Treeline Associates - Helping Organizations Grow

Treeline Associates is Hiring a Nonprofit Accounting Manager!

treeline August 3, 2021Uncategorized

Treeline Associates & Your Business Champion is hiring a 3/4 time work-from-home Nonprofit Accounting Manager to start immediately! If you are looking for a position with a fantastic, family-friendly environment, flex-time, and which allows you to work independently (but still feel part of a team), this position may be right for you!

This position is a Senior Consultant who specializes in Non-Profit Accounting and Taxes. The assistant will have some ongoing recurring tasks but the individual filling this position must be open to completing random tasks as assigned. We are looking for some who is organized, very comfortable with technology, and a quick learner with great attention to detail.

Priority will be given to those with current knowledge of QuickBooks Online and experience with taxes. Scheduling is flexible, hours are expected to be approx. 30-35/week. We do not require a static schedule for this position but prefer someone who can work during normal business hours of 9 am-5 pm EST.

This position is 100% work from home (regardless of the state of COVID). We have monthly virtual staff meetings with our entire team via webcams and monthly chat/coffee meetups for those local to the Oxford/Lake Orion area when safety precautions allow. These meetups are paid and are not mandatory, but it is a great way to develop relationships with the people on our team, so they are strongly encouraged. We used to meet at Evergreens in Oxford on the 20th of every month at 9:30 am. Children are welcome to come.

Job Duties

Initial training will be done on tasks that the individual will be taking over.

QuickBooks Online Tasks

Entering Sales Receipts and Invoices from various systems
Generating new invoices based on emails or details provided elsewhere
Processing checks via ACH system and mobile deposits
Matching transactions to banking downloads
Updating and adding PayPal transactions
Following up on outstanding invoices
Entering debit card transactions
Bank reconciliations
Monthly Financial Statements
Payroll Processing

Misc. Tasks

Downloading Bank Statements for various clients
Providing additional services to top-level executives of various clients
Managing online Job Postings
Checking various email boxes, responding or forwarding to team members as needed
File tax returns for all clients, regardless of their entity type
Various other projects as assigned

Pay is based on experience and ranges from $40,000-$50,000/year. PLEASE DO NOT APPLY IF YOU ARE GOING TO ASK FOR A RATE OUTSIDE OF THIS RANGE. Most of the clients supported by this position are non-profit organizations, and the amount they pay us is capped/contracted. We also offer a monthly reimbursement of $30/month towards your home phone/internet usage, PTO accrual based on hours worked, and a 401k plan with employer match!

To be considered, please submit your cover letter, resume, and hourly wage requirements. Be sure to let us know why you think you would be the perfect fit for this position! If your resume indicates that you are overqualified, please provide a detailed explanation as to why you are interested in this position. We are looking for someone to stay with our company long-term and grow as we do, not someone interested in using us as a stepping stone.

About Us

Treeline was founded in the spring of 1998 in Lake Orion, Michigan as a full-service association management company. Over the years we have expanded our services to also offer selected association/non-profit management services, as well as a variety of business services through our Your Business Champion (YBC) division. YBC is dedicated to serving small businesses/startups and many of our team members support both Treeline & YBC clients. Treeline is a completely virtual organization; in 2011, we moved from a physical office building to allow our employees to work from home and never looked back. We understand that family and personal time is very important, and we work hard to make our environment as family-friendly as possible, including offering flex-time to all employees, allowing children to come to internal team meetings, and having an annual picnic for the families of team members.

More information can be found on our websites at www.treelineassociates.com and at www.yourbusinesschampion.com.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $40,000.00 – $50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k)
401(k) matching
Flexible schedule
Paid time off

Schedule:

Monday to Friday

COVID-19 considerations:
We have been completely virtual since 2011 so COVID-19 had no impact on our day-to-day operations. Any in-person meetings or events have been canceled.

Experience:

Computer skills: 3 years (Preferred)
Microsoft Excel: 1 year (Preferred)
QuickBooks Online: 2 years (Required)

Language:

English (Required)

License/Certification:

CPA (Preferred)

Work Location:

Multiple locations

Work Remotely:

Treeline Associates is Hiring an Event Planner!

treeline August 3, 2021Uncategorized

Treeline Associates is hiring a 3/4 time work-from-home experienced Event Planner to serve on its event team.

