08/23/2025

When Less Becomes More

Examining the case for strategic event consolidation

As attendees are forced to seriously consider and justify the return on investment from meetings and events, associations must confront a challenging question: Does more programming actually equal more value?

The answer, increasingly, is "no." Associations are consolidating their event portfolios to meet the needs of attendees facing tighter time and budget constraints, choosing to invest resources in fewer, more impactful experiences rather than maintaining packed calendars that stretch organizational resources and member attendance thin.

The Vision Council’s recent decision exemplifies this trend. The association, along with its event partner RX, announced it will eliminate half of its flagship programming by consolidating Vision Expo East and West beginning in 2026. This strategic shift — betting that a singular annual event will deliver greater value to the industry as a whole — reflects a broader transformation occurring across the association landscape.

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