Post-Event Follow-Up
Maintain momentum and build community after your KC7 event
The event might be over, but the impact doesn't have to end there. Follow-up is how you turn a one-time event into lasting learning, build community around cybersecurity, and set yourself up for future success.
Why Follow-Up Matters (And When to Skip It)
If you're reading this page, you're probably wondering whether post-event follow-up is actually necessary. The honest answer: it depends on your goals.
Skip extensive follow-up if:
This was a one-time event with no plans to repeat
Your participants were purely walk-in attendees with no ongoing connection
You don't have bandwidth for community building right now
Your organization doesn't need impact reporting or feedback data
In these cases, stick with the essential closing tasks in Closing Your Event and call it done. There's no shame in keeping it simple.
Invest in follow-up if:
You're planning to host additional KC7 events
You want to build an ongoing program or community around cybersecurity
You need to report results to stakeholders, sponsors, or leadership
You're genuinely curious about impact and want to improve future events
You saw participants light up during the event and want to nurture that enthusiasm
The work in this guide helps you build momentum, gather valuable insights, and create connections that make future events easier and more impactful. But it's optional work - do what makes sense for your situation.
The Emotional Reality of Follow-Up
Here's what most hosts don't talk about: post-event follow-up takes more emotional energy than you'd expect. During the event, you had adrenaline and participant energy to fuel you. Afterward, when you're tired and participants have scattered, mustering energy for follow-up emails and surveys feels harder.
This is why we've organized follow-up into time-based phases with clear priorities. You can do as much or as little as makes sense. Even small gestures - a quick thank-you email, sharing the final scoreboard - have outsized impact on how participants remember the experience.
The secret: participants are often more enthusiastic about the experience than you realize. They want to stay connected, continue learning, and hear from you. Your follow-up isn't bothering them - it's extending something they valued.
What This Guide Covers
This is a comprehensive guide to post-event follow-up, covering everything from immediate thank-yous to building long-term community. You don't need to do everything listed here. Pick what aligns with your goals and energy level.
We've organized follow-up into realistic timeframes (within 24 hours, first week, first month, ongoing) so you can pace yourself and prioritize what matters most. The checklist at the end helps you decide what's essential versus nice-to-have for your situation.
Your event is complete, but the learning journey continues. This guide helps you maintain momentum, gather valuable feedback, support ongoing learning, and build lasting connections with your participants.
Immediate Follow-Up (Within 24-48 Hours)
1. Thank You Messages
Send a prompt thank-you email to show appreciation and maintain engagement while the experience is fresh.
To Participants:
Use the Follow-Up Email Template and personalize with:
Final scoreboard results or link
Top achievements and highlights from the event
Reminder that they can continue playing
Information about accessing their progress
Next steps for continued learning
To Volunteers and Supporters:
Don't forget to thank anyone who helped make your event successful:
Co-hosts and assistants
IT support staff
Venue providers
Sponsors or donors
Mentors and judges
Pro Tip: Personal thank-you messages (not mass emails) make volunteers feel valued and more likely to help with future events.
2. Share Final Results
Make the final scoreboard and achievements visible:
Access Your Scoreboard:
Log into your tenant dashboard
View the complete results and analytics
Download scoreboard data if needed
Take screenshots of final standings
What to Share:
Top performers (with their permission)
Completion rates
Interesting statistics (average score, most challenging questions, etc.)
Photos from the event (if applicable)
Where to Share:
Event recap email
Social media (tag participants who want recognition)
Organization newsletter
Internal communications
3. Enable Continued Access
Participant Access: Participants automatically retain access to the game and can:
Continue their investigation if they didn't finish
Revisit challenges to improve their understanding
Review questions they got wrong
Complete the entire module at their own pace
Communicate This Clearly: "Your KC7 account remains active! You can log back in anytime to continue your investigation, review challenges, or try to improve your score. The learning doesn't stop when the event ends."
First Week After Event
4. Gather Feedback
Collect feedback while the experience is fresh to improve future events and understand impact.
Participant Survey:
Send a brief survey (3-5 minutes maximum) asking about:
Overall experience rating
Difficulty level appropriateness
What they learned
Likelihood to participate again
Likelihood to recommend to others
Suggestions for improvement
Use the Participant Feedback Survey template or create a Google Form.
Response Tip: Offer an incentive for completing the survey, such as entry into a prize drawing or early notification about your next event.
Your Own Evaluation:
Complete a self-assessment using the Host Self-Evaluation:
Document attendance vs. registration numbers
Note completion rates and average scores
Record what went well
Identify challenges faced
List improvements for next time
5. Collect Testimonials and Success Stories
Gather positive feedback while enthusiasm is high:
Request Testimonials:
Ask top performers or enthusiastic participants
Request permission to use quotes publicly
Capture specific learning outcomes they experienced
Get photos if you have permission
Where to Use Testimonials:
Promoting future events
Reporting to sponsors or leadership
Marketing materials
Social media posts
Case studies
Example Request: "We'd love to hear about your experience! Would you be willing to share a brief testimonial about what you learned or what you enjoyed? We may use your feedback to promote future KC7 events."
