What you told us about attending IT events
Colleagues,
Thank you for telling us what motivates you to attend IT events! From April 7 to May 1, 167 of you who work in IT at UW–Madison provided your thoughts via a survey asking you what influences your decision to attend IT events. We appreciate your candid comments — especially from those of you who have never attended an event, or do so rarely.
The results will be shared with key groups and leaders who plan events to guide decisions about event quantity, timing, breadth, modality, cost and activities offered.
Here’s what you told us
The overwhelming reason you attend an event is because you find the content relevant to your work.
Other factors you shared:
- Workload is the overwhelming barrier to event attendance.
- Because workload is a barrier, you appreciate the flexibility that virtual and hybrid options and recordings provide.
The overwhelming reason you choose to attend an in-person event is because it offers something novel — something unique that you can only get by coming to campus.
Other factors you shared:
- Refreshments, transportation, parking and the event venue itself have no or very little influence on your decision to attend an event in person.
You would consider joining an event planning committee if there was better clarity on the time commitment and responsibilities involved.
The next survey
If you didn’t participate in this year’s survey, it will be offered again in spring 2027. Many of you mentioned networking in your written comments, so the next survey will include a question dedicated to networking.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! For questions or comments, please contact DoIT Communications.