--- title: "The New Meetings Mindset: Put the Participant First" id: "61512" type: "post" slug: "the-new-meetings-mindset-put-the-participant-first" published_at: "2021-11-10T23:26:08+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:09:57+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/the-new-meetings-mindset-put-the-participant-first/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/10/the-new-meetings-mindset-put-the-participant-first.md" excerpt: "During a prolonged period of change, something had to give. Life and work have been reshaped and transformed, and that means people want different things. In planning future meetings, it’s time for associations to put the participant first and let..." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » The New Meetings Mindset: Put the Participant First Part of the Deep Dive[Comeback](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-return-to-in-person-meetings/) The pandemic has driven home many things, among them that necessity really is the mother of invention—and, it turns out, reinvention. While the big news about events in the past 20 months has been the shift to virtual, a much bigger change was happening at a more granular level that will guide the future of gatherings. “The individual has changed, the participant has changed, and that is still unfolding and could be significant,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president and CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association. “We have to be really nimble and agile to adapt to the ways our participants are changing and how they want to engage with others.” Events used to be planned based on preconceptions about what large groups of people needed, often guided by committees, leadership, or mission and vision statements. That mindset has changed. It’s no longer about the broader approach of supporting an organization or the communities that exist within the organization, because that limits the scalability of education and interactions, said Derrick Johnson, DES, CMP, chief diversity officer and director of event strategy at Talley Management Group, Inc. “You want people to feel like they can see themselves in situations and that they feel part of the environment we’re creating,” Johnson said. “We have to do that by truly showcasing and highlighting folks who have different thoughts and look different.” [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/) - [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 - [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%2Fthe-new-meetings-mindset-put-the-participant-first%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !