A new poll shows that both industry and government believe event cancellations and federal travel restrictions are negatively impacting innovation and collaboration. The ramifications, according to survey respondents, will adversely affect a government contractor’s ability to provide the latest information, solutions and best practices that agencies require.
Market Connections, Inc. and Boscobel Marketing Communications, Inc. recently conducted a PulsePoll™ of 161 government contractors and 383 federal government employees across civilian, defense and independent agencies. The online poll asked about their current and future plans regarding event attendance in light of federal budget cuts and travel restrictions.
Other highlights of the PulsePoll™ include:
- Government employees are attending fewer events: Nearly 72% of agency respondents are attending fewer events this year than in 2012.
- Contractors are also cutting back: Half of contractors said their companies’ plans for exhibiting in 2013 are lower.
- Government will become siloed: Two-thirds of agency respondents agreed that it will be more difficult to maintain best practices in their fields (66%) and that government will become more siloed (62%).
“It is clear that event cancellations and travel restrictions present barriers for government and industry collaboration and may threaten innovation in government,” said Lisa Dezzutti, president and CEO of Market Connections, Inc. “Fortunately, this study provides some key indicators of ways contractors can continue to reach government customers with information, best practices and new solutions.”
According to the results, contractors and government agree that industry will need to become more creative in informing and educating government customers. The PulsePoll™ revealed how government employees are planning to obtain their information, as an alternative to events and trade shows. The poll also revealed how government contractors are planning to reach their government customers in light of the new era of event cancellations.
“Government employees are aware of the impact that budget constraints and travel restrictions are having on their ability to stay current on trends and knowledge. They see collaboration opportunities diminishing, and anticipate long-term effects to their agencies, technology and innovation in government,” said Joyce Bosc, president of Boscobel Marketing Communications. “This poll shows us that contractors can benefit from investing in thought leadership programs, hosting webinars and leveraging the reach of trade publications.”
A detailed overview of the study results is available for download via a white paper, which also provides recommendations, commentary and insights from government and industry thought leaders.