PROGRAMME

with NAOMI SMITH, Communications Manager, ECTRIMS / Congrex

From Three to 365 – How to Create a Year-Round Communications Plan for Your Association

Session overview:

Today, associations are finding themselves being challenged by two dynamic marketing forces: the need to evolve due to changing behaviours of members; and the potential to evolve through strong brand identity. These challenges are compounded with a growing reality that failure to ensure your association remains relevant to your target audience puts it in grave risk of becoming irrelevant. 

In today's unpredictable landscape, community and purpose are what will set you apart. But how does one begin to do that? 

The good news is that by putting in place some basic "communication hygiene”, changes can be made to ensure that associations continue to remain strong and grow in importance for their members and communities. 

Learning outcomes:

• Why associations should move away from a single-event strategy
• How to enhance and expand your audience
• How to align engagement and marketing efforts to deliver on missions and goals
• How to introduce a 365-day omni-channel approach that includes promoting and providing continuous, curated learning for your audience`s educational needs
• How to use clear, concise writing to deliver on your campaign goals

MEANINGFUL STRATEGIES FOR INCLUSIVE ASSOCIATIONS 

with BENITA LIPPS, Head of DGA Europe Association Practice, Dentons Global Advisors & Founder of Women Advance Associations

KATHLEEN VAN NUFFEL, Chair & Founder, Legal Diversity & Inclusion Alliance

This workshop will give you the information and tools to work on a DEI strategy that strengthens your association's impact, engagement, and sustainability.

Key take-aways:

-      a clear understanding what DEI is and why it matters to your association

-       concrete tips for kick-starting the discussion on DEI in your association

-       join a network of peers to drive and exchange best practice on DEI

Session overview:

While still misunderstood as a ‘soft factor’, diversity is more than an aspiration. Together with equity and inclusion, diversity will become a key driver for the associations of tomorrow: A smart DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) strategy helps associations to focus on what matters most, to act as the ‘true voice’ of their communities, and to remain relevant in a changing environment. Despite its importance, associations often lack the know-how and the tools to successfully implement DEI strategies in their governance, programming, and operations. In this session, key association & DEI experts share their insights on what diversity is, why it matters, and how to embed it into the DNA of your association. Together, we will also identify key questions, needs, and challenges that association face when it comes to DEI. The insights gained will inform its roadmap towards ‘Diversity in Action – A DEI Charter for International Associations.'

with SINA BÜNTE, DigitalMinds.events

How to create hybrid events everyone wants to attend - Top tips to engage participant on-and offline.

Session Overview:

The big question all organizers of hybrid events face is how to keep both the in-person and remote audience engaged and interested. If all you offer remote delegates is watching the sessions at home or at the office, you’re likely to lose them. In this session, we share tips and ideas on how to engage your participants before, during and after the event. Come prepared with your questions and be ready to share your own experiences.

‘DIGITAL FIRST’ ENGAGEMENT

with AIRAH CADIOGAN, Digital Media Associate, International Seed Federation

Exploring how a digital engagement strategy and the right tools can add value to membership and build your online community.

Session overview:

At its core, digital engagement is about creating and building stronger relationships with your members, potential members, and supporters.

For digital engagement to work, even for resource-strapped associations, a long-term vision and a tailored strategy, ideally as part of an overall digital transformation strategy, and the right tools are essential. But this does not need to be overwhelming.

Here we break down the process into the steps that organizations can take now towards reaching their digital engagement goals.

Through the workshop, participants will have a better understanding of what digital engagement means, what tools are available, and how it can help them build their communities and add value to their members. After the workshop, they will have reflected on what actions they can take now to start building on their digital engagement.

The session will include a 20-minute presentation to level off on participants’ understanding of digital engagement and digital transformation. The case of ISF will be presented, along with other approaches from other associations, and suggested tools. A 10- to 15-minute Q&A session will follow.

Participants will be then given a set of questions to reflect on their own goals and objectives for digital engagement, thinking about what they want to get out of it and how they think their members will benefit. Finally, working in groups and guided by a template, they will come up with a blueprint for a strategy (groups to be defined), including tools, that can work for different organizations, including their own.

with BENEDICTE LOSSEAU, Partner, Events & Operations and MICHIEL GEN, Partner & Stakeholder Management at Exempla Management & Consulting , including other association event professionals.

Session overview:

Join Bénédicte Losseau and Michiel Gen and share and learn from your peers, on an interactive session designed to help you:

• Identify, assess and improve your event business model
• identify the parameters behind registration pricing strategy, to find the best balance for your event
• Understand and work at the ways sponsorship can contribute, its dilemmas, opportunities, and limitations

Take part in this session and get equipped for your next event planning and budgeting phase.

Session background:

"But we’ve always done it like this” is an often-heard excuse for not rethinking existing concepts in the world of association events.

The recent upheaval in the events space requires us to be more purposeful about what we want our events to deliver in terms of value to stakeholders and financial performance. Getting your event business model right has never been so critical… nor so challenging as we consider new, hybrid events.

Whether your association relies on event revenues profit to fund year-long value to members, or it needs assurance the investment in the event is appropriate, understanding the balance between funding sources and how these impact your event design is essential.

Registration fees are a standard revenue source – but how do you price? What are the decision factors in shaping your registration fee structure? How do you balance the ambitions of the stakeholders in you event and practical, financial constraints to set a realistic target for your event revenue?   

On the other hand, sponsorship also needs a tailored strategy. Associations have traditionally not been very generous to their commercial partners and there is a lot of low hanging fruit that can be monetised. However, opportunities not fully thought through and unmanaged expectations can quickly turn into a quality and reputation issue for your association.

HOW TO LEAD YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING

with FRANK M. WÄCHTER, Digital Marketing & Communication Expert and ALEX CLIFFORD, Digital Consultant, Transformation & CRM Specialist

Session overview:

Digital doesn’t have to be complicated! Instead of thinking of technology, focus on the who, the what and the why.

Learning outcome:

• How to create the vision for your project, clarify the objectives and define the strategy
• How to segment and profile personas to create a targeted approach
• How to distil this information in to a defined action plan with activities briefs and structure to ensure you achieve the objectives

What are your pains and headache's? What keeps you awake at night? What do we need more off and what less off?

How can we strenghten the GIAF association community and start building for 2023?

Facilitated session.