when they describe the same underlying need. Then compare the number of mentions with the strength of the stated problem.

Use a simple scoring method to evaluate each potential theme. Demand, relevance, practical value and speaker availability can each receive a score from one to five. This makes the choice more transparent and helps the organising team explain why one topic was prioritised.

A Practical Topic-Selection Scorecard

Avoid allowing a single enthusiastic comment to dominate the decision. Qualitative feedback is useful for understanding language and emotion, but it should be balanced against the wider response. A topic with moderate demand may still be worthwhile if it supports the chapter’s mission and can attract a distinctive speaker.

Adapt The Event For Australian Professionals

Australian marketers may value a global perspective, yet the event should acknowledge local working conditions. A session scheduled for Los Angeles needs clear attention to time-zone differences for online attendees in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth. If the event is hybrid, publish the start time in Australian time zones rather than leaving members to calculate it themselves.

Survey respondents can also reveal format preferences shaped by local customs. Early-morning networking may work well for some Sydney professionals, while a breakfast event may be less accessible to people travelling across Melbourne’s suburbs. Ask whether attendees prefer an in-person workshop, an evening webinar, a lunchtime discussion or a recording with follow-up materials.

The local market should influence examples and case studies. Australian audiences may respond well to references to the Australian Privacy Act, GST, local media behaviour, regional customer segments and the realities of marketing to a comparatively small domestic market. These details make a global topic feel immediately applicable.

After choosing the theme, review current conversations across the chapter’s digital channels. The AMA LA blog can help organisers spot recurring subjects and connect the selected event to wider professional learning.

Share The Outcome And Build Momentum

Closing the feedback loop is part of the survey process. Send a short message explaining what members said, which topic was selected and what they can expect from the event. Even people whose preferred theme was not chosen will see that their contribution was considered.

Use the survey findings to shape the event description, speaker briefing and promotional content. If respondents asked for practical guidance, describe the tools, examples or exercises they will receive. If they wanted peer discussion, build in small-group activities rather than presenting a long lecture.

The same feedback can inform future programming. Record unanswered questions, recurring skill gaps and requests for advanced sessions. A survey may reveal that beginners need a foundational workshop before a more technical masterclass can succeed, creating a useful sequence of events instead of isolated topics.

Members who helped shape the programme may also be interested in contributing directly. Invite them to moderate a discussion, share a case study or explore volunteer opportunities that support the chapter’s wider community.

Choose the next event topic with evidence, empathy and a clear connection to member needs. Create a short survey, distribute it through your professional networks and use the findings to build an event that gives marketers practical value they can carry into their next working day.