June 27, 2016
The BSC Beat is Here!
Today we launch our e-newsletter The BSC Beat, featuring articles on association management best practices, meeting planning, emerging technology, BSC news and more. Our goal is to keep association leaders like you at the top of your game.
BSC has been in the business of managing associations for 30+ years, specializing in full-service management and cutting-edge meeting planning/operations. We have successfully administered and grown 20 + professional societies, providing the full range of services.
We want to share our expertise with you. Future issues of the BSC Beat will include articles on Board Development Tips, Budgeting, Client Success Stories, Fundraising, Membership Recruitment & Retention, Social Media Best Practices and more! Let us know of any topics you’d like to learn more about at [email protected] and engage with us on social media by clicking the links below.
Sallie Matthews Recognized by Forbes Nonprofit Council
Congrats to BSC President & CEO Sallie Matthews on being invited to join the Forbes Nonpro
fit Council, a new and innovative community for executive directors, chief executives, and founders in successful nonprofit organizations. Learn more and see if you qualify at https://forbesnonprofitcouncil.com/.
To Print or Not To Print? Delivering Content In A Digital Age.
Knowledge and education are potentially the most valuable assets that associations offer their members. Once generated and collected, associations must also determine the most effective methods of delivering information to audiences, and especially when it comes to meeting content.Although printed materials are still the most common format for meeting information, the use of digital content such as meeting websites and apps is on the rise resulting in associations offering content through an average of 2.6 different formats. 80% of associations provide printed materials, 72% publish content digitally on a meeting website and 58% utilize meeting apps.*
Here at BSC Management, we partner with our clients to share the latest breakthroughs in medicine, technology and patient care through multiple platforms. We want to share some strategies we utilize when determining the right blend for content delivery:
- Survey audiences to learn how they prefer to receive content. You might be surprised at the results. 45% of associations reported that meeting attendees want less printed material, 21% reported that they want more digital material and 32% reported that meeting attendees want to see a greater blend between print and digital.*
- Consider costs, both monetary and environmental. The emergence of high-functioning meeting apps and mobile technology has made the possibility of paperless events a reality. Examining budgets and future meeting attendance projections tells us how much our clients can save over time by going paperless. Check out this fun “Cost and CO2 Calculator for Paperless Events” that BSC’s mobile app developer created. At BSC, all of our clients with meetings of more than 1000 attendees utilize a meeting app.
- Plan for the future. As new younger members join associations and preferences shift to more digital options, associations need to plan ahead to map out content delivery systems that maximize emerging technologies, balance attendee preferences with objectives, and engage an entirely new generation of members.
Finally, it’s important to educate audiences about the various options and associated benefits available and to consider a gradual shift from print to screen that works best for your society.
By Mary Kohav, BSC Director of PR & Marketing
*Data from the "2016 State of the Industry Report: Conferences" published by Omnipress