The best speakers do a lot more than speak at meetings, finds a new report from continuing education consultancy Tagoras, published this month in partnership with Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, which specializes in annual meeting improvement.
Titled “The Speaker Report: The Use of Professional and Industry Speakers in the Meetings Market,” the report is based on a survey of 175 individuals from 130 organizations, most of which were trade associations (32.6 percent) and professional societies (45.9 percent). It found that organizations are using professional speakers more often — the average number of professional speakers used per year in 2013 is 14.6, up from 11.2 in 2011 — and are spending more on them: Over half (53.5 percent) of organizations now have an average annual speaker budget over $30,000, up from 45.7 percent in 2011.
However, it also found that organizations are expecting more from their speakers: Approximately two-thirds (66.1 percent) of organizations that hire professional speakers say they’re looking for speakers to do more than speak — by writing articles, for instance, participating in pre-meeting online activities and recording promotional videos. This is up from 56.6 percent two years ago.
Other key findings:
• Attendance at meetings is not viewed as dependent on big name speakers. Less than a third (28.3 percent) of survey respondents believe a “big name” speaker is very or extremely important for attracting attendees.
• Live video streaming has gained only a modest foothold: 22.5 percent of organizations surveyed offer live video streaming of all or some of their keynote sessions at their major meeting, and less than 12 percent do so for concurrent sessions.
• Almost every organization surveyed (94.2 percent) collects formal evaluations at its major meeting. However, less than half (47.5 percent) measure whether learning actually occurs at the meeting.
“Organizations and attendees are both starting to demand more from their meetings,” Tagoras Managing Director Celisa Steele said in a statement. “We view that as a highly positive shift overall, and one that will have significant impact on the role of professional and volunteer speakers in the coming years.”
For complete survey results, download a complimentary copy of the report from Tagoras’ website.
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