Less than 5 per cent of delegates find taking part in CSR
activities among the most engaging parts of a conference, according to a new
survey from Conference Leeds.
When asked what event types they would find most engaging,
just 4.8 per cent cited CSR activities such as charity fundraising, team
building activities and pledging.
Live polling (6 per cent), speed networking (8 per cent), debates (10 per cent) and live event illustration (11 per cent) are among the least engaging activities at conferences, according to the survey of 1,000 people, whereas seeing a well-known industry expert (39 per cent), short,
time-focused presentations (33 per cent) and an ‘ask the expert’ session (31
per cent) are among the most engaging.
Conference Leeds carried out the research to discover what
today’s delegates are looking for from their conference experience, and what
organisers should consider when planning their programmes.
The data also demonstrates what aspects of a conference will
encourage delegates to be a more active attendee. The top five responses were:
- An engaging conference environment (37 per cent)
-
Entertainment (25 per cent)
- Networking
sessions (21 per cent)
-
Socialising
(21 per cent)
-
Group
exercise classes (20 per cent)
The research found the top three least professionally
beneficial parts of a business event were:
- Breakout sessions (26 per cent)
- Networking sessions (22 per cent)
- Socialising lunches (21 per cent)
Commenting on the research, Claire Heap, head of Conference
Leeds, said: “Many business event organisers will understand the importance of
finding the right balance of expert insights, ideas sessions, exhibition
browsing and networking. Our recent research has suggested that even though
delegates may not realise the professional benefit from networking or socialising,
such as new contacts, client leads or product information, it’s still an
integral part of the delegate experience.”
Conference Leeds, the conferencing bureau for the city of
Leeds, offers a free and impartial service to assist delegates.
