Around 160 people attended the NBN Conference in November and whilst general comments on the day were positive we wanted to make sure that everyone had the opportunity to give their feedback, which would allow us to assess the success of this Conference and hear any suggestions for future events.
We therefore held an online survey and are pleased to share the results with you.
The stats
- One third of people who attended the Conference completed the survey, which was emailed to all delegates and was included in November's eNews.
- The majority of respondents were from the Charity sector, followed by LERCs, government / agencies and then other sectors. This compared to most attendees being from National Schemes & Societies, followed by LERCs, agencies and then other sectors.
- Most people are likely to attend next year's Conference
- Most people think it is good vale for money
- A quarter of respondents had not been to an NBN Conference before
- The main reason for attending is the chance to network and meet colleagues, this is followed by the conference theme. The date and venue are least important.
- A quarter of respondents thought there was too little time for discussion
- A number of respondents commented that the sessions were too long without a break
- A number of respondents suggested possible future themes.
Speakers
Whilst most people (85%) felt that the number and variety of speakers was good or very good, we did receive some comments that the Conference could be more balanced in terms of the stakeholders represented. Whilst we do try and ensure a balanced programme each year, with a cross section of presenters, this led us to review previous conferences and we can now share the following breakdown of sectors which have been represented by speakers over the last eight conferences:
- National Schemes & Societies – 12
- Academia – 9
- Local Record Centres – 9
- Scientific & Research – 9
- Agency – 8
- Other – 5
- Government – 3 (includes 2 x keynote addresses by MPs)
- Commercial (Sponsors) – 3
- Consultancy – 2
- Volunteer – 1
- NBN Trust – 1
The way forward
We now intend to take the comments into account when planning next year's Conference.
As with many events, delegates were especially interested in food and comfort, which we know is important. We have already shared the specific feedback relating to the venue with the Royal Society and will take these points into account if we are to use the same venue in 2014.
We know that the Conference is a slightly more formal affair than other conferences, with lots of presentations covering the broad areas of interest of the NBN. We will specifically look at the timings of the day and the shape of the sessions, to ensure that everyone is comfortable and that there is sufficient time for networking, but we don't want to compete with other conferences that have more time for interaction and discussion. We do however, know that there needs to be the opportunity for discussion around the NBN and we are therefore considering NBN Trust events in the future, particularly seminars which will allow people to share with us their views on the NBN in general.
We would also like to stress that the CEO and Chair are always ready to meet those people who have an opinion on the NBN Trust, or the NBN as a whole.
Thank you
We would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete the survey, it has proved very useful. The feedback will be really helpful when we start to plan the 2014 Conference in March.
You can read the 2013 Conference report and view photographs as well as download the presentations and video of the day here.