Combine Virtual and In-Person Networking Before Conferences to Increase Engagement
by Joanna PinedaPosted on September 17, 2021
I’m attending Non Dues-a-Palooza (NDAP) next week in Nashville, in person. NDAP is a conference devoted to helping associations and nonprofits increase their non-dues revenue by bringing together execs and solution providers, through case studies and panels. This will be my third NDAP event and I’m pretty excited.
Even though the event will be in person, Teri Carden, the founder of NDAP decided to do a digital drop-in event a week before the actual event. She held a two-hour Zoom meeting and sent out an email to all attendees, asking them to drop in at any time during the two hours to say hello, meet fellow attendees, and share what’s on our minds before we come to Nashville.
I loved this idea because:
I got to network with some people before the event next week
I got to schedule coffee with someone I want to do business with
It was fun to see Teri
The drop-in got me excited about next week
I think this drop-in event shows that even as we look to a post-pandemic meetings landscape, we can and should continue to mix in person and virtual to create more high-impact events. And as usual, many thanks to Teri for showing us the way!
One reply on “Combine Virtual and In-Person Networking Before Conferences to Increase Engagement”
Awww shucks. Always a pleasure to see you, Joanna and thanks for the the kind words. I must admit that when we thought of this drop-in, it was out of fear that maybe I forgot something in my communications to the attendees or sponsors or speakers. This was a sure fire way that everyone had a chance to ask any last minute questions. It ended up just being a great way to connect with the attendees prior to next week. All smiles and excitement. Yay!
Matrix Group is officially 25 years old today. I say “officially” because May 1 is the date on our incorporation papers, but the real date is April 22, when I opened up shop in shared office space in Georgetown, Washington, DC. If you want to hear stories about when, why and how I started the company, listen to this week’s episode...
I attend a lot of webinars and conferences about non-dues revenue, including Non Dues-A-Palooza. At all of these events, there are presentations and discussions about new products and new partnerships that associations can invest in and offer to their members. I realized recently that hardly anyone is talking about AMS (association management system) as a revenue generator; this makes no sense...
“Trust in companies from global companies is in decline, worry over societal threats and establishment leaders misleading us is growing, while peers are as trusted as scientists for information on new innovations.” – 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer A couple of weeks ago, I facilitated a discussion through UST Education about trust and associations with Melanie Gottlieb, CEO of the American Association...
One reply on “Combine Virtual and In-Person Networking Before Conferences to Increase Engagement”
Awww shucks. Always a pleasure to see you, Joanna and thanks for the the kind words. I must admit that when we thought of this drop-in, it was out of fear that maybe I forgot something in my communications to the attendees or sponsors or speakers. This was a sure fire way that everyone had a chance to ask any last minute questions. It ended up just being a great way to connect with the attendees prior to next week. All smiles and excitement. Yay!