What turns on an HR executive?

The Cambridge HR Summit has a target audience of senior HR executives from some of the UK’s leading organisations. Before embarking on the planning stage of the Cambridge HR Summit, Vandy Massey of MSA Interactive Ltd and Judith Elliott of el:consulting Cambridge Ltd asked a group of them to talk about which elements of top class conferences are the most valuable.

Their list of the five absolute No-No’s:
- Too many stands and too many delegates. It may be profitable for organisers but it’s a nightmare for delegates. Many busy executives simply won’t attend that sort of event.
- Hard sell, at the event and afterwards. Too many follow up telephone calls from vendors came high on the hate list.
- Too much theory; presentations that only give an overview and no “how to…”
- Large scale seminars with minimum participation. If the audience is made up of experienced executives, then being lectured at isn’t going to hack it. They know what sort of information they want to get out of the seminar and value having the time to interact with the speaker and each other.
- Forcing a gallon into a pint pot. Conference organisers often try to add value by cramming more speakers into the agenda. With so much being flung at them, by the end of the day, delegates have forgotten a high proportion of what they heard.

As this feedback endorsed the opinions of the organisers themselves, the Cambridge HR Summit founders set about to devise a conference that fitted the bill.

“We chose a format and venue that is perfect for allowing interaction between smaller groups of people. Delegates will select 3 workshops which are key for their organisations right now, and the sessions will have enough time for discussion and interaction”, explained MSA Interactive director, Vandy Massey. “We’ve made sure that conversations can continue to flow after each session allowing the learning to continue and become more relevant as the peer group discussions develop. Rather than creating a mind-numbing, manic day of rushing from one session to the next as so often happens, we have focused on the quality of the conference experience.”

Executives also gave information about the top 5 elements they look for in a conference:
- Talking about current issues / new trends and future challenges with other professionals.
- A keynote speaker who is energising, insightful and positive to start the day
- Opportunities for group discussions.
- Information on Best Practice.
- Case Study discussions.
(Oh, and a few freebies don’t go amiss but for heavens sake if give-aways are on your list of marketing tools, make them different and of a reasonable quality. How many cheap plastic pens can we really use?)

Judith Elliot, director of el:consulting Cambridge Ltd is responsible for conference content. She has ensured that delegates will get to hear from people who have made a real difference in their organisation. “Keynote speaker Dame Stella Rimington DCB changed the face of the spy business in Britain, not least by being instrumental in getting women accepted as field operatives. Workshop speakers have been chosen for their first hand knowledge of initiatives that have had significant positive impact on organisations. They can talk about what works, what to do and what to avoid” confirms Elliott.

The messages for conference organisers are:
- Less can be more – fewer exhibition stands, fewer activities packed into the day, fewer follow up telephone calls from vendors.
- Provide delegates with ‘thinking space’.
- Most of all, give delegates the time and right place to talk to each other
And finally – make it a really great day. We all learn more when we’re enjoying ourselves. There is no reason why attending a conference or exhibition should feel like a chore, and yet it so often does if the formula isn’t right.

This attention to detail and the focus on quality of experience were two of the aspects that drew conference sponsors, Taylor Vinters to supporting the event. The legal firm has been described as “Deliciously free of pompous legal jargon” and “A breath of fresh air” (Legal 500). The pairing of top class expertise with informality of format was a winning combination which resonated with Taylor Vinters.

The Cambridge HR Summit presents an exciting opportunity for delegates to learn and share experiences with some of the country’s leading executive talent. Places are strictly limited, and interested parties can download a booking form from the conference website – www.cambridgesummit.co.uk. The summit is sponsored by Taylor Vinters (www.taylorvinters.com) and organised by el:consulting: cambridge Ltd (tel: 01223 422066) and MSA Interactive Ltd (tel: 01223 839476) who can be contacted with any queries.

ENDS