This newsletter is brought to you through a strategic partnership with Naylor Association Services. AMC Institute’s Board of Directors has placed significant focus and effort on raising the profile of the Institute, the value and benefits of the AMC model, and using content to demonstrate our collective knowledge and expertise to engage association executives and volunteer leaders. As we embark on this ambitious strategy, we want to keep members up to date on marketing activities, opportunities and trends. And, of course, we want your feedback. Please feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions, and comments with me at 706-255-5655 or at chair@amcinstitute.org.   Thanks,  Charles Hall - AMC Institute Board Chair

This month we'll shine the spotlight on Bob Waller, President and CEO of Association Headquarters. Bob is chair of AMCI's new Outreach and Engagement Task Force. Read on to find out about this bold new initiative and what it provides to AMC Institute's strategic direction.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."    -Charles Darwin

There’s no shortage of discussion about thought leadership these days. At AMCI we’ve spent time over the past while thinking about what it means and how to deliver on it. And why it’s important.

At the end of the day we all know that it’s imperative for our clients to believe that we understand the challenges that they are facing, that our knowledge of the industry is thorough, and that we have a unique perspective and the abilities that will help them succeed.

But we also know that this kind of understanding and recognition isn’t built overnight. Delivering thought leadership on a consistent and long-term basis is challenging. It requires that you always seek to inspire new ways of thinking, that you listen carefully to others, that you’re fearless in provoking discussions and debates around issues, and you encourage and appreciate the participation and actions of others. That’s no small task.

The thought leadership that we believe is important to our industry can be grouped into three areas:

Industry -- What’s our point of view on news and trends in association management?

Service – What are the best practices and strategies for delivering the best service to our clients and to our organization?

Organizational – How do we develop talent and support our company’s culture and success?

We know that AMC clients are looking for solutions and need to trust that we can provide them.  Focusing on thought leadership helps us develop a conversation and build a relationship. Done well, it ensures that we’re top of mind through all of the stages of the buying cycle.

Making the rounds on a lot of social channels right now is a thought that crystallizes some new realities and profound changes in the way business is done:

"Uber, the world’s largest taxi company has no vehicles, Facebook the world’s most popular media owner creates no content, Alibaba, the most valuable retailer has no inventory, and Airbnb the world’s largest accommodation provider owns no real estate."

A quick survey of the discussions by those of us in the association world points to a need to determine how we best maneuver through uncharted waters. Issues such as when to allow for and how to manage remote workers, communicating with a new generation that has grown up with the Internet, and streamlining the overpowering amount of information we have at our fingertips, all point to the transformation we are collectively making.

Watch this space as we monitor the conversations we’re having, bring forward some of the wisdom from members, and chime in with our perspective to help navigate what’s to come.

Hopefully you've found this first quarterly marketing newsletter useful and thought-provoking. We also hope you won't think of this newsletter as "read only".  We want to hear from you!  In addition to your views on the ideas shared here, AMCI would like you to contribute white papers, articles, infographics or other thought-provoking information that your company has created and would like to share with the AMC community.  Please email Tonya Richardson at trichardson@amcinstitute.org with your thoughts and contributions. 

The advantage that AMC Institute has is that as a group we have a wealth of highly credible, thought-provoking knowledge and expertise that allows us to create and deliver relevant content to prospects at the right points in the buying cycle — which will help them take steps toward selecting the AMC model as a solution for their association’s needs.

In 2015, AMCI will:

1. Develop, curate, and seed relevant original content around the value of the AMC model, best practices, accreditation, testimonials, and research findings, to establish thought leadership;
2. Create a marketing outreach/communications campaign designed to attract volunteer leaders, paid association executives, and influencers such as association service providers;  
   
3. Determine the best communication channels to get our messaging around the benefits of the AMC model in front of decision makers;
   
4. Build a vibrant, highly engaged community on LinkedIn; and
5. Re-purpose member-developed content to use on our communication platforms to reinforce AMCI members as the best solution providers for association management needs.

These activities will enable our existing and prospective clients to see the real value of the AMC model and showcase AMC Institute members as those best suited to serve their association’s needs.

In 2014 AMCI was focused on setting the stage — developing a new content strategy, aligning the organization, getting the right resources in place to help us achieve our vision, and garnering the insights into our target audiences that would guide our messaging.

2015 is all about bringing a public face to our efforts and advancing our objectives.

Coming soon is a re-launched website that will continue to be a resource for all of our members. It will also be a place where we can invite volunteer leaders and association executives to check out new trends, cutting edge concepts, and best practices that will help their own organizations. With the guidance and participation of AMCI’s Outreach and Engagement Task Force, we’re re-energizing our social platforms to create a community where we can discuss and solve the key issues facing our industry today, and tomorrow.

We’re excited about the possibilities this new approach will open up and we’ll keep you in the loop with new developments, opportunities and new ideas.