To meet or not to meet... the cases for and against in-person events

Uncertainty is the one thing associations can be sure of when developing event plans for 2021. With a massive rush to online events throughout 2020 opening new ways to connect and learn, and hopes that 2021 will bring a return to in-person gatherings, associations now face a balancing act with great ideas and rising expectations on one side, and harsh financial and operational realities on the other.

Decisions on whether or not to pursue larger in-person events like annual congresses will depend on many specific factors for each association: strategies, resources, industry conditions, timelines and contracts signed etc.

In this 90-minute workshop we will use an interactive debate format where you develop ideas with your peers in small breakouts on how you might address and respond to two challenging scenarios.

The objective is to promote and capture a lively exchange on some of today’s critical questions:

• How can we create year-round engagement that brings value to members whilst being feasible for small-medium staff team associations to deliver?
• How do we adapt and position in-person events so they retain their place at the heart of association activities?

The positions taken in the cases are not mutually exclusive so all participants will contribute to both sides of the debate. This session, facilitated by ESAE Partner Exempla, is guaranteed to get you thinking!

Introduction and coordination: 

Stylianos Filopoulos - Chair, Programming Committee at ESAE

Facilitators:

Colm Clarke - Partner, Consultancy at Exempla

Bénédicte Losseau - Partner, Events at Exempla

Moderators: 

Fanny Senez, Jenny Ennis, Zhanna Kovalchuk, Michel Ballieu, Colm Clarke, Michiel Gen, Bénédicte Losseau, Doreen Loeber, Ioannis Pallas.

An email with the login details has been sent to all confirmed attendees. Didn't receive it yet? Please get in touch with ESAE! 

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