Commitment - the Lifeblood of a Successful Association

This is the first in a series of articles we’re writing about associations of all sizes and persuasions. By definition, associations are gatherings of individuals that have common interests. Associations needed committed members. There are far too many associations that suffer from mediocre events, lackluster speakers, uninspiring discussions and little audience participation.

So how do you energize an association? Today we want to highlight an individual who’s made a marked difference in his association. The person in question is Alex Littlewood, President of SVAMA - the Silicon Valley chapter of the American Marketing Association. Alex has been involved with the AMA since the age of 17. He volunteered for them right through college and after.

It wasn’t too long ago that he joined the SVAMA, but he soon found himself elected President. He says that he “literally walked into the position”. He does not think it should be easy to become a board member, let alone President. He believes that you have to earn it by participating, organizing events and by getting your hands dirty. Alex had his work cut out. He found an unfocused organization whose main aim was to put up as many events as they could. The quality of events was poor and, worst of all, attendance was abysmal. A personal pet peeve – the website was horrible (he still thinks it is).

So they had a meeting of the core group, and he found that whereas many people were willing to give “strategic” advice, when it came time to commit some time, they were nowhere to be found. So what did he do? He laid down the rules of the game – Commit or get out of the way. With that simple rule, he was able to find the people who were really willing to engage.

So what are the team’s accomplishments?

 The quality of the events is up. Attendance is great (the last couple of events had 100 people). Costs are down, revenues are up and morale is great! Alex is not the type of person that can engage half-way. When he commits to something, he’s in it all the way. He still thinks that they have a lot more work to do, but he’s very proud of what the core team has accomplished so far.

What are the priorities for the future?

A premium brand is first and foremost in his vision for SVAMA. He wants a website that reflects that premium brand. The current website “sucks, sucks, sucks”. Second, he wants strong individuals on his advisory board. He wants folks that are genuinely interested in contributing to the community. Motivations for an individual joining his advisory board are the opportunity to direct an energized volunteer force and the increased exposure that comes from being in the position. He wants to continue with quality events and attendee engagement before and after events.

How many members does he have?  

350, but he could care less about increasing membership. Of the approximately $250 that the AMA charges for membership, only $40 makes it back to the local chapter. They would rather put on quality events, with great speakers and stellar attendance. Revenue will take care of itself.

And costs?

When he came to SVAMA, they were not doing events at local companies. With so many well-known companies in Silicon Valley, he was failed to understand why they weren’t pursuing companies like Cisco, Apple, and Google to sponsor their events. So they did reach out and got some local sponsors. It was a small cost to the companies, but a big savings for SVAMA.

But what changed? How did sponsors sign on?

Well, to get sponsors he needed to spend time nurturing a relationship with them, something that they had previously not done. They also created some new rules for sponsors. They wanted sponsors who had “skin in the game”. They needed to come to events and pay their sponsorship fees. There were no exceptions any longer, and no free tickets!

What do their members expect from them?

1. More networking opportunities
2. Learning opportunities
3. Opportunities to contribute. Everyone thinks they have something to give back.

What’s in it for him?

Alex is an animated guy and full of energy. So it takes some effort to make him stop. But this question had him stop to think. He began with, “I don’t know man…” and looked up and to the left, and a few moments later, said, “… although every job I’ve gotten is through an AMA connection.

At Teagal, this is exactly the type of person we would like to encourage and promote – the type that contributes, takes action and doesn’t always worry about what he gets in return, although Alex has already gotten a lot in return. Nice to have met you, Alex!

So what have we learnt from this?

• The way to have a successful and energized association is to require commitment.
• That members of associations are looking for networking, learning and contributing.
• That giving without worrying about receiving makes for a more stress-free life.