Effective direct marketing campaigns can make all the difference in the success of your next meeting. A direct marketing guru who wowed his audience…

Don't sign that hotel or other venue contract until you're sure that the insurance language is correct. If you do sign, you might be agreeing…

“Pack up the Family Truckster, kids. We’re going to a conference!” While learning and networking are the top priorities for your conventioneers,

A meeting or event confers the power, prestige, and value your association represents. Discover how marketing professionals can work effectively

Your attendees' time is valuable, and one association helped members manage their time during the annual tradeshow with a customized smartphone applic…

These site selection criteria, developed by the Association for Conflict Resolution, cover logistical considerations such as meeting space, location…

APEX draft standards for green meetings are now available online.

By tailoring your programs to reflect the needs of international visitors, you can make their time more enjoyable while providing them with enriching…

An association executive director offers his advice on how to boost attendance at your meetings by staying squarely focused on your customers.

With the right partnership, strategic outsourcing can improve your organization's trade show or convention. An association executive describes his…

Save money at your next reception by using these formulas to estimate more accurately.

If your client association is partnering or co-locating with an association operating outside an AMC model, will that association usurp the AMC's…

Does your association need to make a contract on the sharing of documents between two parties? Here is something that can help. This sample confidentiality…

This generic copyright transfer agreement provides recommended language for transferring full copyright rights to an association for an article or…

For those of us who have been around for a while, we have seen the signs of challenging times before. Since the first quarter of 2008, corporate

If you're creative with your food and beverage budget, you can save money and let your attendees taste everything Florida has to offer.

Destination Marketing Organizations or Convention and Visitors Bureaus solicit and service all types of travel and tourism business and deliver economic…

Learn how the creative director of the 1988 Olympic Games closing ceremonies and other high-profile events designs a program to evoke an "a-ha" experience,…

The shifting association environment means many staff members are tasked to take over jobs not in their area of expertise. Three association executives…

It's costing you time and money, and it's invisible unless you know how to look for it. "It" is your association's business processes and practices.…

Associations and nonprofits may be at higher risk for embezzlement than for-profits. A legal expert shares his advice on steps you can take protect…

Building community can sound esoteric, maybe even daunting. But the fact is, when it's done, right, it's all about having fun.

We all like to believe we can see our own events through the eyes of our participants, but that's easier said than done. An association senior executive…

The head of a convention and visitors bureau explains how they can help associations and their meeting planners find hidden resources during the

Despite the economy, some associations say their tradeshow sales continue to boom. How can you join them?

What if attendees manned their own booths in the exhibit hall? What if vendors came to you? One tradeshow did just that.

If you're planning a meeting in Florida, don't stay inside—hit the beach. Or the swamp. Hop on a sailboat or a Segway. Whatever you choose, Florida's…

A section council member offers advice on how to get started going green at your meetings.

In a tightening economy where for-profit and not-for-profit companies alike are cutting back on resources and programming, associations are seeing…

A tweetup is simple: it's a meeting organized through Twitter. Their value lies in the combination of social media and traditional events that engage…

Feeling overwhelmed by your out-of-town meeting to-do list? Outsourcing some responsibilities to a DMC may take some of the burden off your plate…

Association executives give their rationales for why they do or don't seek outside assistance with meetings management.

Your colleagues discuss foreign nationals as paid speakers at events in the United States.

Members share their ideas on how to deal with the problems associated with people who reserve hotel rooms in the designated room block without a

What does it take to be a great webinar speaker? Where do you look for fresh session topics and themes? Listserver participants tell all.

This article reviews the process ASAE & The Center went through when implementing 3 paperless conferences including lessons learned in the form of…

Engaging our peers is critical now more than ever in the current economic climate. Economic challenges test us all daily as we lead our organizations…

Learn how to take a methodical, step-by-step approach to ensuring your meeting achieves the return on investment you intended.

Participation in face-to-face meetings with legislators may be the most effective and satisfying way to advocate for your association. Be sure you…

Keeping your association's mission in mind as you market your meetings can provide a creative and fruitful perspective. View your meetings as opportunities…

Head back to college for your meeting, where updated venues with state-of-the-art technology and renowned instructors await your group. Choosing

The final installment of this four-part series leads you to meeting success with useful time- and money-saving tips.

