General

Computer Vision vs Surveys: Which is Better?

8 min read

70%

of event memories are distorted after 48 hours

Kahneman, 'Thinking Fast and Slow'

12-18%

average post-event survey response rate

SurveyMonkey, 2024

87%

of purchase decisions are unconscious

Harvard Business Review, 2023

You organized a 2-day conference. Sent satisfaction survey to 800 attendees. Got 120 responses (15%). Of those, 80% said they "really enjoyed" the event. But when you ask the sponsor "How many people visited your booth?", the answer is... "Not sure, but people seemed interested."

The problem: Surveys capture what people think they felt, not what actually happened. And 70% of memories are distorted after 48 hours (Kahneman). You're making $500K decisions based on faulty perceptions.

Direct Comparison: Surveys vs. Computer Vision

Objective data beats subjective perception

Aspect	Post-Event Surveys	Computer Vision
Accuracy	Subjective (perception)	Objective (95%+ accuracy)
Coverage Rate	12-18% respond	100% of attendees
Bias	High (memory + selection)	Minimal (raw data)
Timing	Days/weeks after event	Real-time (during event)
Actionable	Difficult (vague opinions)	Easy (specific metrics)
Comparable	Difficult (questions change)	Easy (same metrics)

Real Example: What People Say vs. What They Do

Survey responses vs. actual behavior

What the Survey Said

Question: "Which session did you enjoy most?"

Popular answer: "CEO Keynote on Innovation"

Question: "Did you visit Sponsor A's booth?"

Popular answer: "Yes, it was interesting"

Problem: Based on faulty memory and social desirability bias

What the Data Showed

CEO Keynote:

• 65% initial occupancy

• 40% left in first 15 min

• Retention rate: only 60%

Sponsor A Booth:

• 1,200 passersby

• 180 visitors (15% attraction)

• Avg time: 1.8 min (low)

Solution: Objective data reveals the truth

When to Use Each Approach

Surveys and computer vision are complementary, not exclusive

Use Surveys For:

✓Overall satisfaction: "Would you recommend this event?"
✓Qualitative feedback: "What can we improve?"
✓Future intentions: "Will you attend next year?"
✓Context: Understanding the "why" behind the numbers

Use Computer Vision For:

✓Objective metrics: "How many people visited?"
✓Real behavior: "How long did they stay?"
✓Comparisons: "Booth A vs. B - which performed better?"
✓Measurable ROI: Prove value with concrete data

Want to Replace Guesswork with Real Data?

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Computer vision technology captures these metrics automatically, in a fully privacy-compliant way. Learn more about event analytics applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, they're complementary. Computer vision measures WHAT happened (objective behavior). Surveys capture WHY (context, satisfaction, intentions). Use both: data for decisions, surveys for context.

12-18% is average because: (1) busy people don't respond, (2) only extremes respond (very satisfied or very dissatisfied), (3) survey fatigue, (4) lack of incentive. Result: biased sample that doesn't represent reality.

Captures behavior IN REAL-TIME, not after. Doesn't depend on human memory (70% distorted after 48h). Measures what actually happened, not what people think happened.

Yes, with caveats. Typical accuracy: 95%+ for counting, 90%+ for dwell time. Work with trends and patterns, not absolute numbers. Compare periods (before/after, day 1 vs. day 2) for actionable insights.

Use computer vision to IDENTIFY patterns (e.g., Booth A had 50% more visitors than B). Use surveys to UNDERSTAND why (e.g., ask Booth A visitors what attracted them). Data + context = better decisions.

Objective Data > Subjective Perceptions

Replace guesswork with real behavior

See Computer Vision in Action

Schedule a demonstration and see how to measure real behavior with 95%+ accuracy.

Eagle Sight AI

Computer Vision Specialists

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