With attention spans continuing to decline from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8.25 seconds today, and with 70% of employees struggling to focus for 20 minutes, event formats must evolve to maintain engagement and effectiveness according to a new insight paper from Exclusive Collection.
The paper, NETWORKING4.0, based on quantitative insights from clients and co-authored by Peter Mandeno PhD, an expert in the science of human connection, explores the cost of distraction at meetings and events.
“As the data in this report show, event attendees are increasingly distracted. Success, therefore, requires that you stop thinking just about how many people show up to instead focus on how many you can get to look up, from the devices that command their attention,” said Mandeno in the report. “Only then do you stand a chance of delivering the real value people seek from attending events and conferences, that of shared experience and meaningful human connection.”
The report reveals that almost half (44%) check their phone or devices sometimes during a conference or event, and 30% check them often. It offers practical insights for event planners and organisations to address the challenges of reduced attention spans while ensuring business events remain commercially impactful.
With almost half (46%) finding interactive workshops the format that helps them maintain focus the best, the report recommends planners should look to adopt strategies that engage their delegates with spaces and set ups supporting different outcomes while enhancing attention and engagement
Stephanie Hall, Exclusive Collection’s group director of sales and marketing, commented: “As event scenarios become increasingly experiential, attention has emerged as a vital metric for evaluating effectiveness and ROI. Technology plays a dual role in this landscape; while it enhances access and engagement, it can also fragment focus —particularly among digitally native generations. Capturing and maintaining attention while recognising there is a cost to distraction is more difficult and more important than ever, hence why we created NETWORKING4.0”.