Ben at the Certified Association Executive also offered up some "meeting planning goodies" ASAE and The Center... did at the conference:
- All handouts were delivered on a 1 gigabyte USB jump drive. At just 1 x 3 inches and a few grams, this is vast improvement over the gaudy and awkward conference bags and heavy manuals that are typically handed out at large conventions. Big thumbs up!
The conference schedule was printed on a 3 x 5 inch laminated card that came attached to the badge and lanyard. Since there was really no paper to consult, this was an innovative and handy resource born out of necessity.
I love both these ideas, though I'd still want the big old book to consult while writing stuff up on site, since I can't print anything while I'm on the road, at least not easily. But I wouldn't feel the need to lug it home, which would be great. The second idea also is terrific, as long as your program isn't as extensive as the one for the Alliance for CME's conference I attended last week. That would have been a bit much to have hanging around my neck, but it would have been great to just have a daily schedule-at-a-glance type of card so I didn't have to drag the big book everywhere with me. If there was one, I never saw it.