28 Pre-Retreat Survey Questions to Boost Event Engagement
Discover 25 insightful pre-retreat survey questions to boost event planning, improve participant experience, and ensure a successful retreat.
If you want to run a retreat people rave about, pre retreat survey questions are your secret sauce. These aren’t regular feedback forms—they’re targeted retreat survey questions you send to team members weeks before the event. They shape what happens, how people interact, and if your big investment pays you back in team spirit and ROI. The best time to send them? Four to six weeks before your big escape, using email, mobile, or your intranet. Now, let’s uncover how the right questions make all the difference.
Goals & Expectations Survey
Why and When to Use This Survey Type
Every unforgettable retreat puts people at the center. The easiest way to do that is with a goals and expectations survey. These retreat survey questions dig deep, surfacing what matters most to each person long before you finalize your agenda. Plus, aligning your event objectives with people's expectations for company retreat success saves you from those awkward “this was not what I signed up for” moments.
Send this survey right after you announce the retreat. Don’t wait. Early insights help you fine-tune workshops, speaker topics, and even evening themes—no wasted energy or budget. Plus, a strong focus on attendee expectations for company retreat events guarantees higher engagement, because when people see their own wishes reflected in the schedule, they're more likely to show up, participate, and feel good about it.
Here’s the thing: Happy attendees mean more smiles in group photos and way more high-fives back at the office.
5 Sample Questions to Ask
What is the #1 goal you hope to achieve during this retreat?
Select the top three topics you’d like the leadership team to address.
How would you define a successful retreat when it ends?
Rate your current motivation level at work (1–10).
Which company value should be emphasized most during the retreat?
Use these pre retreat survey questions to drive the conversations your people want. You'll walk away with a killer agenda that feels tailor-made, because it is.
A meta-analysis of 107 trials found that sending pre-contact or pre-notification before distributing questionnaires increases response rates (OR ≈ 1.33), though evidence remains moderately uncertain (bmcmedresmethodol.biomedcentral.com)
Create Your Survey with HeySurvey in 3 Easy Steps
Even if you’ve never used HeySurvey before, getting started is simple. Follow these steps to set up your survey in minutes:
Step 1: Create a New Survey
- Click the “Start from Template” button below these instructions to open a ready-made template, or begin with a blank survey using the “New Survey” option.
- You’ll be taken directly to the Survey Editor, where you can name your survey and start customizing.
Step 2: Add Your Questions
- Click “Add Question” at the top or between existing questions to insert new items.
- Choose the question type you need (multiple choice, scale, text, etc.).
- For each question, type your text, set answer options, add images if needed, and mark if the question is required.
- You can reorder, duplicate, or delete questions as you go.
Step 3: Publish Your Survey
- Once your survey looks good, click “Preview” to see how it appears to respondents.
- When you’re satisfied, select “Publish”.
- You’ll need to sign in or create a HeySurvey account to publish and collect responses.
- After publishing, you’ll get a shareable link or embed code.
Bonus Steps: Make Your Survey Stand Out
- Apply Branding: Upload your logo and customize colors, fonts, and backgrounds in the Designer Sidebar.
- Define Settings: Set survey start/end dates, response limits, redirect URLs, and respondent access to results through the Settings Panel.
- Branch into Sections: Use Branching to show or skip questions based on previous answers, personalizing each respondent’s experience.
Ready to try?
[Start from Template]
If you need more help or want to explore all the capabilities of HeySurvey, scroll down for our detailed feature guide below!
Team Dynamics & Collaboration Preferences Survey
Why and When to Use This Survey Type
You can’t force team magic—but you sure can set the stage for it. That’s where pre retreat survey questions on team dynamics shine. These retreat survey questions help you get a read on what brings your people together, from brainy workshops to playful breakouts. Plus, knowing who likes what lets you design experiences that light everyone up.
On top of that, different teams thrive with different collaboration flavors. Some people love a whole-team brainstorm, while others need cozy small-group chats to shine. Planners armed with this intel boost engagement and spark more real connections.
Drop this survey a week or two after announcing the retreat, once people are picturing themselves there and imagining how they want to interact.
5 Sample Questions
Do you prefer small-group or whole-team activities?
Which collaboration tools help you work best in person?
What frustrates you most about current team communication?
On a scale of 1–5, rate your comfort in speaking during group sessions.
Name one teammate you’d like to collaborate with more.
Gathering these retreat survey questions gives you a cheat code to high-energy sessions and fewer awkward silences. Team chemistry? Engineered to win.
Teams who completed a pre‑retreat survey showed statistically significant improvements in team development metrics at six months post‑retreat, with mean TDM scores rising from 65.7 to 69.2 (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Wellness, Dietary & Accommodation Needs Survey
Why and When to Use This Survey Type
You can’t crush the retreat goals if people aren’t comfortable and well taken care of. A smart set of pre retreat survey questions on wellness, dietary, and accommodation needs is your first step toward a welcoming event where everyone feels included. These retreat survey questions do more than you think—they identify serious allergies (so no surprise peanut scares!), flag rooming preferences, and even help you build in downtime so people return home rested, not frazzled.
