Finding the venue that has all the right amenities and accommodations for your event can sometimes feel like a miracle. So, what happens when your dream meeting space declares a renovation ahead of your event?

Meetings Today spoke with John Page, general manager for SMG for the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC)—which underwent a major renovation last year and where the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition will be held in 2019—about his advice for meeting planners. A few of his tips:

Check that your funding is secure. If not, weigh the pros and cons of the venue. Yes, the space seems perfect, but will the construction noise be too much?

Look into what the construction entails. If it will detract from your meeting, can the venue start and stop the project as needed, or can the work be done at night?

Establish expectations. Talk with your venue manager and set clear expectations about how the venue will meet your needs amid the renovations.

Build Your online Community into your Marketing Strategy

Online communities are good for more than just engagement—they’re an important customer marketing tool. Why? Due to the participation and resources that exist there, organizations can leverage those digital spaces as an authentic network of customers to gain insight into their needs, says Elizabeth Bell in a post on the Higher Logic blog.

“Creating an online community can give your customer marketing efforts the leg up you need,” she writes. “Even if you’re a small team (or team of one!), community provides tools you can use for engagement and scalable upsell and advocacy.”

To get started, Bell recommends looking at the tools available in the platform, such as discussion boards and calendars, and reaching out to the community manager to learn more about where people engage and what they’re talking about.

Other Links of Note

Many volunteer managers experience decision fatigue. Meridian Swift explains six ways to make decisions without draining your energy on the VolunteerMatch blog.

Employee satisfaction is critical to productivity and growth. HubSpot outlines the questions leaders should ask to gauge how employees are feeling.

You want to protect members’ personal information, but you also want to deliver a personalized experience. CMSWire says bridging the gap starts with data transparency.

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