Thank you once again to the 300 people who helped us sell out our 2022 State Conference.
It was so heartening to build bridges to the future and a collective desire to help our communities progress towards genuine equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are grateful to the attendees who took the time to complete our conference survey. Your answers allow us, as your State Peak, to assess where we were successful and continue improve on the delivery of such an important event.
Number of responses: 88
Satisfaction* ratings:
90
Keynote Speakers
89
Facilitated Panel Discussion
83
Multi-Presenter Sessions
92
The Great Debate
78
Masterclasses
95
Venue & Location
92
Overall Conference Format
88
Did the Conference meet your expectations?
*The satisfaction level is based on the combination of responses listing “very satisfied” and “somewhat satisfied”.
What did you find the most useful?
- Chance to get together once again and network
- Ongoing focus on lived experience
- Discussions during workshop and masterclass activities
- Time to reflect on practices and share knowledge with peers
- Diverse themes of the concurrent sessions allowing various needs to be met
- Practical tips to turn commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion into a reality
- Call to action
Top Takeaways:
- Need to adopt new ways to volunteer
- Power of lived experience to improve programs
- Power of technology and online opportunities
- The post-COVID re-engagement is a widespread challenge
- Inspiration from other organisations and innovative programs
- Need to create more partnerships
- Tips to create a safe environment
- Need to consult volunteers to build better programs
- Importance of advocating within the organisation
- Achieving equity, diversity and inclusion is a long-term commitment and journey
How was Volunteering Victoria successful in our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion during the Conference?
- Diversity of presenters and range of knowledge and experience
- Attendees’ lived experience finding echo on the stage
- Thought provoking and practical learning
- Strong focus on equity, diversity and inclusion across the two days
- Exploration of the many forms diversity and inclusion can take
Where could we have improved in our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion during the Conference?
- Provision of a better definition of equity, diversity and inclusion
- Holding the event in a more disability-friendly venue
- Greater diversity in the presenters, notably CALD community members and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- Greater access to people who are visually impaired or with a hearing impairment
What should we focus on for our next Conference?
- Digital challenges and opportunities
- Preparedness for the future, resilience and change management
- Rebuilding volunteering in a post-pandemic world
- Developing a more flexible approach to volunteering
- Leadership and strategic thinking
- Developing partnerships
How can we improve this event in the future?
- Provide more guidance around the concurrent sessions to help with making an informed decision
- Consider a livestream option to be more inclusive
- Invite more volunteers to contribute to presentations
- Extend the conference to two days