Two experts on utilizing technology to build a better meetings model discuss the future of meetings and what it means to associations.

This agreement is signed each year by CFA Institute's member societies details the terms and conditions for utilizing the resources available from…

This chapter affiliation agreement is used by the American College of Healthcare Executives to establish the terms of responsibility for organizations…

Is your association looking to do a workshop as a cosponsor with another association? Then, this sample may be able to help. This comprehensive and…

Whether you're looking for a creative way to make your mission statement come alive or just want to get away from the standard-issue hotel ballroom,…

Meeting growth can be a blessing and a curse. Higher attendance leads to greater networking, more buyers for your exhibitors, and thus more exhibitors…

This comprehensive sample consulting services agreement, provided by the Newspaper Association of America, is a great tool for associations looking…

This comprehensive sample contractual agreement, provided by the Newspaper Association of America, is a great tool for associations looking to update…

This sample liability release template was submitted by the National Athletic Trainers Association. The sample template is designed for NATA to be…

With tighter budgets and lower attendance typical in the current economy, negotiating with your conference speakers is more important than ever.

This acclaimed conference planning expert examines all aspects of conference planning. He explains how you can make your meetings active learning…

Consider these statements to determine whether an in-person or remote gathering will work best for your next meeting.

Creative use of technology and willingness to develop niche events for your members just might increase attendance at your "big event."

The duties of your board and committees necessitate that they meet several times per year, but the cost of bringing their members together for face-to-face…

Summits can be powerful events, but bringing all the right people together, in the right place and in the right way, sure isn't easy. These successful…

Creating a theme for your annual conference may be the best and easiest way to breathe new life into the biggest event for your organization while…

Every time a member interacts with your association, it's a chance to collect data on his or her payment methods, meeting attendance frequency, and…

How well do meeting planners and suppliers know each other and how each group likes to do business? The moderator of a lively interchange between…

You don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you begin your annual conference marketing campaign. Follow these tried and true meetings marketing…

Can you adapt your meetings and conferences in order to deliver new relevance and value to your target markets?

This sample document, submitted by Lisa Hix of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP as a handout for the 2007 Annual Association Law Symposium, contains…

Can something as simple as assigned seating add energy to your next PAC event? Staff in the GR department at the American Bakers Association learned…

Appraising Your Records Management Program; Sharing Solutions; Selecting New Board Members.

From the Colorado Rockies to the Aloha State, the Western United States is big, bold, and spacious. And despite its grandeur, it's perfect for your…

Two attorneys offer advice on avoiding potential problems associated with hotel contracts, based on their highly successful seminar at last month's…

Learn how PlanSoft's two-part solution to more efficient meeting planning may benefit your assciation.

A meetings-technology specialist gives an executive's-eye-view of the most important new meeting-technology tools--and what they mean for your members,…

In a tight economy, why pay to fly a speaker in to your conference in Texas? The state is home to hundreds of skilled and engaging speakers to meet…

Three strategies, echoing the philosophies from Sun-Tzu’s "The Art of War," enabled this writer to execute a global event that synthesized East with…

Compared to the corporate market, associations traditionally experience a delayed financial impact in a slower economy. Even so, now is not the time…

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to expanding association membership and services into the international arena. An organization must find its…

Members had a creative solution to the cancellation of the 2010 Technology Conference.

A working plan will help you place, promote, and price your regional seminar. HereÆs how.

What do Harry Truman and walking a conference floor have to do with each other? More than you might think, as Thomas M. Bohn, CAE, explains.

When conference planning deadlines mean that “late-breaking,” timely session topics are chosen six months before the event, you—and your attendees—can…

This sample contact can be used if you intend to have your copyrighted material translated into another language and distributed by a third party.…

A meeting without community is just a bunch of people breathing the same air. Here are some proven ways to create genuine community at your gatherings…

Get a glimpse of how to produce memorable general sessions. Find out when to start planning, how to incorporate the latest technology, and cutting…

When you are the head of a firm that produces some of the highest profile mega tradeshows in the world, you naturally learn a lot about what it takes…

Your conference attendees are deeply affected by the finer points of a meeting, such as registration lines, room sizes, signage, and refreshments.…

Your association is one of a kind. Your events can be, too, with the right location and the right planning.

Meeting planners: Answer these questions for a more successful event—and happier speakers.