focus
Featured organizations: 5GAA 4 | IACC 2 | MLA 6 | SILA 2 | SLA 1 | WLPGA 3
Makeover
Is your association ready
for tomorrow?
2020 was a year According to a recent survey of 200 associations
of disruption. around the world conducted by ICCA, 66% believe
that COVID-19 has fundamentally impacted how
Now what?
they operate. The global pandemic and digital revo-
lution have forced associations to rethink their value
proposition, engagement strategies and ways
of doing business.
And despite their reputation of being slow adopt-
ers, associations, like every other organization, have
had no choice but to embrace the digital revolution
and optimize the numerous advantages and oppor-
tunities they offer to build sustainable engagement
models with their communities.
The community-building mindset
How satisfied are your customers? Associations
tend to overlook the large number of customers
interested in their offerings, products or programmes.
Just because they are not interested in paying for
Focus is published by MCI, a global engagement and marketing agency.
Shaping tomorrow’s
associations
Issue 29 · January 2021
a membership does not exclude them from your
association community. You should adopt the mindset
of building community and consider your association
as an open professional community rather than a
closed membership organization. Every customer
has a role to play and contributions to make, and
should be considered a valued ‘member’ of
the community.
“Projections for 2021 are changing as our world is
changing so quickly. We’ve taken a customer-focused
approach, looking at the community and how we
can provide connection with our member, build
relationships and share knowledge,” said Amy Burke,
MA, CAE, Executive Director of the Special
Libraries Association (SLA).
Digital-first strategy
In a recent study of association members conducted
by Community Brands, (continued on page 2)
Welcome
from Robin Lokerman
President, MCI Group
Associations
influence
the world
If associations don’t
transform, they will not
be around in five years.
One thing is very clear: Every aspect
of association engagement has been
altered by COVID-19, and any orga-
nization that has not embraced the
virtual world with a robust e-learning
platform, online community and other
digital tools is in dire straits.
What strategies have you imple-
mented to ensure business continuity
and community engagement? Do you
know how your association will oper-
ate and grow in the new normal?
Transformation is key, and now is
the time for associations to rethink
and transform. It is about designing a
completely new engagement model
with virtual educational learning
experiences, new revenue strategies,
agile governance and relevance.
The digital experience must be
convenient, valuable and relevant.
In this issue of Focus, read about
associations that are in the process of
transforming their business models,
including examples of new innovative
engagement strategies.
Associations need to (re)act
now and FAST! b
2 January 2021
50 percent of respondents said they value their membership more than they did before the
pandemic. Members see their associations as increasingly vital, and with more online and
virtual options, they are engaging. In another survey, 75 percent of nonprofits reported an
increase in demand for their programmes, and a whopping 85 percent agreed that technology
is the key to future success. Do associations have a choice? Not really. The traditional one-size-
fits-all approach to membership is over. Today’s members and customers want customized and
personalized experiences — and digital solutions offer endless opportunities.
“It was a step into the unknown, but we were willing to explore another way of going about
our processes that may lead to more efficiency, time and money savings in the long run. It was
an opportunity to tap into digital technology to see how things can be done better,” Ronnie Tan,
President of the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architecture (SILA), said regarding the
organization’s move to a cloud-based digital platform.
Building trust
Like any other business, associations must listen to their members’ and customers’ needs,
expectations and values. In our highly viral environment and interconnected world, perception
matters, and Gen Z, the next generation of customers, craves trust and transparency. Building
trust with stakeholders is key.
“We had to be very maintained in our communication. We had to be careful not to
over-promise, and always do what we say we are going to do. We knew we would build that
trust if we stick to our commitments,” said Mark Cooper, CEO of the International Associa-
tion of Conference Centres (IACC). “We provided interpretation and meaning behind every
action throughout that journey. That’s key! It is almost like we were prepared with every decision
that we made and communicated about it to provoke excitement.”
Traditionalist, transitioner or future-oriented?
There are different types of organizations. Depending on their size, maturity, sector or even
geographic location, associations will approach the ongoing volatility and increased digitiza-
tion of the engagement experience differently.
Those associations that have a more traditional approach to member engagement most
