I was perusing this week’s #assnchat transcript (available here) and it made me think about how associations can build buzz for an event. Normally, the topic, rather than the speaker, is the draw for events and meetings.

But what if associations made the speaker the main focus?

I agree that many speakers perhaps aren’t too well-known, but what if your association used its online community to create a buzz? Have the speaker write guest posts for your association’s blog. Ask them to record a podcast your members can listen to beforehand. Make the speaker a celebrity among your members, and they’ll be energized to come listen to him or her speak.

Of course, creating a buzz means you and your speaker are going to have to deliver. Lots of pre-meeting excitement followed by a sub-par speaker is, well, a let-down. And your members aren’t spending their valuable time and money to listen to a lame speaker. Booking a speaker is a whole other blog post, but talk to him or her about how they engage attendees — those there in real life and those attending virtually, if that’s a possibility. Get his or her handouts before the event and post them on your Web site. Is live-streaming the session a possibility? If so, consider it.

Most organizations likely collect comments and feedback from their members after an event and use them when planning your next meeting. But what about asking some of your members to blog about their reflections and key takeaways? Keep the conversation going — it shouldn’t end when your meeting does. Are any of your members avid photographers (amateur or expert!)? Ask them to post their pictures on a Web site easily accessible by all members.

Even if live-streaming the session isn’t an option, record the speaker and stream the video from your association’s Web site. Keep a running dialogue of comments from attendees and compile their comments in one place.

Create a buzz with online tools before the event, and foster a dialogue event after the meeting is over. The 90 minutes spent in a session shouldn’t be the only time your members learn and discuss.

Update: Ignore this post.

Turns out I’ll be in Toronto for ASAE09 this weekend! At the last minute (aka last Friday), the executive decision was made that I’ll be going. I’m very excited to meet up “in real life” with the many people I’ve connected with via Twitter. I’ll be live-Tweeting from the expo and different sessions, and also blogging here nightly. Be on the lookout for tons of videos and photos! And after the Annual Meeting concludes, I’d like to be able to aggregate different people’s content into one huge post of links, as well.

Since I’ll be blogging from the annual meeting, we decided to launch this here Web site earlier than we had initially planned.

I’m especially psyched because it would have been kind of a drag to be following the #ASAE09 goodness and everyone’s blogs from afar. I don’t mind working on the weekend, of course, but actually being in Toronto where all the action is will make my job a lot easier.

We’ve put together a great list of recommendations of sessions for small-staff associations. I’m particular excited about these ones:

• Building and Maintaining Loyal Relationships: Sunday, Aug. 16, 3:15-4:30 p.m.
• 10 Steps For Using Social Media to Engage Volunteers: Sunday, Aug. 16, 3:15-4:30 p.m. (guess I’ll to choose between those first two!)
• Managing and Leading the Next Generation of Workers: Monday, Aug. 17, 3:15-4:30 p.m.
• Big Ideas for Small-Staff Association Executives: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 9-10:15 a.m.
• How to Overcome E-mail Overload: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 12:45-2 p.m.

And the word from ASAE & The Center is that everyone should wear white to the closing celebration, which is from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. I’m not sure what they’re planning, but it looks like I’ll have to go shopping — my wardrobe is predominantly black!

In the meantime, before to keep up with our Twitter stream for all the latest information about the Annual Meeting. Don’t forget to check in with ASAE & The Center’s stellar mobile hub, too. I’m psyched to be going, and want to meet as many people as possible.