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One of the interesting things about working with professional and industry associations is that the person ultimately influencing where a conference is held—or what happens during it—may have very little experience in running a conference.
That may sound unusual to people working in the events industry, but it happens regularly.
Associations are governed by volunteer Boards. Those Board members can be highly experienced and respected within their profession or industry, but that does not necessarily mean they understand conference logistics, venue contracts, delegate management, event risk or the operational impact of the decisions they make.
And sometimes a seemingly simple suggestion from a Board member can become a major operational exercise for the staff responsible for actually delivering it.
We remember one conference involving more than 600 delegates.
A Board member had decided that part of the conference experience should include taking delegates on a boat trip from the conference venue.
But this went considerably further than simply suggesting the idea to the Board.
The Board member had already made arrangements for the boats that were to be used and then advised the CEO that the activity had been organised and asked the CEO to make it happen.
The CEO was relatively new to the organisation.
What quickly became apparent was that this was not an isolated incident. It reflected a culture that had developed over time where individual Board members became involved in operational matters and, in some cases, made commitments before involving the CEO and staff who would ultimately be responsible for delivering them.
On the surface, the boat trip sounded like a great idea.
More than 600 delegates enjoying a boat trip together. Something different. Something memorable. A great networking opportunity.
But once the decision had effectively been made, the operational questions started.
How do you move more than 600 people from the conference venue to the boats?
How many boats are required?
Can everybody board at the same location?
What happens if delegates have mobility issues?
Who manages boarding and disembarkation?
What about catering and alcohol?
What happens if the weather changes?
What happens if someone becomes ill?
What are the insurance implications?
How do you account for more than 600 people?
What happens if someone misses the departure?
How do you get everyone back to the venue?
What happens to the conference program if the boats are delayed?
And, importantly, what is all of this actually going to cost?
The Board member who had made the arrangements was not responsible for managing all those issues. The CEO and operational team were.
For a new CEO, there was another challenge as well.
Do you simply accept that this is how the organisation operates, or do you begin the much more difficult process of changing a culture where the distinction between governance and operations has become blurred?
That example illustrates something the events industry—and association Boards themselves—need to understand.
In a commercial organisation, major event decisions may be made by an experienced marketing, conference or events team.
Associations can operate very differently.
A venue may receive an enquiry from a CEO, association executive, volunteer President, conference committee member, Board director, secretariat provider or professional conference organiser.
Each may have a different level of authority. And each may have a very different level of event experience.
Sometimes a Board member has attended a venue previously and says:
“We should hold our next conference there.”
Another may have visited a destination and decided:
“Our members would love this location.”
Someone else may have a relationship with a hotel or venue.
In some organisations, a Board member may go even further and start making arrangements directly before the CEO or event team has had an opportunity to assess whether the idea is practical.
Before long, what started as an idea has become a commitment.
The CEO and staff are then left to make it work.
Boards have an important role.
They should determine strategy, oversee risk, establish financial parameters and ensure the conference supports the association's objectives.
But Boards can easily drift into operational decision-making, particularly where this has become part of the culture of the organisation over many years.
There is a significant difference between a Board saying:
“We want the conference to create stronger networking opportunities for members.”
and saying:
“We have organised boats for 600 delegates. Please make it happen.”
The first establishes an outcome. The second makes an operational decision and transfers responsibility for implementing that decision to somebody else.
That distinction matters.
Once Board members start making detailed operational decisions—or commitments to external suppliers—they can create additional cost, workload and risk that may never have been considered.
The CEO and operational team then inherit responsibility for making those decisions work.
This can be particularly difficult for a new CEO entering an organisation where this behaviour has become accepted practice.
Changing that culture requires more than simply telling Board members to stay out of operations. It requires clarity about roles, delegations, authority and accountability.
This does not mean Board members should stop contributing ideas.
Some of the best conference ideas can come from volunteers who understand the profession, the industry and the members.
But there is a difference between contributing an idea and committing the organisation to delivering it.
Ideas should be tested before commitments are made.
The operational team should be able to ask:
What is the purpose of this activity?
What member outcome are we trying to achieve?
What will it cost?
What are the risks?
Is it accessible?
Can it realistically be delivered?
What staff resources will be required?
What is the contingency if it goes wrong?
Has any commitment already been made to a supplier?
Who has the authority to make that commitment?
Could we achieve the same outcome in a simpler way?
That is not negativity. That is good event management and good governance.
The same issue arises when selecting a venue.
A Board member may fall in love with a particular location because of the view, the destination or their own personal experience.
But the operational team needs to consider very different questions.
Is there sufficient plenary capacity?
Can the venue accommodate the exhibition?
Are breakout rooms suitable?
What is the delegate flow like?