The event planner is responsible for planning and executing flawless conferences, education programs, webinars, meetings, and special events for a professional trade association. They work with and lead volunteers, conference planning committees, and other staff members.

Our ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, can take on new challenges, brings new and creative event ideas, and can juggle multiple tasks on time and within budget. The events planner overcomes obstacles with unflappable professionalism.

The event planner manages multiple events throughout the year. Some events may be virtual or hybrid, while others may be face-to-face (both domestically and internationally). They are part of an engagement delivery team that may include an executive director, a communications manager, an accountant, and/or others.

This position is part of an association management team and works remotely from a virtual office. They report to the Director of Event Services.

Skills Required: Knowledge of and experience with all facets of meeting planning including, but not limited to:

Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation is strongly preferred.
Organize effectively and maintain detailed records of procedures and actions.
Plan and effectively present ideas and concepts to groups.
Assimilate information from a variety of sources and recommend actions to be taken.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with multiple people from a remote work environment.
Excellent customer service and interpersonal communication skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Proficient with all programs in Microsoft Office Suite.
Strong creativity and problem-solving ability.
Strong multi-tasking and time management skills, and attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
Ability to effectively lead and complete projects within deadlines.
Previous experience in meeting and/or events planning is required. Three or more years of experience in a full-time employment position is preferred.
Must be proficient in technology and not afraid to learn new software.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Assist with planning, organizing, and executing various programs, special events, and activities related to conferences, conventions, educational seminars, webinars, board meetings, and other related events.
Coordinate logistics for lodging, transportation, catering, entertainment, and related functions. Creates staff assignments, troubleshoots on-site logistics, and set-up and break-down events.
Assist with the compilation of program calendars, publications, promotional materials, and related marketing materials. Proofs related documents and may occasionally write program material or assist in its development.
Prepare and assemble materials for various events including reports, certificates, badges, handouts, and other items.
Manage RFP process to select outside vendors; manage vendor relationships.
Perform departmental administrative and clerical duties. Schedules meetings, assists with travel arrangements, makes copies, prepares letters and other correspondence, and completes other related duties.
Manages onsite event team.
Plans and executes the event planning process.
Must be willing to work more than 30 hours per week during pre-conference and conference time.
Other tasks as assigned.

Working Conditions & Location

Work from home position; must have experience working from home and a home office.
Must have a strong internet connection.
Be creative in finding ways to connect with other staff members
Must be able to work independently; be self-motivated and very organized.
This is a three quarter time position with the starting pay between $19-$23 per hour.
Must have experience in working in a remote office.
Residing in Michigan is preferable.

Treeline Associates

Treeline Associates, Inc. is an event services and association management company dedicated to improving the organizations we serve. Treeline was founded in the spring of 1998 and is now in its 23rd year. We provide world-class event management services and have an appreciation of membership organizations as an association management company.

Treeline is a family-friendly and majority woman-owned company.

Treeline has pioneered the concept of a virtual association management company and has staff in Canada and the United States.

An equal opportunity employer

Contact Details:

Treeline Associates

2206 Village West Dr. S

Lapeer, MI 48446

www.treelineassociates.com

Job Type: 3/4 time work-from-home

Pay: $19.00 – $23.00 per hour

Benefits:

401(k)
401(k) matching
Flexible schedule
Paid time off
Professional development assistance
Referral program

Schedule:

Monday to Friday

Education:

Bachelor’s (Preferred)

Experience:

Microsoft Office: 1 year (Preferred)
Customer Service: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

Certified Meeting Planner (Preferred)

Work Location:

Fully Remote

Apply Now

Sarah Dysinger Virtual Planner of the Year

Virtual Planner of the Year: Sarah Dysinger

treeline June 4, 2021Awards

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals, including nearly 14,000 engaged members.

MPI is the association for people who bring people together.

The MPI Michigan Chapter, which delivers high-quality education, leadership training, scholarships, and professional development to its members, recently hosted their annual year-end award festivities, Celebration! on June 2nd.

Treeline Associate’s Sarah Dysinger took home the award for Virtual Planner of the Year!

