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An association CEO mentioned recently that his Board had asked him what they were paying on a per-member basis to deliver services to their membership. He told them he would get back to them with the answer. In the meantime, having never done such an analysis before, he reached out for advice. It got me thinking: he is … Continue reading “Do you know the true cost of serving your members?”
Merging Two Conferences Into One
An association organizer was concerned that her staff was stretched to the breaking point trying to manage two annual events and was contemplated merging the two into one. She was interested in understanding the process for managing this change. Obviously, with so many factors at play, not to mention the potential for unintended consequences, I suggested that … Continue reading “Merging Two Conferences Into One”
Negotiating for Success
An association meeting planner who’s contract with a third-party exhibit management company was coming up for renewal asked me recently for advice on negotiating the new contract. The question prompted an interesting discussion. How you approach any negotiation of this kind should really be driven by your goals and objectives, and how you measure “success.” If the … Continue reading “Negotiating for Success”
The Challenge of Finding New Sponsors
Many associations are finding it increasingly difficult to sell sponsorships. Beyond the “regulars” that can be counted on year after year, finding those “new” sponsors – the ones that give you a fighting chance of hitting your goal – can be a real challenge. Yes, there are many persons/companies you can contract with to sell for you … Continue reading “The Challenge of Finding New Sponsors”
Conducting an Exhibitor/Sponsor Focus Group
Anytime you can speak to customers, whether individually or as a group, you want to take advantage of it. With the (increasingly rare) exception of companies exhibiting at and/or sponsoring your events solely for the purpose of “supporting” your association, the decision to do business with you is just that – a business decision. The … Continue reading “Conducting an Exhibitor/Sponsor Focus Group”
Rick Dobson is a guest blogger for Event Advisory Group. Rick is Director of Exhibition Solutions at Ungerboeck Software International, and experienced in all aspects of convention & exhibition planning, sales and management - in both for-profit and association environments.
