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According to a new report entitled: "U.S. Entertainment and Media Consumer Survey, 2005," authored by JupiterResearch Analyst Barry Parr, the average amount of time a consumer spends watching TV is 14 hours per week, which is the same amount of time they spend online. This equalization means that entire generations are walking away from the norm of printed media. Traditional newspapers and newsletters are loosing significant marketshare and are becoming pressed to promote their online presence to stem the tide. According to the report 37% of the respondents spend less time reading books because of their online activities. This same report also indicates that a majority of the intensive users are more likely to use advanced Internet technologies such as Streaming Media, Blogs and RSS.
Even the integration of communication via the Internet has seen a dramatic rise. In a JupiterResearch consumer study, projections indicate that by 2010, 20.5 million households will be using VoIP, the computer-based alternative to wired Telco service, as their primary telephone service.
Creating Content With Value
For event organizers, developing “sticky” content actually serves two masters, the attendee and the equally important sponsor. Granted, if the content fulfills the areas of demand than sponsors are anxious to support events that draw relevant attendees and more importantly, address issues that their products provide solutions for. This is easier said than done.
Determining what is of value and to who is a challenge, especially for an association built on volunteer support. So many deciding factors go into the development of a relevant theme for an event. Proposed location of the event, projected attendee costs, time of year and even the format can all become factors in the relevance of the perceived value.
Those who volunteer are typically closer to the issues and current trends simply due to their natural interest to remain involved. But in many cases, those who can afford to volunteer either are associated with more successful companies or vendors who see their support as an investment. Many of these individuals, while filled with good intentions, may not actually see the real problems facing the majority of the membership.
This is even truer if the event location is in the midst of a demographic region unfamiliar to the board. The content may ultimately reflect national issues but may be so far off base for the local economy that those traveling the shortest distance (and in greater quantity) find little relevance in the topics and information being presented.
Another issue deals with the actual life of the content. Selecting topics that are immediate in nature, often don’t allow the attendee enough time to respond to the problem with a solution. A perfect example is a debate over legislation that is pending in the state or federal government that is coming up for vote in a few weeks. While the legislation might have an effect on the group, there is little one can do this late in the game to change the outcome.
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