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What happens when you merge a new media organization with an old media organization?

You get the oldest type of media exchange in human civilization: face-to-face. That's a crucial lesson Tina Brown, editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast -Newsweek, gave attendees at the first general session at ASAE's Annual Meeting & Exposition. She says "high-touch live events... bring life to everything else you're doing." The new ideas, innovation, and sharing "fueled by a topical purpose" that happen there is one of the most powerful ways information gets exchanged.

Associations have a couple hundred years of experience in face-to-face. We could likely learn a few things about integrating information from other media into their events, but she raised another more important point--and is also something associations could do better--postevent engagement. The Daily Beast decided to make the global women's movement the focal point of their face-to-face meetings. After the first event, people were clamoring for more after the event, particularly wanting ways to support the work and causes of some of the presenters. They learned quickly how to tap into that event excitement and carry it forward for months afterwards.