Meetings

Thursday Buzz: Sell Your Host City’s Vibe

Why you should make room for pop-up events at your annual meeting. Also: The root cause of disappearing donors might be poor communication.

Let’s be clear about something: While attendees are coming to your event, they’re also there for the city and the experiences the locale has to offer.

Problem is, with the conference going on, it’s hard to actually leave and check out those cool things. How can you properly contextualize the city within your annual meeting?

Over at Cincinnati USA’s MTG PLNR Blog, the CVB suggests going all-in on pop-up events, whether they’re restaurants, shops, or experiences.

“With attendees wanting more of a taste of the city they are in, pop-ups can serve as a way to give that to your attendees while still keeping them on-site and engaged within your event,” the blog explains.

The CVB suggests giving local restaurants or shops a space at your event and even considering the addition of pop-up experiences—along the lines of Cincinnati USA’s own virtual reality experiences that it has recently been bringing to events.

When Donors Disappear

Donors help keep the lights on, so it can be quite concerning when they seem to disappear on you. What’s the reason for that? With the help of a deep data dive, IMPACTS’ Colleen Dilenschneider suggests that basic communication might be an issue.

“The primary reason why donors did not contribute again is not being acknowledged or thanked for their gift,” Dilenschneider notes in her most recent post on Know Your Own Bone, based on IMPACTS data. Other factors? Donors weren’t asked to give again and weren’t told how their money was used. Basic stuff. Now, how do we fix it? Dilenschneider has some thoughts.

If you run a small organization, you may not have an association management system (AMS). But what if you’re getting a little big for your britches? Callie Walker of MemberClicks talks about when you should consider getting an AMS.

Worried about fake ad traffic? At CMS Wire, Protective Media Founder and CEO Asaf Grenier offers a five-step plan for weeding fraud out.

Feel like it’s getting to be a little much, that an issue is becoming too overwhelming to deal with head-on? Run away, suggests Inc. contributor Jessica Stillman. (But don’t forget to come back.)

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

Got an article tip for us? Contact us and let us know!


Comments