--- title: "Get That Small-Town Feel Going For Your Next Event" id: "15495" type: "post" slug: "get-that-small-town-feel-going-for-your-next-event" published_at: "2013-01-24T22:05:32+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:04:46+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/01/24/get-that-small-town-feel-going-for-your-next-event/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/01/24/get-that-small-town-feel-going-for-your-next-event.md" excerpt: "Ever thought of taking over a town for your annual meeting? Here’s how one event planner got that small-town feel going." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "event planning" - "Meetings" - "small-town" - "Social Media" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Get That Small-Town Feel Going For Your Next Event Sometimes your event doesn’t require the hustle and bustle of a big city. Maybe what it really needs is a small-town feel. So why not take over a small town? Seriously, the entire thing. How one would do that, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### A Town Takeover > Renting an entire town for an event: [http://t.co/31g3zSGH (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/31g3zSGH) > via [@eventjuice (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/eventjuice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#eventprofs (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/eventprofs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#pcma (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/pcma?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Convene Magazine (@pcmaconvene) [January 24, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/pcmaconvene/status/294545135449018369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Perhaps a convention center isn’t enough** for your annual meeting. How about taking over an entire town? Event planner Liz Alton has helped in such a takeover before, [and she has quite a story to tell about it (opens in a new tab)](http://eventjuice.co.uk/renting-an-entire-town-for-an-event/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed) . Alton, a blogger on EventJuice, offers some key advice from her time planning an event in Suchitoto, El Salvador, especially in regard to coordination. “Renting out an entire town is a bold strategy for an event. There are a number of challenges that can come up during the process,” she explains. “But a bit of planning, particularly by working with local partners, you can have a once in a lifetime event and a great portfolio event on your hands!” *(ht [@pcmaconvene (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/pcmaconvene/status/294545135449018369) )* ### Get a Local Take https://twitter.com/piewords/status/294507413405581313 **And if you can’t afford to take over a town,** consider simply attending one of the local chapter meetings. Laurence Hart, the Association for Information and Image Management’s (AIIM) chief information officer, [recently went to a local chapter event for AIIM (opens in a new tab)](http://wordofpie.com/2013/01/24/getting-the-local-connection/) and found it much more useful than simply hanging out on social media all day. “Advice delivered 140 characters at a time is limited,” he explains. “Discussions without body language cues may miss critical issues or topics. When you throw in serendipity that comes with meeting new people, the value skyrockets.” How often do you get out to your association’s local chapter events? *(ht [@piewords (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/piewords/status/294507413405581313) )* What sort of stuff are you reading online today? Tell us all about it in the comments. (Comstock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. 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