Membership

Membership Hack: Conference Walking Challenge

The Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition hosts a walking competition to get attendees moving and improve the meeting’s sustainability.

How to hack it? Incentivizing attendees to do more walking during a meeting is as simple as hosting a walking challenge like the one the Association of the U.S. Army holds each year to get AUSA attendees active and moving by foot.

Using any number of wearable fitness trackers and smartphone apps, attendees track their steps—whether they’re walking the halls of the conference center between sessions or strolling to or from their hotel room. To participate, AUSA attendees log their steps at one of several kiosk stations located throughout the convention center.

Why does it work? AUSA gets attendees’ competitive juices flowing by displaying a leaderboard that gives a live look at who has logged the most steps, and how many. Meanwhile, prizes are awarded each day and at the end of the meeting.

What’s the bonus? The walking challenge also promotes environmental sustainability because it encourages attendees to consider walking to and from the convention center rather than driving or taking a conference shuttle—an excellent way to reduce the meeting’s carbon footprint.

(Anastasiia_New/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Tim Ebner

By Tim Ebner

Tim Ebner is a senior editor for Associations Now. He covers membership, leadership, and governance issues. Email him with story ideas or news tips. MORE

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