Dear Conference Chair: You Don’t Have to Do It All (But You Might Be)
Being a Conference Chair in the medical education world comes with prestige, responsibility, and let’s be honest, a mountain of responsibilities.
You’re shaping the scientific program, selecting faculty, navigating CME requirements, liaising with sponsors, sometimes even reviewing slide decks or booking hotel space or more. Sound familiar?
You’re not alone. Across the industry, more and more medical professionals are being asked to serve as Chair + Project Manager + Marketer + Meeting Planner + Grant Writer, all in one. And often, when things get busy, you and/or your admin are the ones coordinating AV requirements, food and beverage orders, or sending late-night speaker reminders.
Here’s the truth no one says often enough: You don’t have to do it all. But right now, you might be.
Let’s break down what’s really going on, and what can help.
The Hidden Cost of Wearing Every Hat
You were likely chosen as Chair because of your clinical expertise and thought leadership, not because you’re a whiz at AV, run-of-shows or coffee break timing. But in the absence of strong infrastructure or support, Chairs often fill in the gaps, or lean heavily on an overextended admin assistant to do the same or feel they have to save money.
And while your intentions are good, here’s what happens:
Your time gets spread thin across tasks you were never trained to manage.
Strategic opportunities, like building a long-term audience, improving learning formats, or expanding reach, get put on the back burner.
Your conference brand suffers, and so do attendee outcomes.
This isn’t about placing blame, it’s about acknowledging a flawed system. When meeting planning becomes an invisible second (or third) job, Chairs burn out, and the science gets lost in the shuffle.
You Deserve a Team That Matches Your Vision
If you’ve ever said to yourself:
“I know what I want the program to feel like, but I don’t know how to get there.”
“The CME rules feel like a moving target.”
“Why am I the one following up with the hotel or the AV team?”
You’re not failing. You’re functioning in a model that assumes Chairs should be able to manage it all, when what’s really needed is a trusted partner who understands the nuances of medical education and the complexity of planning.
Whether it’s an internal planning committee, a dedicated CME office, or an external partner, building the right support team can free you up to do what only you can do - guide the science, inspire the faculty, and elevate the conversation.
What You Should Be Doing as Chair
Let’s reframe your role. As a Conference Chair, your core focus should be:
Content Leadership: Curating relevant topics, vetting faculty, and identifying gaps in knowledge and needs assessments.
Vision Setting: Defining what makes this conference different, urgent, and valuable.
Stakeholder Engagement: Building bridges across disciplines, institutions, or sponsors.
Strategic Thinking: Looking at longitudinal growth, post-event learning, or hybrid expansion.
If your calendar is filled with AV orders and lunch menus instead of high-level strategy, something’s off.
What You Can Let Go Of
Here’s what you can (and should) delegate to a professional planning team or educational design partner:
Event Logistics: AV, room sets, catering, housing, registration platforms, and signage.
Faculty Management: Speaker invitations, bios, disclosures, travel arrangements, and honoraria.
CME Compliance: Applications, disclosures, evaluation tools, and credit tracking.
Marketing & Communications: Email campaigns, social media, save-the-dates, and branded visuals.
Grant & Sponsorship Support: Budget forecasting, prospectus creation, grant proposal writing, and post-event reconciliations.
When done well, this kind of collaboration amplifies your voice, not replaces it.
A Better Conference Starts with Better Boundaries
So how do you start the shift?
Assess where your time is really going. What’s draining you? What feels misaligned?
Have an honest conversation with your planning team. What can be offloaded now?
Choose a partner who understands both science and logistics. CME conferences are not corporate retreats, they require nuance, and a knowledge of compliance requirements.
Redefine success. It’s not about doing it all. It’s about doing the right things well, and partnering with the right strategic partner.
Final Thought: Don’t Just Survive This Year - Build for the Next One
Every great conference starts with a Chair who cares. But caring doesn’t mean carrying it all on your shoulders. When you’re supported strategically, your ideas become movements. Your vision becomes a legacy. And the science you champion can reach farther than ever before.
You don’t have to do it all. You just have to do what matters most!
Let us help with the rest. Contact us today to get started.
Polly Grieger-Rossi, CMP-HC, CMM, HMCC