Association BarCamp

MSAE hosted our 3rd Annual Association BarCamp on 9/27, topics were selected that day so they were relevant to the attendee needs, here are the takeaways from each discussion:

Trade Shows

• Focus on education and the exhibitors will come (similar to Ladies Night at the bar)
• Invite exhibitor feedback - form an advisory board and/or gather exhibitors after the meeting to get their input, give them a comment card
• Add a "reverse trade show" component to facilitate further in-depth conversations between buyers and vendors

Finding Time for Follow Up

• Time management - know what time of day works best for you
• Manage your time each day to handle email traffic, come up with a plan for a time each day to respond that is scheduled (beware of others expectations)
• Schedule time each day for follow up

Future of Membership Associations

• What's the future? Adopting a retail mindset - "what do you need today?"
• Being where our members are; mobile devices, learn where they are by tracking their preferences via your website
• Associations will stay as long as they remain relevant; what is the "priceless" value you give to your members?

Collaborating with Other Associations

• Before entering into any collaborative effort, having all parties sign off on a "memo of understanding" that outlines expectations, responsibilities and a time life of milestones
• "Adapt or Die" in terms of staying relevant; collaboration may be necessary to stay relevant
• Communication transparency is key; politics may not be avoidable - know this

Webinars

• Hire a "good" company - reliable, trustworthy, reputable
• Be aware of sales tax issue - new MN legislation regarding "digital products"
• Be cautious of "webinar fatigue" - the word 'webinar' = boring; title your webinars "web conference" instead

Sponsorships

• Engage the sponsors - customize for them
• Unique locations - think outside the box (Extreme Sandbox, Drive a Tank, car dealership, WhirlyBall, Horse & Hunt Club, etc.)
• Sell every space - window clings, foot prints, escalator runners, etc.

Future of Meetings

• Face-to-face meetings vs. webinars - face-to-face meetings are back, format is even changing
• Meetings are more creative, interactive; focus on group participation over speaker, lecture format
• Content of the meeting is key as you need to grab members attention to get them there; getting feedback afterward is key

Apps for Meeting Planners

• Evernote
• Super Planner
• Giant Timer
• Corbin Ball & Jim Spellos' website - tech for meeting/trade show industry

Social Media

• Have a strategy and specific goals
• Find out what target audience is following and tailor content towards it
• Timing - before workday, before lunch, at end of work? Tuesday - Thursday?

Event Marketing

• Use catchy language in subject lines
• Provide incentives for those that respond
• Use creative videos or animated videos in marketing and emails

Online Communities

• Member generated content - discussing together, don't be afraid to ask members to post
• Utilizing as a research tool to prospect new members
• Boost brand value and integrity by strong presence

See photos from Association BarCamp online at Flickr.