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Panel discussion with keynote, Clay Shirky. Moderated by Bruce MacMillan, CA, President and Chief Executive Officer, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Panelists: Tom Hood, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA); Mark Langley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Project Management Institute (PMI); Robert Romasco, Secretary/Treasurer, AARP Board of Directors
From the brochure:
"Association leaders and staff face daily challenges of ever-increasing business, advocacy and professional demands. Additionally, technology and a new generation of members and volunteers are emerging with new expectations and alternatives to traditional old-school education, meetings and networking. This panel will explore the question: How will associations manage value across the multiple generations and segments within increasingly complex and more dynamic financial models?"
Again, RAW notes . . . beware:
Bruce. Describe the nature of the shift in your organization.
Tom. Started with generational aspect. Started by listening to students. If you sit and talk to student, iPod, Cell phone, none of that is "technology" to them. They look at them as productivity tools. Shifted thinking. Tried everything. Throw big net out and see what's resonating. Not sure where this goes as business model and no idea on how to monetize.
Mark. 80-90 North American. Now 70 percent. More global. Major demo shifts driving challenges regardless tech. age demo has been generally consistent. 70 percent between 30-50. 20 percent are 50-60. Not bringing in younger demo. Age demo is major challenge and opportunity. Using linkedin. Started our own "official" group but 150 PMI linkedin groups. Stop this? Nope should not do this.
Rob. 9/15/08 Lehman Brothers tanked, so members are still working. 33rd largest country if part of UN (40 million). Demo will not change. How do we help everybody help age in the entire lives? Stop using a number. Realities are what's happening in their lives. Some at 40, 60, 80. What are the realities they're facing? Health, need for community, independence, giving tools, etc. Taken on challenge of redefining aging.
Give them the tools. 1600 groups under AARP. Create communities and activities of their own, not necessarily to push AARP agenda. Try to be relevant.
Clay. Obama. They wanted people who visited to do something to help. Mybarackobama.com channeled interest into real world applications - phoning, door-to-door. that's why it was hard to use. Analogy: dinner for 60 is not the same as dinner for 6, doesn't scale up real well. But now we have a platform that does scale up effectively. Obama was first platform candidate.
Pure information to platform was a huge shift. Loyalty increases. Hard for groups to self coordinate. Org who provide platform can gain the loyalty of the member.
Bruce. How is the shift impacting business model of organizations?
Tom. Strength of weak ties. Start out as the people you most listen to are your volunteers. The active contributors and tends to suck ALL the resources of the organization. Turn this inside out. Now able to connect with more members. During more town hall meetings - physical manifestation. Trying to do more with members who did nothing with us. Translate to longer term retention.
Mark. Need to separate by age demographic. Older demo - doing something PMI did 25 years ago. Relying on what they know. Younger demo - if we don't do what they need, they are gone. Losing thousands of relationships because we haven't provided it and they've found it somewhere else.
How do you check time? You got a watch?? Nope, pull out the cell phone baby.
Reality. They are blowing by us. These relationships are going away but we can get them back.
Rob. 24 million magazine cost a ton to print. 2/3 of membership online vs print that would be enormous. Expand toolset. Renewals is key. Engagement creates loyalty creates renewals.
Bruce. Power of mobile. Have you ever crowdsource for your magazines and other pubs?
Transparency? Rob. Use of the mark or the brand. Your brand is who you are. Communicates how you do business. Reputational risk. Revenue streams will dry up very quickly if rep ever takes a ding.
Clay. Take material and use it to create an outreach program to have people recruit one another. Model only possible with easier legal requirements. Moving from walls to membranes.
Audience question. Look at tech as pure costs. Not as the tech we need to promote our viability. Mark. Opportunities at very low costs in tech. focus is on value. Have metrics but not driver. More around what we want to provide so leads into the discussion of tech and cost is secondary. Change the way we do traditional things such as marketing to refocus on alternative tech.
Clay. Easiest thing to do next is find the pieces which have already been worked out for you. Look on youtube for success. Do a google search. Look at the donut - remove your own Website. Ask your own members. What are you using?? Easiest thing to do is the 90 percent done by your members. Won't even know until you survey them. Talk to your 23 year olds. They have a better understanding of what you can do than any consultant you bring in.
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