Is the meetings industry suffering from the attention crisis?

Pinging smartphones, Netflix cliff-hangers, who’s going to do the school run – the distractions of modern life are making it difficult to stay focused in meetings and events.

And the economic cost in lost productivity is staggering.

Research conducted by leading London conference and events venue, The QEII Centre, has found that the cost of drifting off during events has risen to £20.7bn.

Based on a survey of over 1,000 desk-based workers, the research builds on findings from The QEII Centre’s inaugural 2023 Distracted Economy report.

It reveals that the cost of distraction in online and face-to-face meetings and events is going up – from £19.9 billion in 2023, an increase of £800m.

The main causes of distraction were boredom, tiredness, and having a busy mind, with 80% of workers admit to losing concentration during meetings. But how people meet is significant.

In the 2024 report, more than half (55%) were more likely to be distracted in online meetings compared to just 16% who found it harder to concentrate in-person meetings.

Meanwhile almost a third (27%) found both equally distracting.

Senior managers were not immune, with 17% of senior managers and owners losing focus for half or more of in-person meetings compared to 10% of mid or junior managers.

And there the report shone a light on generational differences, too.

While being tired, hungry, or distracted by background noise is a large source of distraction for younger people, 35 – 44-year-olds are more easily distracted by email notifications, and the over 45s are more affected by being bored or by the meeting being dominated by other people.

To maximise engagement, in person meetings should be kept short – under 45 minutes, or ideally half an hour. Our results also show that speakers who keep their presentations succinct (around 15 minutes) are more likely to retain the attention of their audience. To stay focused, the reports advised delegates should stay hydrated, take notes, and switch off their mobile phone.

Mark Taylor, CEO, The QEII Centre, said: “When we initially set out to research distraction back in 2023, it was because we noticed that the attention problem had begun to affect the world of meetings and events. We wanted to gather honest feedback from people of all ages and at all stages of their careers to determine the scale of the issue, uncover particular challenges, and provide useful insights and practical solutions to help event planners and venues do their jobs.

"It is our hope that these findings inspire event planners and venues to create exceptional experiences and design meetings and events that engage delegates, enhance productivity and achieve business goals.”

Distracted Economy – the highlights:

• Eight in 10 desk-based workers lose concentration in meetings for some of the time

• 24% is the average proportion of time people are distracted during in-person meetings

• 17% of senior managers and owners lose focus or concentration for half or more of in-person meetings compared to 10% of mid or junior managers

• 55% of people are more likely to be distracted in an online meeting, vs 16% in an in-person meeting and 27% who find both equally distracting

• The top three causes of distraction are boredom (25%), tiredness (24%), and having a busy mind (23%)

• 56% of respondents expect to attend more in-person events in 2025 than they did in 2019

Source: AMI