Event Evaluation Guide for International Observe the Moon Night

Step 1: Talk to your team and determine the goal(s)/intended outcome(s) of your event – this will guide the evaluation of your event.

What do you want to achieve or know?

Possible Goals/Outcomes (as examples):

• Increasing Attendance:
  • Attracting more visitors to your site.
  • Attracting local visitors for the event.
  • Bringing in new visitors to the site.
  • Drawing visitors from distant locations.
• Raising Awareness:
  • Raising awareness about space education.
  • Increasing awareness about your group or venue.
  • Boosting awareness about the Moon and space.
• Enhancing Interest and Knowledge:
  • Increasing interest in space science.
  • Enhancing visitors' knowledge about the Moon.
• Understanding Your Audience:
  • Demographic Insights – who attends?
  • Geographic Insights – where do people attend from?
  • Event Engagement – how much do people like the event?
  • Interests and Preferences – what else do visitors want to do?

Step 2: Plan data collection strategy based on goals and resources available.

If you have technology and human resources, you might consider the following data collection methods:

• iPad/tablet/ – using dedicated devices
• Phone surveys – using QR codes
• Paper surveys
• Short exit interviews

If you not have ability to dedicate resources to collect data, you can also use ways that are less person-intensive:

• Sticker boards/question boards
• Clicker voting during presentations

Many of these methods may include multiple-choice and short open-ended questions.

Step 3: Choose questions to ask based on goals and resources available.

Resources:

• Our 2025 Event Attendee/Lunar Observer Feedback Survey is available to use as a base.
• Collect feedback specific to your event through additional methods such as:
  • Voting questions on boards or through clickers (e.g., "Did you learn something new about the Moon tonight?" or "Is this your first time here?").
  • Posters with questions (e.g., "What would you tell a friend about tonight?" or "What can we do to improve the event for next time?").
  • Ticket booth questions (e.g., asking for visitors' zip code and if this is their first time there).

Align questions to gather relevant data based on your goals. Example questions:

• Increasing Attendance:
  • How did you hear about this event?
  • Is this your first time attending an International Observe the Moon Night event?
• Raising Awareness:
  • What new information did you learn about the Moon or space today?
  • How likely are you to share what you learned with others?
• Enhancing Interest and Knowledge:
  • On a scale of 1-5, how interested are you in space science after attending this event?
  • What was the most interesting thing you learned today?
• Understanding Your Audience:
  • What is your age group?
  • How far did you travel to attend this event?
  • What activities or exhibits did you enjoy the most?

Contact for Support

If you need further assistance with evaluating your International Observe the Moon Night event, please contact: buxner@psi.edu (Sanlyn Buxner and Maya Bakerman). We welcome you to discuss your evaluation needs further at no cost to you.