20th ISPI EMEA Annual Conference
Performance Improvement and Sustainability
September 30, October 1, 2, 4 and 5 - 2021 - 2nd Virtual Event
Conference Overview
At ISPI EMEA, we believe that a conference is more than its scheduled sessions and presenters. Our conference participants are every bit as much a part of the total learning and sharing experience, as our great presenters. If you’d like to get a feel for our unique conference format and what participants say about it, you might want to visit the Previous Conferences section of our website, with Feedback Reports going back to 2013 and conference videos (featuring participants, in their own words) beginning with ISPI EMEA 2010 – Gothenburg, Sweden.
Why participate? Only you can contribute your unique perspective! ISPI EMEA Conferences are purposefully intimate in size (limited to 100 participants) with a format, content and presenters designed to attract executives and professionals from diverse backgrounds and experience that bring with them an enthusiasm for learning, sharing and growing together in the highly participative atmosphere of the conference.
Virtual can be engaging! As with all of our conferences since 2007, last year’s virtual agenda featured an Open Assist Experience designed to provide meaningful value to the Client organization, as well as valuable experience to conference participants. The Open Assist Experience will begin during the first session on Day One and run throughout the conference to the end of Day Five, when participant teams will be scheduled to present their proposals. In addition, two (2) compelling panel sessions were conducted, in extended (90 to 105-minute) time slots, as well as, ten (10) shorter Briefing sessions, on a range of topics related to our conference theme and selected via a Call-For-Proposals process. Following is a graphic representing the virtual agenda, with the Open Assist shown outlined in Red.
Conference Highlights
Whether you are interested in presenting or you would rather participate and share in a more informal way, we hope that you will review the conference highlights below and/or take the time to go to our website to learn more about our uniquely engaging conference format.
Open Assist Experience – an opportunity for participants to be immersed in a unique teamwork experience that runs throughout the conference. Through this process, all conference participants, presenters and sessions become “crowd-sourcing” resources for teams, as they work to respond to a live request for support from the senior executives of an actual organization, who will participate throughout the conference. — As for our in-person events, Open Assist Team Leaders will be selected prior to the start of the conference and participants will be free to select the team they would like to join at any time, once Team Leaders are announced. Each Team Leader will have their own collaboration space that will be accessible throughout conference hours by Teams, who are also free to schedule additional meeting times convenient to Team Members, who may be participating over diverse time zones.
Senior Executive Panel – respected senior executives, from across the region and representing diverse organizations, share their thoughts and insights with participants in an interactive panel session. — This valuable session will be recorded when live-streamed and that recording will be available to be accessed across all time zones at the convenience of participants, from the time after the session is recorded until shortly after the end of the conference.
Performance Improvement and Sustainability Panel – We anticipate forming a small “think tank” to meet and discuss the various types/definitions of sustainability and relationship between performance improvement technology (approaches) and sustainability. The “think tank” group will develop definitions and findings, which will be presented and discussed during the session (and afterwards in a designated Discussion Space). — This valuable session will be recorded when live-streamed and that recording will be available to be accessed across all time zones at the convenience of participants, from the time after the session is recorded until shortly after the end of the conference.
Briefing Sessions – carefully selected from proposals to present, submitted through our 2021 Call For Proposals (CFP) process. — During in-person conferences, these sessions are run concurrently, 3 per time slot. However, the online venue will permit us to record all sessions and have the recordings available to be accessed across all time zones at the convenience of participants. Therefore, each Briefing Session will run alone in its time slot. Once Briefing Sessions have been selected, the topic for each and a description of the session will be published along with a photo and brief bio of the presenter or presenters.
Last year, 2020, we took our unique conference format virtual in response to Covid-19. But, we were determined to deliver a compelling event, that would maintain the core of our innovative, active/interactive format and produce an experience as close to that achieved with our in-person conferences as possible. Just ask anyone who has participated in both our in-person and virtual conferences, or take a look at our 2020 Virtual Conference Feedback Report to see what participants (both frequent participants at our ISPI EMEA conferences and newcomers) had to say. Below is a sample of verbatim participant comments from the 2020 Feedback Report, just to give you an idea.
Overall Value
“All presentations were wonderful! The coordination was great! Thank you for a wonderful conference experience.”
“Virtual is different, but works great!”
“Virtual expanded our reach, both participants and Senior Executive Panelists, yet interaction was still high, like we were all together.”
Discussion Spaces
“I loved the interaction that we were able to achieve. The breakout rooms (Discussion Spaces) were great.”
“The discussion sessions (Discussion Spaces) with simple access through break-out rooms made it easy to interact with other participants – like being there [in person].”
“Really enjoyed the opportunity to discuss after the sessions (Discussion Spaces). Lots of stimulating conversation and exchange of ideas.”
Open Assist
“Working in teams was energizing and I learned about myself as well as improved my knowledge and skills.”
“Thank you so much and your teams, who provided truly stimulating ideas. We really were not expecting to receive so much value!” – Open Assist Client
The conference fosters and supports the building of relationships, rather than just the exchange of business cards. The conference format and overall atmosphere (culture), directly supports an ability to get to know people and actually build relationships. ISPI EMEA feels like a family, even to new people.
At ISPI EMEA, I started to see how performance improvement can be applied to many different aspects of organisational development, management, leadership development, and training design. The simulation (now Open Assist) was a great, interactive way to meet people, try out new ideas, and get practice making a pitch to a potential client.
To be honest, I first thought “How different could a conference be?” However, from the beginning of the conference I started to realise that it was no ordinary event and there was so much to learn, participate in and enjoy. ISPI EMEA 2015 has been one of the greatest events that I have attended.
I make the choice to come to this conference every year. The most successful thing about this conference is that you get to meet smart people, spend time with them, talk about their expertise, learn from them in an atmosphere that is totally open and totally sharing.
I found the conference to be very interactive, insightful and energising. The caliber of presenters, topics and content was a reflection of the committee’s commitment to raising the performance & knowledge bar in a non-traditional yet very welcoming and experiential way.