Posts Tagged ‘associations’
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Let’s end this month with one more study, this time from the IMEX survey at their trade show last October. Yes, they had all the usual trends — do more with less, shorter meetings, going green. But this finding about associations and educational content got my attention.
According to attendee responses, associations are more firmly planted in the education business. Using content from the conferences before and after the event is pretty standard now. What’s new: the format is diversifying into interactive experiences and, yes, even — gasp — gaming!
I’ve preached for years that we experts need to “gamify” our content for corporate segments. Now it looks like we have a new group of customers coming up. My predictions: look for these formats to be underwritten by industry sponsors. This is a great way to be a guru to a community — you can go from being the expert in (fill in the blank) to being the creator of blah-blah game that is taking the industry by storm. See the difference?
Let’s put that on our resolution list. As for the IMEX study, click here to see the rest of the findings.
Tags: associations, events, experts, meetings, positioning, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Speaking, strategy | No Comments »
Thursday, August 4th, 2011
Just got back from an industry event. Had a good visit with old friends and made some new ones. The best highlight happened before the opening session.
I gathered seven people at random, spent three hours applying the latest buying trends to their business and then…stepped back and watched them help each other. Everyone left with something specific–something they could implement immediately. One person said on the last day, “Your session was by far the most valuable.” Another remarked, “The most fun I’ve had in a long time.” Seeing an idea start in one place and move into the brilliance zone blew my mind. Observing these folks share with each other melted my heart.
My theory: the gap between a great idea and a brilliant one is closed when you bring a variety of perspectives together. Try it; facilitating generosity in action will make your day.
Tags: associations, branding, consultants, conversations, experts, Marketing, meetings, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in strategy | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
Well, it had to happen sometime. Speaker RFPs (request for programs) for last Spring’s NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference were posted online for all members to admire (and comment on). You better believe those comments made a difference on who got invited to speak.
Why would an association do this? To build attendance and online engagement. By deciding what topics — and speakers — would be included, the community would own the agenda. And if the members chose the topics, how can they gripe about the program lacking relevance?
Moral of the story: attendees are now seen as assets and will contribute to the meeting in a variety of ways. (Another example: flash mobs as entertainment. Yes, it happened last year at several big conferences.) Don’t be surprised if more associations try this method. Keep this in mind when you write your proposals.
Tags: associations, meetings, Speaking, trends, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Speaking, strategy | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
As if the marketplace isn’t noisy enough, here’s another source for content at those association meetings: the attendees themselves.
Yep, the typical concurrent session of skill-building will make way for hot-topic idea exchanges, according to digital media researcher, Michael Mascioni. My reaction: this idea has legs, thanks to association industry focus on Gen Y’s in the audience and Corporate America’s desire to tap into its collective intelligence. I’m calling it the “reality TV trend of the meetings industry”. This will be a more popular option for association conventions, incentive meetings, and at leadership conferences.
Let’s not panic though. Not all concurrent sessions will ditch their speakers. Skill building and education are too important to leave to chance. Attendee-driven content will be another option, not a replacement. But… be prepared to answer this question: why should we hire you instead of using our attendees for free?
Tags: associations, education, events, Marketing, Speaking, trends, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Speaking, strategy | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
Association execs are not bullish on America, according to a survey conducted earlier this year by ASAE (formerly known as ASAE & The Center For Association Leadership). More than a third of respondents believe their organizations’ total revenues would decrease this year, and almost half (44 percent) expected fewer attendees at their largest meeting.
The antidote: expand to the overseas market. Likely targets are where the association’s industry is booming, along with strong economic markets such as India and Brazil (Indonesia and Malaysia are rising stars; China is attractive but caution remains.) You better believe this development will impact how speakers are selected. Those who can attract international audiences have the inside track. Now is the time to find out about your target market’s expansion plans. And position accordingly.
Tags: associations, experts, Marketing, positioning, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Speaking, strategy | No Comments »
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
Yes they are, according to a recent survey by PCMA (Professional Conference Management Association), their foundation and AmEx. Over 500 meeting planners were asked about plans for 2010 and 2011 this Spring and here’s what they said:
- A net increase in off-site meetings of 23 percent in 2010 and 38 percent in 2011 when compared to 2009 numbers.
- Cancellations have subsided: 89 percent stated they were not planning to postpone, cancel or rebook any meetings they had already booked in 2010 and 2011.
Industry insiders are reporting an uptick in attendance, some more than 12 percent in the association market. That’s good news for experts speaking at these events. More attendees mean more sponsorship deals, more prospects for those free experts and hopefully, less stress about paying speakers. Not breaking out the Champagne just yet, but hey, this news is better than what we’ve heard before. Let’s do a happy dance and get back to work.
Tags: associations, events, experts, Marketing, meetings, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Speaking, strategy | No Comments »
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Conventional wisdom has it that a big-name speaker drives attendance. Is that still true? Kinda, but with caveats. The economy and “teach me something now” audiences are redefining value and demanding real learning. Some big-name speakers do that: one association reports they had the biggest attendance since 2004 when they hired former President Bill Clinton to speak.
Some associations are going to the extreme by not paying speakers at all. Does that work? Not for one nameless association, who had to cancel their meeting filled with free experts because of not enough registrations.
The deciding factor: does the prominent speaker give real information, or phone it in with platitudes from a canned speech? The former still drives attendance; the latter doesn’t. It’s just that simple…
Tags: associations, meetings, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Another area of rapid recovery this year: sponsorships in general. Industry giant EIG reports that Corporate America continues to be on the prowl for new deals this year. Other interesting stats:
- 66% report looking for new deals — slightly more than 2009’s uptick of 60%
- Budget cuts are still around, but not as much: 31% say they will cut sponsorship spending this year; yes, this is good news as 51% decreased spending last year. About half report the same budget for 2010.
- 41% spend NOTHING to evaluate prospective partnerships. Translation: decisions are very subjective and “fit” is open to interpretation.
- Speaking of fit, co-branding new products shot up in popularity this year. For us content producing machines, this means joining forces with associations and other industry groups is a no-brainer.
Tags: 2010, associations, branding, economy, opportunity, Sponsorship, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Sponsorship, strategy | No Comments »
