Audience response software, also known as audience interaction or audience engagement software, allows presenters and event organizers to interact with event audiences via live polls, surveys, quizzes, or Q&A sessions. This type of software is used to engage audiences and bring a level of interactivity to conference sessions or speaking engagements, allowing presenters to easily capture ideas or opinions of attendees. Audience response tools facilitate a second screen experience for events by enabling audience members to submit questions and respond to polls and quizzes through their personal devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Some solutions enhance the second screen experience with live slide sharing and note-taking features.
Depending on the product, audience responses can be collected through different methods. Traditional audience response systems (ARS) use keypads or clickers, which can be rented from the vendor and distributed to audience members. Modern audience response solutions are cloud-based and permit audience members to use their personal devices simply by accessing an event-specific link in their web browser or through an event-specific mobile application. Audience response software is often used by event professionals alongside presentation software, webinar software, or other event management software, including mobile event apps, event management platforms, and virtual event platforms.
To qualify for inclusion in the Audience Response category, a product must:
- Facilitate real-time audience voting and response
- Be accessible via web browser, SMS, or mobile application
- Display polling results visually
- Provide reporting and analytics data on audience responses and interactions
