Summit 2012 Delegate Survey Results Announced

Summit 2012 was hosted at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada October 10 - 13, 2012. The Vision of the Summit is to gather executive level thought leaders who can advance the state of the art in urban animal strategies. The mission is to promote strategies that build healthy communities for pets and people and to recognize those who achieve success.

A formal opinion poll was sent out to all attending delegates, with a respondent rate of 61%.

Highlights from Summit 2012 Delegate Survey:

• Promoting the Pet Experience (36%), Animal Care and Control (27%), The Summit Foundation (27%), and First Nations (24%) conversations were the most highly attended conversations.
• Promoting the Pet Experience (53%) was the topic a majority of attendees supported for the next national initiative.
• Active collaborator was the most popular role (29%).
• Sixty-one percent of participants felt strongly that the Summit Program should include discussions of the values that urban animals contribute to the human experience.
• Participants were neutral to slightly negative regarding the idea that a decrease in animal population was a positive trend for the companion animal industry.
• Overall satisfaction with the Summit was highly rated. Attendees were also very pleased with on-site facilities.
• Summit 2012 participants were highly likely to recommend attending the Summit to others.
• This year’s theme of Animal Sourcing was perceived as relevant, yet compared to past years perhaps less so.
• Attendees agreed that the Summit will move the industry forward.
• The majority of this year’s participants had attended in the past and almost two out of every three anticipated attending next year.
• The vast majority of attendees had been to last year’s Summit. About two out of three had been in 2010. About one out of three had attended in 2008 and 2009.
• Important conversations from breakout groups were most highly rated. Documentation of the Friday Forum conversations continues to require improvement.
• Networking opportunities were most highly rated. Tools from the Summit to accomplish one’s job more effectively, was less so.
• Highest ratings went to the briefing book and online registration while the alumni section of TSUAS.com was less highly rated.
• Networking opportunities (84%) and contribution to industry strategies (71%) were the two most common reasons why people attended Summit 2012. 
• Educational requirement spiked this year (63%) compared to previous years.
• OpenSpace and Free Reign Conversations were highlights of the Summit Program for most respondents.
• Highest ratings went to the definition of categories; the clarity of the nomination process was less highly rated. 

There were 38 survey respondents of the following demographic profile:

• Gender: 53% Female, 47% Male
• Age: 11% 20-29 years old, 21% 30-39 years old, 34% 40-49 years old, 24% 50-59 years old, 11% 60-69 years old
• Industry: 34% Animal Services, 24% Animal Health and Wellness, 24% Animal Care and Control, 18% Animal Humane and Rescue
• Executive Level: 29% C-Level Executive, 32% Senior Management, 18% Middle Management, 21% Other
• Role at Summit: 63% Delegate/Alumni, 21% Speaker/Facilitator, 8% Sponsor, 8% Production/Crew

Copies of the complete survey report are available at a nominal cost. Contact Sheena.Neel@petlynxmail.com if you wish to procure a copy.