likely will face difficulties in embracing their stakeholders’ changing needs. In this new normal,
traditionalists will suffer from lack of agility and their financial status will suffer over the long
term. Those in the transition phase have begun to address some of the critical components
related to member engagement, relevance, agility and financial management, but there is much
more to do. Future-oriented organizations have already addressed some of the critical factors to
ensure relevance and value. However, the need for greater agility and digitization is challeng-
ing even the best of associations.
Making tomorrow possible
What will help associations thrive in this new world? The first step is to understand what is
and is not working. More than 80 percent of associations have been forced to cancel one of
their flagship meetings due to the pandemic, according to a survey by Association Meetings
International. The financial result of these cancellations has placed a significant burden on as-
sociations — and also shows that they are relying too heavily on their event as the main source
of revenue, above subscriptions.
Tradition isn’t good enough anymore. Today, associations need to have a real purpose.
Association leaders need to rethink their fundamentals and provide more meaningful engage-
ment and value for their members, customers and stakeholders. They must ensure future-proof
and sustainable revenue growth and at the same time maintain relevance for their community.
Is your association ready for tomorrow? F.A.S.T.© is designed to guide associations through a
tailored roadmap for resilience and growth. To learn more, visit www.fastbymci.com. b
More from MCI: contact nikki.walker@mci-group.com
Shaping tomorrow’s associations
Fueling
The world’s largest global LPG
event goes virtual
Gathering an entire industry for a new virtual event with a limited lead time.
The World LPG Association (WLPGA) is the au-
thoritative voice of the global LPG (liquid petroleum
gas) industry, representing the full LPG value chain.
WLPGA’s primary aim is to support the sector by driv-
ing premium demand for LPG while also promoting
compliance with good business and safety practices.
Organized by the WLPGA, LPG Week is the annu-
al global event for the LPG industry. The event travels
the globe and each year takes place on a different
continent. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WLPGA
had to postpone LPG Week 2020 as an in-person
event in Dubai to 2021. But WLPGA also decided to
maintain LPG Week 2020 as a virtual event to give in-
dustry stakeholders an opportunity to meet, learn and
do business, as well as generate revenue to finance
and sustain the association’s activities.
Renew, rethink, reinvent
WLPGA had to completely rethink its event model and
transform its annual programme into a virtual global ex-
perience — called e-LPG Week — while managing the
financial risks. Despite the short lead time, MCI France
was able to develop and manage a fully virtual expe-
rience that included conference sessions, networking
and business opportunities, and a virtual exhibition.
Educate and communicate
After sourcing technology platforms, MCI France
had to pilot a panel of stakeholders to evaluate every
step of the development and adapt when needed.
Webinars and tutorials were organized to inform and
train the audience for the new format and to offer
guidance for developing content with shorter sessions
presented by world-renowned speakers. With the sup-
port of a marketing agency and WLPGA, MCI France
Connect with MCI: www.mci-group.com
also developed a 360-degree marketing campaign LPG week
with an emphasis on social media. in numbers
Engaging the LPG community
Under the theme “Bringing Energy to Life,” e-LPG 128
Week ran a series of high-end panel sessions that speakers
dove into different aspects of the LPG industry. Indus-
try leaders gathered during these interactive sessions
and tackled topics from various global viewpoints 1,516
highlighting the future of LPG. participants
One of the main features of e-LPG Week was
flexibility regarding access and scheduling. Attendees
who missed any live or pre-recorded sessions could 15,000
still catch the recordings for several weeks as part programme clicks
of the overall redesigned experience. Throughout
the event, 1,500 participants exchanged more than
5,500 messages on the platform, and the programme 5,500
received some 15,000 clicks. messages exchanged
“I attended a number of the sessions, and I was so
impressed with the platform,” said Brian Richesson, Ed-
itor in Chief of LP Gas magazine. “Hands down, it’s the 43
best I’ve seen. Having the ability to go back and view partner companies
the sessions afterwards is so helpful for our needs, too.”
“This year, the MCI team who has been our event
partner for the past decade has revealed its capacity to
successfully adjust to the current and quickly evolving
event landscape,” said Esther Assous, Events Director
for WLPGA. “They have been a real ally in organizing
the first virtual global event for WLPGA, which has
received outstanding feedback from the LPG communi-
ty. We look forward to continuing this partnership over
the coming years.” b
More from MCI: contact jeoffrey.roussey@mci-group.com
January 2021 3
 Voice