What accommodation is available nearby?
How easy is it to reach from the airport?
What are the AV costs?
Is the venue accessible?
What are the food and beverage minimums?
What are the cancellation conditions?
Is there enough space for sponsors?
Can the venue cope with 600 people arriving for morning tea at the same time?
A beautiful venue can still be the wrong conference venue.
There is another side to this.
The events and venue industry needs to better understand how associations make decisions.
When an association makes an enquiry, do not automatically assume you are dealing with a professional event manager—or even the person who has authority to make the final commitment.
You may be dealing with a volunteer Board member who has never organised an event before.
You may be dealing with a CEO who runs the entire association with only two or three staff.
You may be dealing with a new CEO trying to introduce clearer governance and operational boundaries into an organisation where Board involvement in day-to-day matters has been part of the culture for years.
You may also be dealing with someone who has been instructed by their Board to investigate a particular venue or activity even though they already suspect it will be difficult to deliver.
That means the sales process needs to be more consultative.
Ask questions.
What is the organisation trying to achieve?
Who is responsible for managing the conference?
Who has authority to enter into the contract?
Who makes the final decision?
Is there a conference committee?
Does the Board need to approve the proposal?
How many delegates normally attend?
What has worked—or not worked—at previous conferences?
A good venue should help the association make the right decision rather than simply try to secure the booking.
This remains one of my major frustrations with parts of the events industry.
If someone contacts your venue about potentially bringing several hundred delegates, exhibitors and sponsors to your property, get back to them.
They should not have to send repeated emails or make multiple telephone calls just to receive basic information.
The person making the enquiry may already be dealing with a Board, conference committee, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and hundreds of members.
They may also be a volunteer doing this work around their normal employment.
Making them chase the venue is not a good start to the relationship.
Even if you cannot provide the complete proposal immediately, acknowledge the enquiry and tell them when they can expect a response.
Responsiveness is part of the venue experience.
And if it is difficult to get a response when an association is considering giving you its business, it is reasonable for them to wonder what the service will be like once the contract has been signed.
Good event suppliers can also help association executives manage internal expectations.
If a Board requests something that is difficult, expensive or risky, provide the CEO with the information required to explain why.
Don't simply say:
“We can't do that.”
Explain the operational implications. For example:
additional staffing required;
transport requirements;
insurance implications;
weather contingencies;
accessibility issues;
additional security;
capacity limitations;
additional AV;
minimum catering commitments; or
cancellation exposure.
A CEO can then take that information back to the Board and have a much more informed discussion.
This is particularly valuable for a new CEO who may be trying to move the organisation from a culture of individual Board members making operational decisions towards a clearer governance model.
That makes the venue or event supplier a partner rather than simply a contractor.
There is also an important lesson for association Boards.
Once the Board has appointed a CEO or engaged experienced event professionals, it needs to allow them to manage the event.
That includes allowing them to challenge ideas.
A CEO saying that a Board proposal is impractical should not be interpreted as resistance.
Sometimes the most valuable advice a CEO can provide to a Board is:
“That is a good idea, but there is a better way of achieving the outcome.”
Boards should encourage that discussion.
They should also avoid individual directors making commitments to venues, suppliers or other third parties unless they have specifically been authorised to do so.
Otherwise, association staff can find themselves spending enormous amounts of time and money delivering activities that were never properly assessed in the first place.
Successful association conferences normally have a clear distinction between governance and operations.
The Board establishes the outcomes.
The Board agrees on the level of financial and strategic risk.
The CEO and event team determine how those outcomes are delivered.
Specialists provide advice.
And major operational decisions are made by people who understand their consequences and have the authority to make them.
Board members should absolutely contribute ideas.
But someone also needs to ask the practical questions before arrangements are made.
Because taking more than 600 delegates on a boat trip might sound fantastic around the Board table.
Having the boats already organised and then telling a new CEO to make it happen is something quite different.
If you want more association business, understand associations.
Understand that they are not simply smaller versions of corporations.
Understand volunteer governance.
Understand conference committees.
Understand that organisational cultures vary considerably.
Understand that the person contacting you may not be the decision-maker.
Understand that the person making the decision may not be the person who has to deliver it.
And understand that the CEO you are dealing with may also be managing Board expectations and trying to establish appropriate boundaries between governance and operations.
Good service starts well before the delegates walk through the door.
Respond quickly.
Ask good questions.
Provide practical advice.
Understand who has authority.
Help the operational team manage expectations.
And become a genuine partner in helping the association deliver an event that is financially responsible, operationally achievable and, most importantly, valuable to its members.
Because sometimes the biggest challenge in selecting the next conference venue is not finding the venue. It is understanding who is making the decisions—and who will ultimately be responsible for making those decisions work.
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