Contact: Meghan Higgins
CMA Association Management
1 (609) 297-2218
mhiggins@cmasolutions.com

The latest recipient of CMA's Intern Elite award, Gabriella Carbonetto, with CMA President and CEO, Jeffrey Barnhart (left) and Executive Vice President, Burt Lambert (right).

Gabriella Carbonetto Awarded with CMA Intern Elite Recognition

PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ – May 17, 2013 – Awarded for her fresh perspectives and significant contributions, Gabriella Carbonetto was recognized by CMA Association Management (CMA), a full service association management firm based in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, as its latest Intern Elite award recipient.

Supporting the firm over the past semester with various tasks including database management, client research and the development of a new CMA webpage, Gabriella quickly proved to be a valuable asset to the team. Showcasing her abilities to interject ideas, efficiently execute tasks and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the importance of collaboration, Gabriella worked alongside the account teams and other interns to execute several projects that will help move the firm forward well into the future.

CMA provides students with an opportunity to strengthen both their background and resume through the inclusion of real world experiences and accolades. Putting forth a positive presence and work ethic, Gabriella left a lasting impression on the firm and earned herself a place in the Intern Elite circle of recipients. This recognition aims to position Gabriella at the forefront of a competitive marketplace post-graduation.

“Adapting to the CMA core values and bringing a fresh perspective to the firm, Gabriella has proudly been named as this semester’s Intern Elite award recipient,” said Jeffrey Barnhart, President and CEO of CMA. “Gabriella’s strong work ethic and collaborative nature will bring her much success in the future and we wish her the best of luck as she enters the workforce.”

As this semester’s Intern Elite, Gabriella was recognized with a certificate and photo-op with the CMA executive team. Graduating in the spring of 2013, Gabriella will earn her Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Rider University.

For over 25 years, CMA has provided a range of association and event management, as well as marketing services, for regional, national and international clients. CMA is one of only 70 companies of its kind worldwide accredited by AMC Institute. For more information, visit www.ThinkCMA.com or visit our blog www.AssociationsCentralBlog.com.

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About CMA Association Management
|CMA Association Management is a full-service association management firm that has provided a diverse range of association management, event management and strategic marketing services to achieve measurable results for regional, national and international association clients for over 25 years. Based in Princeton Junction, NJ, CMA is one of only 70 association management companies worldwide accredited by the AMC Institute. For more information, please visit www.ThinkCMA.com, call 1-609-297-2235 or e-mail us at info@cmasolutions.com.

Just what do PR professionals do when they say they specialize in “media relations?” What is “pitching?” Here is a breakdown of our exact process:

Step 1: Coordinate schedules. The PR professional will check with the association board to alert them that media relations (or “pitching”) has begun and ask about their availability for interviews in the near future.

Step 2: Research the media. Instead of just blindly calling up reporters to ask if theyreceived our press release, PR professionals do their homework. They check to see what the target reporter has covered lately to ensure a relevant match. Social media often plays a large role—a reporter’s Twitter feed provides a lot of insight and is now an alternative method of communicating an idea or news tip.

Step 3: Know the pitch. When following up with media, a PR professional can’t simply read a reporter the press release verbatim. Publicists often develop succinct scripts that explain the story idea in an impactful way to catch the reporter’s attention quickly.

Step 4: Pick up the phone. PR professionals target specific times of day depending on the type of media and the beat the reporters cover. Picking up the phone and having a conversation can show enthusiasm for the idea and allow a client’s company to stand out from competing ideas sitting in a reporter’s email inbox.

Step 5: Craft an email. Some reporters prefer only email communications or will ask a PR pro to send a pitch letter in writing before they agree to move forward. Here’s where a good writer can persuade a reporter why the story idea has merit and provide additional resources such as bios, links to videos and photo attachments.

Step 6: Develop talking points. Once a PR professional feels confident an interview will happen, he/she develops a one-page sheet of talking points, reiterating key messages or main ideas from the press release. These are provided to the client in preparation for an interview.

Step 7: Follow up. After a few days, a PR professional will call or email a reporter considered to be a “hot lead” and follow up on the first conversation. This follow-up is conducted with the goal of moving the process forward to set up an interview.

