IEEE NSW Section

Membership Development Strategy & Plan

Bruce PoonMembership Development ChairNew South Wales Sectionbruce.poon@ieee.orgphoto

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IEEE MD Strategy

Section Situation

Section MD Plan

Topics

IEEE MD Strategy

IEEE MD Support & Evolution

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

365,500 members

BMS transition ‘Great Recession’

Optimizing the Campaigns >

renewal

recovery

recruitment

reinstatement

benefits promotion

382,400 members

(renewal alerts integrated into next-gen products)

367,400 members

Integrated multimedia

Putting a face onmembership promotion

Remaking the Collateral >

Integrated MD strategy &

plan

Integrated MD reporting

397,000 members

Synthesis & Engagement

First-year member experience

Message testing

MD webcasts

374,800 members

Building a Volunteer “Field Team” >

MD KitsMD portal

Membership presentation

MD Manual

MGM business cards

MD virtualcommunity

On-demandKit ordering

MD Strategy w/ Full Volunteer Integration

MD Volunteer “Platform”

Membership Situation

New South Wales

New South Wales Section Total Members Since Year 2000

Formation Date: 16 August 1972

Section / Council Total Members

NSW Section Total Members since Year 2000

IEEE New South Wales Section Membership31 December 2011

Note 1: Member from…Academia: 37.46 %Industry: 62.53 %

Note 1: Member from…Academia: 37.46 %Industry: 62.53 %

Note 2: RetentionHigher Grade Member: 85.8 %Student Grade Member: 66.7 %

SWOT – Section’s Member Growth Program

Strengths

• A large member base in a big city• A reasonable size of committee• Enough knowledge, capability and volunteers to hold a yearly conference ( ICITA ) to promote IEEE and to benefit local members

Weaknesses • Not enough enthusiastic volunteers with plenty of spare time• Joining IEEE is not compulsory for local professional careers• Low funding and budget to support activities and operation

Opportunities

• Plenty of professional as potential members• Plenty of students in Universities as potential student members and Graduate student members

Threats

• Compete with local professional organizations [ Engineers Australia (EA), Australian Computer Society (ACS) ] as well as Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET) NSW branch for members. Student membership is free for EA.• HQ is eyeing our reserve funding which will further reduce our capability to support activities and operation as well as membership development

Section MD Plan

Membership Year BeginsFull-year dues enactedRenewal opensKey month for launching new or

upgraded benefitsFrom Sep thru Dec, revenue

deferred to next year

Membership Mid-Year½-Year Dues-Cycle BeginsArrears-Recovery BeginsKey month for launching new or

upgraded benefitsMembership Year ConcludesMember retention rates determinedBusiness fiscal performance determined½-year dues cycle concludes

Calendar Year ConcludesYear-end membership statistics determined

Active-Status TerminatorPast-due members placed

into arrears

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

APRIL

MARCH

FEBRUARY

JANUARY

AUGUST

JULY

JUNE

MAY

Timing is Everything – Know the Membership Calendar

ConstituenciesTechnical

DevelopmentProfessional Development

Community Development

Cost Savings / Discounts

Existing Members

Prospective Members

Differentiate Audiences – Different Expectations

… their needs change throughout a career

… they are everywhere. When we do recruit them, 50%+ attrition rate (first-year member strategy)

IEEE Entity

Communications Events RecognitionEvaluation

Considerations

<NSW Section >

• Quarterly Newsletters “ CIRCUIT “ via emails and snail mails.

• Technical talks

• Student branch activities

Issues in Mar, Jul & Nov

• Twice monthly joint institutions technical talks (IEEE/IET/EA)

• a) Syd Uni - monthly presentation - postgraduate student conference in Oct 2012 b) UNSW - iToF exhibition in Oct 2012

• Provide general information of our activities and upcoming events. • Provide services to our members

• Provide services to our student members

• Event Participation• Volunteer Recruitment• Student Branch Vitality• Member Retention

Opportunities for Engaging Existing Members

IEEE Entity

Communications Events RecognitionEvaluation

Considerations

<NSW Section >

• Lectures, workshops, conference and other activities

c) Macquarie Uni - monthly presentation

• Lectures from DLs• Various workshops & conferences• Activities in Chapters, GOLD & WIE

• Provide services to our members and student members

• Event Participation• Volunteer Recruitment• Student Branch Vitality• Member Retention

