Experience and Expertise

Successful events are created with equal amounts of strategic planning, artful design and budget management.

A careful eye on the budget ensures that the goals for the event remain in  focus throughout the planning and execution. Mindful resource allocation combined with regular, clear communication are just some of the many benefits to working with an AMC Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) like those at AMS to plan your events. In fact, according to a report by the AMC Institute, in the first year under AMC management, associations realized an increase in gross revenue of 9.6% on average.

A CMP is an essential resource to ensuring association event contracts are created to reflect your priorities and protect your interests. Just as every event is different, so is every event contract. One of the core elements to an event budget is the contract for the event location. And the location contract is typically one the biggest line items in the overall event budget. Typically, an event contract includes language relevant to the event space, infrastructure, audio visual, food and beverage options. If an event is held at a hotel, the contract may also include sleeping rooms for attendees. Depending on the type of event, the contract may include requirements for décor and entertainment, use of external vendors. Each piece of the contract puzzle presents challenges and opportunities to allocate resources to creating an event that aligns with the clients goals. With expert contract negotiation from a CMP, your event and your budget are prioritized.

When it comes to professional event planning and especially when it comes to event contracts, contingency planning is everything. A contract that is negotiated by a CMP maximizes protections for the client. In recent times, for example, the AMS team of CMPs played a major role in significantly limiting liability exposure for our clients during the global health crisis and other unforeseen events. In this example, a clause was added to the client’s contract that enabled them to cancel and rebook their event only two months out from the event date. The thoughtful negotiation up front resulted in a savings of $50K in cancellation fees which was 35% of their overall event budget.  Without that language in the contract, the client would have had little recourse. That example illustrates how expertise and experience protects our client’s interests foremost resulting in our client’s ability to maintain their budget stability and reschedule events when circumstances require. It’s a win win.  

We’ll just say it. CMPs are everyday superheroes!  But CMPs are not just about coming to the rescue in dire circumstances. In fact, our CMPs are busy working on our client’s behalf at all times because every event that we manage receives the same level of attention and care regardless of the size or scope of the event or budget. Our team has planned and executed every imaginable type of event from a full-scale regatta, with sailboats helmed by a captain and crewed by company teams, to large-scale installations at global industry trade shows to bespoke executive retreats. Our team has even created award-winning, fully customized virtual worlds for Fortune 500 companies, associations and academic institutions using leading edge technologies. Whether an event is in-person, virtual or hybrid, our team delivers memorable events with measurable results

Our team of CMPs possesses a truly unmatched level of skills and expertise that they employ for our corporate, association and non-profit clients each day. They’re resourceful, flexible, anticipate challenges and create innovative solutions to meet those challenges. They understand that events are an investment and the ROI is always centered in their planning. They’re adept at juggling competing priorities to ensure workflow progression so that each benchmark is met throughout the planning and execution of every event. They are experts at clearly communicating with stakeholders before, during and after events. They understand the strategic goals for each event and act accordingly. And above all, they make it all look easy and fun. There’s a reason AMS has been named one of the top ten AMC and event planning firms. If you have an upcoming event, our team of CMPs is ready to help. Please contact us events@amsl.com.

Top 10 Tips for Effective Member Onboarding from Association Experts

Onboarding new members can feel purely administrative but it’s one of the best opportunities to set the stage for the long-term success of your association.

Congratulations! You’ve recruited a new member to your association and they’re ready to work! Now what? Do you send them a password and wish them well? To ensure new members are prepared to effectively contribute their valuable time and energy, here are 10 strategies to not only get but also keep members engaged.

1. Welcome to the Team!

Offer a sincere greeting on behalf of the board, leadership, and staff. A high-quality initial interaction welcoming new members and thanking them for their interest and participation sets the stage for a productive and successful working relationship.

2. Provide Resources

Create a wiki with available resources from meeting schedules and dial-ins, event calendars, procedures, job descriptions, volunteer opportunities, sponsorship opportunities, and contacts. A well-organized resource library empowers members to become familiar with the organization and reduces staff time replying to repetitive questions.

3. Create Social Opportunities

No one wants to feel like the new kid in school. Schedule an informal social event, like a 30-minute newcomer welcome breakfast  at your in-person meetings to create a low-pressure environment for new members to meet each other and to interact with leaders and staff. Another option is to have a mentor (board member, leadership, or a long-time member) partner up with the new member to make introductions, answer questions, etc.

4. Introductions

New members may be announced on the website and in a social media blast. Take it one step further by highlighting new participants in your opening statement at a meeting or in your online communications to foster a sense of community and growth as an organization.

5. New Member Check In

Is your new member attending calls? Are they volunteering? Are they downloading the latest materials? After initial onboarding, check back with new members to ensure they have the tools and information they need to engage so the ROI in your organization is evident.

6. Provide Tools

Providing easy-to-use online tools, such as an AMS, for meeting registration, document management, project management and member collaboration is essential to facilitate their work for your association. A good tool will also help with reporting to measure member engagement.

7. Approach With Mindfulness

Be mindful of time zones, communication methods and language to encourage a dynamic and diverse organization and increase participation. Do you need to provide closed captioning?  Accessible friendly websites? What will make it easy for your members to participate.

8. Quality of Experience

To create the best experience for your members (new and existing) consider how different members prefer to engage. Do introverts need rest spaces or longer breaks at in-person meetings? Do members need translation services? Do they need more training on available tools? Know what works for your membership and incorporate elements that enable them to make the most of their time together.

9. Importance of Communication

Do your members only hear from you when their invoice is due? Highlighting new member profiles in newsletters, blogs, and email communications can foster connection between members and demonstrate growth. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

10. Request Feedback

Often new members are the best source of inspiration and ideas to make the onboarding process even better. A quick survey to ask for their honest feedback will make those members feel heard and improve the onboarding experience for the next new member. Why did they join?  What is the compelling reason for their engagement? What do they wish we provided that we don’t currently?

A newcomer’s fresh perspective enables associations to assess, and where necessary, up-level the onboarding experience to ensure that new members feel that they are a welcome addition to the group and that their presence is valued.

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