ASAE 2008Local Business Strategy and

Infrastructure Can Grow Business Globally

Tom Reiser, ISN, Brussels

Helen van Oers, World at Work, Singapore

Matteo Pederzoli, MDRT Brussels

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Session outline

Define your session outcomes Global growth: What’s the right strategy?

Mistakes most often made

Questions that associations are asking

Share proven practice knowledge:

1. Outreach & Global Brand Awareness - World Kidney Day – Tom Reiser

2. Pan-Asian Conference Start-up - World at Work – Helen van Oers

3. Business Development in New Europe - MDRT – Matteo Pederzoli

Open discussion Answer questions

Ensure we addressed your session outcomes

Session takeaways For more information

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But first….how many of you

Work for

- a US association with international members?

- OR a US-based international association?

From professional societies?

From trade associations?

What challenges do you most often face in growing your business outside the US?

And finally…what outcomes would you like to take away from this session?

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MCI Group

27 Offices in 18 countriesPlus 4 Offices via the SmithBucklin - MCI Global Partnership

ID Regional Offices

Brussels, Dubai, Singapore, Buenos

Aires

ID National Offices

London, Paris, Mumbai, Shanghai

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Mistakes most often made

Sell them what we have, not what they want….. Communications, promotions or product design/delivery US-centric

E.g. Live webinars at 1100pm in Mumbai?

Taking revenues out of a region versus managing revenue and expenses within the regionE.g. losing on currency exchange, not building wealth locally

No HQ international staff leader to help drive international orientation across business units

Centrally run, no regional presence Treating “international” as one “thing” e.g. 50 US chapters and 1

international chapter of 50 countries “Going global” without a real reason, strategy, plan Not seeing a region as profit center (particularly as the USD is weak) Little if any integration of leadership composition (95% US 5%

international) often doesn’t reflect member ratio Little if any consideration of non-US perspective in agendas, planning and

decision-making processesE.g. “diversity”… not an issue outside US

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Questions that associations are asking…How

Do we grow globally?

Pick the right regions to serve?

Lead with membership or product?

Adapt membership or product to local needs?

Do we develop the right regional model to deploy them?

Do we create or sustain chapters and local participation?

Do we develop partnerships, sponsors?

Manage expenses while mitigating risk (e.g. currency)?

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World Kidney DayTom Reiser – ISN Executive Director

Tom "has" +15 years experience working with an in many "cases led" international medical professional societies

He currently serves as MCI’s Institutional Healthcare Practice Leader as well as the Executive Director of the International Liver Cancer Association and the International Society of Nephrology

Tom has lived and worked in Europe and the United States and speaks frequently on topics related to professional association and conference management

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World at WorkHelen van Oers – Director of Asia Pacific Development

Served several US-based associations covering member and chapter relations, certification program management, overall daily operations including business and budget planning, event and marketing management, and team director

Six years at MCI Brussels then open MCI Singapore

Now a member of the MCI Asia Pacific leadership team based in India

Helen received her Bachelor Business Administration in Hotel Management from the Hotel School The Hague, Netherlands

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Million Dollar RoundtableMatteo Pederzoli – European Regional Director

As European Regional Director for the Million Dollar Roundtable, Matteo focuses on Central & Southeastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States to develop MDRT membership among top management in life insurance corporations

Previously served at

- The Center for Strategic and International Studies developing economic and foreign policy for Central and Eastern European countries.

- Print Services & Distribution Association

- Past board member of the Society of National Association Publications

Served as International Ticket Sales Manager for the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee

Matteo holds a BA in Communication/Political Science from Arizona State University and a Master's in International Affairs from George Washington University

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Your Questions!

Flip Chart (your session outcomes)

Other thoughts…

- What challenges have you met with your own global membership campaigns?

- Do you adapt the content and/or delivery of your products and services to meet local needs?

- Are you conducting regional/local market feasibility studies and an event business plan to establish a sustainable conference model?

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Session Takeaways – “Think Like a Start up”

An active and visible local presence – depending on the strategy and goals – to project into a region and demonstrate your commitment to stakeholders that you are there not to “take out” value but to “invest” value that returns for everyone

Management on the ground with fully integrated practices and procedures with international HQ

Technology integration – Whether it’s managing detailed member records, collaborative systems, or database marketing initiatives

Lower communication and cultural barriers Integrate local volunteer leaders into your management process (“real” self-

determination” with ability for them to have a stake in building “locally relevant” products and services)

Treat the market as an investment with a tangible, measurable locally relevant strategy and implementation plan (3 year time horizon)

Calculated risk management (keeping the costs to enter/exit a market manageable); revenues collected and expenses paid in local currency; get shielded from local personnel laws concerning hiring, discipline, or HR benefit costs

Accelerate time to market (with on the ground resources to respond quickly) Scalable operations – Having the ability to adapt resource needs quickly any where

in the world by project or for other purposes with the proper expertise when needed.

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For more information

Contact information:

Peter Turner

MCI Institutional Division – US Market

+1 571 275 1516

peter.turner@mci-group.com