If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a pile of paper sign-in sheets on a Sunday night after a conference, you know exactly what we mean. There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from being the middleman between multiple different support teams while trying to figure out why a member’s registration didn’t sync with their education record.
For many association leaders, “Conference Week” has become synonymous with chaos. You’re working between multiple spreadsheets, chasing speakers for course materials & slides, and fielding questions from members who can’t find their login. It’s easy to feel like you’ve spent more time being a systems administrator than actually advancing your organization’s mission.
The Evolution of Event Tools
At CE21, our excitement for events started long before the world shifted in 2020. We were already building for a future where both digital and physical event products could be managed within the same administrative system. When the world changed, we were ready to help our partners pivot. Since then, we haven’t slowed down; we’ve made our tools even more flexible and powerful.
Today, our event tools are a core part of our Learning Management System (LMS). This means when you use our platform for an in-person, virtual, or hybrid event, everything is tied to a single, unified database.
Imagine a world where:
- Data Updates Just Happen: When someone registers for a session, that information is instantly in their member profile and on your reports.
- Attendance Tracking is Automatic: No more clipboards. With our QR code-based system, attendees check in with a scan, and their credits are calculated and recorded immediately.
- Certificates Go Out Fast: Instead of taking weeks to mail or email transcripts, your members can access their certificates minutes after the closing keynote.
The Shift From “Static” to “Dynamic” Learning
Before 2020, most association events followed a predictable script: a speaker on a stage with a slide deck, while the audience listened for 60 minutes. Today, that model has evolved into something much more interactive.
Members now expect active participation even when they are watching from a home office. This is why we have focused so heavily on tools that turn a one-way lecture into a two-way conversation. Our learning management platform includes features like:
- Interactive Program Viewers: Real-time chat, Q&A widgets, and Facebook-style forums that allow attendees to engage with each other and the speaker.
- Live Polling and QR Codes: Speakers can push polls directly to attendees’ devices to get instant feedback or spark a discussion.
- Simu-live Options: You can efficiently set up pre-recorded content to play at a scheduled date/time so your staff and speakers are free to moderate the live chat and answer questions in real-time.
By 2025, the goal isn’t just to provide a video stream; it’s to create a “knowledge hub” where members feel they are part of a community rather than just a viewer.
Learn more about our Event Management Tools – fully included with the Learning Management System (LMS).
A Different Way to Partner: Managed Event Services
We also know that sometimes you don’t need a whole new Association Management System (AMS) or LMS, you just need a win for your upcoming annual conference. This is why we created our Managed Event Services.
This is a standalone offering designed for organizations that want a professional, high-production event without a long-term platform commitment. We offer transparent, event-based pricing with no “pricing games” or hidden fees.
Whether it’s an in-person seminar or a complex virtual conference, our in-house team handles the technical heavy lifting. We provide:
- A Dedicated Team: You get a specific conference team that acts as an extension of your own staff, helping with everything from page layout to virtual exhibitor booth setup and custom pre-roll videos.
- Live Event Production: If your conference calls for truly live components, we provide everything from on-site professional videographers to remote Zoom technicians to manage stream quality and performance so you don’t have to.
Learn more about our Managed Event Services
Test Drive the Future
If you feel trapped by a platform where managing your conference feels like one long workaround, a CE21 managed event is the perfect way to see what happens when things just work. You can experience our technology and our human-first support team in action before you ever decide to move your entire member database.
Events should be about connection and growth, not troubleshooting. You didn’t get into association management to fight with technology and software; you did it to serve your members. We’re just here to make sure the technology stays out of your way.
