Hello, it’s JP Moery, Observations from the Field. I’ve got something for you today that I think is pretty darn interesting. When you ask association executives across the country, “hey, what do things look like in terms of meeting and event attendance as we’re heading into the fourth quarter of 2021?” And on average, I’m hearing numbers anywhere between 20-25% off of what the previous 2019 might have been.
However, there are pockets of growth and success. I spoke with a great colleague of mine the other day and let me give you some of the numbers discussed. They’re up 20% from 2019. The first day of registration in 2018 garnered 113 registrants and this was about a 6,000-person meeting. The first day of 2019 generated about 170, and in 2021 617 registrants on the first day.
Now, what did this association do that was different? Well, I’ll tell you what’s different. During the pandemic they were launching podcasts, they did their annual conference virtually, and did live videos. They were saying, hey, this isn’t a substitute but it’s a new kind of annual meeting. They were doing all sorts of content generations to generate interest in the organization. They developed new audiences, and they reach new people.
Now what’s happening? They’re leveraging it, or they’re asking for the sale and the close during the 2021 phase. They’ve generated interest, and they’ve given and they’ve offered content, and now they’re closing the deal with more success than they had before the pandemic.
So, it isn’t too late. I think there are things to learn from that. Let’s double down now and generate interest, let’s say for renewals and new membership in 2022. That’s my Observation from the Field. Hope it’s helpful. Talk soon.