--- title: "Wednesday Buzz: Learn From Negative Feedback" id: "38772" type: "post" slug: "wednesday-buzz-learn-from-negative-feedback" published_at: "2017-07-05T22:12:39+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T19:51:16+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/07/05/wednesday-buzz-learn-from-negative-feedback/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/07/05/wednesday-buzz-learn-from-negative-feedback.md" excerpt: "Become a better event pro by learning how to bounce back from meeting complaints. Also: Why you shouldn’t leave print out of your marketing efforts." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "attendee engagement" - "event planning" - "feedback" - "Meetings" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Wednesday Buzz: Learn From Negative Feedback Event professionals give their blood, sweat, and tears to creating meetings, so it can be disheartening to receive negative feedback from attendees. But as cliche as it may sound, criticism truly is a learning opportunity. To get the most value out of negative feedback, [the Eventbrite blog (opens in a new tab)](https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/event-feedback-ds00/) says that you can’t take it personally. “All events will receive negative feedback once in a while,” writes Mark Walker. “But the best events are the ones that see feedback as a way to grow and improve.” Send a survey within 24 hours of your meeting to garner feedback, and pay close attention to the respondents who say they would be unlikely to recommend your meeting to someone else. “Their responses are the building blocks of your event’s growth and future success,” says Walker. Once you receive your feedback, you have to decide what’s worth acting on and what isn’t. However, if you receive a particularly harsh piece of feedback, respond with a personal note. “Framing your response this way shows attendees that there is someone held accountable for the mishap—who will make sure it doesn’t happen again,” writes Walker. ### Reconsider Print https://twitter.com/wessovis/status/882341506434158592 **Associations are right to reach millennials digitally**, be that through email, Snapchat, or a mobile-friendly website. But there’s an argument to be made for keeping print as a valuable tool in your marketing mix. In a [recent post for VPAssociations (opens in a new tab)](http://vpassociations.com/millennials-print/) , McKenzie Decker point out a study done by TRU, which showed that more than 75 percent of millennials see paper at more secure, trusted, and official.. According to the study, millennials would rather receive birthday cards, event invitations, and handwritten letters in the mail over digital communications via email or Facebook post. In that regard, associations may want to consider mailing physical renewal reminders, paper invitations to meetings, and a well-produced print publication. ### Other Links of Note **Is your association looking for regular volunteer participation?** *Engaging Volunteers* shares the four key benefits of a [nonprofit membership program (opens in a new tab)](http://blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/2017/06/15/nonprofit-membership-programs-4-ways-your-volunteers-will-benefit/) . **Learn from the pros.** The *CQ Roll Call* blog *Connectivity* spoke with industry experts to get their best advice on [all things advocacy (opens in a new tab)](http://connectivity.cqrollcall.com/advocacy-planning-strategy-skills-and-training-from-70-experts/) . **To get the most from your website,** you should be tracking certain metrics.[The Membership Guys (opens in a new tab)](https://www.themembershipguys.com/4-options-tracking-vital-membership-metrics/) reveals what those metrics are and offers up tools to use. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#attendee engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/attendee-engagement/) [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#feedback](https://associationsnow.com/tag/feedback/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [ArticleReport: Meeting Planners Focused on Costs, EngagementNovember 4, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/11/04/report-meeting-planners-focused-on-costs-engagement/) - [VideoNew Factors in Selecting Meeting DestinationsJanuary 5, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/01/05/new-factors-in-selecting-meeting-destinations/) - [VideoHow a Leisure-Friendly Setting Can Deepen Your Meeting’s MissionDecember 8, 2023](https://associationsnow.com/2023/12/08/how-a-leisure-friendly-setting-can-deepen-your-meetings-mission/) - [ArticleWhat Meeting Planners Miss About AttendeesDecember 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/12/what-meeting-planners-miss-about-attendees/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F07%2F05%2Fwednesday-buzz-learn-from-negative-feedback%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !