Chapter Leader Training WeekCommunications Track

PRESENTED BY STEVEN FOSTER, RANDY CRABTREE AND KRISTA ROGERS

May 1, 2009

Review the role of Vice President/Director of

Communications.

Expand your knowledge of membership marketing.

Recognize resources available to you.

Today’s Objectives

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It’s All About MarketingTelling Your Story

What is Membership Marketing?

The essential areas of concern:

• Recruiting new members • Engaging existing members• Retaining existing members

Know Your Audience

Know Your Overarching Story

MPI provides the career knowledge and resources, industry information, reinforcement, community and commerce its members need to change their game and succeed with reinforcement and support.

What Do You Get as a Member?

A community with a professional common bond that comes together to share ideas, seek out innovations, and craft solutions for the mutual success for everyone.

MPI changes careers and it changes lives.

Why Now Given the Economy?You get a connection to the brightest minds in the meeting and event industry at your fingertips, thinking through your same issues and empowering you with information, ideas, and resources that do more than just meet the challenges…they advance the industry.

Strategic Communication Channels

• Public relations

• Publications

• Advertising

• Social media

• Web site

• Word of mouth

• E-mail (Beware)

Ten Tips for Member Marketing in a Recession

1. Make your chapter indispensible

2. Understand what is going on

3. Know what is critical and deliver with a passion

4. Know what is most important to your members

5. Go for low hanging fruit

6. Know your numbers

7. Secure our budget

8. Know your best communication channels

9. Know your capabilities

10. Test, measure, adjust – repeat, repeat, repeat

Makeup of Marketing Plan

• Strategies and activities• Budget• Project Management• Timelines (Communications

Calendar) & Accountability

• Branding/Logo

– Visual representation of our/your brand

• MPI Chapter Logos

• MPI Logo Standards

– Jeff Daigle, MPI Creative Services Director - jdaigle@mpiweb.org

Brand Management Resources

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Your Leadership Role

Communications Role

• Support Chapter Metric Goals• Marketing Plan• MPI Headquarters Awareness• Chapter Communications• Coach/Advisor to Committee

Members• Liaison

Chapter Dashboard Metrics1. Net Member Growth

a) Measures chapter member growth and rebates

b) Allows for chapters to track their member growth patterns

2. Chapter Membership Satisfactiona) Assessment of overall member satisfaction with chapter

b) Allows for chapters to gauge member satisfaction in 3 areas; Network, Education and Marketplace

3. Engagement/Participationa) Gauges member participation and involvement in chapter activities

b) Allows for chapters to track event/volunteer success

4. Chapter Financial Managementa) Calculates financial management not budgeting skills

b) Allows for chapter the freedom to manage finances and track educational expenses

• Create plan by June 30– Include board and CBM in process

• Include MPI HQ Initiatives Member Benefits Research and Member Surveys Conferences and Webinars Online Resources

Marketing Plan

• Don’t forget – Talk to all Departments– Trade Shows– Chapter Conferences– Recruitment Campaigns– Monthly Programs– Community Outreach– Job Banks– Sponsorship/Strategic Alliances

Marketing Plan – Awareness

MPI Headquarters Awareness

• Review MPI Web frequently

• Read Chapter Leader Newsletter each month

• Read One + (US/EU Editions)

• Ensure that someone at WEC or MeetDifferent reports back to you

• Subscribe to MPI Social Media Outlets

Chapter Communications

• E-mail/Mail Campaigns

• Web Site

• Publications/Newsletter

• Public Relations/Advertising

• Community Outreach

• Social Network

• Support Membership Team

E-mail, Mail and Web

• Brand consistency

• Consolidate messages

–Don’t over communicate

• Have a communication strategy

• Be timely

Publications

• Brochures (print, electronic)– Membership– Volunteerism– Member Benefit Tip #– Collateral Request Form

• Newsletter (print, electronic)• Member Directory (print, electronic)• Industry Calendar

Public Relations• Press releases (template)

– Send to MPI: jstates@mpiweb.org and kgodwin@mpiweb.org

• Relationships with editors, writers (locally and nationally; inside and outside of the Meetings Industry)

• One + Chapter Columns

• Advertise in local publications

Community Outreach

•Philanthropic Activities

•Word-Of-Mouth Marketing

•Press loves community programs

•One + Article – jstates@mpiweb.org

Social Networks

• Blogs & Wikis

• FaceBook/MySpace

• LinkedIn

• Twitter

• GroupSpace

Support Membership

• Communicate value of membership

• New Initiatives – MPI Cares Program

• Recruitment Campaigns

• Tradeshows

Wearing Many Hats

• Coach and Advise Committee Members

• Serve as liaison –Between HQs and Chapter and –Between Chapter and HQs

• Look for Successor

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Resources

Tools & Resources

• Your Chapter Business Manager

• The Chapter Toolkits on the Web –Check here first. Don’t reinvent the

wheel.

• GroupSpace

• Industry Calendar

Tools & Resources – Continued

• Your fellow Chapter Leaders on this call

• Past Chapter Leaders

• International Chapter Advisory Council (Formerly ICLC)

• MPI Research - FutureWatch and EventView

• Chapter Needs Assessment

• MPI Member Care Survey

• Chapter Satisfaction Survey

• MPI Foundation - Grants

Tools & Resources – Continued

Tools & Resources – Continued

• Other MPI Leadership Training:

Chapter Leaders Conference (CLC)

Chapter Leadership Forum (WEC)

Chapter Leadership Forum (MD)

• Canada and Europe:

Canadian Leadership University

European Chapter Leadership Forum

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Questions

Thank you for your time and commitment to MPI!