e-Voting platform supports first

virtual general assembly
The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global, cross-industry organi-
zation of 130 companies from the automotive, technology and telecommuni-
cations industries, working together to develop end-to-end solutions for future
mobility and transportation services. Because of travel bans, MCI Germany and
Logos, MCI’s public affairs coalition and stakeholder management company,
were asked to organize the 5GAA’s mandatory General Assembly as a virtual
programme for members to vote on the latest board decisions.
After reviewing various voting platforms, MCI experts decided to develop
their own bespoke platform to meet all the legal and confidentiality require-
ments of the voting process. With 140 voting delegates spread over four
continents, MCI had to map the different steps and service providers required,
and evaluate the potential traps and obstacles and how to avoid them.
Confidentiality of the vote had to be ensured due to the sensitivity of the
topics addressed, such as elections of board members. Back-office allowed
staff to monitor who voted, providing transparency to members on the number
of for, against and abstentions. b

More from MCI: contact bettina.heidemann@mci-group.com

Activate

Tips for sponsorship revenues & engagement in virtual

How to make sure sponsors receive the right ROI with online platforms? How to maintain their long-term engagement in the virtual space?
Virtual event solutions bring new and innovative sponsorship opportunities. The audience’s virtual experience starts well before the event
itself and continues long after it ends. This leaves plenty of opportunities for sponsors to showcase their brand. By adopting a blended ap-
proach that is at the same time agile, strategic and human-centered, virtual sponsorships can be as effective as those for in-person events.
Here are five tried and tested value propositions to offer virtual sponsors maximum engagement and ROI:

1 2 3 4 5
Adaptable High-converting Extended brand Flexible and Hidden
and scalable leads visibility customized opportunities
packages Sponsors extend Exhibitors brand options Revenue may
Packages are their reach for a and product videos Sponsors strengthen hide in areas you
designed based longer timeframe and are accessible year- their brand didn’t think about,
on sponsors’ needs with access to unique round, with access to awareness and and opportunities to
and goals, not individual informa- measurable data. engagement with impress sponsors
the organization’s tion and habits. impactful data. are endless.
revenue objectives.

More from MCI: contact thomas.howden@mci-group.com

4 January 2021 Shaping tomorrow’s associations

Convert

Digital marketing generates 24.5K leads for first

virtual congress
A leading international congress expecting
10,000 participants was scheduled to take
place in Cape Town, South Africa, in June
2020. However, in April 2020 it became
clear that the event could not move ahead as
a physical meeting due to the pandemic.
The association, which serves the health-
care field, quickly transformed its strategy
to virtual with the support of MCI. This trans-
formation enabled the association to meet
its commitment to delivering educational
content and bring the world congress into
the homes of attendees. This process meant
an entirely new digital marketing strategy
had to be developed and implemented
almost overnight, and involved creating an
enhanced target audience strategy, new
website layout and branding, and new
marketing collateral for emails, digital adver-
tisements and social posts. The campaign
strategy consisted of three unique phases
addressing multiple aspects:
Phase 1 — prior to the event focused
on launching the virtual experience of the
transformed congress and associated online
learning platform through awareness
and education.
Phase 2 — during the virtual congress
experience to maximize engagement and
interaction through daily emails, push
notifications and social media activities.
Phase 3 — to promote extended learning
and engagement via the online AI-fueled
platform.
During the six-week campaign peri-
od, digital advertisements for the virtual
congress experience were seen 14 million
times, generated 24,500 leads, and 19,000
website visits, which was double the traffic
for the previous physical congress over sev-
eral months. The email campaign generated
more than 46% of total website traffic, with
the email announcing the launch of the virtu-
al event website generating an impressive
60% open rate. b
More from MCI: contact
elluria.breytenbach@mci-group.com

Feed

How to build a powerful

online community
According to research by Inversoft, 77% of organizations believe that an online
community significantly improves brand exposure, awareness and credibility. But
building an online community can be hard work. The challenge is to keep people
engaged and coming back while stimulating and monitoring conversations in
a natural and personal way, feeding content through champions and offering
features that will make your digital community platform a powerful tool. Here are
some key features to consider:

Resource Library Discussion Forum

Body of knowledge The place to collaborate
to learn and inspire and exchange

Directory Widget Builder Mobile Friendly

Private social network Customized content Useful, relevant and
to connect with easy configuration smooth experience

Additional features may include mentor match, learning management system (LMS),
expert directory, reviews and much more.

