Exhibitors Matter Too

When prepping for your conference, your main focus is on the members. You want to make sure they are happy and getting their money’s worth which is very important. Exhibitors, however, are also paying to attend and exhibit at your event and deserve some love as well.

Anticipate their needs. Exhibitors require a lot of set up prior to the event. Make sure they have anything they might need or a contact they can get it from. Keep in mind this could include electricity outlets, chairs a map of the showroom, a schedule of where members will be and when they will be in the showroom. Instead of putting the pressure on yourself, you can also ask your exhibitors when they sign up questions like,

• What technologies will you need the day of?

• What kind of information would you like to know about attendees?

• What will you be bringing to your booth?

Consider an event app. An event app is useful for both attendees and exhibitors. It allows them access to all of the information they could possibly need about the event while also being able to connect with one another. Some apps even allow for appointment setting between exhibitors and attendees.

Require/encourage exhibitor visitation. If your association requires continuing education credits, offer credits for attending a set number of booths. This benefits both parties and is easy to do. If continuing education is not a component of your organization, offer a different incentive. This could be entering their name into a raffle, discounting membership, or anything else that applies more specifically to your group.

Improving your exhibitor experience will bring in more money for events, instill a good reputation for your association among vendors, and leave attendees feeling happy.

3 Things to Improve your Member Luncheons

Several of our clients hold a monthly member luncheon that typically includes a presentation and networking. Members, however, are often busy during their work days and find reasons not to attend. If you are looking to increase attendance and make those attending happier, give the following a try!

Surveys. Make sure to survey those that are attending after each meeting. Ask them about the food, presentation, and for any suggestions for future meetings. This is a great way to determine how satisfied members are with the current location, food quality, or content. The Board of Directors can discuss this feedback each month and make adjustments accordingly.

Giveaways. Have a small drawing each month. It can be a gift card or a small gift that relates to the season or speaker. Encourage sponsors or members to donate these from their business. This will save you money but gives people something to look forward to at each meeting.

Networking topics. Provide a list of networking topics to get your members chatting. They might find it uncomfortable to sit down and just jump into a conversation. Giving them a list of topics will make them feel more at ease about attending future meetings and will hopefully will allow them connect with those around them.

Make your member luncheons something to look forward to and something that is always evolving! Your members will be thanking you.

4 Ways to Fill your Newsletter with Content

It’s important to provide your members with content on the regular. They are reminded of their membership and feel like they are getting something useful out of it even when they aren’t attending events. One way to provide that is through newsletters, however, you might find yourself scrambling for something to include each month. Below you can find a list of newsletter content ideas that should spark your creative side!

• Blogs or articles- If your association already has blogs being written and maintained on the website, reuse that material. Put a short blurb, photo, and link back to the original blog. This will draw people to your website as well. If you do not have your own blogs, find stuff on other sites related to your industry and share it with your members. This will keep them in the know and will be appreciated.

• Throwbacks- If you have a box of old photos from past events or a scanned copy of the very first convention program, share it with your members in the newsletter! It can be fun to take a look down memory lane and adds something visually appealing to the newsletter.

• Board Spotlight- Do an interview with a member of the board each month and highlight that in the newsletter. This allows the membership to get to know the board better and gives the board the recognition they deserve.

• Updates- You also want to make sure your newsletter has some meat to it as well. Make sure to share any updates with organization, upcoming events, and any changes with leadership. This is the stuff they will primarily be looking for in the newsletter.

Make the newsletter something your members will not only skim through, but actually enjoy reading by adding some of these ideas to future months!

Grow your Young Professional Membership

Do you ever take a look around at your membership and notice that the group is full of seasoned professionals that are inching closer and closer to retirement? If so, it might be time to start targeting a younger crowd that can stay in the association for years to come. Obtaining young professionals as members, however, can be tricky. The millennial generation is known for wanting experiences rather than material items. That means you truly have to give them an experience and offers they cannot receive elsewhere. Luckily, a new group of college graduates enters the work force every year so you have a new group to target each year.

Reach. In order to convince young professionals to join your organization, you need to reach them where they are. Set up a booth at their college fair, contact the leader of a club that is related to your association, get online. Students at a fair are always looking to get involved in something and students in a club are already involved. These are the perfect types of people to bring in to the association. They are open and willing to learn about something that is more of an extra-curricular. Reaching millennials on social media is also always a good move. When doing this, however, make sure to be relatable and provide useful content. You can’t just have social media and expect someone in a younger generation to follow it.

Membership levels. Students coming out of college are often drowning in their student loans. The last thing they will want to do is put more money into getting a leg up in their career. Some options would be to offer a free membership to students or a free or discounted first year of membership. Offering free membership to students, allows them to get involved in the association early and understand the value the organization holds. They are then more likely to continue paying for their membership after their time in college. If you want to ensure that you hold onto them during that transition period, the free or discounted first year will most likely keep them hooked.

Benefits. When trying to attract a younger crowd, make sure to stress the benefits. Networking is a huge benefit to post grads. They are looking to make connections in the industry and often struggle with finding a place to do that. These connections are great but there is also a chance that they will find real friends among the members. This can also be an incentive to join. Push the people aspect of the association and any other benefits that would specifically apply to someone just entering the work force.

If you make these adjustments and understand your target audience, your association will be booming with young professionals before you know it!

Recharging your Membership: Your Membership Webinar Review

I started to notice lately that one of the associations that I manage was losing their membership’s interest. Less people were showing up for events, emails were being opened up less and less, and nobody was volunteering for committees. Because of this, I decided to watch Your Membership’s webinar, “Recharging your Membership.”

The webinar focused around an idea that is often applied in personal relationships, but should be applied to professional ones as well, including associations. That idea is that, “People remember NOT WHAT YOU DO, but how you MAKE THEM FEEL.” Due to society’s shift to a more experience-driven value proposition, it is important to think of how your members feel rather than what you are providing them.

People are more emotional, expect things to exceed their expectations, and want things that are intangible. This can be challenging for associations to deliver. Each member is different and might have a different expectation that they are looking for you to exceed. Your members, however, should fall into a similar audience. They all chose to join the association for a reason. That reason is something you should focus on when delivering their experience.

The webinar also covered the fact that a member’s last great experience is now their new expectation. You want to leave a good impression in their mind at the end of each time you have with them. If you are hosting a conference, end with a motivational speaker, a concert or a bag full of goodies. Make them feel appreciated and excited!

The first step in giving your member’s a positive experience, however, starts much earlier and often with technology. Make sure your association’s website is easy to navigate and does not cause them any trouble. If they do not enjoy their experience on the website, they may be less likely to sign up for events or look for information in the future on the site. Ensure that it is clean, easy to read, and aesthetically pleasing. The same goes for any emails that are sent to that member. These are all contact points in which you can leave a good impression.

Shifting your association to be more experience-driven is a necessity in order to maintain a competitive advantage nowadays. Being non-member centric is the biggest threat to your organization. Pull members in and retain them by involving them in the conversation. Create an idea box for members to reach you at, thank them after every interaction and simply make them feel welcomed. This actions can go a long way in membership retention! I am excited to take what I learned and apply it to my own association to help them grow and maintain their members.