Every national association has different wants and needs from its conference host city. This blog is not meant to convince you to choose one city over another. Instead, I hope to break down the major decision factors when planning the geographic location of an association conference. For simplicity purposes, [...]
Finding sponsors for your association’s events is a major component of increasing non-dues revenue and generating a surplus. This article explores options of how to optimize your association’s sponsorship revenue. Reach out to Previous Sponsors First When you are looking for sponsors for your association’s next event, start with [...]
During the busy gala season, there seems to be a different gala dinner every night of the week. The events may vary in terms of the menu, the entertainment, the venue and the cause, yet there seems to be one major commonality: the attendees. When you attend these events [...]
Managing a major national association event like a convention, symposium or annual conference can be a challenge for any event manager. Usually such events are the largest an association can offer to its members, and they provide opportunities for new business connections, professional development, networking and more. It takes [...]
Jennifer Schrafft is a Certified Professional Coach who does regular speaking engagements throughout the year. Recently, she participated as a speaker in two association conferences that I managed. I sat down with Jennifer to find out what makes a positive speaking engagement for her and how we can work [...]
I know what you might be thinking, but don’t get too excited: unfortunately, this isn’t a blog post about how graphic design can bring about positive change in associations. While this is certainly possible, it would take much more than one blog post to get into the nuances of [...]
As an Event Manager, I plan and execute many events for association and non-profit clients. Most of the time, I am working with individuals, fellow staff members or committees who represent the client, which means I am always working with new people. Working with a senior staff member from [...]
You are two weeks out from an association event: your program is set, all vendors have been contracted, the venue details have been organized and now it is time to reconfirm, reconfirm, reconfirm! Arguably, the most important deliverable at an association meeting or conference is the educational content. So, [...]
One of the key elements to running any successful association trade show is shipping. That’s why association trade shows need a transportation broker and logistics manager. Having now planned a national (or Canada-wide) trade show tour that included exhibitors participating in anywhere from one to four cities on the [...]
Security at association events has moved to the forefront of association event planning in recent years. Regardless of the size or scope of the event, it is the association’s responsibility to ensure that delegates are safe and secure in the various spaces that the event is taking place. This [...]
