Document T039

Assessment of the Government of Canada Communicators' Conference 2001

Report presented to Taylor and Associates, the Canadian Information Office and the Privy Council of Canada, August 2001

Context

On January 31 and February 1, 2001, the Canadian Information Office and the Privy Council of Canada hosted a national conference for people specialized in communications and marketing within the Government of Canada. Some 500 people attended the conference. This report presents an assessment of the conference from the point of view of participants and of exhibitors.

Methodology

The study draws upon data collected through end-of-conference feedback cards, through a post-conference Web-based survey of participants and through telephone interviews of exhibitors. While the evidence is sufficient to portray participants reactions to the conference, relatively small samples and a response rate of 32% to the Web component of the feedback limit the scope of the analyses. The results of the study must be interpreted more qualitatively than quantitatively.

Results

From the point of view of participants and exhibitors reached, the conference was a success.

• Eight in ten participants were satisfied with the conference generally; nine in ten were satisfied with the results of attendance.
• Six in ten achieved completely or largely the purpose of their attendance.
• Half have already used, in their work, a moderate or a large amount of the information gleaned at the conference; two thirds expect the same to happen over the coming year.
• Almost all exhibitors expect to come back for the next conference.

In preparing the 2002 conference, the following could be considered:

• Areas for improvements include: the level of intellectual challenge, the presence of Canadian speakers, adaptation of the content to the context of participants, the information to participants so they can make good selection of presentations and the practicability of presentations.
• Marketplace suffered from general indifference from the perspective of participants and from lack of visibility according to exhibitors. Threading of the exhibition into the program is an issue.
• Presenters were more appreciated than their content and their content more than the usefulness of their messages. Emphasis on the practical meaning of messages is a must.
• Top training needs are more strategic than operational in nature.
• Staff from outside the National Capital Region expressed more pressing needs for training than people working in the NCR.
• The concentrated two-day format based on a balance of formal presentations and hands-on workshops is the preferred model.
• As of now, multiple-media promotion is required.

30 pages, 296k [PDF format]

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