An event without strategy is like a light bulb without power. It just sits there. It looks like it should work, so nobody questions it, and it stays in place until one day someone flicks the switch, and it shatters, because nobody checked whether it was still fit for purpose.
Maybe that’s a little dramatic for a Friday, but hopefully you get the picture.
Your association may have been running the same annual conference for years, even decades, but longevity alone doesn’t mean it is still fit for purpose. Plenty of events appear to run in perpetuity, but if you look closely there are often telltale signs that something is starting to slip.
It might be that attendee numbers are quietly declining each year. The content may still be good, but perhaps the experience is no longer as compelling as it once was.
It might be getting harder to secure exhibitors and sponsors. They may not be seeing the same return on investment, or they may simply find other events more engaging and worthwhile.
Or speakers may be less enthusiastic about taking part, and abstract submissions are not quite at the level they used to be.
Events without a clear purpose and direction have a habit of drifting. They rarely fail overnight, but without reflection and adjustment they gradually lose relevance.
If you are starting to recognise any of these signs, it may be time to step back and ask some challenging questions. Why does this event exist? Who is it really for? And what should it look like in three years, not just this year?
I hope you found this blog illuminating. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)