Step 8: Set up an interview. Once the reporter agrees to interview the company spokesperson, the PR professional coordinates the date, time and setting that works best for all involved. The PR pro may even attend the interview to support the client.

Step 9: Follow up again with photos or video footage. Once the interview is complete, the PR professional checks in one more time to see if additional resources such as photos, video footage (for TV segments) or any clarification is needed before finalizing the article or segment.

Step 10: Confirm the placement. In the final exchange between media and PR professional, a run date or air date is confirmed.

Ultimately, media relations is a game of persistence coupled with the need to be constantly informed and aware of client objectives and the media cycle. Under the umbrella of media relations, association boards are gaining an entire operation designed to generate positive press coverage.

Kaitlin Friedmann
PR Manager
kfriedmann@cmasolutions.com

Association websites are important tools, not only to introduce the association to potential members, but to provide existing members with resources they need. Our association managers recently shared their thoughts on the benefits of creating a Members Only website component to create an exclusive online resource and add value to association membership.

Keeping materials that are the most substantive and useful “behind the curtain” of the password-protected Members Only section is a great strategy for highlighting association member benefits—and encouraging non-members to join. The types of content that works best in this kind of section are:

• Online member communities—Idea forums that are often modeled after public social networks, but are created specifically for the association are a particular growing interest among members.
• Sharing original or exclusive resources—One association in the academic community uses its Members Only to post proprietary protocols among their trusted member base. They value what content is there and are more likely to stay connected to the association so as not to lose their exclusive access to it.
• Career centers—Through the portal, members can have access to job postings and other resources to help them on their career path, including mentor pair-ups.
• Industry news and updates—Members use the password-protected section to obtain calendars and news that pertain specifically to the association or the industry.
• Member directories—A valuable and useful component to any closed-off section of the website is the member directory. Many associations have made this searchable by name, company, specialty, location, etc.

Be sure to remind your members through various communications that this type of exclusive access is a privilege of being a member, as it will certainly make a difference in the way they access and feel about the information.

Stephanie Frost
Association Manager
sfrost@cmasolutions.com

1. Get organized. Some of our largest associations have renewal dates that vary from calendar to anniversary, with various periods of proration to manage as well. Was this a complicated process for our association coordinators? “Not if you maintain a very organized database!” said Nicole Lauzon, Association Coordinator. “We follow a meticulous schedule to keep track of key deadlines and ensure we are reminding association members at the right time.”

2. Utilize all forms of communication. We all recognize that associations have multi-generational membership bases who use different types of communication methods. Even with sophisticated web software that allows for members to update their membership status on their own, CMA Association Coordinator, Krista  Slowikowski says it’s not for everyone. “It’s great to have the self-update as an option, but I know that I will also have to pick up the phone and work with members one-on-one sometimes. We also correspond through email and have forms faxed to us. There are a variety of communications methods we employ.”

3. Remind members of the association’s value. It’s always a good idea to remind members about where their dues dollars go. “We often attach a sheet listing member benefits with the renewal forms to keep members aware of the association’s value,” said Lauzon. Keep in mind your long-term members may not be aware of new benefits, or some members’ professional roles might have recently changed, leading them to value another member benefit more than before.

4. Persistent, personal outreach. It’s important that all parties involved stay persistent in following up with members during the renewal process. A personal outreach from a Board or Committee member can also help the member feel valued.

While associations are always looking to grow, it’s important to maintain your existing membership and ensure they adhere to renewal deadlines. What are your challenges with dues renewal?

Kimme Carlos
Association Manager
kcarlos@cmasolutions.com

Contact: Meghan Higgins
CMA Association Management
1 (609) 297-2218
mhiggins@cmasolutions.com

From Left to Right: Kaitlin Friedmann and Jacob Friedmann, Angel McAndrew and “Boomer,” Diane Webster-Sweeney and Stephanie Frost attend the CASA Kids Superhero 5K.

CMA Association Management Team Walks In CASA Kid Superhero 5K

Princeton Junction, NJ – May 1, 2013 – Supporting the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), an independent, non-profit organization committed to speaking up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Mercer and Burlington Counties, CMA Association Management (CMA), a full-service association management firm based in Princeton Junction, New Jersey participated in the CASA Kids Superhero 5K on April 27, 2013.

