In my experience, many long-standing or “legacy” events are undervaluing what they offer. Not deliberately, but through habit. Pricing often becomes something that’s carried forward year after year without much challenge, shaped more by what people feel is acceptable than by what the event is actually worth.
In the worst cases, fees are effectively dictated by boards or committees based on perception rather than evidence. “What have we always charged?” or “What will members tolerate?” becomes the guiding principle. The problem is that this approach rarely includes any meaningful comparison with the wider market. There’s no real benchmarking against competitor events, no proper evaluation of the experience being delivered, and no strategic view on how pricing could support growth. Over time, that can quietly strangle the development of what might otherwise be a high-performing event.
Associations need to be more deliberate. That starts with proper research. How is your event positioned against others in the same space? What are comparable conferences charging, and what do delegates get in return? If your event delivers equal or greater value, why wouldn’t your pricing reflect that?
It’s also worth being clear about something that often gets muddled. Associations are not charities, they are not-for-profit organisations. That’s an important distinction. Generating surplus is not a bad thing, it’s essential. The more revenue your event can deliver, the more you can reinvest into member services, content, advocacy, and future events. Under-pricing doesn’t serve your members, it limits what you can give back to them.
Another reality is that most members don’t track your pricing year on year as closely as you might think. Attendeese rarely remember what they paid last time. What they do notice is a price increase when it’s put in front of them, and of course they’ll question it. That’s natural. But that doesn’t mean the price is wrong, it just means the value needs to be clear.
This is where a more strategic rate approach comes in. Rather than holding everything artificially low, think about how you structure your pricing to reward the behaviours you want to encourage.
Offer incentives for early booking, which helps your cash flow and forecasting. Reward those who agree to tighter terms and conditions, reducing your financial risk. Encourage bulk bookings from organisations, which increases volume and builds community within your event. Pricing doesn’t have to be a blunt instrument, it can be a tool to shape behaviour and strengthen your overall event model.
Ultimately, if your event is delivering genuine value, strong content, meaningful connections, and a great experience, then it deserves to be priced accordingly. Undervaluing it doesn’t make it more accessible in the long term, it just holds it back.
And if you’re not sure where you sit? That’s probably your answer. It’s time to take a proper look.