Author: Julianne Fitzpatrick

The Secret to Our Success? It’s ALL in the details

Posted on by Julianne Fitzpatrick

Event planning is like assembling a 5000-piece puzzle- exciting, challenging and satisfying when all the pieces fit together to create a seamless event. Like working on a puzzle, successful events require vision, persistence, and problem solving – something our team does exceptionally well!  There’s a special piece of the puzzle that our team includes with every event they plan – genuine hospitality.

Creating the Frame

The AMS Event Services team excels at identifying all the critical pieces on the board – vision, strategy, budgeting, executing and reporting. They show up. They solve problems. They create unique client experiences that are memorable and meaningful. The critical piece that each team member brings to the table is their ability to understand each client’s culture. Every organization, association, and enterprise have a culture – a vibe – that is unique to them. Understanding our client’s values and perspective allows us to develop dynamic and successful partnerships. The result is events that return measurable results in mission critical categories such as guest experience, engagement and lead generation.  

The Big Picture

Early and regular engagement with client stakeholders and staff to understand their goals and expectations establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration throughout the event planning process. The workflow builds from this foundation. No matter what kind of event we plan, our desire is to ensure that the process of creating it is as exceptional as the event itself.

No Detail is Too Small

In our long-standing partnership, AMS has been an invaluable asset enabling the NOC to run smoothly at IETF meetings. I know with AMS in charge, I don’t have to worry about or even think about the logistics involved in a successful meeting, such as NOC room location, hotel room logistics for NOC personnel, and probably a dozen things that I am not thinking of because they go so smoothly. During the meeting, AMS and the NOC work together with a facility born from our long collaboration. When will this meeting room be ready for the team to set up access points? Can we please have some more Diet Coke? From the meeting essentials to simple creature comforts, we know AMS has it handled.

–Bill Fenner, Distinguished Engineer, Arista Networks, NOC volunteer since 2001 

Practice Makes Perfect

The value we bring is not only our combined years of event planning expertise, with our CMPs and PCOs, it’s our dedication to ensure that each and every client event is picture perfect!

Contact AMS Event Services at events@amsl.com and let our team put all the pieces together for your 2026 events.

See more articles with our Top 10 tips for associations

Drive Your ROI with Professional Meeting Planning

Posted on by Julianne Fitzpatrick

The team of AMS Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs) is the SEAL Team 6 of event planners — trained, prepared, and always ready for the next mission.

In today’s complex world, discerning clients rely on AMS to deliver innovative, expertly planned, and flawlessly executed events. Our team brings knowledge, experience, creativity, resourcefulness, and nerves of steel. A challenge hates to see us coming.

Expert Strategy + Tactical Precision

From onsite tactical responsiveness such as managing power outages and customs delays, to the 30,000 ft view of negotiating rising food and beverage costs, forecasting and implementing attendee experience trends and strategically incorporating AI, the role of a professional meeting planner is both tactician and magician. They combine precision and imagination to deliver exceptional results.

The AMS Difference

With decades of collective experience, our professionals know that no matter how well you plan, surprises happen. The AMS difference is in our response — agile, strategic, and always centered on your success.

Professional meeting planning ensures your event delivers measurable ROI.

Consider the cost of not partnering with AMS — a team that inherently understands:

  • Cost control
  • Efficiency
  • Risk management
  • User experience
  • Lead generation
  • Brand awareness
  • Data analysis

Our special sauce? We make it look easy.

“AMS excelled in providing efficient and effective planning and management services. They identified and solved issues before they became serious problems, maintained positive relationships with all parties, and addressed every question and concern from a diverse set of attendees and speakers.

We are very pleased with the professional level of service provided. As an extra bonus, they are a pleasure to work with.”
— Karen O’Donoghue, former Director, Internet Trust and Technology, Internet Society

Let Us Plan Your Best Event Yet

Whether you’re planning a hybrid association meeting, strategic planning retreat, multi-day trade show, or large international conference, our Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) are ready to deliver your best event yet.

We’re already booking into 2026 so contact us today at events@amsl.com.

Building Community is the Best Investment in Your Association

Posted on by Julianne Fitzpatrick

An interconnected community is the foundation of a successful association.

One of the key roles for association leaders and staff is to create opportunities for connection. The more we invest in community and developing those relationships, the more meaningful our communication, engagement and results become. In simple terms, you give what you get. Whether your association meets in-person, online or a combination of the two, we’ve created a list of proven strategies to improve engagement between association stakeholders:

Understand Your Audience

In any group of professionals there will inevitably be a mix of introverts and extroverts. Where in the past traditional ‘meet and greet’ receptions may have been the order of the day, association managers and event managers like the team at AMS, know to carefully consider the engagement style of attendees when planning events to create the most positive impact. Surveying attendees when they register provides insight in attendee preferences which can be incorporated into your meeting and event planning. For example, creating novel newcomer events before the official program kicks-off enables new folks to meet and connect so they don’t feel lost in the shuffle. Low-pressure interactive games enable participants to share a fun experience that can be a springboard to innovation, creativity and professional collaboration.   

Invest in Your Participants   

Association leaders are among the hardest working people at any association event, often juggling multiple roles and responsibilities with limited bandwidth. Nevertheless, when leaders invest time to engage with newcomers and regular attendees, the ROI can’t be overstated. Participants feel valued and motivated so the organization experiences less turnover. Engaged participants translate into increased membership retention and renewals because participants feel appreciated and invest themselves in the long-term success of the organization. Win-Win! 

Do Well by Doing Good

Recently a client connected with Labdoo, a global collective social network that collects unused computers for schools in need. The effort was enthusiastically embraced by attendees who brought their unused computers to the organization’s Q2 meeting where the items were collected by the staff. The partnership was overwhelmingly viewed as positive by donors.  

As this and other examples show, providing simple but meaningful opportunities to give back to charitable organizations creates sustained goodwill among association colleagues, reinforces the brand identity of the organization and its core values while supporting under served communities and making a difference.

Cherish the Volunteer

Volunteers are the life blood of any association. They work long hours behind the scenes, they keep the organization on track and moving forward. Volunteers rarely seek recognition but it’s important to highlight their efforts to acknowledge their dedication and to inspire others. Whether through a formal award program, a recommendation letter, a newsletter profile, a gift card – even a hand written note – it’s important to shine a light on those who truly make a difference in the success of your organization. Volunteers are more likely to continue volunteering and to recruit others when they feel appreciated.

Collaboration Cohorts Spark Innovation and Belonging

Collaboration Cohorts or peer-to-peer learning circles, are small, informal groups that meet regularly. These cohorts allow participants to collaborate, share resources, exchange ideas, and support each other in a low-pressure, high-value setting. Unlike traditional panels or presentations, these member-led groups focus on conversation and connection. Whether centered around job roles, career stages, or industry topics, they create opportunities for participants to both give and receive knowledge—building trust, confidence, and community along the way.

Start small with a few pilot groups and expand based on interest. The results speak for themselves: when members feel heard, supported, and connected, they stick around—and they show up.

In summary, people may initially join an association for a business or personal reason, but they often stay for the people they’ve met and the relationships they’ve built along the way. Community. Collaboration. Connection – The 3 Cs that we value at AMS!

Experience and Expertise

Posted on by Julianne Fitzpatrick

Successful events are created with equal amounts of strategic planning, artful design and budget management.

A careful eye on the budget ensures that the goals for the event remain in  focus throughout the planning and execution. Mindful resource allocation combined with regular, clear communication are just some of the many benefits to working with an AMC Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) like those at AMS to plan your events. In fact, according to a report by the AMC Institute, in the first year under AMC management, associations realized an increase in gross revenue of 9.6% on average.

A CMP is an essential resource to ensuring association event contracts are created to reflect your priorities and protect your interests. Just as every event is different, so is every event contract. One of the core elements to an event budget is the contract for the event location. And the location contract is typically one the biggest line items in the overall event budget. Typically, an event contract includes language relevant to the event space, infrastructure, audio visual, food and beverage options. If an event is held at a hotel, the contract may also include sleeping rooms for attendees. Depending on the type of event, the contract may include requirements for décor and entertainment, use of external vendors. Each piece of the contract puzzle presents challenges and opportunities to allocate resources to creating an event that aligns with the clients goals. With expert contract negotiation from a CMP, your event and your budget are prioritized.

When it comes to professional event planning and especially when it comes to event contracts, contingency planning is everything. A contract that is negotiated by a CMP maximizes protections for the client. In recent times, for example, the AMS team of CMPs played a major role in significantly limiting liability exposure for our clients during the global health crisis and other unforeseen events. In this example, a clause was added to the client’s contract that enabled them to cancel and rebook their event only two months out from the event date. The thoughtful negotiation up front resulted in a savings of $50K in cancellation fees which was 35% of their overall event budget.  Without that language in the contract, the client would have had little recourse. That example illustrates how expertise and experience protects our client’s interests foremost resulting in our client’s ability to maintain their budget stability and reschedule events when circumstances require. It’s a win win.  