Michigan District’s Debbie Hughes, who nominated Sarah for the award, had this to say about the Virtual Planner of the Year:

“Sarah Dysinger, CTA, planned and executed 60 successful virtual conferences in 2020, 16 this year, with 30 scheduled for the rest of 2021. So, amidst a pandemic, this young lady planned over 100 successful events and is clearly a force to be reckoned with… I am proud to call her my mentee and friend ?”

On her win, Sarah said she was: “Honored & humbled to be recognized as the MPI Michigan Chapters Virtual Event Planner of the Year. However, it should be shared with my team at Treeline Associates, Inc., especially Michael Palmer, MBA, CAE, Brandy Hirschlieb, and Jaclynn Cherry. I wouldn’t have survived the last year without their encouragement, support, and total faith in me.”

Congratulations Sarah! ???

Sarah is an Event Services Consultant with Treeline Associates with over ten years of experience. She works as the Events Manager with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter and the Michigan Society of Healthcare Risk Management. Sarah plans and executes a wide variety of events, including a multi-day education conference that awards continuing education credits, social and networking events to promote member engagement, and an annual celebration for National Philanthropy Day that brings in over 600 attendees.

I’m a Crafter – and Proud of it!

treeline April 13, 2021General

Presented by:
Kathy Palmer, CMP
Vice President and General Manager
Director of Event Services
Treeline Associates

I would say I have had a successful career. But being successful at work isn’t who I am. In my heart of hearts, I am a crafter. Any type of crafting, I’m in! I love to be creative.

Anyone can have a job that makes them feel fulfilled, but what feeds your soul? What do you want to be remembered for? I don’t want people to say – Kathy was a great employee! Wow, she did a great job managing that client! Nope, not for me. Yes, I want to be remembered as a good parent. That is the number one thing that is important to me. But I also want to leave a legacy of things for my children and grandchildren. Things they can look back on and remember that I made for them.

My biggest passion has always been sewing. I bought my first sewing machine when I was 10 years old. My allowance was .50 per week. My dad cut a slot in the top of a Maxwell House coffee can with an orange plastic lid. Each week I deposited my money into the can. Finally, I had enough, and my parents took me to Sears. (It used to be called Sears Roebuck, anyone else remember that?) I had just enough to purchase a basic sewing machine with a straight stitch, zig-zag stitch, and reverse function. It was olive green. I kind of wish I still had it! When I went to pay for it, I dumped the entire can of quarters onto the counter. As an adult, I do feel bad for the salesperson who had to count all of that out!

Sewing has evolved into quilting as my main crafting activity. I currently have 3 machines that I use on a regular basis. They are all used for different things. I always have several quilts in process, as well as several being designed. I have more fabric than I will ever be able to use in my lifetime. But when I go into my sewing room, I feel at peace. It truly is my happy place. I love to play with my fabric and imagine all of the possibilities. (yes, I might be addicted to fabric, but what’s the harm?)

Each of my children and grandchildren have received several quilts. Creating baby quilts and wedding quilts are gifts I love to give. I really don’t need an excuse to make a quilt for someone!

But as I mentioned earlier, any crafting is something I’m interested in. I bought a Cameo Silhouette a few years ago to make vinyl signs and t-shirts. It also can cut fabric to do applique work – bonus! I see something on Pinterest or Facebook and want to try it! I’m fearless when it comes to crafting. Refinishing furniture? Okay! Any type of needlework? Yep, I will do it (and that can be another blog post – so stay tuned for that story!!)

My children enjoy creating in various ways, although none of them are quilters. I believe that feeding your soul with some type of creativity allows you to have a focus outside of work, a passion that will shine through your life in many different ways. I hope as we focus on teaching our children and grandchildren to be kind, responsible, smart, etc. that we also teach them to be creative and passionate about something. That is my wish for my grandchildren.

The ideas and options for crafters are endless. I’m not sure what the next thing will be that catches my attention, but I’m sure there will be something!

Treeline

Kathy Palmer, CMP, is Vice President/General Manager and
Director of Event Services with Treeline Associates. Treeline Associates is an international association management company based in Michigan, with operations in both the US and Canada. They provide full association management services as well as selective services such as conference planning, nonprofit accounting, membership marketing, and others. They are a technology-savvy company and have operated virtually for over 10 years. They were formed in 1998 and are entering into their 23^rd year. For more details see their website at https://treelineassociates.com

When The World Changed: A Meeting Planners Perspective

treeline March 17, 2021Events, General, Health

Presented by:
Sarah Dysinger
Consultant, Event Services
Treeline Associates

March 10, 2020. I woke up at 4 AM, got in my car, and headed to what would be my last face-to-face event for over a year. The Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter (AFP GDC) was hosting the “2020 Michigan Fundraising Climate Results” in partnership with The War Memorial. It was a small, quiet event with press and media coverage. I kept hearing “coronavirus” and “Michigan will be shutting down” throughout conversations, but I brushed it off as nothing. I had a year of events ahead of me – the thought of that all stopping was the last thing on my mind. I was focused on my next event, the Michigan Society of Healthcare Risk Management’s Spring Program, scheduled for March 17.

After the event was over, I wandered around The War Memorial for a while to take in the beauty and history of the venue. I then made my way back toward Lapeer, where I was staying, stopping for coffee and lunch, all the while not paying much attention to the news or my phone alerts. Once I was back to where I was staying, I carried on with my day, not giving a second thought to Coronavirus.

The next morning, I woke up, grabbed my coffee, and turned on the news. Emails poured in. My phone pinged nonstop with text messages and phone calls. Within 30 minutes I knew I had been naïve the day before and a pit in my stomach formed that still hasn’t really left. Do we need to cancel? What do we do? Is it really that bad? Do we reschedule for two weeks out? How do we handle this? These are the types of questions I kept getting – and continue to get – with no way to answer them. I wasn’t trained or prepared for this – none of us were. I don’t have the answers, but as Event Managers, we are expected to, so we forged forward into total blindness with support from coworkers, bosses, professional contacts, and the entire hospitality industry.

March 13: events larger than 250 were banned and the Michigan Society of Healthcare Risk Management’s (MSHRM) Spring Program was canceled. March 16: events larger than 50 were banned. March 17: all my events for the foreseeable future were canceled.

The following days were spent in meetings to cancel events, fighting over contracts, giving event refunds, researching the Coronavirus, and trying to figure out how I was going to handle this all. I was frustrated, scared, sad, filled with anxiety, and devastated watching months of event prep be for nothing. Most of those feelings are still relevant, almost one year later.

However, there was no time to wallow in self-pity. This was impacting everyone, and I had a job to do. One way or another, events would carry on, and I had to figure out how to make it happen. The members of the associations needed our events in order to earn Continuing Education credits, regardless of COVID-19. On March 17, AFP DET held its first virtual Town Hall. Topic-based webinars followed shortly after. On May 20, MSHRM kicked off its virtual webinar series. With no end to the event ban in-sight, we transitioned to 100% virtual for the remainder of 2020, with hope for a better 2021.

Since March 17, I have planned, coordinated, and executed more than 55 webinars and virtual events, with over 65% having Continuing Education credit attached (up from about 13 face-to-face events in 2019). I more than tripled attendance for AFP GDC events. I helped plan, coordinate, and execute a virtual award show, National Philanthropy Day, in partnership with Detroit Public TV that reached more than 8,000 people. I have become an unofficial Zoom wizard ?. I have witnessed Boards of Directors and committee chairs step up to do what needs to be done. My eyes have been reopened to how amazing our membership is as they offer to present webinars, find speakers, and help in countless other ways. Sponsors have supported us in extraordinary ways. What I am getting at here is although this has been one of the toughest years professionally, it has also been one of the most humbling and eye-opening.

There were, and still are, times when I am convinced, I can no longer stay afloat and balance everything. It feels like the list of to-dos is pulling you under while the rope of “look what you have already done” is slipping out of reach. There are still so many unknowns and I don’t have many answers for my clients. Industry friends are losing their jobs, venues are closing, caterers are struggling to stay afloat, hotels are barely hanging on in some places. Will there be an industry to go back to? I can confidently say that yes, I think there will be, because if nothing else the hospitality industry is resilient and ready to do what we need to do to get us ALL back.

Support your local restaurant (and tip well!). Buy a gift card for a hotel to use later. Donate when you can. Write a positive review (costs nothing!). And understand that as more events are canceled, it breaks the planners’ hearts just as much. We can’t wait to be back with you.

Treeline

Sarah Dysinger is an Event Services Consultant with Treeline Associates and has over 10 years of experience in Event Management. She currently works as the Events Manager for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter and the Michigan Society of Healthcare Risk Management where she plans and executes a variety of events including a multi-day education conference that awards continuing education credits, social and networking events to promote member engagement, and an annual celebration for National Philanthropy Day that brings in over 600 attendees.

I Survived COVID-19… and I may need the T-shirt!

treeline March 11, 2021General, Health

Presented by:
Kathy Palmer, CMP
Vice President and General Manager
Director of Event Services
Treeline Associates

Since the pandemic started in March 2020, my husband and I have been very cautious. We are in “that” demographic now where the virus has a greater impact on older people (boy, that is hard to type!). We order our groceries delivered, don’t go to restaurants, wear masks whenever we go out – you know, the typical CDC guidelines we’ve all been hearing about and following for the past year.

About a month ago, our daughter and her fiancé stopped by for a visit. They were the first people we had seen IN PERSON in over 3 weeks. A few days later, my husband started feeling sick, and a few days after that, I got sick. Turns out the fiancé was positive but asymptomatic. He is in the other demographic where the impact isn’t as great! He never did have symptoms, lucky guy!

What is amazing to me about this virus is that 2 people in the same household can be sick with it and have totally different symptoms! My husband had a fever, chills, and respiratory issues. I had none of that. I had severe headaches, muscle and joint aches, and fatigue. We are on the downside of this virus, but it has taken over 3 weeks for us to feel better. I’d say I’m 90% there – but I still get very tired very easily. I have not gotten my stamina back. My husband is 100% better. Neither of us has our sense of smell or taste. We hope that comes back soon too!

I guess the point of this blog is that COVID is real. For those of you who don’t believe it, let me tell you I have never been so sick. I slept 15-18 hours every day for a week. But you can do everything “right” and still get this virus. If this happens to you, take extra vitamins! We loaded up on Vitamin D and Vitamin C. Threw in some Zinc and Elderberry since we had it. Did it help? I don’t really know, but I suspect it did, as we both are feeling much better now.

I’m not sure if we have immunity from COVID, and if we do, for how long? Will we get vaccinated? We are not sure. I really do wish there was more information about this disease. But for now, we are taking it one day at a time and being very thankful that we are feeling better.

Now for the t-shirt to prove we had COVID…. there is quite a variety…. Which to choose?!

For more information about COVID-19, transmission, risks, and what you can do to protect yourself, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov

Treeline

Becoming a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)

treeline January 21, 2021Certified Meeting Professional

Presented by:
Elizabeth Pike, CMP
Senior Consultant – Association & Event Services
Treeline Associates

If you’ve come across this post, chances are we have something in common – an interest in becoming a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). I can proudly say after October 13, 2020, I officially passed the CMP exam and was able to check a long-running goal off my list (and I couldn’t have been more relieved). My husband will tell you he has never seen me run up the basement stairs to tell him something as fast as I did when I saw that little green “pass” window appear on my screen. (I even forgot to disconnect from my remote proctor before I did!!) But let me tell you, the path to becoming a CMP is not an easy one.

For me personally, my exam had to be rescheduled multiple times. First due to COVID, then due to my son making an appearance 3 weeks earlier than planned, and finally because the website was down for maintenance on my date. BUT with the new procedures for at-home exams in place for a little longer now, I would think (and hope!) that it would be smooth sailing. My hope is that through my experience I can give you a few tips that worked for me on how to become a CMP!

1. Create Your Account and Apply Early (But Not Too Early!)

Before you can apply you need to create your online account on the Events Industry Council website. Start loading in your CE credits any time, you want to make sure you have all that are needed to be accepted into the program and if you are going to need to have any additional credits before you can apply. Once you are ready to officially submit your application, know that you have one year from the time you are approved to take your exam. It notes on the website it can take 3-5 weeks to be approved, mine did take the full 5 weeks (and you cannot set your exam date until you are approved). Make sure to apply when you are close to ready, once your approved year is up you would have to go through the whole process again if you did not pass your exam in that window. If you do not pass you have to wait 90 days before can you attempt again, the good news is they are now allowing testing year-round instead of just quarterly windows they had in the past!

2. Find a Study Group

I started trying to study for the exam without any help, I took the exam once in 2017 and did not pass. I credit so much success the second time around to working with a group of people all in the same boat and it held me a little bit more accountable for studying. The class I took was virtual through the MPI North Florida Chapter, we met once a week for 11 weeks about 2 hours at a time. Practice tests were provided throughout the classes for each domain, as well as one big practice test at the end. I learned SO much about how to study for the CMP and tricks that others had learned as well for studying. Although my class was not in-person/local and with a group of people across the country (how cool is it that technology can bring us that?!) you can check out your local organizations to see what is close to you as well!

3. Take Practice Tests

This can’t be stressed enough; the practice tests were key for me! I have had testing anxiety since I was a little kid, my parents can still remember trying to help me study and overcome this throughout grade school, however it has still stuck around. For me, seeing how the questions were worded, what the answers were like, examples of past questions, etc. eased my mind a little bit and made me feel more prepared. One tip I learned on how to study from the tests was after you take them and have the correct answers, study only the questions and their answers – don’t even look at those incorrect choices!

4. Download a Study App

There are so many different resources available and I found downloading an app to take practice tests helps (I used the Pocket Prep app and paid for a one-month subscription, I wish I would have done it for a little bit longer). Flashcards never seemed to work for me, I tried and really wanted them to, but it just wasn’t working. The app allowed me to review information quickly and take mini-quizzes. You can set how many questions you want to do for that time frame, which made it really nice if I only had a few minutes. It also tells you what percentage of questions you have correct, what domains you are doing better on than others, and gives you the option to review questions you got wrong. As a Mom of three little ones, I could use this app to sneak in some studying while feeding the baby, watching a TV show, a quick minute at bath time, etc.

5. Schedule Your Exam, Stick with it, and Don’t Be Afraid to Fail!

Having your exam date set makes it seem a little more real. You know that your study time is limited to a certain window and you make yourself work. If you keep rescheduling due to fear that you aren’t ready, you’ll never be ready! Plus, there is a fee to reschedule your exam so it isn’t ideal. Set that date, make a count down, and get working!

It took me THREE years to take the exam again after I didn’t pass the first time. I was so scared that I would not pass again that I couldn’t even bring myself to look at the books anymore. I wish I wouldn’t have waited. You learn from your mistakes and become better because of them. If you don’t pass, have a glass of wine, let yourself be down for a bit, and then pick up those books and get at it again – trust me, it is worth it!

If you’ve made it this far and you are ready to commit, you are already well on your way to success. Adding those three little letters to your signature line, Linked In, resume, etc. is an incredible value (and makes you feel pretty good about yourself too!). With GLOBAL RECOGNITION there isn’t a better certification for a meeting planner in today’s industry. I wish you the best of luck on your CMP journey!

Treeline

Elizabeth Pike, CMP is a Senior Consultant – Association & Event Services with Treeline Associates. Treeline Associates is an international association management company based in Michigan, with operations in both the US and Canada. They provide full association management services as well as selective services such as conference planning, nonprofit accounting, membership marketing, and others. They are a technology-savvy company and have operated virtually for over 10 years. They were formed in 1998 and are entering into their 23^rd year. For more details see their website at https://treelineassociates.com

Tips & Techniques for Running a Virtual/Hybrid Conference

treeline January 14, 2021Events

Presented by:
Michael Palmer, MBA, CAE
President and Senior Partner
Director of Association Services
Treeline Associates

Many of these tips and techniques assume that you are using video conference technology (such as Zoom Meeting or Crowdcast) and/or a virtual conference platform.

Conference Planning

Budgeting: Understand that the biggest costs of operating a virtual conference are the setup, the running of the conference, and the cost of the technology in that order.
Give longer breaks between sessions than you would normally do for a face-to-face conference.
If you have national or international participants, you may need to start at a different time than you would normally. If it is a national conference for example you might want to start at 10 am Eastern Time rather than 8:30 am so that people on the west coast can join at a reasonable time.
You may want to spread out the conference. You may want to change a two-day conference into a three-day conference, or you may want to have the conference on three Mondays in a row. Survey your potential participants ahead of time to help you decide.
Make as many of your training sessions a panel discussion in case one of the speakers does not show up you can still move ahead.
To drive people to your virtual sponsor booths, offer a prize for visiting.
Send conference participants gift bags ahead of time with swag provided by the sponsors.

Conference Prep

Conduct a speaker training session ahead of time to teach speakers how to use the technology. Record the session so that those that were not on the training session can see the training.
Conduct a speaker training with a trainer that can teach speakers how to create better PowerPoint presentations. Record the session so that those that were not on the training session can see the training.
Conduct a participant training webinar to train participants on how to use the system. Record the webinar so anyone to see the recording.

Management During the Conference

Have a virtual welcome room with volunteers welcoming people to the conference and answering questions.
Anticipate that a lot of people will need tech support right before the first session.

Technology

Have a special tech support email address and phone number to call to provide easy on-demand support to get into the conference.
Have a special virtual tech support room to help people that get into the conference navigate around the conference.
If your technology provider is not involved during the conference have a way to get to them in real-time (emails, mobile phone numbers, etc.).
Assume at least 5% of your participants will have a hard time with the technology.
Have room hosts that can manage the technology in each breakout session.
Whatever platform you use it must be easy to navigate.
If you use video conferencing and a platform, make sure you need to go through the platform to access the video conference line(s).

Engagement

Use competitions to drive engagement outside of the educational sessions. For example, enter a drawing for social media posts.
Incorporate networking sessions with topics or team building activities.
Hold fun sessions such as a talent show or trivia game session. You can also hold an online Jeopardy show.
Do sponsored meals or “lunch and learn” sessions with Grub Hub gift cards sent out ahead of time.

Backup

Have a backup plan ready to be implemented in case the technology breaks down. This should include pre-written emails and links to your backup video conference solutions.
Have emails and mobile phone numbers for each of the speakers so that you can contact them in case they are not online at the appointed time.
Have speakers pre-record their sessions to use in case they have a problem getting into the session you can play the recording. This is not as good as being live, but it is a backup plan.

Treeline

Michael Palmer, MBA, CAE, is the President and founder of Treeline Associates. Treeline Associates is an international association management company based in Michigan, with operations in both the US and Canada. They provide full association management services as well as selective services such as conference planning, nonprofit accounting, membership marketing, and others. They are a technology-savvy company and have operated virtually for over 10 years. They were formed in 1998 and are entering into their 23^rd year. For more details see their website at https://treelineassociates.com

Factors Affecting the Cost of a Virtual and Hybrid Conference

treeline December 21, 2020Events

Presented by:
Michael Palmer, MBA, CAE
President and Senior Partner
Director of Association Services
Treeline Associates

With a hybrid conference, you put on a face-to-face (F2F) event and then provide a virtual component. The first thing you need to do to create a virtual conference or the virtual component of a conference is to determine what kind of participant experience you want. The key to success is to find ways to get virtual participants engaged. In general, the more virtual engagement you provide, the more the conference costs.

There are a lot of engagement options for virtual and hybrid conferences:

Recorded sessions available after the F2F conference
Live F2F sessions and separate virtual sessions
Sessions where the virtual participants view the same live sessions at the same time as the F2F audience

To further complicate planning, you can have some combination of these three options, with minimal or robust interaction options.

Recorded sessions available after the F2F conference

This is the easiest to do and the least costly. Many F2F conferences already do this. The sessions are recorded during the F2F event. The conference attendees can view the sessions for free. Those who do not attend the conference may be allowed to purchase access to these sessions at a fee. There is very little engagement for the virtual audience. This can work with a limited budget and in situations where networking is not important.

Live F2F sessions and separate virtual sessions

This is essentially planning two conferences and can be nearly twice the cost of a virtual or a F2F conference on its own. You need one set of staff and AV support for the F2F sessions and a second set of staff and technology to create and run the virtual conference. This works when you have two distinct audience groups:

One group that:
- Cannot or will not travel, or
- Is comfortable with online technology and feels comfortable using it, or
- Feels comfortable networking online, or
- Does not see a need for F2F networking or
- Is concerned about costs.
A second group that:
- Can and will travel, or
- Does not feel comfortable using technology or does not want to use it, or
- Does not feel comfortable networking online or
- Highly values F2F networking.