More from MCI: contact therese.dolan@mci-group.com

Connect with MCI: www.mci-group.com January 2021 5

Interview: Kevin Baliozian, Executive Director, Medical Library Association (MLA)
The power of trust in the
transformation process
The Medical Library Association (MLA) is a professional association with a membership of more than
400 institutions and 3,000 professionals in the health information field. Together with its management part-
ner, MCI, the association was already in the process of redesigning and transforming its organization when
the COVID-19 crisis began, so it was just an opportunity to go faster. Kevin Baliozian, MBA, CAE, Executive
Director of MLA, shares key steps in the organization’s transformation journey.
What initiatives has MLA taken during the
COVID pandemic?
MLA has been redesigning and transforming for the
last five years, so we were ready for what is happen-
ing now. In fact, when the crisis started, it was an
opportunity to go faster.
For example, we were already thinking of trans-
forming our annual meeting, which represents half
Kevin Baliozian of our revenues. Then COVID happens and we are
Executive Director going straight to digital for meetings and exhibit. By
Medical Library going virtual, by lowering pricing, offering financial
Association (MLA) aid, and avoiding the issue of travel, suddenly we
are dramatically increasing the ability of people to
participate and engage.
MLA’s As a matter of fact, the organization has figured
transformation out a long list of projects that are way better to do
virtually than face-to-face. MLA is now looking at
in numbers going hybrid for our event next year, with the physical
conference as an add-on to the virtual event experi-
6 ence when it was previously the opposite. The reverse
new weekly online strategy is forcing us to think how we are going to
“open forums” promote the physical conference over the virtual one.
What where the key steps in MLA’s transformation
95% journey?
of exhibitors We focused on four key elements, including our
confirmed interest communities, our governance and structure, our event
and finally our financial model.
Our first initial step was to unleash the power of
4.0 our 45 member communities. These communities are
average conference organized by areas of practice of health information or
satisfaction rating on special interest and affinity. The health information el-
5.0 scale ement makes our members very connected to COVID.
They have been reliable in providing trustworthy infor-
mation such as search strings and trusted websites to
the health professionals and making them available to
the public. We also launched weekly topical 30-minute
discussion sessions combining a presenter/facilitator
6 January 2021
on Webex with Slack discussion channels.
We then looked at our governance and opera-
tions. We organized a five-day pivot together with
the executive committee and the executive director
to review the association’s policies on committee
appointments and content strategy, which was finally
moved aside. Small working groups were assembled,
including three members and two staff members for
vetting and coordination; and, finally, new roles were
created and staff reassigned to new roles. The budget
was reallocated with the support of the board and
finance committee. As a result of these operational
changes, member engagement has increased sig-
nificantly with the involvement of new individuals not
previously engaged. MLA’s relevance and perceived
value have also increased.
The third step was to rethink and redesign our
event to move to a virtual experience. Our annual con-
ference and exhibits represent 50% of MLA’s revenues
and is our largest contributor of funding. Our May
physical event was cancelled and replaced by a virtual
conference and exhibit in August. We initially decided
to take our content and exhibition and make it virtual,
but we finally scraped away that approach and thought,
if we were to start from scratch virtually, what would the
conference experience be like? A conference crisis
team was assembled, including executive committee
members, conference co-chairs and key staff leaders.
They were empowered to make quick and high-level
decisions. At the same time, the staff was empowered
to design a dramatically different experience.
The launch of our first virtual conference was also
the occasion to launch six new weekly online “open
forum” gatherings on MLA’s topics, instead of two
at the conference. The redesign of the conference
experience now includes a live launch, an exploration
week with asynchronous viewing and discussions,
as well as live social events and a live action week a
Shaping tomorrow’s associations
month later with interactive sessions, meet-ups with
panelists and exhibitors, and social events. We are
proud to say that 98% of our presenters maintained
their presence and 95% of exhibitors expressed inter-
est in maintaining their presence and sponsorships.
And with this we were also offering a new experience
to our members.
The fourth and very important step was to rethink
financial forecasting and communication. The 2020
budget was no longer relevant, so we set up a series
of scenarios based on actual metrics or events with
daily cash management and safe strategies to ensure
short-, medium- and long-term cash scenarios. By
doing this, we demonstrated trustworthiness that the
MLA leadership is fast and financially savvy to make
the right decisions.
How has your board responded and supported you
in this process?
As I was starting to think how the organization would
go through this crisis, my president told me, “You’re
not alone.” What I have found amazing is the team
and collaboration and spirit of our board and
executive committee.
During that process, the decision was made to
increase the number of communications in a massive
way, including monthly informational board meet-
ings, status reports of what is going on, and weekly
open forums with members that are run by volunteers
around various topics, so it all goes around building
trust. The trust is essential, and building trust comes
through a lot of great communications with the differ-
