--- title: "Should You Hold an In-Person Conference? Tips for Making the Decision" id: "61522" type: "post" slug: "should-you-hold-an-in-person-conference-tips-for-making-the-decision" published_at: "2021-11-10T18:41:40+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:10:02+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/should-you-hold-an-in-person-conference-tips-for-making-the-decision/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/should-you-hold-an-in-person-conference-tips-for-making-the-decision.md" excerpt: "The stop-and-start nature of the past 20 months has complicated many things, including the critical decision whether to hold an event in person or virtually. Associations are weighing several variables and making sure their events will meet members’ needs." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" 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/) » Should You Hold an In-Person Conference? Tips for Making the Decision Part of the Deep Dive[Comeback](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-return-to-in-person-meetings/) “Should I stay or should I go?” Good question. It’s a famous conundrum of song—and our current reality as many associations continue to grapple with deciding whether to go ahead with an in-person event. Predictably, in a world full of unpredictability, there is no easy answer. The Water Environment Federation decided to go ahead with the in-person component of its October 2021 annual meeting in Chicago because they realized through informal conversations with members that many of them wanted to meet face to face. “They want that chance to connect, but they’re also looking to us to ensure as much as we can that they can meet safely,” said Stephanie D. Jones, CAE, WEF’s senior director of conferences and education. ### Safety First WEF made the decision by weighing evidence-based and anecdotal information. The group looked at other associations that had successfully hosted events. They analyzed the risks and determined whether they were willing to accept them. “Each organization has to do that for themselves,” said Jones. But using the World Health Organization’s mass gathering COVID-19 [risk-assessment tool (opens in a new tab)](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/10665-333185) and seeing if venues are [GBAC STAR certified (opens in a new tab)](https://gbac.issa.com/gbac-star-facility-accreditation/) are good places to start. “Basically, we made the decision based on believing we can meet safely in person,” she said. Jones recommends looking at the level of risk in the city or county where your venue is located and determining where your attendees are coming from. For example, are they coming from communities where COVID-19 spread is higher? The [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker (opens in a new tab)](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home) is updated daily with information on local rates of transmission, hospitalization, vaccination, and more. [Lisa Boylan](https://associationsnow.com/author/lisa-boylan/) Lisa Boylan is a former senior editor of Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/lisa-boylan/) 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 - [An Action Plan for Reconvening in Person](https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/an-action-plan-for-reconvening-in-person/) - [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/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-return-to-in-person-meetings/) ## 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%2F11%2F10%2Fshould-you-hold-an-in-person-conference-tips-for-making-the-decision%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !