There’s never been a better time than right now to reimagine your education programming for your first in-person conference in some time, for many—in over two years. All those changes you’ve dreamed of trying can now become a reality. Conference education sessions have long been considered the main course of the event, yet typically they reek of status quo. That simply won’t work anymore. Sense-Making During the last 20 months we have all been a part of a global digital experiment and we … [Read more...]
Better Because You Were There
According to The New York Times, living with the pandemic “has pushed us to reckon with our deepest questions … [about] how we make meaning of our time on this earth.” In particular, COVID-19 has brought the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, social responsibility, and wellness to the fore. A number of our consulting clients have made social responsibility a cornerstone of their conference strategy — with the desire “to leave the host city better because we were there.” When you … [Read more...]
[Webinar]The Future Is Not as Simple as Just Going Hybrid
Since the pandemic moved our event cheese, industry experts have been quick to proclaim that meetings are forever changed and hybrid is here to stay. If only it was that easy! Event organizers are quickly realizing that hybrid isn’t cheap and it requires a lot more work. While hybrid can improve reach, it does not necessarily serve your top customers. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has hosted nine live events since August, seven of which were hybrid. Presenters Tracey … [Read more...]
Will Use-It-or-Lose-It Budgeting Negatively Impact Expo and Sponsor Revenue?
Our crystal balls are pretty foggy when it comes to predicting the return of in-person expo and sponsor revenue. Three of the big questions are: With the advancement of digital demos, will exhibitors opt for smaller booth spaces? If marketing budgets intended for show participation in 2020 or 2021 were reallocated, or not spent, will corporations recall the good days and include your show in the 2022 marketing budget? Will poor ROI from virtual shows negatively impact future spend … [Read more...]
Game On! Returning to Face-to-Face
With many organizations actively planning for an upcoming in-person conference or tradeshow, now is the time to make firm decisions for your attendee-experience, staffing and safety plans. We recently held a webinar featuring leaders from two large associations that have held face-to-face events in recent weeks. Here are five of the top take-aways that can help other associations navigate their new journey. 1. Increased and Transparent Communications Most Q3 and Q4, 2021 conferences are … [Read more...]
[WEBINAR]: Should You Move Ahead with Fall In-person Events? 9.29.21
Register Now for our next VCC Webinar, Wednesday September 29, 2021, 12:00-1:00 PM EDT. Space is Limited Organizations are making tough decisions about how to--or even whether to--move forward with their upcoming conferences and expos. While some have made the decision to cancel their f2f events, many others are forging ahead. Learn what worked and what didn’t from two event pros who held major in-person conferences in late August and early September, from Covid compliance … [Read more...]
5 Post-Pandemic Conference Program Design Changes
“Never let a good crisis go to waste” has become a popular adage in the business world over the past year, for good reason. As it becomes more apparent that face-to-face events will return in some form this year, conference organizers have an opportunity to make changes that would have been more difficult to sell up the ladder in the past. It’s a good time for planners to challenge their organizations to make the meeting experience more valuable than ever. As we work with conference … [Read more...]
Get Conference Inspiration from Trusted Peer Connections
So many in our industry have been pushed to their limits in 2020. Whether that has manifested in job loss, interrupted work/life patterns, isolation, grieving the loss of a loved one, unimaginable work pressure or needing to be “always-on” on Zoom or Teams, it has been a year of disruption unlike any we might have imagined. In spite of all the bad, there is also much that is positive for the next phase of association conferences. Earlier in my career I got connected to a network of … [Read more...]
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