Research conducted by imago is being used to help shape the way its event management team assists clients in delivering successful meetings.Conducted in conjunction with Loughborough University and The Right Solution, the research asked event organisers, delegates, graduate and undergraduate students what they felt were the main benefits of meeting face to face in a learning environment. The results found that the biggest benefits of attending a meeting were to learn from industry experts and to listen to speakers who inspired new ideas, challenge the norm and initiate change in every day thinking.
imago is using the results from the research to ensure its event management service provides clients with all the resources and knowledge to deliver a return on investment from their meetings.
The research also revealed there was a gap in the value event organisers and delegates placed on networking opportunities, both in terms of building relationships and meeting peers in a similar field from other businesses. Event organisers (92%) ranked networking as the most valuable element of face to face communication, whilst it ranked third for those attending events both from a delegate (84.4%) and student (74.6%) perspective.
Emma Boynton, head of sales and marketing at imago, commented:
“The research is having a real impact on the event management service we offer. The aim is to be able to work alongside clients and provide them with all the tools they need for a successful event, not just sell them a meeting space. This includes working out how they can best use their time so delegates get the most out of their day out of the office.
“The research showed that delegates rated listening to speakers who inspire new ideas, challenge the norm and initiate change in every day thinking as the most valuable element of face to face learning whilst students rated learning from industry experts first hand as most valuable. Through our links with Loughborough University we can source speakers which will be of genuine interest for both event organisers and those attending. And it is interesting that networking was rated highly by event organisers but not seen as such a valuable opportunity by those attending the event.”
The final research paper is available from go.welcometoimago.com/meet-the-future. Follow the debate and share thoughts about the research on Twitter via #futureF2F.
The research was undertaken by Loughborough University and imago. The Right Solution provided methodology, analysis and validation of the research which was conducted amongst 779 respondents using a mixture of focus groups, online and face to face questionnaires.
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