Connecting in “Real-Time” with Your Community During COVID-19

As association professionals we value the importance of networking. This is why most members join your association. Historically, networking has been an element of “in-person events.” For this reason, the focus of most associations has been putting on conferences, seminars, lunch and learns and other in-person meetings for their members. With the current pandemic, we (as association professionals) do not have that luxury. There are travel bans and quarantine restrictions. Most organizations are positioning themselves for hosting virtual meetings. Organizations that will survive the current climate will need to be adaptable and innovative. AND…they will have to go virtual. How can you leverage your community to facilitate these “in-person” type of networking opportunities?As community professionals, we have acknowledged the importance of meeting in real-time. The CMX 2020 Community Industry Trends Report stressed the importance of events. The focus in the report was on community interactions that were translated to in-person meetings. However, I do not believe that benefits must come from in-person meetings. I think the importance should be focused on real-time events and networking. **** Disclaimer I do not believe that virtual events can fully replace in-person events. However, they have benefits we need to consider and utilize.Cost Efficiency Virtual events are cheaper to conduct. If you already have a contract with a community platform, Microsoft Teams or Zoom (and you are not trying to host a large event) you can use the tools you already have. Why spend more money on virtual events platforms when you can be creative and use the tools you are already using. In-person events require venue, meeting, and travel cost. In a virtual platform you lose these costs and have bigger ROI. We had a “Meet the Leaders” event at one of our conferences. This event required the cost of breakfast (to get people to attend) and the venue. We have moved this session virtual as an Ask Me Anything (or AMA) for three months in a row with no additional cost. The email open metrics for the emails sent for the last event was over 4,000. You can reach far more people with far less cost. Take advantage. In addition to AMA’s, hosting virtual roundtables are a great way to connect members in real-time. We were blessed to be able to leverage our available virtual meeting tools and online community to create virtual roundtables in a short period of time for our members. We have hosted them every week since April to support our membership during these difficult times. Our members have greatly enjoyed connecting with each other from all over the country. Our Society President comes to almost every event! Broader Audience As a single mother with a limited association salary, I can’t afford (time and money) to attend a lot of conferences. In a virtual environment, I can afford to attend a virtual conference during the day at reduced cost. Events have been less expensive (because of that ROI) so I can attend more conferences. Think of all the members you miss at in-person events because of schedules and budget costs. Think of students and international members. You can reach a broader audience of membership prospects in the virtual environments. Virtual events are an opportunity for acquisition. Take advantage. Associations need to exist to help the members who can benefit the most from their products/services. This benefit should not just be reserved for those with the biggest budgets that can afford to attend your conference! Global Connection How awesome is it to connect with professionals all over the country? Before the pandemic, I was able to connect with another Higher Logic expert in Australia over Zoom andI have been connecting with community professionals all over the world for a while. Community professionals have been resilient and have used many tools to collaborate and help each other. We need to communicate these benefits to our members and association leaders. Global communication is the only way the world will become innovative and move forward. This level of reach broadens member networks, as members can reach each others for global professional opportunities as well as personal ones. Be sure to explain the benefits of virtual, global communication within your promotional tactics. In Closing Virtual meetings may be greeted with resistance in your association, but there are many benefits. Every organization would do well to accept the new climate and utilize community and collaboration tools already in place. Our association events will not return to normal as we knew them, and as community professionals we need to figure out how to best support our members and our organizations.