Institute of Directors' Annual Conference: A miscellany of observations

Some three weeks have now passed since the Institute of Directors' Annual Conference was held at the salubrious Langham Hotel in Auckland. I attended this year for the first time, and did so with an open mind having heard mixed reports about previous editions. Some 450 experienced and aspiring directors, media, consultants and Institute staff attended the one-and-a-half day event.

Some general observations, in no particular order:

• The conference was well organised but it was large, loud and expensive. Sessions started on time and the catering was 'on the money'. In contrast, the wall-to-wall screen that spanned the front of the room was a bit over the top. Yes, delegates could see the presenter, video clips and any slides used during presentations, but at what cost? If the goal was to stage an event with 'big name' presenters, the organisers succeeded in the minds of many. However, if the goal was to host a conference for directors, to share experiences and knowledge to enhance board effectiveness, then other less showy approaches may have worked as well.
• Four specialist workshops were offered in addition to plenary sessions. These covered the digital director; corporate reporting; planning for intergenerational wealth; and, health and safety. Run twice, delegates had the opportunity to select two of the four workshops, one of the first day and another on the second morning. The workshops I attended ran more like a panel discussion than a workshop with relatively little participation from the floor.
• The two 'best' presentations by some distance were delivered by Dr Kirstin Ferguson and Dr Jane Cherrington. Dr Ferguson, an accomplished company director from Australia spoke on 'safety governance' using findings from her recent doctoral research. She spoke about real issues that directors need to grapple with, director responsibilities and introduced a helpful framework to assist directors determine whether the company is operating a safe workplace. Dr Cherrington spoke about the human side of governance. She asserted that values matter because they provide the moral compass for decision-making; and that companies need to know why they exist (their purpose). Without these both in place and lived in the day-to-day activities of the company, the dominant logic (profit and greed) takes over. I couldn't agree more.
• In contrast, some presenters delivered thinly-veiled promotional pitches. Mr Alan Joyce (CEO of Qantas), for example, spoke about his role turning around the airline (with liberal use of the personal pronoun throughout) and the airline's strong promotion of LGBT 'rights' (although this was veiled within a diversity narrative). Leaving the diversity agenda aside, several people told me privately that they would rather have heard the board's perspective. One questioned why a CEO might be invited to speak about themselves and their 'successes' at a conference for directors. I suggested they ask the organiser, and lobby for more presentations from directors in future.
• Another brickbat. Sponsored baristas served hot fresh espressos during breaks between sessions. However, the queues were very long and, annoyingly, the service was not available during sessions (despite quite a few delegates meeting informally in the trade stand and networking area).
• A bouquet. The organisers scheduled long breaks, thus allowing plenty of time for networking both to make new acquaintances and chat with colleagues. This seemed to be appreciated by many.

Overall, the mood of the conference seemed to be upbeat. However, I came away with mixed feelings. Apart from Drs Ferguson and Cherrington, the conference delivered little in the way of critical analysis or case study examples to help directors do their job better. Similar conferences that I've attended overseas make learning a priority. They schedule research streams (peer-reviewed papers discussing emerging trends); plenary panel discussions; 'live' case studies; and, half-day highly interactive workshops on sector- and subject-specific topics of direct relevance to smaller groups of directors. The ICGN Annual Conference stands out as a great example. I hope the organisers see fit to consider 'bulking up' the conference programme in the future, both to broaden the appeal of the conference and to deliver additional value to the delegates—especially directors of smaller entities. The Institute should also consider scheduling its Annual Meeting within the conference programme, to ensure higher levels of participation. I for one would make attendance a priority if these elements are added.