--- title: "Daily Buzz: Create a Purposeful Meeting" id: "47667" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-create-a-purposeful-meeting" published_at: "2019-08-14T19:34:52+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T01:54:57+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/08/14/daily-buzz-create-a-purposeful-meeting/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/08/14/daily-buzz-create-a-purposeful-meeting.md" excerpt: "Many meetings incorrectly focus on logistics when they should be centered on strategy. Also: one last snapshot of ASAE’s 2019 Annual Meeting & Exposition." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "community building" - "event planning" - "Meetings" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: Create a Purposeful Meeting In planning a meeting—whether a team meeting at the office or a major conference—you may be focusing on the wrong things, says Priya Parker, author of *The Art of Gathering*. “Most of us take the majority of gatherings for granted. We’ve relegated the function of the convener into a logistical job,” she said [in an interview with The Chronicle of Philanthropy (opens in a new tab)](https://www.philanthropy.com/article/How-to-Use-Gatherings-to-Share/246884) . “When you realize that gathering is a form of strategy and is a form of culture change, then you also realize that we often start with the wrong questions, which are the logistical questions. We actually need to start with the strategic questions.” To set purposeful expectations from the get-go, Parker suggests giving the gathering a meaningful name. For instance, it’s not a “Quarterly Review,” it’s a “Let’s Discuss Why Last Quarter Was Such a Disaster” meeting. “A gathering begins when people discover its existence. It doesn’t begin from the moment they walk in the door,” she said. “So you’re actually hosting people from the moment they realize they’re invited to this thing. The name of the event should explain to people what this thing is for, what the role is that you are wanting them to actually play in it.” From there, build an agenda that cultivates community. “When you gather well, one of the outcomes is you create a sense of belonging,” Parker said. “When you create a sense of belonging, you increase your retention rates. You decrease burnout. I’m not saying gather more, I’m saying gather better.” ### Farewell, #ASAE19 https://twitter.com/ssain7/status/1161616711390584832 **With a send-off** from country singer Brad Paisley, the [2019 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition (opens in a new tab)](https://annual.asaecenter.org/) in Columbus, Ohio, is officially in the books—which means it’s time to reflect on lessons learned and how to bring them to your organization. Changes and new processes can be overwhelming all at once, and transformation doesn’t happen overnight. So start small, and make adjustments as you go. Then, come next year’s event in Las Vegas, you’ll be ready to do it all over again. ### Other Links of Note **Two important aspects** of resilience culture: [friendship and how employees feel at work (opens in a new tab)](http://www.bethkanter.org/appreciation/) , says nonprofit thought leader Beth Kanter. **There are no rules** to social media, but there are best practices. Network for Good shares [do’s and don’ts of social marketing (opens in a new tab)](https://www.networkforgood.com/nonprofitblog/the-dos-and-donts-of-advertising-on-social-media/) . **Not every day** at work is easy. In *Entrepreneur*, a doctor offers [lessons from the emergency room to help your organization through a crisis (opens in a new tab)](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/337717) . (TeroVesalainen/Pixabay) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#community building](https://associationsnow.com/tag/community-building/) [#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 - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Los AngelesOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-building-owners-and-managers-association-of-greater-los-angeles/) - [VideoThe IMPACT of AssociationsAugust 10, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/10/the-impact-of-associations/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) ## 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%2F2019%2F08%2F14%2Fdaily-buzz-create-a-purposeful-meeting%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !