--- title: "An Action Plan for Reconvening in Person" id: "61507" type: "post" slug: "an-action-plan-for-reconvening-in-person" published_at: "2021-11-10T18:41:42+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:09:56+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/an-action-plan-for-reconvening-in-person/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/an-action-plan-for-reconvening-in-person.md" excerpt: "As associations start bringing back in-person events, many are rethinking how they get people to attend. For many organizations, this means focusing on engagement and understanding what members want." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » An Action Plan for Reconvening in Person Part of the Deep Dive[Comeback](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-return-to-in-person-meetings/) When the Turnaround Management Association decided to head to Nashville for its annual conference in October after going virtual in 2020, it had two communities to think about: the attendees who couldn’t wait to meet in person and those who’d become used to staying home thanks to Zoom calls and virtual events. TMA saw its main marketing challenge as finding ways to coax attendees out of their home offices. “The nerve-wracking part was knowing that 2021 was going to be a year that was going to start virtually and then pace to in-person events,” said TMA CEO Scott Stuart. “[We discussed] how to make people comfortable coming out of an environment they’d gotten very used to.” To do that, TMA surveyed its members and partners throughout the spring, and a common trend emerged: Hesitancy to attend in person had less to do with COVID-19 than with a potential attendee’s engagement with the association. Longtime members and sponsors were eager for an in-person event, but newer members were holding back. So TMA’s marketing for the conference was built around a “let’s get back together” theme, “Reunited and Reignited,” focusing on past attendees. The messaging also stressed the idea that in-person events are where the action is, even while TMA preserves a hybrid element for an emerging member segment it doesn’t want to lose. “We’re not looking to draw the in-person people into the virtual environment,” Stuart said. “We’re looking to welcome the virtual people into elements of the in-person environment while still having our own place in the virtual environment.” [Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **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. ## More in this Deep Dive - [Build an Onsite Health and Safety Strategy](https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/build-an-onsite-health-and-safety-strategy/) - [Four Tactics for Improving the Expo Experience for Exhibitors and Attendees](https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/four-tactics-for-improving-the-expo-experience-for-exhibitors-and-attendees/) - [The New Meetings Mindset: Put the Participant First](https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/the-new-meetings-mindset-put-the-participant-first/) - [4 Lessons Learned From the Return of In-Person Conferences](https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/in-person-conference-return-lessons/) - [Find Your Sweet Spot With Virtual and In-Person Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/find-your-sweet-spot-with-virtual-and-in-person-meetings/) - [How to Keep Your Hybrid Audience Coming Back for More](https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/how-to-keep-your-hybrid-audience-coming-back-for-more/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-return-to-in-person-meetings/) ## You Might Like - [Video2026 Summit Awards DinnerOctober 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/02/2026-summit-awards-dinner/) - [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/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/) - [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%2F2021%2F11%2F10%2Fan-action-plan-for-reconvening-in-person%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !