Merging Two Conferences Into One

An association organizer was concerned that her staff was stretched to the breaking point trying to manage two annual events and was contemplated merging the two into one. She was interested in understanding the process for managing this change. Obviously, with so many factors at play, not to mention the potential for unintended consequences, I suggested that a better starting point should be to focus on the “why” rather than the “how.”

We counsel our clients to start by defining the specific goals and objectives that motivate them to consider a change. Freeing up staffing resources to focus on other important initiatives, which was this person’s primary motivation, may well have been reason enough. However, I cautioned the importance of fully understanding the potential financial implications. If the merger of events resulted in an overall reduction in revenue, would that be an acceptable price to pay for what you consider a “greater good?”

All too often we make decisions based on what we think (or worse yet, hope) will be the result. What it really comes down to is working through a series of “what if” scenarios, weighing the pros and cons of each and, ultimately, making informed decisions.  In other words, limiting the potential for any “surprises.” This is definitely not a time for trial and error!