What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data in evaluating event success?

• A. Qualitative is numerical; quantitative is narrative.
• B. Qualitative data captures perceptions and experiences; quantitative data measures numerical outcomes like attendance and revenue.
• C. Both are the same.
• D. Qualitative is only about weather.

Answer: (B)

Evaluating event success relies on understanding two kinds of data: what people experience and what can be counted. Qualitative data captures perceptions, experiences, attitudes, and meanings—things like attendee satisfaction, reactions to the program, and feedback from participants. Quantitative data measures numerical outcomes—attendance numbers, revenue, costs, and satisfaction scores on a numeric scale. The best answer recognizes both: it says qualitative data captures perceptions and experiences, while quantitative data measures numerical outcomes like attendance and revenue. In practice, you’d use qualitative insights to explain the “why” behind the numbers and quantitative data to show the “how much” and allow comparisons over time or between events. This combination gives a fuller picture of event success.

The other statements don’t fit: one reverses the typical roles of qualitative and quantitative data, another wrongly claims the two data types are the same, and a third incorrectly confines qualitative data to weather.