Measuring Outcomes of Extension Conferences: A Case Study of the National Extension Tourism Conference

What is the value of participation in national Extension conferences? As travel funds for Extension educators remain in short supply and conference sponsors demand measurable outcomes, research is needed to document impacts of national conferences on Extension programming. Using the 2006 National Extension Tourism Conference as a case study, we conducted an evaluation on-site and 6 months after the conference. Results indicate that 92% of respondents had improved their Extension programs as a direct result of the conference. Findings from the study suggest that impacts are substantial and that supporting national conferences is a worthwhile investment by Extension.