9th April 2026
416 survey responses. One person. One day. Here’s how…
416 survey responses. One person. One day. Here’s how…
On St Patrick’s Day in Downpatrick, our Head of Sector Development, Verity Peet, set herself a challenge: collect as many IMPACT survey responses as possible at an unticketed event.
She came back with 416.
No team. No paid ads. Just a plan, a QR code, and a lot of legwork.
Here’s how she approached the day…
A week before the event
Make it easy to respond
- Create a QR code linking to your IMPACT survey
- Design a bright, simple poster
- Print 40 A4 copies. Laminate two
Prep social for the follow-up
Create a second graphic without the QR code (people can’t scan a QR on their own phone). You’ll use this after the event.
Line up distribution
Spend an hour identifying where to share:
- Event partners
- Local community groups
- Parent groups
- What’s on pages
- Relevant artform audiences
Keep a list. You’ll need it fast.
Plan your route
Position yourself where people gather, not where you’re interrupting performances.
Bring: clipboard, tape, pins, scissors, hi-vis.
Put one laminated poster on your back. One on the clipboard.
Practice your opener
Lead with the hook:
- “Want to win a night in a posh hotel?”
- “Want to tell organisers what you think?”
Then simplify:
“Open your camera. Scan. You can finish later.”
Keep moving. Don’t over-explain.
On the day
Posters first
Arrive early. Put posters where people congregate and where they leave:
bus stops, shop windows, pubs, exits.
(Ask permission. Remove later.)
Then rest. You’ll need your voice.
Work the crowd
Hi-vis on. Clipboard up. Keep moving.
Target groups of multiple adults:
- Extended families
- Friends with multiple buggies
- Groups of young people
- Tourists
But try and cover a representative sample of the attendees too.
- Deliver your pitch in under a minute.
- Answer questions briefly.
- Don’t get pulled into conversations.
- Smile, thank, move on.
If people are standing individually, project your voice and address several at once. It saves repeating yourself 100 times.
After the event
Share the non-QR graphic to every page you identified. With the survey link!
Do it the same day. Response rates drop fast.
The next day
Take posters down. All of them.
Share again on socials if you want a final boost.
Check numbers.
Then yes… boast a little.
Bottom line? 416 responses. Unticketed event. One person. Totally doable, with great planning.
Photo credit: Allan & Fanfan, It’s Sometimes Sunny in Bangor — bangorni.com. Used for illustrative purposes.
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