Guidebook Meets: How Asian American Journalists Association Builds Inclusive Events for 2,000+ Members Across 20 Chapters
**Guidebook Meets: How Asian American Journalists Association Builds Inclusive Events for 2,000+ Members Across 20 Chapters**
**Date:** May 1, 2025
---
Join us for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to build inclusive events for a diverse, geographically distributed membership.
Building events for 2,000+ members spanning 20 geographic chapters and representing 50+ ethnic identities requires more than good intentions—it demands intentional design, authentic partnerships, and technology that truly serves varied needs. The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has developed a distinctive approach to inclusive event planning, from intimate 15-person book tours to their flagship 1,500-attendee convention, always prioritizing member voice and community safety.
---
**What You'll Learn**
In this 45-minute webinar, Felicia Chanco (Director of Special Initiatives at AAJA) shares strategies for creating inclusive, member-driven association events, including:
• How to build member-driven programming by listening across diverse communities and creating systems for members to inform priorities
• Segmentation strategies that treat 1,500 attendees as individuals with unique goals—not one cohesive mass
• Pre-event community building tactics using Slack channels, roommate matching, and front-door pathways that meet members at their comfort level
• Sponsor fulfillment approaches that deliver clear ROI through QR code tracking, Sponsor Academy models, and mission-aligned programming
• Technology implementation that ensures accessibility for all literacy levels—from mobile app gamification to printed materials and trained volunteer guides
• Crisis resilience strategies for maintaining your mission during challenging political and economic climates
---
**AAJA's Event Ecosystem By the Numbers**
• 2,000+ active members across the journalism and media ecosystem
• 20 geographic chapters requiring tailored event approaches
• 1,500 attendees at flagship annual convention programming
• 50+ ethnic identities and languages represented in membership
---
**Who Should Attend**
• Association event planners managing diverse membership bases across multiple chapters
• Nonprofit event professionals working with lean teams and limited budgets
• Community organizers prioritizing inclusive design and accessibility
• Event producers seeking to balance sponsor needs with member experience
• Association leaders navigating challenging political and economic climates
---
**Featured Speaker**
Felicia Chanco serves as Director of Special Initiatives at the Asian American Journalists Association, where she oversees most organizational events—from intimate 15-person book tours to the flagship 1,500-attendee annual convention. With eight years of running her own event production company before joining AAJA, she brings design thinking principles and lean startup methodologies to creating inclusive, member-driven experiences for the journalism community.
---
Register now to learn how AAJA's inclusive event approach has achieved engagement from members representing 50+ ethnic identities, successful coordination across 20 chapters, high sponsor satisfaction through clear ROI tracking, and maintained programming integrity through 40 years despite external pressures.
**Date:** May 1, 2025
---
Join us for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to build inclusive events for a diverse, geographically distributed membership.
Building events for 2,000+ members spanning 20 geographic chapters and representing 50+ ethnic identities requires more than good intentions—it demands intentional design, authentic partnerships, and technology that truly serves varied needs. The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has developed a distinctive approach to inclusive event planning, from intimate 15-person book tours to their flagship 1,500-attendee convention, always prioritizing member voice and community safety.
---
**What You'll Learn**
In this 45-minute webinar, Felicia Chanco (Director of Special Initiatives at AAJA) shares strategies for creating inclusive, member-driven association events, including:
• How to build member-driven programming by listening across diverse communities and creating systems for members to inform priorities
• Segmentation strategies that treat 1,500 attendees as individuals with unique goals—not one cohesive mass
• Pre-event community building tactics using Slack channels, roommate matching, and front-door pathways that meet members at their comfort level
• Sponsor fulfillment approaches that deliver clear ROI through QR code tracking, Sponsor Academy models, and mission-aligned programming
• Technology implementation that ensures accessibility for all literacy levels—from mobile app gamification to printed materials and trained volunteer guides
• Crisis resilience strategies for maintaining your mission during challenging political and economic climates
---
**AAJA's Event Ecosystem By the Numbers**
• 2,000+ active members across the journalism and media ecosystem
• 20 geographic chapters requiring tailored event approaches
• 1,500 attendees at flagship annual convention programming
• 50+ ethnic identities and languages represented in membership
---
**Who Should Attend**
• Association event planners managing diverse membership bases across multiple chapters
• Nonprofit event professionals working with lean teams and limited budgets
• Community organizers prioritizing inclusive design and accessibility
• Event producers seeking to balance sponsor needs with member experience
• Association leaders navigating challenging political and economic climates
---
**Featured Speaker**
Felicia Chanco serves as Director of Special Initiatives at the Asian American Journalists Association, where she oversees most organizational events—from intimate 15-person book tours to the flagship 1,500-attendee annual convention. With eight years of running her own event production company before joining AAJA, she brings design thinking principles and lean startup methodologies to creating inclusive, member-driven experiences for the journalism community.
---
Register now to learn how AAJA's inclusive event approach has achieved engagement from members representing 50+ ethnic identities, successful coordination across 20 chapters, high sponsor satisfaction through clear ROI tracking, and maintained programming integrity through 40 years despite external pressures.
Plan with Confidence, Not stress
Get the complete event planning checklist with pre-event prep, day-of setup, and post-event follow-up all in one place..