Conferences tend to offer two main benefits, education and connection. As we move into the future, do both of these benefits make sense any longer?
Imagine a time when all skills-based and technical learning is on-demand so members can access a course, training, or certificate when they need it most. Many associations are developing academies that members can access whenever they need to learn, which means there is no longer the need for members to wait for the conference.
Does that mean that soon there will be no need for conferences? Nope! There is still a reason to convene your membership, and that reason is to solve difficult problems. Conferences could become solve-events, where members collaborate on problems that are not easily solved by one person or organization. Every industry, profession, and field has big, hairy, seemingly unsolvable problems. Why not make your conference the hub that solves these problems?
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