CMA’s team of “Warrior Princesses” included Kaitlin Friedmann, Public Relations Manager; Diane Webster-Sweeney, Association Manager; Angel McAndrew, Bookkeeper; and Stephanie Frost, Association Manager. In keeping with the run/walk’s Superhero theme, the event saw participants dressed-up like Superman and The Flash.

“Organizations like CASA aiming to support the needs of children are important to the vitality and betterment of our community,” said President and CEO of CMA, Jeffrey Barnhart. “Partaking in CASA’s 5K was a small way CMA could contribute to the cause and we are happy to lend support in any way we can.”

Raising awareness of Mercer County children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and/or neglect and are living in out-home-placements, the event drew in approximately 350 attendees, with 170 walkers committed to the 3.1 miles stretch of support starting at the Princeton Pike Corporate Center. Serving the organization as the honorary chair, President and CEO of the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce, Robert Prunetti, congratulated all participants and supporters at the end of the walk during the trophy ceremony.

“It was a fun event but the need to recognize and support the real Superheros who advocate for neglected or abused children is serious. We are honored to have so many members of the community like CMA embrace our mission and support CASA through events like the 5K,” said Randy Kirkpatrick, Director of Community Development, CASA.

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About CMA Association Management
CMA Association Management is a full-service association management firm that has provided a diverse range of association management, event management and strategic marketing services to achieve measurable results for regional, national and international association clients for over 25 years. Based in Princeton Junction, NJ, CMA is one of only 70 association management companies worldwide accredited by the AMC Institute. For more information, please visit www.ThinkCMA.com, call 1-609-297-2235 or e-mail us at info@cmasolutions.com.

Trade organizations embrace social media in order to remain the go-to resource for their members

By Lynn McCullough
May 1, 2013

Associations and their meeting strategies have been evolving in recent years as more associations embrace digital technology such as social media to augment on-site meetings as venues for member interaction.

Associations have always been, by the very nature of their missions, “social” organizations, but now the social benefits have significantly evolved as associations leverage new digital and program strategies for advancing their industries and the professional development of their members.

The traditional value of face-to-face networking and camaraderie with industry peers at events remains a strong and compelling benefit for association members. However, forward-looking associations are now striking a strategic balance between in-person member events and the wide-ranging deployment of digital engagement.

Associations are increasingly using online settings, whether their websites or social media channels, to enhance their organizational appeal to members and support year-round, member-to-member connections and continuing education.

On-site Meets Online
Associations are a natural fit for social media. Strip the intent of any association to its essence and the gleaming nugget remaining is a fraternal alliance of individuals united by an allegiance to common challenges and aspirations. Social media energizes that impulse for camaraderie in the digital space, enhancing connections between association members and accelerating the exchange of ideas to advance an association’s mission and its success.

If association members are planning to attend an event, they can connect with each other on the association’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Pinterest pages. This interaction drives buzz about the meeting as members talk up the event before and after.

Social media tools are now as pervasive at meetings as the ubiquitous smartphones that enable access to them. Twitter in particular has increased communication among attendees as they tweet about different seminars, speakers, and exhibitors. Twitter also helps those unable to attend the event to stay in the loop back at the office.

My company, CMA Association Management, has advocated integrating Twitter contests into meetings to spur attendee interactivity and instill an element of fun. The association posts a list of 10 things for on-site attendees to accomplish using Twitter (get your picture taken with the keynote speaker or tweet your main take-away from a certain seminar, for example).

In addition to incorporating traditional social media into their programming, associations are also establishing private online communities, built around areas of specialization or committees so members can chat with one another about their areas of interest. Online communities foster real-time discussions about marketplace issues, solution sharing, service provider referrals, and the exchange of resources.

Planning Interactivity Into Events
The emphasis on social media interaction between members on-site at an event is just one aspect of a growing association focus on planning event components that encourage greater face-to-face interactivity among members.

We counsel our association clients to move beyond the same cookie-cutter agenda every year – the general session, the sit-down dinner, etc. We work with associations to develop new features each year that encourage interaction to change things up. Attendees want to experience something different where they have opportunities to engage more with other people at the meeting.

