Membership | Leadership | Advancement

This symposium is a unique opportunity to engage with thought leaders and subject-matter experts who will guide us through the intricate and fascinating world of personal and professional development. Whether you are a seasoned professional, an emerging leader, or simply someone eager to enhance your understanding of these vital topics, this event is designed for you. 

Agenda: Each session is 1 CPE/CAE Credit. 

Date: November 9, 2023

Time: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Location: In-person will be held at Alliance Bernstein in Washington DC.

Session 1: (10:00-11:00 AM) Rise Up Together: Navigating the Journey of Member Loyalty in Communities

Course Description: 

In an age where communities thrive on engagement and connection, fostering membership loyalty is more crucial than ever. SESSION TITLE takes a deep dive into the innovative practices of strategic marketing and relationship-building. This engaging session is tailored to guide you through the journey of transforming casual joiners into committed community members, creating a thriving ecosystem that supports individual growth and collective advancement.

Learning Objectives: 

• Understanding Membership Dynamics: Gain insight into the psychological aspects of membership engagement, uncovering what drives commitment and loyalty. Learn to apply strategic marketing tactics that resonate with your target audience, creating a sense of belonging and community.
• Building Strong Relationships: Explore relationship-building strategies that extend beyond the initial recruitment phase. Discover the keys to fostering trust, nurturing connections, and enhancing member experience to ensure long-term engagement and satisfaction.
• Creating Sustainable Growth Through Advancement: Learn how to utilize advancement opportunities within your community to encourage ongoing participation and growth. This includes creating clear pathways for members to grow, thrive, and contribute to the overall success of the community, thereby encouraging a culture of continuous engagement and loyalty.

Speaker: Bill McGlade from epIQ

Session 2: (11:15-12:15 PM) A Magic Wand For Member Retention

Course Description: 

Did you know that the more times a member renews, the less it costs to keep them? It’s likely you know member renewals are important. The real question is, what can we actually do to raise the chances that a member will want to stick with your association for the long-haul? While we’d all love to wave a magic wand to improve retention, sadly they don’t exist. However, the next best thing (and its pretty darn close) – is all your data! While associations often have access to many data points about what their members want, few are using effective data strategies to create targeted retention campaigns. Knowing why members join, why they stay, why they leave and what they value most is a bit of magic that can be vital to a great retention strategy. The only way to get this type of granular information is through analytics.

During this webinar, you’ll learn a data-informed approach to member retention:

• Use data to determine the unique value you bring to your members.
• Translate your retention into ROI by analyzing lifetime value.
• Identify at-risk members through correlations, predictive modeling and engagement scores.

Join us to take actions to clarify your value, find your leaky buckets and create retention strategies for your at-risk member segments.

Speaker: Greg Pollack from Association Analytics

Lunch (12:15-1:15 PM)

Session 3: (1:15-2:15 PM) Member Engagement is an Art and a Science. Do Both!

Course Description: 

If you’ve ever tried to engage members or get them to act and it didn’t work, you’re not alone. The key is, don’t keep doing it and expect different results! In this interactive session, put on your scientist hat to explore experiments to you can do to determine what engagement strategies work. Then use your right brain to create and test new ways of communicating that improve your membership, renewal and general member engagement results.

You’ll come away with:

• Knowledge about interpersonal theories you’ve probably never heard of, that are highly relevant to interactions with and between your members.
• Ideas for shifting your team’s mindset about how your engagement strategy is developed, executed and measured.
• Simple engagement tactics you’re probably not using right now and can implement easily (hint: less talking, more listening!)

Speaker: Brianne Wheeler from PropFuel

Session 4: (2:30-3:30 PM) Test Drive Your Shiny New Membership Model

Course Description:

Content consumption is changing at a rapid pace. Social media, tech companies, and ‘end-of-the-alphabet’ generations are rewiring market demand. And while for some, the traditional association models, are still holding ground, there’s a keen awareness of the change ahead for organizations. Faltering membership numbers and increasing boomer retirements are pressuring association leaders to revitalize their legacy models and brand reputations for organizational preservation. But when do you know when your organization is ready and prepared for a tune-up? Join us as we explore the key indicators for membership remodeling and more diversified programming.

Specifically, we’ll dive into:

• Audience and organizational readiness
• Program ideation and mapping to round out customer and member value
• The technology mixology needed to support your new model
• The metrics you need to determine revenue readiness and impact

Speaker: Aimee Pagano from Highroad Solutions

Our sessions will be led by thought leaders and subject-matter experts who have made significant contributions to these domains. Prepare to be engaged, informed, and inspired as you interact with individuals who have mastered the art of Membership, Leadership, and Advancement.