--- title: "More Thinking—and Meeting—Outside the Box" id: "52986" type: "post" slug: "more-thinking-and-meeting-outside-the-box" published_at: "2021-08-10T22:21:56+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T13:04:00+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/08/10/more-thinking-and-meeting-outside-the-box/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/08/10/more-thinking-and-meeting-outside-the-box.md" excerpt: "The pandemic has turned the meeting world upside down, and as a result, we’ve all had to adjust to new challenges. This has fueled innovative solutions like never before, and many of these solutions will continue to evolve. Let’s look..." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "brandconnection" - "event planning" - "hybrid meeting" - "Innovation" - "Meetings" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » More Thinking—and Meeting—Outside the Box The demand for outdoor meeting and event space means venues will need to offer more adjoining indoor and outdoor spaces. Weather adaptations will require consideration, with accommodations such as cooling stations for hot weather, warming stations for cold weather, and covered areas to protect from rain. Across the board, venues should embrace new technology and ideas to create more productive and memorable meetings. To justify the expense of meeting in person, venues will need to offer more meaningful networking and teambuilding experiences. For example, instead of venues offering just basic group dining experiences, they can provide interactive experiences with a chef. This is the kind of creative, outside-the-box thinking that will help make venues more desirable. Venues will also need to offer more hybrid meeting capabilities, enabling event hosts to engage both in-person attendees and those attending virtually from anywhere in the world. From systems that support live Q&As to mobile event apps, technology will be key in making experiences as interactive as possible for the virtual attendees of hybrid meetings. Another area where technology will make an impact is in hygiene standards. Venues that adopt the most advanced tools to ensure cleanliness and safety will be preferred. Part of this will be contactless offerings such as facial recognition, sensor beacons and cashless food payment options. Innovations in sustainability are perhaps one of the most important areas that venues will need to stay on top of over the next few years. As climate change continues to produce negative effects worldwide, venues that can prove a commitment to green meetings, such as LEED certifications, will become the preferred choice of brands who want to show their commitment to a more eco-friendly future. --- *From 24 miles of beaches to the east and the Florida Everglades to the west, Visit Fort Lauderdale represents a geographically diverse but culturally inclusive community that’s 31 municipalities strong. Together with civic leaders, partners and residents, we’re working for a common good. With easy access through Fort Lauderdale’s Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades, we are the heart of South Florida. In Greater Fort Lauderdale, we welcome everyone under the sun.* (LvNL/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [ASAE Staff](https://associationsnow.com/author/asae-staff/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/asae-staff/) Tags: [#brandconnection](https://associationsnow.com/tag/brandconnection/) [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#hybrid meeting](https://associationsnow.com/tag/hybrid-meeting/) [#Innovation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/innovation/) [#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 - [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/) - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Final Day at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/24/asae-tv-daily-recap-final-day-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-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%2F2021%2F08%2F10%2Fmore-thinking-and-meeting-outside-the-box%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !