05/01/2019

Why You Need to Help Prepare Visitors For Your Conference

Everyone needs a hand to hold onto

Associations often spend a lot of time preparing and onboarding their conference attendees for their time onsite. These efforts may include preconference webinars to give them a rundown of a meeting’s must-dos; conference buddy programs that pair first-time attendees with seasoned ones; or online guides that tell attendees what to pack, how to network effectively, and where to go to find the best food options.

These efforts pay off for associations because they often lead to happier, engaged, and more loyal attendees. And it’s for these same reasons that associations also need to prepare meeting exhibitors for their time on the tradeshow floor.

A few years back, I wrote about how the Association of Equipment Manufacturers— recognizing that it needed to improve its relationship with exhibitors—created an Exhibitor Engagement Services department. The four-person staff team helps exhibitors get the most out of their involvement in AEM’s tradeshows and collects their show-related feedback.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.