Opportunities for Engaging Existing Members

IEEE Entity

Communications Events RecognitionEvaluation

Considerations

<NSW Section >

• Technical talks

• Student branch activities

• Twice monthly joint institutions technical talks (IEEE/IET/EA) • a) Syd Uni - orientation day in Feb 2012 - monthly presentation - postgraduate student conference in Oct 2012 b) UNSW - iToF exhibition in Oct 2012 c) Macquarie Uni - Welcome gathering for new students on 29 Mar 2012 - monthly presentation

• Attract potential members

• Attract potential student members

• Diversity and frequency of opportunities for member recruitment• Follow-up with interested individuals• First-year member engagement

Opportunities for Engaging Prospective Members

IEEE Entity

Communications Events RecognitionEvaluation

Considerations

<NSW Section >

• Free student membership

• Lectures, workshops, conference and other activities

• Free student membership with Application deadline : 31 Mar 2012

• Lectures from DLs• Various workshops & conferences• Activities in Chapters, GOLD & WIE• International Conference on Information Technology & Application (ICITA)

• Give student an opportunity of try before you buy.

• Attract potential members as well as potential student members

• Diversity and frequency of opportunities for member recruitment• Follow-up with interested individuals• First-year member engagement

Opportunities for Engaging Prospective Members

Membership Development PlanEngagement Venues & Frequency

1Q(Jan – Mar)

2Q(Apr – Jun)

3Q(Jul – Sep)

4Q(Oct – Dec)

Communications

Quarterly Newsletter 1 0 1 1

Technical talks 4 6 6 4

Student branch activities 6 12 12 10

Lectures, workshops, conference and other activities

2 3 3 4

Events

Quarterly NewsletterVia emails & snail

mailsVia emails & snail

mailsVia emails & snail

mails

Technical talksEngineers Australia Presentation Room

Engineers Australia Presentation Room

Engineers Australia Presentation Room

Engineers Australia Presentation Room

Student branch activitiesMacquarie University,

Sydney University, UNSW

Macquarie University, Sydney University, UNSW

Macquarie University, Sydney University, UNSW

Macquarie University, Sydney University, UNSW

Lectures, workshops, conference and other activities

Universities, companies.

Universities, companies

Universities, companies

Universities, companies, Hilton

Hotel

Membership Development PlanEngagement Venues & Frequency

1Q(Jan – Mar)

2Q(Apr – Jun)

3Q(Jul – Sep)

4Q(Oct – Dec)

Recognition

Quarterly Newsletter

• Provide general information of our activities and upcoming events

• Provide general information of our activities and upcoming events

• Provide general information of our activities and upcoming events as well as our AGM

Technical talks• Provide services to our members

• Provide services to our members

• Provide services to our members

• Provide services to our members

Student branch activities

• Provide services to our student members• Provide free student membership

• Provide services to our student members

• Provide services to our student members

• Provide services to our student members and sponsorship for outstanding presentation

Lectures, workshops, conference and other activities

• Provide services to our members and student members

• Provide services to our members and student members

• Provide services to our members and student members

• Provide services to our members and student members

Status UpdateEngagement Venues & Frequency

Goals & Progress

Communications

Quarterly NewsletterAchieve the goal of providing general information and upcoming activities to members. The frequency of 3 issues per year is quite adequate

Technical talks 2 per months ( Feb to mid Dec ) seems to be O.K.

Student branch activitiesAchieve the goal of providing general information and upcoming activities to student members

Lectures, workshops, conference and other activities

Achieve the goal of providing services to our members and student members

Events

Quarterly NewsletterVia email and snail effective are quite effective although there are small % of return email & snail mail

Technical talksLocation in Engineers Australia presentation room is quite convenient with easy reach by train, car & bus.

Student branch activitiesThe monthly presentation and yearly event with sponsorship for best presentation award attract members’ attention and participation

Lectures, workshops, conference and other activities

DL’s lectures as well as the yearly ICITA conference are in progress.

Status Update

Engagement Venues & Frequency

Goals & Progress

Recognition

Quarterly Newsletter Need more contribution for news and updates

Technical talks Generally welcome by members. Need more topics for 2013

Student branch activities Sponsorship for best presentation award seems to work quite well

Lectures, workshops, conference and other activities

Require more volunteers to support the yearly ICITA conference

Section’s Membership Situation

- Since 2007 at a bottom of 2,288 active members, we have a

solid yearly growth for the last five years

Section MD Plan

- Professional activities and student activities to retain members

as well as to use the opportunities to recruit new members- Free student membership to attract new student members

( try before you buy )

- Support and participate in conference, workshop, …etc. to promote IEEE as well as to use the opportunities to recruit new members

In Summary…