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.

Association BarCamp

Over 50 members came out for MSAE's Association BarCamp on 9/14 - topics were selected that day, here are takeaways from each discussion:

Next Generation Retention and Recruitment

• Don't use structured English in communication. Don't use "join" - instead use "engage" or "participate." Be fast, quick, to-the-point. If you don't, you will lose their attention.
• They need to feel their contribution/opinion is valued.
• Identify groups by mindset rather than age.

Online Learning

• Offer a subscription service for purchasing online learning.
• 3 Association / Group Resources - ASTD, Digital Learning Forum, PACT.
• Online is great but continue with face-to-face.
• Ways to build online self-directed resources - software to use: Articulate.

Effective Communication in the Workplace

• Intentionally establish your communication culture (e.g. it's okay to be blunt).
• Stop emailing - go down the hall and talk to someone.
• Pay attention to your speaking tone. People read your written messages in the voice in which you speak to them.

New Membership Dues Structures

• Let members choose how they want to pay (monthly, quarterly, annually - but commit to entire year).
• Give option for members to pay for membership, events, education - "all inclusive" and give them a monthly fee. "Save time, save money."
• Don't ask them to "join," ask them to "engage" or "participate."

The Modern Meeting

• Read the book: "Read this before our next meeting" by Al Pittampalli.
• Instead of a meeting, have a work session.
• No more meetings to give information, write a memo instead. Only meet to provide dissent or coordinate effort.

More vs. Less

• Narrowing your message - keep it simple and target your segments - "FOCUS."
• "Vote with your dollars" to learn member needs - have members use fake money to put against programs - allocate their dues.
• Learn needs - focus - execute - and stay on plan.

Cold Calling - Get exposure for your association or company

• Try a sales system like Sandler.
• Cold calling isn't dead, it's different. Includes email, social media and calling.
• Find a unique connection to warm-up the initial conversation.

Apps for Associations

• Don't force members to login to access an event app. Maybe use an event code onsite to access?
• Sponsorship opportunity to cover cost of app development.
• Most useful apps for associations seem to be related to events. Hard to see value-add of an app just for membership.

Brand Management

• A logo is important and truly can communicate a lot about you. Fonts can show a definite feel. How will it look in print and online?
• Use an online logo creation crowdsource to get your new logo - LogoDesignGuru.com or DesignCrowd.com are examples.
• You need to know who your organization is before you adopt a new logo. And not just who you are, but also who you want to become, and who you are to outsiders?

Using Member Data for Planning

• Developing the right questions.
• Be consistent with questions and measures.
• How do you develop a system to track member activity?
• Incentivise!

Maximizing Trade Shows

• Interaction - Increase traffic? Tying your booth message into why you are presenting? Tie message to product.
• Money - price paid for booth does not equate to greater traffic.
• Failure - research why your message is not working. Revise your approach.

Email / Constant Contact

• Be as succinct as possible. Make emails "scanner-friendly." Shorten story titles and end with "..."
• Measure the effect your email is having. Are they truly reading? Are they finding it truly valuable?
• Experiment with different messages for different segments.

See photos from Association BarCamp online at Flickr. Download Free Tools handout.

New Trends in Trade Shows/Exhibits/Expo and Sponsorships/UBIT

At our recent Meeting Management Education Council meeting, the group had a lively discussion on sponsorships & UBIT (Unrelated Business Income Tax) and new trends for trade shows. Here are some of the takeaways:

Sponsorship

• First and Foremost - always consult your legal and tax personnel for more details and advice. The information provided below was taken from our meeting and is not meant to be used as tax or legal advice.
  
• Some of the big changes with UBIT relate to ads - the words marketing, advertising, ads, advertisements make the sponsorship dollars taxable, need to acknowledge sponsors instead of advertise for them - use words like sponsorship recognition, alternated recognition (instead of rotating ad), etc. in your sponsorship programs
• Sponsorship Q&A Article from Moore, Costello & Hart
• Create more opportunities for sponsors - conference and association apps are popular right now, some of our members have paid $6,000 and up to have a professional app created, free app builders are available too, like ibuildapp.com and guidebook.com.
  

New Trade Show Trends

• Open format with exhibitors around the perimeter; food, big sponsors and sessions in the middle
  
• Provide a session for exhibitors to train them how to make most of experience (benefit if register early, at event or prior add-on)
• Beer & Wine Tour to check out all areas of the trade show floor (have drawings, tastings, etc.)
  

The World of Mobile

The world is going mobile... choices are:
1. To do nothing
2. Do a mobile version of your site
3. Do an app
These options were discussed at our recent communications networking group. Andy Steingas and Tara Loftus from Frontier Web Development shared their expertise.
Many decisions to be made before moving forward. Survey members to find out if an app is really wanted and needed. Check your google analytics to see how your members are accessing your info. And in the meantime continue to get more Twitter followers.  http://bit.ly/uZek7l

Using Social Media to Attract and Retain Members

Takeaways from the Membership Networking Group on June 15:

Social Media is a must to keep your members informed. You want to be where your members are!

1. What should you put on each form of media? Here are a few suggestions:

• Facebook: Social, Events -- link back to your website. Keep accessible to all (not just members) so others not in your association get information on your upcoming events -- use to create buzz about your association/membership.

• LinkedIn: Connect with members only. If non member wants to join, send prospect information. Professional, create chat conversations on association topics, current news events (need to monitor member connections with dues renewals).


• Twitter: Learn from others, promote your association and events, recruit new members. Schedule tweets by using hootsuite.com

• Blog: Represent your organization's events, post comments on current events, recap meetings, etc... ; control your PR and manage posts.

2. Which social media is better to use? You should be on all of them. Utilize social media monitoring tools to help you monitor success, listen, learn and engage your members -- like Hootsuite, TweetDeck, or Tweetizen. Set a specific time each day to monitor/respond to comments.

3. Social Media Policy: Every organization that has numerous people posting items on their social media sights should have a social media policy that all employees sign off on. If you don't currently have a policy check out socialmediagovernance.com

4. Put your social media links on all marketing materials.

5. Don't represent your company on your personal sites -- keep business discussions on the organizational site.

6. QRcode -- Use on marketing materials so members can scan and visit your website/event page. Tag under your QRcode "Visit us at (your web address) or Scan" so all can access the information.

Mobile bill-pay could carry high costs

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  Info on tips and safe mobile payment practices.
http://bit.ly/lkAWRK