On the heels of ongoing government policy changes starting in spring 2025, associations across industries continue to assess their event strategies and work to identify the best ways to engage member audiences in a constantly—and rapidly—evolving environment. Notably, there has been a shift from the post-COVID virtual gathering playbook to a culture of pilots and experimentation rooted in technology integration and data-driven initiatives.

This shift underscores a growing imperative for association event planners to stay closely attuned to member preferences, translating subtle signals and shifting expectations into more responsive, flexible event strategies.

From Member Preferences to Event Planning Solutions

With evolving member preferences and behaviors top of mind—such as costs and time for travel, DEI policy impacts on attendance, etc.— associations are rethinking how they deliver value through events, while maintaining agility and cost-consciousness in their solutions. As a result, associations are increasingly consolidating in-person events or shifting to smaller gatherings. This allows organizations to address attendance uncertainty and budget constraints, while fostering community for members.

Due to the unpredictability of registration and ticket sales seen in early 2025, associations are looking at their bottom line and seeking ways to augment the non-dues revenue that comes from supplemental services like course offerings, certifications, and sponsorships. Given the longer lead time for selling event sponsorships, it is important to measure audiences’ engagement with these non-dues revenue plays to most strategically and sustainably grow profits.

But how is the right balance between revenue growth and rising costs realized? Organizations at the forefront of this new age of event planning are integrating event technology not just for logistics, but to optimize connecting event outcomes with broader organizational goals, helping justify investments and demonstrate the impact of these gatherings to leadership. At a minimum, this looks like event tech that leverages AI, decreases the need for manual processes, easily integrates with their AMS or CRM, and allows for intuitive reporting and information sharing across departments for mission-driven goal setting.

As associations strive to align event performance with strategic goals, they’re also recognizing that traditional post-event surveys fall short—prompting a shift toward more dynamic, personalized feedback mechanisms that better reflect attendee experiences and expectations.

Beyond the Post-Event Survey: Unlocking Personalized Insights

To truly understand what drives attendee satisfaction and event success, organizations are moving away from traditional feedback mechanisms like the static post-event survey. The idea that “content is king” is being challenged, and in-person registration is increasingly driven by personalized, unique experiences that go beyond information delivery. With the level of data processing required to capture and activate on advanced personalization tactics, associations’ future programming efforts will likely be rooted in tech-integrations that streamline this process.

Through behavioral data collection and analysis, associations are able to implement personalized, real-time engagement strategies, informed by members’ unique experiences.

Turning Trends into Tactics for Association Event Planners

The evolving event landscape demands more than reactive planning. It calls for intentional, data-informed strategies that reflect the real preferences and behaviors of members. Despite the initial assumption around virtual events remaining the default, associations are finding success by consolidating in-person gatherings, experimenting with smaller formats, and aligning event design with both budget realities and audience expectations.

To refine event planning strategies for the member audiences of the future, consider:

• Listening actively and more often than ever before. Instead of relying on post-event surveys, integrate real-time feedback tools and personalized engagement touchpoints throughout the event lifecycle.
• Prioritizing flexibility. Piloting smaller, regional events to test engagement strategies before scaling them nationally can allow for planning agility without overcommitting resources. Pivoting back to pre-COVID isn’t realistic, given the changing economic and political realities.
• Rethinking how to leverage technology strategically. Assess the integrated functionality of your existing tech stack and invest in platforms that streamline activities while increasing the operational capacity of staff.
• Reimagining sponsorships. As costs rise, creative sponsorship models can help offset expenses while delivering value to both members and partners.

By leaning into member data and trends, associations can design events that are not only more engaging and efficient, but also more aligned with their mission and member needs. The key is to stay curious, stay connected, and continue evolving—just like the audiences they serve.