04/05/2024

Year-round Event Engagement

Annual meetings should no longer be considered finite events

At associations across the country, conversations around their premier conferences have changed: Savvy association professionals recognize that the annual meeting should be more than a one-and-done event. That’s why organizations are creating opportunities throughout the year for members and exhibitors to deepen their connections to fellow conference attendees—and to the association itself.

The pandemic prompted a “hyper-learning” mode that exploded in an array of new options for association conferences, according to Joanna Pineda, CEO and chief troublemaker at Matrix Group International. In addition to adopting virtual or hybrid conferences on a more permanent basis, many organizations are capitalizing on the excitement that comes from an annual conference with meeting-adjacent opportunities and offerings that are not limited by the time constraints of an in-person event.

Organic Expansion

One easy way to expand engagement is to link smaller, more focused meetings that occur throughout the year with the annual conference. For instance, associations can offer space at the annual conference for attendees of previous conferences, courses or webinars to continue conversing and meet up in person.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.