Looking Ahead: AIIP Starts Planning for 2024 Symposium

By Rachel Yang

The AIIP23 annual conference in Milwaukee is another one for the books. Many thanks to all who contributed and participated to make it a truly delightful and purposeful event.

As the 2023 conference year closes, we look forward to gearing up our planning for the 2024 event.

We are calling next year’s event the “AIIP Symposium.” This rebranding better reflects the small, intimate nature of the event and the tradition of open discussion and networking. Future communications will reflect the change.

We start with announcing our 2024 site:

[Drum roll! …]

The AIIP24 Symposium will be held April 17-21 in St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis is centrally located in the Midwest region of the U.S., about 300 miles southwest of Chicago.

Our host venue is the Magnolia Hotel, a Marriott portfolio property in downtown St. Louis. St. Louis had been selected as AIIP’s 2022 conference site, but the pandemic caused plans to change, and the conference was held virtually instead. The 2024 planning committee decided that next year would be a good time to meet in that location.

St. Louis is a vibrant city with plenty to offer in terms of history and activities. The Gateway Arch is a popular destination, of course. Other sites include:

• St. Louise Botanical Gardens
• Museums such as the National Blues Museum
• St. Louis Public Library
• City Walks
• … and plenty more

We intend the AIIP24 Symposium to include in-person and virtual components. And as always, there will be plenty of networking time. Group activities and dinners will be part of the schedule. 

Meeting other members in real life is the preferred experience. The AIIP24 Symposium is just under a year away, but members are urged to start budgeting for the event now. Consider it an investment in yourself and your business to meet with like-minded infopreneurs, make connections, and learn new strategies.

Interested in helping form the symposium next year? Great – we would love to have you! We are looking for people to chair as well as support these committees:

• Program
• Hotel & Local Arrangements
• Sponsorship
• Communications

What is it like to plan an event like this? It is fun! Volunteering for AIIP24 Symposium planning is a great opportunity to learn and grow as an association member and business owner:

• You will learn something new and meet new people.
• You do not have to lead a committee (but we would be pleased if you want to!).
• There are just a few meetings – most tasks can be done through email.
• There is excellent documentation from prior years – processes and procedures are fairly predictable, and there are templates to get you started.

In the meantime, think about where you would like to serve AIIP and consider joining a planning committee. If you want to be a symposium speaker, start planning for that too! Now is the time to think through ideas – we look forward to hearing from you!

AIIP President Janel Kinlaw and I will be leading the planning, communications, and calls for participation. Expect to see more details about volunteering and the AIIP24 Symposium in future communications.

If you are considering joining AIIP, visit our membership page to find out how AIIP works to position you for ongoing business success. In the meantime, let us plan to meet in St. Louis!

Rachel Yang is the owner of Poplar Consulting, working closely with clients to organize and optimize their web-based information for better customer service. She has been an AIIP member since 2019.