6. Review Analytics and Insights
Use your tenant dashboard to understand participant performance:
Key Metrics to Review:
Overall completion rate
Average score and score distribution
Most difficult challenges
Time spent on different sections
Progress patterns (where did people get stuck?)
What This Tells You:
Whether the difficulty level was appropriate
Which concepts participants struggled with
How to better support future participants
Whether your time allocation was realistic
See Performance & Analytics for detailed guidance on using these insights.
First Month After Event
7. Share Resources for Continued Learning
Help participants continue their cybersecurity journey:
Career Resources:
Cybersecurity career guides and pathways
Industry certifications overview
Local cybersecurity organizations
Internship opportunities
Educational programs in cybersecurity
Practice Opportunities:
Information about your next KC7 event
Other cybersecurity competitions (CTFs)
Online learning platforms
Free courses and tutorials
Practice environments
Community Connections:
Link to KC7 Discord community
Your organization's cybersecurity group
Professional associations
Networking opportunities
Mentorship programs
8. Maintain Community Connections
Keep participants engaged and connected:
Create a Community Space:
Discord server or Slack channel
Email list for event announcements
Social media group
Regular virtual meetups
Study groups
Share Regular Updates:
Cybersecurity news and trends
Upcoming events and opportunities
Success stories from past participants
New KC7 modules or features
Career opportunities
Host Follow-Up Activities:
Alumni reunions
Advanced challenges
Guest speaker sessions
Career panels
Networking events
Privacy Note: Only add participants to mailing lists or communities if they opt in. Always include unsubscribe options.
9. Report to Stakeholders
Share results with those who supported your event:
For Sponsors/Leadership:
Attendance numbers and demographics
Participant feedback highlights
Learning outcomes achieved
Photos and testimonials
Plans for future events
Return on investment (engagement, skills developed, etc.)
For KC7 Foundation:
Complete the Post-KC7 Cyber Competition Survey to:
Help issue digital badges to participants
Share your feedback to improve the platform
Contribute to the KC7 community knowledge base
Access additional support and resources
Digital Badges: KC7 provides digital badges that participants can add to their LinkedIn profiles and resumes, highlighting the cybersecurity skills they've developed.
Planning Your Next Event
10. Build on Your Success
Now that you have experience and a KC7 tenant, hosting additional events is easier:
You Can Now:
Create additional games instantly (no approval wait)
Use different modules to offer variety
Organize games by classroom for different groups
Track results across multiple events
Build a regular event series
Ideas for Future Events:
Monthly or quarterly competitions
Different difficulty levels (beginner vs. advanced)
Team-based competitions
Inter-organization tournaments
Themed events (holidays, cybersecurity awareness month)
See Managing Games for guidance on creating additional events.
11. Grow Your Event Series
Use what you learned to make future events even better:
Scale Up:
Invite more participants
Add additional co-hosts
Incorporate more sophisticated prizes
Create multiple divisions or tracks
Partner with other organizations
Add Variety:
Try different KC7 modules
Experiment with event formats (in-person vs. virtual)
Include guest speakers or panels
Add workshops or training sessions
Create team competitions
Build Tradition:
Establish regular event dates
Create annual championships
Develop participant recognition systems
Build alumni networks
Track long-term participant journeys
Supporting Long-Term Participants
12. Create Advanced Opportunities
For participants who want to go deeper:
Advanced Challenges:
Host events with more difficult modules
Create custom challenges or extensions
Organize team-based investigations
Run longer-format competitions
Provide mentorship opportunities
Leadership Roles:
Invite experienced participants to volunteer
Create peer mentorship programs
Have alumni speak at events
Develop student co-host positions
Build a community leadership team
Career Development:
Connect participants with cybersecurity professionals
Facilitate internship opportunities
Provide letters of recommendation
Create job shadowing programs
Develop industry connections
Post-Event Timeline
Within 24 Hours:
Within 1 Week:
Within 2 Weeks:
Within 1 Month:
Ongoing:
Quick Reference: Essential Follow-Up Actions
Must Do:
Thank participants, volunteers, and supporters
Share final results and scoreboard
Send feedback survey
Complete KC7 Foundation post-event survey
Review analytics and document lessons learned
Should Do: 6. Collect testimonials and success stories 7. Share continued learning resources 8. Report results to stakeholders 9. Plan your next event 10. Maintain participant connections
Nice to Have: 11. Create community spaces 12. Develop advanced opportunities 13. Build alumni network 14. Create event series 15. Establish traditions
A Note from the KC7 Team
From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU! We couldn't do this without the support of fantastic organizers and volunteers like you. You are making a difference and helping make the exciting field of cybersecurity more accessible to everyone.
We sincerely hope you choose to host another KC7 event in the future. Please stay connected with us in the KC7 Community - we look forward to working together again soon!
The KC7 Foundation Team
Next Steps
Need follow-up email templates? See Templates & Materials
Want to create more games? Learn about Using Your Tenant
Looking for community support? Join the KC7 Discord
Planning another event? Return to Getting Started
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