Changing up programming features could include a speed-networking program between members and a series of suppliers. Learning lounges encourage small group discussions with vendors to learn more about their products or services. It could be mini-roundtables with a small group of people discussing a specific industry topic and then presenting their consensus to the larger group. Try moving away from plated dinners to buffet stations to encourage members to mingle. Think of fun icebreaker features to add to receptions or opening sessions.

Additional opportunities for engaging members include voluntourism activities-off-site opportunities organized for attendees to advance a charitable cause that benefits the host city’s local community. A city’s convention and visitors bureau is a great resource to coordinate this. Such activities get people interacting for a good cause and sharing the camaraderie of helping to make a difference.

Striving for Greater Industry and Member Impact
Associations are re-engineering and transforming their websites into robust, go-to portals for industry intelligence, on-demand training modules, interactive member forums, and other dynamic resources for connecting members in real-time. These websites are virtual libraries packed with archived articles, webinars, past conference presentations, interactive member directories, and buyers’ guides, all serving as an industry crossroads where members can interact and advance their professional development.

Other association trends we see and work on with our association clients are an increase in association professional certification initiatives and awards programs recognizing innovation and excellence in the products or services member companies provide.

Professional certifications administered through an association provide added member value and differentiation for members and their employers. By meeting industry-verified certification criteria, a member benefits from the association’s trusted third-party validation of the member’s industry expertise and professional knowledge. This is a powerful association benefit that can be a significant membership and revenue driver.

In a similar vein, association awards recognizing member companies’ excellence, quality, or innovative products or services raise a company’s visibility within its industry and its credibility in the minds of customers. Both of these strategies are competitive differentiators that members value. Such programs also fuel an association’s public relations campaign.

With so many options and information chains available today, associations stay poised as “the go-to resource.”

Contact: Meghan Higgins
CMA Association Management
1 (609) 297-2218
mhiggins@cmasolutions.com

3PM Conference Reaches New Heights After CMA’s Response to Unexpected Challenges

Despite Hurricane Sandy Impacts, 3PM Annual Conference Stands Strong

Princeton Junction, NJ – April 30, 2013 – After rescheduling the conference as a result of Hurricane Sandy’s impact on New Jersey and New York, CMA Association Management (CMA), a full-service association management firm based in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, assisted the Third Party Marketers Association (3PM), a global association of independent, outsourced sales and marketing firms that support the investment management industry worldwide, overcome obstacles to host a successful annual conference that achieved record-high registration.

Originally scheduled to take place two weeks after Hurricane Sandy at the Seaport Boston Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, CMA’s experts in crisis management worked with 3PM’s Board to rapidly defuse current contracts and coordinate the postponement with the venue, registrants, speakers and sponsors. For international and distant registrants who already arrived on-site when the conference was rescheduled, CMA and the association promptly organized valuable networking meetings for them with local 3PM members.

Proving valuable, all those who registered for the Boston meetings in the fall, also attended the rescheduled conference on April 3-4 at the same venue. Achieving its highest registration in 3PM event history, CMA and the association also re-sold all sponsorship opportunities. Additionally, scheduled for two-days to allow separate and dedicated sessions for 3PM members and investment managers, the association received an overwhelming response from managers who continued registering for event sessions while on-site.

“Hosting a record-breaking conference with 3PM’s Board after rescheduling it from the unexpected obstacles that arose, was a true showcase of CMA’s expertise in crisis and event management,” said President and CEO of CMA, Jeffrey Barnhart. “The CMA account managers and 3PM’s Board handled this situation seamlessly and were gainfully rewarded for their efforts through the success of this year’s event.”

For over 25 years, CMA has provided a range of association and event management, as well as marketing services, for regional, national and international clients. CMA is one of only 70 companies of its kind worldwide accredited by the AMC Institute. For more information, visit www.ThinkCMA.com or visit our blog www.AssociationsCentralBlog.com.

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About CMA Association Management
CMA Association Management is a full-service association management firm that has provided a diverse range of association management, event management and strategic marketing services to achieve measurable results for regional, national and international association clients for over 25 years. Based in Princeton Junction, NJ, CMA is one of only 70 association management companies worldwide accredited by the AMC Institute. For more information, please visit www.ThinkCMA.com, call 1-609-297-2235 or e-mail us at info@cmasolutions.com.

