While senior executive participation at business leadership conferences has held steady or grown since the start of the global economic crisis, less than half (44%) of PR executives surveyed globally by Weber Shandwick have a formal process for identifying optimal placements of executives at these events. Other study findings include:
• CEOs consider speaking engagements prime channels for communicating thought leadership platforms (61%), attracting new business and cultivating customer relationships (58%) and defining or redefining brands (52%).
• Communications professionals and executive speechwriters say their CEOs are most interested in speaking at: top-tier business media events (44%), public policy conferences (41%) and business school gatherings (31%).
• The one event that generates the most positive word-of-mouth in the global business community: the World Economic Forum in Davos, identified by 44% of communications professionals as the most buzz-worthy event.
Source: Weber Shandwick