10/16/2025

How to Make Meetings Matter More

Association events don’t always create the sense of belonging they promise

Perhaps more than any one product and service an association provides, meetings are the industry’s proof of concept. If “belonging” is the main reason people join an association, as studies bear out, then opportunities to connect with people in the field is a critical part of an association's success.

But even veteran meeting planners would likely agree that meetings achieve belonging imperfectly. Is that name tag really communicating meaningful information about that stranger next to you at the session? Do those meet-and-greet mixers do right by introverts? Connection is forever a work in progress when it comes to events.

For the latest group of Associations Now Deep Dives, I spoke with a few experts about how association meetings can do more to cultivate “hallway moments”—serendipitous connections with the people who can be valuable to attendees personally and professionally, if only they had the opportunity to meet them.

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