April 30, 2013

By Lynn McCullough

There’s no doubt that the crucial time to reinforce an association’s value to new members is the first few months after they join. If a member does not feel welcome, he or she will immediately begin to re-evaluate their dues investment and look elsewhere for the benefits your association offers. So, instead, make sure to roll out the welcome mat and create a lasting bond. Here are three ways in which to do so:

Make a well-intentioned introduction. In such a fast-paced and often impersonal world, more members feel welcome when they receive some kind of personalized communication. While a mailed welcome kit that includes a letter from the board president or executive director are standard greetings, consider the way that your members prefer to communicate nowadays. You may want to upgrade your printed member kit to an electronic, more interactive version that might better demonstrate your association’s commitment to technology as well as its concern about environmental impact.

One association client recently created an online platform called the “new-member concierge desk,” a perfect concept for an organization in the hospitality industry. This was the go-to spot for new members to learn about the association and find out how to get involved in committees and association initiatives, and it even featured a welcome video from association staff.

Additionally, social media has quickly become one of the “new basics” for association communications. You can utilize it by announcing new members on your group’s social networks so they feel instant recognition.

Give new members the tools to successfully navigate their membership. Now that your members have been given the initial welcome, help them to make the most of their membership, both online and in person. Using webinars or podcasts, you can explain the different member benefits conveniently and in-depth. Some associations have created webinars to help users navigate the “members-only” section of the group’s website, which might include helping them set up their profiles, post discussions, join committees and find mentors.

To encourage a new member’s personal involvement, make a point of integrating a new member event into your annual conference. For instance, every new member can be partnered with a more long-standing member who can then encourage them to get involved in a committee. Many association clients have retained newcomers by recruiting committee members early on, citing this involvement as a major source of networking benefits and camaraderie.

Your event might also distribute programs or member magazines that feature write-ups about new members so that your existing base can get a sense of who the new members are and what they do.

If your group doesn’t already have a key contact for new members, it should enlist one. That person can act as an ambassador between new and long-standing members, forging relationships between the two groups and making all new members feel welcome.

Follow up frequently. You should check in with new members often during the first six-to-nine months of their membership, either via phone or email. Use these occasions to remind them of certain upcoming events and initiatives, and encourage them to participate. Some association clients have instituted special “meet-and-greet” subcommittees just for this purpose. Members of the subcommittee act as group mentors for newcomers’ first few months and also work in tandem with the association’s membership committee on member retention.

A more formal mentor program can also be implemented and run one of two ways: Mentors can either help new members acclimate to the association or they can help someone new to the industry learn the ropes and make key acquaintances.

All in all, investing in new members is important, so it’s vital to make an impact early on and set the tone for a positive experience with your association. When you can enrich members’ careers and assist them with a better professional education and important connections, you’re assisting them in ways that will make them appreciate your group’s value for years to come.

Lynn McCullough is the director of meetings and association management for CMA Association Management. She can be reached at lmccullough@cmasolutions.com.

Reason #1: Sticking out like a sore thumb. PR and social media professionals might work hard to get your association noticed, but we also don’t want you to be noticed for all the wrong reasons. While social media management tools like Hootsuite might be used to schedule posts for convenience, social media managers must also pay attention to tone of tweets and other posts across all social networks and either suspend activity or post manually. For example, a post that says “Happy Friday everyone!” riddled with exclamation points and hashtags unrelated to the current event visually sticks out in a bad way. Only contribute to the conversation if you have resources for those in need or are expressing your support for those affected.

Reason #2: Show your solidarity. Social media connects the country and the world like no other communications tool. We all might not live in Boston but we have friends, family or simply might just like the town or empathize on some level with what the citizens are going through. Out of respect for the need for those people to use social media as an information stream, it’s the right thing to do to go silent with your self-promotional posts. Remember the “social” part of social media and relate on a more human level.

Reason #3: Err on the side of caution. Sometimes scheduled tweets might unintentionally offend social media followers in the early hours of a crisis such as the Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent manhunt. People have strong reactions to certain words that take on new meaning in the context of a crisis. On the off chance that something you have scheduled might offend, play it safe and suspend self-promotional activity.

The bottom line? The tragic and tense situation in Boston solidifies what good social media community managers already knew—your news can wait.

What do you think about social media communications during times of crisis?