Leading up to our annual Content Marketing Academy Conference we have been doing some serious thinking.
We have been asking ourselves and others several questions, including:
We attend a lot of other conferences throughout the year across Scotland and the UK, and we want to make sure our conference is talked about even after we wrap everything up.
One thing that we all take for granted when attending conferences is that the speakers will be good and we know that we will learn something. In our own experience, and from talking to others, it seems that it’s the smaller things that matter the most.
Chris Marr, our conference organiser, thinks that comfortable chairs, good air conditioning, no queues for food, good transport links, parking and a no stress registration are really important factors for ensuring delegates have a great experience.
To make sure we have a sense of what is important to our delegates we asked our Content Marketing Academy Facebook Community what they felt were the most important factors that make up a great conference.
Here’s what they said:
Simon Knox said…
“Learning something of value that can be implemented afterwards and will make a positive difference in my business going forwards.”
Laura Lucas said…
“Meeting amazing people. The best conferences facilitate interaction between delegates. Panel discussions with breakout groups with real-life problems to solve work well too.”
Caroline McKenna said…
“People, Speakers, Fun and a sense of community.”
Alan Martin said…
“For me it is a combination of networking opportunities and listening to experts who provide lots of actionable take-aways that can be used straight away.”
Caroline McClelland said…
“Definitely the networking with other conference attendees during planned break-outs and the actual conference sessions themselves. If there’s a great keynote speaker to kick-off, there’s an instant feeling of excitement. It’s fun if people follow a # throughout on Twitter too. Of course, an attractive venue, good food and not having freezing air conditioning is also a bonus!”
Gavin Bell said…
“For me, I’ve got to come away feeling like I’ve learned something. I also like to walk away with actionable steps. It’s always good to have semi-formal networking as well. For example, I was at an event once and they had little break out groups where people spoke about their business around a table for 2 mins. Then people could ask questions, give advice etc.”
Nicola Donnelly said…
“I am a fan of semi-structured networking. I like a conference hashtag. I like lots of breaks for coffee. I do not like faffing. I like a paper agenda for the day. I like to be asked for feedback, I then like to know what happens with the feedback I like feeling exhausted from how much I have taken in but with enough energy to jot the beginnings of my plan down on the way home. And proper cake. Not biscuits. That’s a must.”
Pierre Kruff said…
Inspiring speakers, modern content, entertainment, comfortable time schedule, easy access & registration process, close by accommodation, suitable coffee breaks…the stay must give a feeling of leisure.
You’ll notice some trends appearing throughout the comments above. Here’s a summary:
Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts and insights on what makes a great conference! We will definitely be taking this feedback on board for our conference.
Let me know by joining the conversation in the comment section below.
Don’t forget to be awesome!
Hannah.
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