ent groups. At the end of the day, whether members
agree or not with the decisions the board is making,
they know the board knows what it is doing.
Can you describe how the AMC model supported
MLA in its transformation?
Our transformation journey required a lean, agile and
quick decision-making process while working with the
leadership. Building trust with the various stakehold-
ers was key in that process. The decision was made to
transform the annual event, which consequently has
allowed us to transform the entire organization.
By transitioning to an association management
model, MLA benefits from constant pivot and quality
experimentation. We have earned a license to exper-
iment with experienced professionals, shared knowl-
edge and quality systems. This model has allowed
us to solve engagement issues and address diversity
to become truly inclusive. I can focus on association
needs and strategy while operations are looked after
by MCI’s staff. We have a better spread of activities
during the year and we are now operating in a more
agile, flexible and creative way. b
Connect with MCI: www.mci-group.com
MCI in the news
The MCI Middle East team receives the MALT Excellence Award
Awards & recognitions
Amy Lestition Burke, MA, CAE, Senior VP of Engagement at MCI USA, has
been recognized with the Leader of Distinction Class of 2020 Award by the
digitalNow conference.
Karen Bhavnani, MCI Geneva, has been nominated as one of the Top 100
Digital Shapers in Switzerland by the publications HandelsZeitung, Bilanz,
and Le Temps.
MCI Singapore won three awards from Marketing Interactive’s Marketing
Events Awards, including Gold in the category Best Virtual Event (B2B) for
Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Annual Meeting Virtual Event 2020. MCI
Singapore also received the Pioneer Member Awards from the Singapore As-
sociation of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) in
recognition of the role MCI has played in shaping Singapore’s MICE industry.
MCI USA and the National Cannabis Industry Association’s (NCIA) Cannabis
Business Summit & Expo were named to Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50 in
recognition of the event’s robust growth.
MCI Middle East took home the prestigious Exceptional Association Event of the
Year Award from the MALT Excellence Awards, which recognize exemplary
initiatives in the field of meetings, incentives, conferences, events, business and
luxury travel from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council).
New leadership positions
Per Anker, Director of Sales, MCI
Copenhagen, has joined the Meet-
ing Professionals International
(MPI) European Advisory Council
2020/2021, and Igor Tobias Director
Per Anker
has been nominated President of
MPI Brazil.
Barbara Calderwood, Director, Asso-
ciation Relations, MCI UK, has been
named co-chair of the Association
of British Professional Conference
Organisers (ABPCO). b
Barbara Calderwood
January 2021 7
Future-proofed
8 association trends in 2021
While COVID-19 has been an accelerator for change
and a catalyst for associations and other not-for-profit
organizations to rethink their relevance, way of work-
ing and business model, the pandemic is not the only
reason for associations to consider their future-proof
strategy. Associations have no choice but to embrace
the digital revolution and adapt to thrive in the new
normal. At MCI, we have identified a number of
drivers affecting associations as they grapple with this
new era, including eight main trends:
1. Technology
Technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud
computing, robotics, 3D printing and the Internet of
Things are transforming every aspect of how we live
and work. Associations must embrace these technol-
ogies to offer their stakeholders a more personal,
intuitive and engaging experience.
2. Financial impact
As associations review their financial status due to
the pandemic, they need to anticipate the potential
knock-on effect, as members and sponsors are forced
to protect their own interests. New products and
programmes are critical to continuing to engage your
community and ensure value and relevance.
3. Privacy and data protection
While the monetization of data is the lifeblood of
many associations, the EU’s General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) has placed limits on certain activ-
ities. Technological advances will continue to produce
workarounds even as greater vigilance and demands
for transparency grow.
8 January 2021
1 4. Social distancing
Social distancing due to COVID-19 is changing the
way organizations and individuals behave, requiring
Embrace new ways of working and offering new opportunities
a digital for digitization. Virtual communications, events, and
and user learning experiences are here to stay, and hybrid
experience events are the New Normal.
mindset
5. Sustainability and environmental development
2 Addressing global challenges such as poverty,
inequality, and climate change, the UN Sustainable
Development Goals provide a clear pathway toward a
Make better and more sustainable future by 2030. Associa-
innovation tions are ideally placed to help advance the goals.
and
investment 6. Ethics and values
top priority Gen Z, the next generation of members and custom-
ers, demands ethical and value-driven behaviors and
3 will choose to engage with those associations that are
behaving ethically and doing good for the community.
Reach beyond 7. Online reputation management
the converted Shaping public perception of an organization by
influencing online information can be quite complex
in our universally connected world. Understand that
while associations need to be hyper-transparent about
their actions, they do not fully control their reputation.
8. Equality and diversity
Organizations increasingly will be judged by their
ability and actions to reduce discrepancies between
groups based on race, gender, sexuality, religion and
other factors and to foster diversity, equity, and inclu-
sion. In that, associations can play a key role. b
More from MCI: contact marc.claret@mci-group.com
Shaping tomorrow’s associations