The biggest beneficiaries are the hotels especially if they have adjoining golf clubs. Conference Organizers are also setting up shop frantically. In Jakarta, where I live, there are if you consult the web pages over 3000 event organizers. While conferences are their main expertise they will organize sampling at the Jakarta roundabout during a quiet spell.
There is also transportation, tour agencies. Communications, hospitals, departmental stores, tax-free shops, luggage, stationary, sex, translators, identity card suppliers, bottled water, security services, waste disposal, condoms, lavatory attendants, lost and found and for those right up on top of the ladder executive jets and helicopter services.
There also government departments in many countries that keep going nicely with the required beaucratic paperwork.
In addition to all this, is the deployment of battalions of thousands of journalists. Their support services are an industry in themselves.
To talk in round figures we can safely say that two out of every six persons on earth have a personal income link to the conference industry. Awesome isn't it?
Watching some conferences telecast over CNN and other news channels it is easy to form the impression that ninety percent of attendees remain silent or doze. Others listen and a few have things to say. What the economic loss to the world in dollars as a result of 200million able bodied people being confined to rooms for most of a productive day, all over the world every year has so far not been estimated even by my usually reliable sources.
The Results
Since 1945, when talking began in earnest on Peace, Rights, Hunger, Education, Employment have been somewhat satisfied at least for the conference attendees. For the others, the daily newspaper will give you the current scores.
How many corporate aims been achieved for the benefit of humanity? The scores are also available in your daily newspaper.
The answers to more fruitful conferences probably lie with the Conference Organizers. They must incorporate an added function to their portfolio. Their job must not just be to host and layout superb logistics and banquets but also have an Expert Team with formidable intellectual capital and the far sightedness to steer groups to get to the objectives. A study of the infallible election procedures for a new Pope by the conference of cardinals (a crusty and cantankerous lot by all accounts) may come in useful.
To stop talking, now that we are really getting into top gear, will obviously be unwise. It is tough to be able to create another industry that keeps so many people somnolent, so much of the time and still be a major force in the world economy.
