--- title: "Let Your Attendees Choose Their Conference Experience" id: "16268" type: "post" slug: "let-your-attendees-choose-their-conference-experience" published_at: "2013-03-05T22:38:19+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:48:32+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/03/05/let-your-attendees-choose-their-conference-experience/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/03/05/let-your-attendees-choose-their-conference-experience.md" excerpt: "Having too much control over your conference could stymie engagement. Also: Don't leave event planning until the last minute. Instead, plan ahead." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "attendees" - "conferences" - "event planning" - "Meetings" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Let Your Attendees Choose Their Conference Experience Your conference is providing members and attendees with an experience, but they should be able to choose the type of experience they want to have. That, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### Let Them Fly > Is Your Conference Wounding Its Attendees? [http://t.co/sIw0YW0tYh (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/sIw0YW0tYh) > via [@JeffHurt (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/JeffHurt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#mpi (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/mpi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Meagan Rockett (@rockettm) [March 5, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/rockettm/status/308980444819509248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **How do you view your attendees?** If you control your conference attendees’ experience, you may be trapping them and making it so that there’s hardly room for engagement. Jeff Hurt, executive vice president of education and engagement at Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, thinks planning a conference this way hurts your attendees. “We have been caught in [a] vicious cycle planning each conference the same way we did last year. We have exacerbated the beliefs that our attendees are not responsible civic persons able to engage with others effectively to discuss content and issues,” [Hurt writes. (opens in a new tab)](http://jeffhurtblog.com/2013/02/27/your-conference-wounding-its-attendees/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MidcourseCorrections+%28Velvet+Chainsaw%27s+Midcourse+Corrections+%29&utm_content=Google+Reader) *(ht [@rockettm (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/rockettm/status/308980444819509248) )* ### No procrastination allowed https://twitter.com/OmniMeetings/status/309000580850933761 **There’s no room for procrastination** in event planning. Waiting until the last minute to plan events could mean having fewer attendees, bad service, and fewer options when it comes to booking a venue. Dates could also be a huge factor when it comes to planning in advance, especially during the holiday season. CVent blogger and Executive Oasis International PresidentAnne Thornley-Brown has [some tips on how to avoid last-minute event planning (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.cvent.com/blog/executiveoasis/business-meetings-411-5-compelling-reasons-to-avoid-last-minute-event-planning) . *(ht [@OmniMeetings (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/OmniMeetings/status/309000580850933761) )* What fun things have you been sharing today? Let us know in the comments. (Digital Vision/Thinkstock) [Anita Ferrer](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Tags: [#attendees](https://associationsnow.com/tag/attendees/) [#conferences](https://associationsnow.com/tag/conferences/) [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition Welcome video for attendeesJuly 20, 2016](https://associationsnow.com/2016/07/20/asae-annual-meeting-exposition-welcome-video-for-attendees/) - [VideoAshley Cobb Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/ashley-cobb-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoJenny Teeson, CHSE Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/jenny-teeson-chse-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoLakisha Woods, CAE Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/lakisha-woods-cae-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F03%2F05%2Flet-your-attendees-choose-their-conference-experience%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !