Fostering Community and Connections During Conferences

Conferences are one of the most popular types of association events, and for good reason. They allow you to gather your member base together, discuss industry trends, swap helpful tips and advice, and, most importantly, build lasting relationships that will strengthen your community and help members take their careers to new heights.

However, with so many logistics to plan, prioritizing community building during your conference may slip your mind. With these easy-to-implement tips, you can empower attendees to form new connections without much effort from your team. Let’s get started!

1. Use technology to engage attendees.

These days, technology opens doors and allows us to connect like never before. Even though your conference likely has an in-person element, you can rely on different platforms to boost engagement and enhance the member experience.

Two of the top solutions you’ll need are:

• Association CRM. You likely already use a constituent relationship management system (CRM) to store member information. However, when you leverage a CRM made specifically for associations, you can unlock access to a tool designed for your organization’s needs and use your member data to power attendee engagement during your conference. For example, you may have recently sent a survey asking which current industry trends your members are most interested in discussing. By storing this data in your association CRM, you can leverage it to host conference speaker sessions that resonate with your audience’s interests.
  
  
• Event app. A dedicated event app organizes all conference information in one place for easy attendee access and helps spark connections among attendees. Using features like group discussions, one-on-one messaging, and appointment booking, members can easily facilitate conversations, dig deeper into event material, and network with each other.

Before adopting any new platform, look through reviews on reputable sites like G2 and Capterra to see what other associations have to say about your top options. You may also directly ask other similar organizations if they recommend the software solutions they currently use to help narrow down your decision.

2. Create networking opportunities.

Once attendees connect using your event app, they’ll need a place to meet and network with each other. Foster networking opportunities by creating physical networking spaces within your conference venue.

Choose networking areas with these considerations in mind:

• Location. Where is your networking zone physically located in your venue? Is it easy for attendees to find? Will it receive a lot of natural foot traffic during the conference?
  
  
• Seating. Is there ample seating for attendees? Do you need to rent or bring your own seating options to facilitate networking opportunities?
  
  
• Noise level. Is this area far enough away from speaker sessions and other activities that could be distracting? Are there private meeting rooms available in case it gets too loud?
  
  
• Refreshments. Is there a coffee station or other refreshment area that could serve as a natural place for networking? If not, could you offer refreshments in your networking area to encourage attendees to meet with each other?
  
  
• Accessibility. Is your networking space easily accessible by wheelchairs or scooters? Does it take into account the specific needs of neurodivergent, hearing-impaired, or visually impaired attendees?

Whether you’re hosting staff-led networking sessions, setting aside dedicated times for networking, or allowing attendees to come and go as they please, having a networking area can remind attendees to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with and learn from their peers.

3. Host collaborative activities and sessions.

Networking isn’t the only way for attendees to form new connections. When planning your conference’s activities and speaker sessions, bake in opportunities for conversation and collaboration. The more attendees interact, the better they’ll get to know each other, and the more memorable their event experience will be.

Encourage attendees to engage with each other by:

• Hosting group challenges or games. Bring out your members’ competitive sides by having them go head-to-head in challenges or games at your event. As EventMobi’s event gamification guide explains, gamification “transforms attendees from passive listeners to active participants in your event” and can help you reach your event goals. With team challenges, you can inspire attendees to work together and form stronger bonds. You may even host sponsored activities to help your sponsors increase brand awareness and boost their event return on investment (ROI).
  
  
• Organizing breakout sessions. Give speaker session or workshop attendees a chance to discuss the material with breakout sessions. Divide your audience into groups, and supply them with questions they can use to kick off the conversation. That way, members can work through what they’ve learned together and bounce ideas off each other.
  
  
• Leading roundtable discussions. Roundtable discussions are similar to breakout sessions, but they often involve much smaller groups seated around a table with a facilitator guiding the conversation. Members may dive deeper into overarching topics like industry trends and challenges, case studies, ethical issues, and the industry’s future.

When you offer a variety of collaboration opportunities, you can cater to different attendees. For example, more reserved attendees may appreciate the opportunity to act as a team player in a challenge, whereas more outgoing members may enjoy sharing their thoughts during a breakout session or roundtable discussion.

4. Stay in touch with attendees post-event.

Attendee engagement doesn’t have to end when your event does. Retain members with a comprehensive post-event follow-up strategy.

Start by thanking attendees for joining your conference. eCardWidget recommends personalizing your thank-you messages with interactive member appreciation eCards. Plus, as they explain, you can “turn eCards into a community-building tool by allowing members to access and send them to their peers.”

For example, a first-time attendee may send an eCard to a more seasoned member to thank them for their welcoming presence during the conference. Another attendee may send an eCard to a fellow member to recognize their insightful comments during a speaker session and let them know how they plan to implement this advice in their own work.

Additionally, you can stay in contact with attendees by sending surveys asking about their conference experience, connecting on social media, and even continuing to use your event app as a community hub. Consider uploading resources throughout the year and keeping the conversation going via discussion boards and social feeds.

Managing an event or conference isn’t just about choosing the venue and booking the speakers. Ultimately, a conference serves as a way to engage your audience and help them feel like a part of your broader community. When planning your next conference, take a member-focused approach to create an event your attendees will truly enjoy, find valuable, and remember for years to come.