‘When You Get What You Want, But Not What You Need’: The Motivations, Affordances and Shortcomings of Attending Academic/Scientific Conferences

Abstract

Conferences are generally felt to facilitate knowledge exchange andinteractions between delegates, and to support formative higher education andcontinued professional education. However, the motivations and needs ofconference delegates are sparsely researched and subjective in nature. Thispaper presents a mixed method analysis of the needs and motivations of thedelegates of academic, scientific and professional (ASP) conferences. A seriesof 16 mixed method expert interviews were conducted with a randomly selectedinternational sample of established academic faculty. The results werecross-referenced with the findings of a preceding pilot survey (n=37) thatincluded student as well as established researchers. When examined together,the research shows that whilst ASP delegate needs and expectations seem to bemet on a superficial level, delegates are divided as to the long-term worth andbenefit of conferences, particularly when they consider how their activitiesand contributions were viewed and appreciated by others. Although the empiricalfindings are representative of the participants’ perceptions of conferences,they offer an advancement on the opinion-based literature on conferencemotivations. Importantly, this research helps to explain why delegates holdmixed perceptions of conferences, and identifies key areas where added value isneeded to meet contemporary delegate need.