Evaluation of EEEurope 2006, Germany

Method

This year Roger and Lesley Greenaway organised a 'simultaneous survey' activity, with a remaining group of 26, to gather feedback from the conference. This involved:

1. Discussion in small groups to identify topics for feedback.
2. Each topic was then covered by two people, who designed one question to survey the group on that topic.
3. All the pairs then split up and circulated the group to gather views and responses to their questions.
4. Below is the list of topics, the questions, and the feedback.

Topics, questions and feedback

Conference Infrastructure: What most supported / hindered conference?

Supported

• Home base, and place for materials
• Pre-conference: range of activities, options
• Transportation was good
• Strong sense of team: high trust and communication in organising team

Hindered

• not enough wet weather spaces
• 'who's who' information, more introductory info.
• one good general meeting place, which is not used for anything else
• schedule on the wall in meeting place area

Are you happy with the next year's main conference date (26-30 April)?

• overall yes: provides a good starter / inspiration to the year, and before the main work season starts
• some concerns, mixed views on time being flexible depending on the venue, later might mean warmer

Conference Schedule (incl. pre-conference): what changes would you recommend?

• ensure that there is a break between the pre-conference and the conference
• timings for sessions easier to remember eg. whole hours / half hours
• more structure for last evening
• evaluation process on day 3
• informal time within the schedule respected by all
• start and finish conference with networking activity

Workshops

How do you measure the workshops 'value'?

• diverse, intriguing, helpful
• 90 minutes most comfortable, 3hours needs a break
• More space for discussion, professional tips and feedback within workshop
• More information on content, placing the workshop in a proper context
• Popular / clashing workshops to have another go

Was there enough time between workshops?

• generally, there was enough time planned in the schedule, but there wasn't enough space as the discipline of the schedule was not stuck to.

Tips for workshop leaders

• Get into theme as fast as possible
• Present the time schedule to the group, make it a group thing
• Be punctual
• Plan for ¾ of the time
• Check out workshop space in advance
• Mutual responsibility
• Ask someone to be a timekeeper and to give a 5-10 minute warning

Contacts and networking: How can we make it more effective?

• networking board at conference
• offers and requests session at beginning of conference
• community on internet / website
• poster session of successful projects
• intentionally hear people from the conference

Natural environment

What did you like / dislike about the environment?
Liked: landscape; views; hills; rocks; forests; trails; openness
Disliked: being near a town; the weather; rain; not making more use of surroundings.

Accommodation: advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• close to each other
• choice between dorms and hotel
• lots of hot water, comfortable, warm and quiet
• on mainland Europe

Disadvantages

• not enough showers, and toilet/shower on different floor, keys
• not enough double rooms for non-couples
• camping field was missing
• not exclusive for EEEurope
• some very dark workshop spaces
• food was not so good

Transport: How can it be improved?

Overall no problems but could

• Rent a shuttle bus
• Encourage / facilitate car pools
• Ensure good route description
• Convenient parking
• Know about local customs / transport

Website: How can we improve the website?

• interactive part forum / discussion
• more pictures
• process of schedule and time frame
• clear info of conference fee
• more personal info
• credit card payment
• different language
• FAQ

Information before the conference: How was flow of information?

• Good, enough and well timed üüüüü
• More information about workshops would help
• Should be uniform in its style, one source needed
• Some mistakes about payment of invoices, but good to provide invoices early
• Early communication and in last weeks good, could maintain contact between.