9.
WHAT DO ROTARIANS RECOMMEND FOR FUTURE CONFERENCES?
The qualitative feedback provided in
Warriors. And there remains as always a
the
previous
chapter
on
areas
for
good appetite for fellowship and social
improvements
includes
a
number
of
activities.
recommendations by respondents on how to
In terms of the types of speakers to
improve conferences even further in future
invite, whether this is for sessions or meals,
years. In addition, specific questions were
there is a desire to have more motivational
included in the 2013 and 2014 surveys about
speakers, as well as entertaining speakers.
the types of speakers and sessions that
There is also an interest in having more
Rotarians would like to see more of, or less
business speakers. By contrast, participants
of in future conferences.
do not necessarily want to hear more from
As shown in table 9, the results are
speakers from their clubs or districts.
similar for 2013 and 2014, the two years
Rotarians representing the broader
where the question was asked. In terms of
zone to which districts belong as well as
sessions, participants would like to see more
Rotary International are of interest (and
real discussion and debates on Rotary’s
some have received high marks, as was the
future and the challenges facing clubs and
case with Bill Boyd in the 2014 conference).
districts, as well as sessions on successful
The same holds for speakers from
Rotary projects, as opposed to the more
the nonprofit world, but at the same time the
general information and education sessions
level of demand for such speakers is lower
about Rotary that have been organized in the
in relative terms, than is the case for
last two conferences.
business, entertaining, and motivational
There is not much interest in sporting
speakers. Said more bluntly, participants
activities
(such
as
golf
and
tennis
would like more exposure to entertaining as
tournaments), but as mentioned earlier there
well as high level speakers who can raise
is quite a bit of interest in including
their enthusiasm and at least some of whom
volunteering
activities
within
district
work in business, as opposed to more
conferences, as was done in 2013 with the
exposure to their club or district leadership,
Stop Hunger Now session where Rotarians
whom by and far they already know and
packed food rations, and in 2014 with the
have met in the past multiple times.
Mothers’
Day
Brunch
for
Wounded
47