You can have different topics and different speakers for each group. An example might be when you have a young professional group that cannot or will not travel and feels comfortable with technology versus a veteran professional group that can and will travel and highly values F2F networking.

Sessions where the virtual participants view the same live sessions at the same time as the F2F audience

Holding a conference where F2F and virtual participants see the same presenters at the same time is what many people mean when they talk about hybrid conferences. In its simplest and least expensive form, you live stream sessions with or without virtual participant interaction. If the virtual audience can only view the presentations, keeping virtual participants’ attention becomes much more difficult. To avoid video conference burn-out you need highly skilled presenters and shorter-length sessions. The session ratings are usually lower than when there is interaction, and you need to contract with an AV company experienced in this type of conference.

Virtual interaction can be done using a video conference solution and allows participants (including F2F participants) to make comments and ask questions in real-time chats or by raising their virtual hand. The sessions often have moderators to pass the comments and questions along. If the virtual audience is small enough, you can project their faces on screens. Using some technology solutions, you can provide feedback using preset questions. In other solutions, you can use tweets to interact. Both the robustness of the technology solution and the extent to which you incorporate networking options have major impacts.

Trends

Robust ways to conduct sessions where the virtual participants view the same live sessions at the same time as the F2F audience are becoming the norm. These are typically based on virtual platforms and are the most expensive hybrid option. They allow participants to easily navigate into and out of sessions and they provide for in-session interactions. The use of these virtual platforms also allows for “add-ons” to encourage networking outside of educational sessions.

Engaging audiences outside of educational sessions in a virtual world

“Add-ons” are often the difference between a good conference and a great conference. You leverage the technology platform to create virtual vendor showrooms, rooms for specific groups, or rooms for specific interest areas. You can give sponsors special access points and carry out sponsored Ted talks. You can set up tech support rooms and welcome rooms.

You can mingle in virtual networking rooms or engage in social activities. If you want to engage virtual participants, you do not just have a happy hour; rather, you mail out drink kits, present Grub Hub coupons for box lunches, or send out gift certificates for a coffee hour. You can hold team building online activities (trivia contests, bingo, interactive games, and more). Throughout the day, you can have tweet contests. For example, on one day you might ask people to tweet a picture of themselves on vacation and hold a prize drawing. What you can make happen is limited only by your creativity.

Staff and Technology Components

Depending on what you want to do, you may incur the costs of some or all the following:

The technology platform
Software/platform setup
Pre-conference training (for participants and speakers)
Real-time tech support during the conference
Event staff
Room hosts (can be volunteers or paid tech support people) to make sure the room is running smoothly and to monitor chats (questions and comments)
If you are running virtual and F2F components simultaneously, you may also need another tech support person to keep the simultaneous experience happening.

Costs of a Virtual Conference

As a rule of thumb if you use a simple video conference line, with only one or two tracks, and do not use a platform, the technology cost is minimal. The hidden costs however are the staffing both in the preparation, the training, and the hosting time.

The staff and technology cost of a robust virtual conference using a software platform often costs as much as a F2F conference. The difference is the onsite costs. With a virtual conference you do not have food, room and transportation costs of course. You can earn as much from a virtual conference even with a 35% to a 50% registration fee discount as you can from a F2F conference. You can set pricing by analyzing the onsite fixed and variable costs. You will have to add back in the cost of setting up and running the platform. The services the platform provider provides will reduce the costs but there is still sizeable staffing time involved. The staffing cost can be 5 to 10 times the cost of the platform. On virtual conferences that Treeline has set up the staffing time has ranged from 150 to 300 hours.

Costs of a Hybrid Costs

The costs of a hybrid conference are always more than a virtual or F2F conference by itself. Considerably more. You can count on it being 1 ½ to 2 times the cost of the F2F conference by itself. The more “bells and whistles” that you provide to encourage participant engagement the more staff time it takes to set up the conference and the more it will cost to run the conference.

Conclusion

Virtual and Hybrid conferences costs vary depending on the simplicity of the technology to be used and the robustness of the participant experience. The staffing costs to prepare and run a virtual or hybrid conference is often the biggest cost that you will have other than food and beverage with the F2F conference. When pricing a virtual or hybrid conference you must account for the set-up costs, the participant and speaker training, the tech support, the hosting costs, and the coordination costs.

Treeline