Social Networking: Hi, My Name Is ...

The pioneers of social networking may or may not have had trade associations in mind when they developed programs that allow people to meet and greet on a mass scale over the Web. Even so, associations that represent the tradeshow and meeting industry have wisely caught on to the trend and have utilized numerous tools in the Web 2.0 toolbox such as wikis, blogs and social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook to help their members connect.

Twenty-three thousand and counting. That's how many members the American Society of Assn. Executives & The Center has to try and keep up with.

“One of the foremost reasons why we started offering (Web 2.0) is ASAE was looking to create avenues for members to share info directly,” said Peter Hutchins, vice president of knowledge initiatives. “ASAE just provides the platform.”

The association doesn't seem to be afraid to try out something new either. When few people even vaguely knew what a wiki was, ASAE took a chance and set one up for its members to easily share thoughts and ideas. “With wikis, your work can be edited, and it can be used to define terms and develop consensus in an area,” Hutchins said.

ASAE's wiki was launched more than a year ago, and according to Hutchins, it is one of the three most popular areas in terms of overall page views on the association's Web site.

Beyond that, ASAE also has a blog, channels on YouTube and Flickr, as well as groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. “We see these as tools for us to increase our visibility in the marketplace,” Hutchins said.

Though ASAE clearly isn't afraid to swim in uncharted waters, it still recognizes some things it offers its members may not catch on. “Some are extremely successful, and some don't work out as planned,” Hutchins said. But, he added, as far as tools the association is already utilizing, “One thing as it became successful bled into another, and then they continued to bleed.”

Most organizations realize that in order to stay relevant, they have to connect with younger generations. Last year, IAEE decided to do just that by launching the Young Professionals Group on LinkedIn.

Susan Brower, IAEE's director of marketing and communications, said a strategic planning group was looking at ways of connecting with more of the organization's members, particularly younger ones, and the idea for the group came up. “It was a general business decision,” she added. “Social networking and social media is obviously in the forefront.”

The group has 44 members, and Brower said, “It allows people to get in touch with each other. It's another outlet to advance their careers.”

IAEE's also on Facebook, and it has a career video on YouTube. “We're really targeting Gen X and Gen Y,” Brower said. “People have said, 'This is great,' and 'We're glad you have this.'”

The 8,000 who work for member organizations are slowly but surely starting to recognize the value of social networking and join the LinkedIn and Facebook groups. “We keep a close eye on technology and any trends that are emerging,” Brower said. “We take a careful look at anything that would help our members.”

MPI, with 23,000 members spread around the world, began offering social networking opportunities to them in April of last year when it launched its meetings industry wiki.

According to Rob Price, MPI's director of Web experiences, the wiki was general at first, and members made numerous edits (entries) that, among other things, helped come up with agreed upon definitions for aspects of the meetings industry. As time went by, participation dropped off, he added, but there are still up to 40 entries monthly.

“The more focused your wiki is, the more people use it,” Price said. As a result, MPI changed its strategy somewhat, and now it launches wikis tied to specific events or sessions.

One of the biggest hurdles, Price said, has been getting people to adopt the new technology. “I've gone on the road and spoken to chapter events to convince (members) it's not just a new toy, but it has a practical use,” he added. And, Price said, he writes on his blog and posted a video on YouTube encouraging people to try things out.

“It's constant education, but the message is always the same,” he added. “I provide practical business reasons with concrete examples.”

MPI goes one step further with its blogging efforts by providing all of its members with a blog. “Every one of our members can contribute to the Web site,” Price said. “(They) can also create their own groups.”

For now, he added, MPI has explored various Web 2.0 options, but the focus is on adoption. “We try and work with 23,000 members and get them to see our vision for it,” Price said.

The possibilities for Web 2.0 in the association marketplace are endless, especially when one of the main purposes of a group is to provide networking and the ability for members to learn from one another, he added. “For associations who move into Web 2.0, now they are fulfilling their mission of bringing people together and sharing information,” Price said. “We've taken the member directory and blown the roof off of it.”

Attendees of PCMA's Annual Meeting, that was held Jan. 13-16 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, were given the chance to virtually shake hands and find like-minded professionals to talk to before they ever went to the event.

On PCMA Connect, people could fill out their profiles and answer questions meant to create a snapshot of their interests and business background.

Christine Melendes, PCMA's director of member relations, said of the technology, developed by IntroNetworks, “It's been going really well. We've expanded it, and we've moved it so all of our members have access to it now.”

Of the 6,000 PCMA members, 1,000 are utilizing PCMA Connect, she added, “which is really spectacular. We're really happy with that.” And, Melendes said, with a new version of the software coming out this month, there will be even more offerings for PCMA members.