People* tell us the most significant reasons they attend events are to gather info, increase their industry expertise, and find inspirational ideas. In short, to learn – and engage in – business development.
While each of these activities has value, it is also evident that, for successful events, the “whole” must work. People sign up to attend speaker sessions, participate in workshops, network and meet, visit the expo, do deals, and engage in add-on experiences.
If we take speakers and sponsors out of the equation, general delegates’ motivations when deciding to attend rest on:
- Speaker programme and workshops: 29%
- Networking and meetings: 19.4%
- Expo: 17.3%
- Do business deals: 14.3%
- Add-on experiences: 10.2%
- 1-1 meetings: 9.7%
The further truth is that events start way before the actual event days, and the value exists beyond it.
Before an event, information is the most important commodity, with the following notables:
- Speaker and sponsor Q&As: 45.2%
- Information about sponsors and exhibitors: 44.7%
- Information about speakers and the agenda: 41.4%
- Information about add-on opportunities: 31.8%
There is also a “want” for pre-event engagement, although less so than the need for information. This is perhaps explained by the fact that most attendees would not have yet met in person.
- Meetings booking platform: 31.8%
- Online community: 25.4%
After events, now that people have had the chance to meet and connect with others, the opportunities to continue conversations online (46.4%), further engage with the event (44.3%), and get resources such as speaker presentations (45%) are the most critical components.
What are your thoughts and considerations on the reasons for attending events and the value you want from them pre-, during, and after the event? Let me know at cobus@mediamakersmeet.com.
*Who are these “people” telling us things?
The above results are from an independent quantitative survey Syno International conducted on our behalf in Q2 of 2023 with 280 respondents across 14 industry sectors.
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