We may be far off Conference Season in the Professional Membership Association sphere, but planning needs to be done as early as possible to ensure a successful event. Event planning is a vital part of Association management, one that requires meticulous attention to detail and strategic coordination, whether you’re working towards a conference, networking event or seminar.
Goals & Objectives
Before delving into the logistics of event planning it’s vital to establish clear goals and objective for your Association’s event. Whether it’s increasing membership engagement, fostering networking opportunities, or providing educational content, aligning the event’s purpose with the Association’s overarching mission statement is key.
The Administration team should work closely with the Association’s management committee to define measurable goals that will help shape the planning process.
Plan
Once a budget is confirmed with your Association’s Business Manager, a well thought out plan should be created to serve as a roadmap for a successful event. This includes everything from setting a date, venue choice, accommodation options, AV requirements (as these are not always provided by the venue) and transportation logistics.
Technology
When planning events, technology should be used to your advantage. Event management software, or the use of a CRM for ticketing and attendance tracking is extremely helpful. Utilising technology takes a huge strain off administrative staff, saving them from collating data manually, and in turn reducing the risk of human error.
The use of technology also opens up the opportunity for hybrid events. With the help of an AV team, streaming your face-to-face event to a live audience can be extremely easy.
Communication & Marketing
Communication is key to promoting the Association’s events and driving attendance to them. Make sure events are advertised through all channels, including emails, newsletters, and on your website. Social media can also be extremely useful to generate a “buzz”, encouraging members to get talking and spread awareness.
It’s important to not only maintain communications with the delegates, but also your Association’s management committee, volunteers, guests and speakers. Consider creating personalised joining instructions and event flyers for each type of attendee.
Feedback
Post-event evaluation is crucial. It helps to identify your successes in planning, and what may need to be done differently next time around. Create tailored online feedback forms to circulate once the event has finished, making sure to contact each type of guest in attendance.
Debrief with the Association’s management to evaluate the feedback you’ve gathered. It’s important to analyse all aspects of the initial planning stage versus the outcome, including the revenue generated, and any fine tuning that may have been needed with the event venue.
Let us know in the comments which industry event you’re looking forward to the most in 2024!