As the economy is trying to get back on its feet, the conference market faces rough times. Reductions in training and travel budgets mean fewer delegates, in the worst case canceled conferences. Though it need not be all doom and gloom. These developments could actually be a win-win situation for speakers and delegates.
Let’s face it. Not all conferences, and certainly not all speakers, are a great experience. For many delegates, it is a matter of wanting to hear one or two great speakers on subjects of high interest and the rest are of secondary interest. Some conferences also tend to be vendor dominated – if a large portion of the delegates and speakers are vendors, no one is particularly enthusiastic – neither vendors nor remaining delegates. This is not to say all conferences fall into this category, but we have all experienced those that do.
Sending delegates to conferences can also be quite expensive. There is usually a conference fee, transportation costs and hotel costs, not to mention work hours that could be spent on other tasks. Sending multiple delegates can thus be very costly for companies. For speakers, unless they are gurus that draw in lots of delegates, many only get the costs of transportation and stay covered, and if lucky a modest fee.
So, what if a company rather than sending a number of delegates to a conferenc, hired the speakers of highest interest to come to them and present their material? Call it personal conferencing. It is arguably not a new concept, but one that is very relevant in today’s business climate. The companies would only have to cover the transportation costs and potential costs of staying for the one or two speakers, rather than for all their delegates. The conference fees, partially or in full, could be paid to the speakers – and the company would gain a competitive advantage from having access to the speaker without everyone else in the industry hearing the same speech. The presentation could also be custom-tailored to the specific priorities of the organization, thus increasing its overall value.
It is evident there are win-win opportunities for speakers and delegates to get together in personal conferences – especially while the conference market remains rough.
At MACAW research we are happy to send speakers to both regular conferences AND personal conferences, whichever you prefer. If you want to hire one of our consultants as a speaker, please contact us via www.macawresearch.com
