Organize Your Association Events Like a Pro
Updated: Sep. 19, 2025 | Categories: Meetings/Events, Lack of Single Source Support
Planning an association event, whether it is a monthly chapter meeting or an all-day conference, can be a daunting task even for professinal event planners. Throughout the process, it is important that you communicate to your assocaition members and potential attendees that you want them there and at future events. The planning and preparation end up being just as important, if not more important, than the event itself. Of course, organizational hiccups are normal, and can arise before, during, or after, but avoiding some of the common challenges can go a long way to encouraging and building attendance from members and prospects alike.
Pre-Event
1. Make sure your system is appropriately recording a new member. One of the most annoying things for a member is not getting access to member benefits like discounted pricing. p This is also important to confirm that a person is registered. You don't want potential attendees waiting for an email that never comes.
2. Avoid sending emails regarding joining an event to those that have already registered. This is where email communication within StarChapter can be helpful, in that it lets you choose who to send reminders to. It can even be automated to know who already been registered for the event so they never receive event invites again for that particular event.
During the Event
3. One of the worst things that can happen when an attendee arrives at the event is that they find they are seemingly not registered for the event. Lost registrations create a headache for everyone involved. In your confirmation notice before the event, suggest that attendees either prints out or saves their confirmation to their phone. On site, have a person present whose sole responsibility is to handle registration, making certain your event attendees feel as though they are welcomed at the event.
4. Another common problem is the missing name tag or a misspelled name tag. With StarChapter, name tags can be prepopulated in advance of the event, using the name entered by the attendee, which will avoid any name problems.
5. In this modern technologically savvy world, a lot of events are going to virtual. One way to handle this is to ask at registration if the attendee is more comfortable with a virtual or an in-person event. Be sure to have options for everyone. Hybrid events are becoming more and more popular.
Post-Event
6. After the conclusion of your event, it is important to follow-up with your attendees via email. Thank them for coming. Include a summary of the event and offer attendees a chance to share some feedback with a survey about the event, letting them know that you value their opinion.
7. Another crucial way to deliver the message to attendees is by updating the chapter website. Stay current with what is upcoming rather than leaving the advertising on the website for a past event. StarChapter actually does this automatically, keeping the website updated and current, while reducing the time it takes you to do it. That way you get to keep the valuable website real estate free for future events.
These seven strategies will go a long way to ensure that members and prospects feel welcomed at current and future events. By being conscious of their time and needs, and actively communicating about it, you both make them aware they are the reason for the event and eliminate the extra work created from potential problems. It is then that everyone can enjoy themselves at the event, networking and continuing their education.
Learn more about how StaChapter can be your single source of support for your event communication needs by scheduling a demo or start improving your chapter by signing up for our monthly newsletter today!
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