Associations rely heavily on their conferences to bring together members, provide professional development opportunities, and to generate revenue for the valuable work they do. Not all associations have staff to get the work done so they need to assess the value of leaving it to a local organizing committee (LOC) or determine if they should outsource to an event management company.
The answer might be based on the budget for the event, and some of the answer might be in quality and breadth of your LOC. I will admit, I likely have a bias in my thinking, but a good part of the bias comes from working with a few clients that rely on their LOC. Not all people have the experience or ability to do logistical planning and coordination on a level that delivers a solid conference without a lot of stress for volunteers.
If not available in-house, hiring an experienced event manager to run your association conference can make a significant difference in the success and smooth execution of the event.
Here are several compelling reasons why:
1. Strategic Planning & Execution
An experienced event manager brings a structured approach to planning, ensuring that every detail from venue selection to post-event follow-up is handled professionally. They know how to align the event with your association’s goals, whether it’s member engagement, education, networking, or advocacy.
2. Budget Management
Event managers are skilled at working within budgets, negotiating with vendors, and finding cost-effective solutions without compromising quality. Their experience helps avoid common financial pitfalls and ensures transparency and accountability.
3. Vendor & Stakeholder Coordination
They have established relationships with trusted vendors (AV, catering, décor, etc.) and know how to manage contracts, timelines, and expectations. This reduces risk and improves reliability.
4. Risk Management & Contingency Planning
Experienced managers always have a back-up plan (or two!) They anticipate and plan for potential issues such as technical failures, weather disruptions, low attendance and have contingency plans ready. This proactive approach minimizes stress and ensures the event stays on track.
5. Attendee Experience
They understand how to create a seamless and engaging experience for attendees, from registration to session flow to networking opportunities. This boosts satisfaction and encourages future participation.
6. Technology Integration
From event apps to virtual components, experienced managers know how to leverage technology to enhance engagement, streamline logistics, and gather valuable data.
7. Compliance & Accessibility
They ensure the event complies with legal, safety, and accessibility standards, which is especially important for associations with diverse memberships and public-facing roles.
8. Post-Event Analysis
A seasoned manager will conduct post-event evaluations, gather feedback, and provide insights to improve future conferences. This helps your association grow and evolve its event strategy.
Again, I may have a bias but there are some compelling reasons to look at hiring an event manager for your next association conference. This will enable association volunteers to focus on the bigger picture items and reduce stress all around.
Keep volunteers within their ‘known’ subject matter and leave the conference planning to the professionals. It will limit volunteer burnout and will pay dividends to all involved in the process.
Check out some additional reading from Strauss event & association management regarding association events: