Planning a meeting or conference? DMOs are your secret weapon. As local experts, we offer complimentary services to simplify event planning, enhance attendee experiences, and ensure your event runs seamlessly.

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a location for your meeting, so to make your job a little easier, we've rounded up five things to consider when deciding on the location of your next meeting. From easy access to industry experts in the local community to the welcoming and vibrant atmosphere, the location of your meeting directly impacts the satisfaction of your attendees. With many factors to contemplate, utilizing a Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) can save you a lot of time (and money)!

Whether you are looking to plan your next annual conference, educational seminar, or member networking event, every association finds themselves looking for a reliable venue at some point. When communicating with possible venue options whether they are convention centers, hotels, or resorts, it’s important to think about all aspects of your event from room capacities and staffing to audio-visual and catering options. We have compiled a few questions for your planners and committees to ask potential venues that can help you ensure that your event needs will be met and your planning experience will run as smoothly as possible.  

Event sponsorships can be a game-changer for your association, providing the resources you need to host exceptional events while giving sponsors valuable visibility and engagement opportunities. However, securing sponsorships isn't just about asking for money—it’s about creating unique, win-win opportunities that make your events unforgettable.

You’re likely familiar with the planning chaos before a fundraising event like an auction: your team is scrambling to polish off details, items seem to be missing, and you’re in the midst of trying last-minute strategies to drive more registrations. This has probably left your team wondering, “How can we avoid these issues and streamline our planning in the future?” 

When we seek information in the modern age, we typically head straight for Google. And who can blame us for that? If we’re adept keyword searchers, we would get exactly what we seek within seconds.

Fundraising events are a fun and exciting way to bring in extra funds for your association. These events give your members and supporters the chance to get together for a good cause. Not only do fundraisers expand your association’s budget, but they can also boost member engagement.

After sitting through so many virtual meetings, chances are your association members are thrilled to get back to in-person events and fundraisers. A silent auction is a great way to get back into the swing of things. Silent auctions have the potential to garner tons of revenue and generate excitement with members.

The COVID-19 pandemic might have caused virtual board meetings to be a necessity for a time, but by now, your organization has likely caught on to the various other benefits of virtual gatherings. 

Nearly 100 association professionals and industry partners/suppliers gathered both in-person and virtually for a unique hybrid program on Thursday, October 29 at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie, IN. "Back to Business: Planning Live Events During The Pandemic" was a collaboration between the Indiana Society of Association Executives (ISAE), Meeting Professionals International's Indiana Chapter (MPI Indiana) and Minorities in Hospitality (MIH).

Discover new ways to engage your attendees at your next virtual meeting! Remote games don't have to be time-consuming to create or even all that challenging to be FUN! Here are some suggestions for games you can create in minutes with your current event technologies (video conference platform, event app, survey tools).   

Whether your organization is on a national scale with board members across the country or is a local chapter with board members in close proximity, your team can benefit from hosting virtual board meetings.

The Indiana Society of Association Executives (ISAE) staff recognize the current COVID-19 situation and its impacts on our members, partners and the associations they represent. ISAE is committed to providing maximum support to our members during this time of crisis and uncertainty. We will continually provide updates as the association industry, ISAE events, committee meetings and other member gatherings are impacted.

According to learning evangelist and Event Garde CEO Aaron Wolowiec, “Finding a speaker for an event can sometimes be a daunting challenge. How do you really know if the selected individual will bring the right mix of knowledge, enthusiasm and engagement to the room?”