Burson-Marsteller Study Reveals the Top 10 Most Valued Podiums for CEOs and C-Suite Executives

Business Wire, May 19, 2008

NEW YORK -- The World Economic Forum, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes sponsor the most influential corporate conferences, according to corporate communications and marketing executives at Fortune 500 companies surveyed for Burson-Marsteller's Most Valued Podiums study 2008.

Burson-Marsteller's research builds on key findings captured in its inaugural survey launched in 2005. This second study (MVP2) reexamines the business case for executive conferencing and revisits the list of venues considered most influential by CEOs and C-Suite executives.

According to the study, the most sought after forums for senior executives are:

The Top 10 MVPs for CEOs and C-Suite Executives

1. World Economic Forum
2. The Wall Street Journal
3. Forbes
4. Fortune
5. World Business Forum
6. Detroit Economic Club
7. Economist Magazine
8. CFO Magazine
9. Consumer Electronics Show
10. Wharton Business School

The study also found that 87% percent of respondents consider conferences an important part of their company's CEO and C-Suite positioning. However, the real challenge comes in sorting though the best opportunities. Large company CEOs are asked to speak to external audiences on an average of 3.4 times a week, according to the study.

"Given the demand for CEOs to speak at conferences and the opportunity to advance their businesses by addressing influential audiences at top forums, it's crucial for companies to approach speaking opportunities strategically," says Carol Ballock, Managing Director of Burson-Marsteller's Executive Positioning Specialty Group. "The MVP2 study provides a roadmap to approaching executive conferences to deliver a company tremendous competitive advantage."

Burson-Marsteller's research also reveals that while the majority (75%) of corporate communications officers report they evaluate return on investment from conference participation, their leading measure is highly qualitative - "executive satisfaction." The lack of quantitative measurement comes even as many respondents said that "forwarding the business" was among the leading criteria for determining which conferences to attend.

Methodology

Burson-Marsteller interviewed 103 conference decision makers in corporate communications (25%), marketing (18%), human resources (13%), and public relations (7%). The survey was fielded March 13-March 31, 2008. The Burson-Marsteller study remains the industry's only primary research on CEO and C-Suite executive conferences.

About Burson-Marsteller

Burson-Marsteller (www.burson-marsteller.com), established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and public affairs firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and web-related services. The firm's seamless worldwide network consists of 57 wholly-owned offices and 46 affiliate offices, together operating in 59 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP (NASDQ: WPPGY), one of the world's leading communications services networks.