Today’s young convention delegate may well become tomorrow’s highly involved senior member, but only if that young professional sees value in attendance today.

One thing Keegan Hooks has learned during her many years in the event industry is that food and beverage can be the hidden variable that makes an event highly memorable or criticized.

When a large group of people gather for a convention, the odds of some sort of mishap, illness, or injury — from scratches to serious injuries or sickness — go way up.

Familiarization or FAM trips allow meeting planners to visit a destination and determine if it’s a good fit for future conferences or other events.

As planners face increasing pressure from association stakeholders and attendees to provide memorable experiences on limited budgets, they’re turning to engagement technology to achieve those goals.

When it comes to growing a trade show, planners have critical questions to ask. We asked several high-level industry experts to weigh in on how best to drive trade show growth.

To get the best deals, planners must raise their negotiating game by thinking like sales managers, knowing the value of their business and being more flexible with dates, rates, meeting space and other logistics.

The directive for planners is simple: Seek what is genuine, what is real, what is original — not what is manufactured.

For growth-minded international associations, convening in new locations outside the United States is a key way to raise awareness of their educational offerings and, ultimately, gain new members across the world.

The experiential trend seems to be reaching every corner of the meetings industry, including conventions held by associations.