In this post, Emma Craigen showcases the Feedback Fest, a warm and welcoming event for students to provide feedback at the Edinburgh futures Institute (EFI). Emma is the Student Experience Coordinator for EFI. This post belongs to the Student Voice in Practice series.
When it comes to student feedback, we know it’s powerful—but encouraging students to complete surveys like the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) can be a challenge. Response rates tend to be low, which means the insights gathered don’t always represent the full student voice. We wanted to find a fun, low-pressure way to encourage participation.
That’s why last year, our Education team decided to change things up and throw a festival-style celebration on campus: Feedback Fest.
Inspired by Glastonbury and fueled by a lot of free food, Feedback Fest celebrates student feedback, inviting all EFI students to share their voice in a space that felt fun and welcoming.
Feedback meets festival vibes
The idea was simple: make feedback feel fun, relaxed, and valued. Last year’s pilot event featured a themed playlist, plenty of pizza, and free hoodies for all EFI students who completed the PTES or end-of-course surveys. What started as a modest trial quickly became one of the most well-attended events of the year.
Students attended, spoke up—and we listened. PTES response rates significantly improved, and the feedback we received had a direct impact on shaping the student experience for the following academic year.
Why a festival?
We know that traditional survey reminders—emails, posters, and pop-ups—often fade into the background. We wanted to create an environment that felt different. The festival theme offered a way to turn feedback into a shared, celebratory experience rather than a solitary task. Festivals are about expression, community, and good vibes—qualities we wanted to mirror in how students engage with feedback. By inviting students into a space that felt informal and creative, we hoped to shift feedback from an obligation to something more meaningful—and even enjoyable.
What we learned
Creating a friendly, informal environment made students more open to engaging. Incentives were a helpful draw, but the real impact came from making students feel genuinely heard. Most importantly, when students can clearly see how their feedback leads to change, their willingness to participate increases.
We also learned that students weren’t looking for a debate or a space for staff to justify decisions—those conversations rightly belong in structured settings like SSLCs and Town Halls. What students valued most was the opportunity to share their experience openly, in a space where they felt genuinely listened to. The presence of senior staff members, including the Student Experience Manager, Director of Students, and Director of EFI, helped reinforce that message: feedback is taken seriously, and the people who can make change are paying attention.
Feedback Fest 2025: Bigger, bolder, and even more feedback!
Building on last year’s success, Feedback Fest returned on 7th May 2025 with an even more ambitious programme. Advertised by festival-style posters on screens throughout the building, the event featured a ‘headliner’ welcome by our Director, lunch buffet, free reusable coffee mugs, and a temporary tattoo booth, all designed to encourage participation in a relaxed, engaging way while Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ played through the speakers.
Interactive boards invited students to contribute their thoughts on prompts such as, “Most Mind-Blowing Course”, “Most EFI Moment”, and “Best Course Organiser.” These activities offered students multiple ways to share their views and shape the experience for future students.
A collective effort
Feedback Fest is very much a team effort, and we’re grateful to everyone—staff and students alike—who helped bring it to life. It was supported across EFI by colleagues from multiple areas:
- the Learning Technology team led a sister online event, offering vouchers to students who took part remotely;
- Student Advisors and Teaching Administrators were instrumental in setting up and running the in-person event on the day;
- Senior staff played a key role in simply being present and listening.
This kind of cross-team collaboration made the event not just possible, but impactful. When feedback becomes fun and visible, it leads to real improvements, stronger engagement, and a student community where all voices feel heard and valued.
Top tips for running your own feedback fest
If you’re thinking of doing something similar, here are a few things we found helpful:
- Keep the format light and informal: Students responded well to a relaxed atmosphere where they could drop in, grab something to eat, and have quick, low-pressure interactions about their experience.
- Involve senior staff early: Having Directors and senior professional services colleagues present—not to lead, but simply to listen—sent a strong message that feedback is taken seriously.
- Be visible about follow-up: Students are more likely to engage if they know their feedback leads to action. We displayed “You Said, We Did” posters from the previous year to show real impact.
- Don’t overcomplicate it! A simple combination of food, music, and a few creative touches (like boards with feedback prompts or free mugs) went a long way. It doesn’t need to be a big production to work.
- Time it well: We scheduled ours to coincide with the PTES survey period and promoted it through targeted emails, digital screens, and word of mouth via student reps.
It’s definitely a team effort, but a relatively light-lift way to create a more open, student-friendly feedback culture. With thanks to the Team: Emma Craigen, Neneh Rowa-Dewar, Kirsty Hope, Sara Carter, Emma McAllister, Abby Gleave and the EFI Education Team.
Emma Craigen
Emma Craigen is the Student Experience Coordinator for the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
