Has ‘conference fatigue’ set in?

Planning your monthly diary can only be complete once you have taken into account the host of conferences on the annual calendar. But with several conferences canned last minute, FTW asked the question whether “conference fatigue” had set in. No, says Catherine Larkin of CVL Consulting. “There are a lot of events happening, but they each have a particular audience in mind. If there are too many events in our industry, I do believe that this will be solved through natural forces of supply and demand. Those events that do not have a critical mass will fall by the wayside.” In May an event by Thebe Exhibitions and Projects fell by the wayside after being cancelled last minute due to keynote speakers’ availability, while the Ciltsa airfreight conference was also canned. Larkin says despite budgets being cut, conferences still offer numerous benefits. “The number one reason people attend is still to network and build and establish relationships. At the same time they keep up to date with industry developments, stay on top of best practices and emerging industry issues, while broadening the mind – all aspects that you don’t necessarily come across in your day-to-day work.” She believes that conferences need to ensure they have compelling speakers while also not being afraid of addressing controversial and topical issues. “Good planning is also essential to ensure that the conference provides focused networking opportunities for sponsors, delegates and speakers while memorable activities are also a part of the package. It must not always be more of the same, but rather a variety and good mix with a lot of interaction.” Larkin says while conferences and training are often the first budgets to be cut, there is still value in conferences. “By not attending conferences a company is isolating itself from its industry and losing out on valuable opportunities. If used correctly, conferences are an excellent way to market your brand, interact with clients and potential clients, increase your knowledge – and stay ahead of competition.”