We’ll just say it. CMPs are everyday superheroes!  But CMPs are not just about coming to the rescue in dire circumstances. In fact, our CMPs are busy working on our client’s behalf at all times because every event that we manage receives the same level of attention and care regardless of the size or scope of the event or budget. Our team has planned and executed every imaginable type of event from a full-scale regatta, with sailboats helmed by a captain and crewed by company teams, to large-scale installations at global industry trade shows to bespoke executive retreats. Our team has even created award-winning, fully customized virtual worlds for Fortune 500 companies, associations and academic institutions using leading edge technologies. Whether an event is in-person, virtual or hybrid, our team delivers memorable events with measurable results. 

Our team of CMPs possesses a truly unmatched level of skills and expertise that they employ for our corporate, association and non-profit clients each day. They’re resourceful, flexible, anticipate challenges and create innovative solutions to meet those challenges. They understand that events are an investment and the ROI is always centered in their planning. They’re adept at juggling competing priorities to ensure workflow progression so that each benchmark is met throughout the planning and execution of every event. They are experts at clearly communicating with stakeholders before, during and after events. They understand the strategic goals for each event and act accordingly. And above all, they make it all look easy and fun. There’s a reason AMS has been named one of the top ten AMC and event planning firms. If you have an upcoming event, our team of CMPs is ready to help. Please contact us events@amsl.com.

Top 10 Tips for Effective Member Onboarding from Association Experts

Posted on by Julianne Fitzpatrick

Onboarding new members can feel purely administrative but it’s one of the best opportunities to set the stage for the long-term success of your association.

Congratulations! You’ve recruited a new member to your association and they’re ready to work! Now what? Do you send them a password and wish them well? To ensure new members are prepared to effectively contribute their valuable time and energy, here are 10 strategies to not only get but also keep members engaged.

1. Welcome to the Team!

Offer a sincere greeting on behalf of the board, leadership, and staff. A high-quality initial interaction welcoming new members and thanking them for their interest and participation sets the stage for a productive and successful working relationship.

2. Provide Resources

Create a wiki with available resources from meeting schedules and dial-ins, event calendars, procedures, job descriptions, volunteer opportunities, sponsorship opportunities, and contacts. A well-organized resource library empowers members to become familiar with the organization and reduces staff time replying to repetitive questions.

3. Create Social Opportunities

No one wants to feel like the new kid in school. Schedule an informal social event, like a 30-minute newcomer welcome breakfast  at your in-person meetings to create a low-pressure environment for new members to meet each other and to interact with leaders and staff. Another option is to have a mentor (board member, leadership, or a long-time member) partner up with the new member to make introductions, answer questions, etc.

4. Introductions

New members may be announced on the website and in a social media blast. Take it one step further by highlighting new participants in your opening statement at a meeting or in your online communications to foster a sense of community and growth as an organization.

5. New Member Check In

Is your new member attending calls? Are they volunteering? Are they downloading the latest materials? After initial onboarding, check back with new members to ensure they have the tools and information they need to engage so the ROI in your organization is evident.

6. Provide Tools

Providing easy-to-use online tools, such as an AMS, for meeting registration, document management, project management and member collaboration is essential to facilitate their work for your association. A good tool will also help with reporting to measure member engagement.

7. Approach With Mindfulness

Be mindful of time zones, communication methods and language to encourage a dynamic and diverse organization and increase participation. Do you need to provide closed captioning?  Accessible friendly websites? What will make it easy for your members to participate.

8. Quality of Experience

To create the best experience for your members (new and existing) consider how different members prefer to engage. Do introverts need rest spaces or longer breaks at in-person meetings? Do members need translation services? Do they need more training on available tools? Know what works for your membership and incorporate elements that enable them to make the most of their time together.

9. Importance of Communication

Do your members only hear from you when their invoice is due? Highlighting new member profiles in newsletters, blogs, and email communications can foster connection between members and demonstrate growth. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

10. Request Feedback

Often new members are the best source of inspiration and ideas to make the onboarding process even better. A quick survey to ask for their honest feedback will make those members feel heard and improve the onboarding experience for the next new member. Why did they join?  What is the compelling reason for their engagement? What do they wish we provided that we don’t currently?

A newcomer’s fresh perspective enables associations to assess, and where necessary, up-level the onboarding experience to ensure that new members feel that they are a welcome addition to the group and that their presence is valued.

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