The media has been packed with stories about the reduction in travel budgets and event spending. Last week some statistics came out that tell different stories about event attendance.
First, the upside. FOSE, a nearly 40 year-old conference aimed at providing access to the latest technology tools and best practices in government, reported that registrations for their 2014 conference were up 40% with nearly 5,000 professionals registered. They also noted a 25% increase in C-level registrants. In addition to the exhibition of 150+ vendors, the FOSE speaker line-up included some unique speakers and topics including National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon; leaders of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies involved in catching the Boston Marathon bombing suspects; experts on change and agility in federal projects and programs; and women leaders in technology.