Here’s the trick: Send out this survey as soon as you’ve got your venue shortlist ready. That way, the data you gather can actually shape your decisions on site, meals, and logistics—no scrambling or last-minute adjustments required.
Imagine the joy: No one stressing about gluten, everyone sleeping well, and every guest feeling valued.
5 Sample Questions
List any food allergies or dietary restrictions.
What type of sleeping arrangement do you prefer?
How many hours of scheduled downtime do you need daily?
Rate the importance of gym or fitness facilities (1–5).
Do you have any mobility considerations we should know about?
With the right retreat survey questions, you skip awkward guesswork and nail the essentials. Your team’s needs come first—always.
Activities & Learning Interests Survey
Why and When to Use This Survey Type
A bland agenda is the fastest way to lose passion at your retreat. Instead, let your people vote on both the fun and the learning with the right retreat survey questions. This set of pre retreat survey questions draws out activity favorites, skill gaps they want to close, and even that zany idea you’d never dream up alone.
Pro tip: Fire off this survey when your event skeleton is ready, but before locking in the schedule. The goal? Letting team voices steer your agenda, so more people join in—whether that’s dodgeball at sunset or a crash course on public speaking.
Plus, with these insights in hand, you balance serious workshops with belly laughs and memory-making adventures. That’s how teams bond and take new energy back to the office with them.
5 Sample Questions
Choose your top three preferred retreat activities.
Which skill-building workshops interest you most?
Would you attend an optional sunrise yoga session?
How important is structured networking to you (1–10)?
Suggest a new activity you’d love to see included.
With these retreat survey questions, it’s easy to build a retreat agenda people get hyped about, not just tolerate. Your audience leads, and you become the hero.
Pre-event surveys sent 2–4 weeks before retreats significantly enhance attendee engagement by enabling tailored scheduling, activity planning, and logistical accommodations (zkipster.com)
Logistics, Travel & Scheduling Survey
Why and When to Use This Survey Type
Even the best-planned retreats stumble if you don’t master logistics up front. This is where your logistics, travel, and scheduling retreat survey questions come in. These pre retreat survey questions figure out flight routes, who needs visas, and the time frames that work best for everyone. With this data, booking headaches and calendar chaos are a thing of the past.
The trick here? Send this survey right after participants RSVP—before you start booking anything. You’ll save money by batching transportation, avoid snafus with missed flights, and ensure no one misses out due to conflicting time zones.
On top of that, this step is pure magic for your HR and finance teams. The more you know on the front end, the smoother the back end will be.
5 Sample Questions
Which airport will you depart from?
Do you require a company-sponsored visa or travel letter?
What is your earliest feasible departure date?
Are you willing to share rooms to reduce costs?
Rank your scheduling flexibility: mornings, afternoons, evenings.
Retreat survey questions like these mean your event can run like a finely tuned orchestra from the very first note.
Safety, Health & Accessibility Survey
Why and When to Use This Survey Type
Post-pandemic, retreat survey questions have moved far beyond cough drops and hand sanitizer. Now, your pre retreat survey questions need to dig into health, safety, and accessibility—because protecting every attendee is simply non-negotiable.
Here’s the thing: nobody enjoys surprises when it comes to health or safety at a company retreat. You want to be proactive with on-site support, accessibility needs, and even emergency planning. Getting this info up front means you can ensure your entire team feels welcomed, safe, and supported all the way through. Plus, you head off potential PR nightmares and legal headaches.
Run this survey several weeks ahead of the retreat, after RSVPs roll in, to allow enough time for action.
5 Sample Questions
Do you have any health conditions that may require on-site support?
Would you feel safer with daily rapid testing?
Rate your comfort level with indoor group settings (1-10).
Do you need ADA-compliant lodging or meeting space?
What emergency contact details should we have on file?
Safety-first isn’t just for hard hats—it’s for every aspect of your retreat. These retreat survey questions keep your people protected, which also keeps your company’s reputation shining bright.
Pre-Retreat Survey Best Practices: Dos and Don’ts
Survey fatigue is real, but you can sidestep it with a few killer best practices. Keep your pre retreat survey questions under 10 minutes total—people are far more likely to finish short, sharp surveys. Drop in a little conditional logic, so team members skip what doesn’t apply to them, saving time and headaches all around.
Make your team feel safe by guaranteeing anonymity for honest answers when it matters. Nobody wants to worry about the boss reading, “My bunkmate snores like a freight train.” Always:
Use friendly reminders if people haven’t responded
Close the loop by sharing what you’ve learned and what will change as a result
Here’s the thing to avoid: Don’t overload people with tons of open-ended essay questions. One or two is plenty! Also,
Never ignore data privacy or delay distribution of your retreat survey questions
Only collect what you’ll actually use—otherwise it just clogs your spreadsheet
Most important? Don’t collect feedback and then toss it aside
When you act on those pre retreat survey questions insights, people notice—and feel respected. Each survey is your chance to create a retreat that's truly for your team, by your team.
In the end, every memorable retreat starts well before you arrive at the venue. When you thoughtfully craft company retreat survey questions like these, you turn a simple event into an experience designed for your unique crew. So customize, ask boldly, and use the answers! With HeySurvey, all these features are free, forever, and your next retreat will be the one people actually remember.
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