Weber Shandwick just released some new research on the executive conference business. The Global Strategic Media Group at Weber Shandwick audited the CEOs and top executives of the world’s 50 most admired companies to see where they were speaking and how the conference world had changed over the past three years.
The “Five-Star Conference” study found that executive participation in top-tier, or Five-Star, events is soaring. Since 2005, there has been an extraordinary five-fold (525 percent*) increase among elite C-level executives at five star speaking forums. For elite CEOs during the same time period, there has been an increase of 35 percent in participation at these distinguished events. Strikingly, the rising importance of these events as a vital communications tool is underscored by a 50 percent rise in the number of top-tier global conferences from 2005 to 2007.
The research also identifies the top events for CEOs (#1 WEF) and C-suite executives (Fortune Innovation/iMeme).
I am pleased to see the CEO/executive conference business heating up again. A few years ago, many of the business publications abandoned this service offering due to the expense and difficulty proving the return on investment. In my humble opinion, it’s a great way to push CEOs to think outside the box and find something important to say. It requires putting one’s thinking cap on and on that subject, I am in favor.
*Small sample size
