SAACI NEWS
The power of effective communication By Lorin Bowen, Johannesburg branch chair of SAACI
Often, in tough economic times like these, association membership is what disappears first off a company budget. “It’s a nice-to-have,” said the boss, “we can do without it!” I urge you to think again.
G
ood associations continue to exist when they make a difference in members’ businesses, helping them to be more successful and more profitable. This can only happen when there is a real understanding of the industry inside the association and of the association in the mind of the member. This is achieved through effective communication. A popular definition says “communication is giving, receiving or exchanging ideas, information, signals or messages through appropriate media,
enabling individuals or groups to persuade, to seek information, to give information or to express emotions.”
Sounds simple? It can be, but don’t underestimate the magic results that real, targeted, informed communication can bring about. Sharing information – about industry trends, frustrations, challenges or solutions – is what often encourages people to carry on, gives them new ideas and a sense that they are not alone – that there is someone else in the same boat!
The theme of our recent congress, ‘Switched on’, describes this best. We need to be switched on in terms of each other’s needs and listen to one other carefully. At the congress, delegates heard a lot about working with consumers. In SAACI’s case, our consumers are our members. Our aim is to engage more with our members through various channels. The more information we get from members, the more we can share and ultimately add real value to businesses. Among others, discussions
at our October board lekgotla will revolve around ways to best serve our members and to communicate even more effectively. SAACI remains focused on learning, growth and collaboration in everything we do – and for this we rely on members to tell us about their needs. Association membership really equates to a partnership and for a partnership to work, we need to know and trust one another. Let’s use effective communication to help our businesses, our industry and our economy grow.
THE ASSOCIATION FOR CONFERENCE INDUSTRY LEADERS
CONNECT SAACI unites , supports and educates the business
events industry in southern Africa by creating sustainable environment for business growth
THRIVE Join SAACI and enjoy access to an inspiring network of industry professionals, while giving your business the professional status it needs to attract the attention of business leaders. GROW Become the business events professional you’ve always wanted to be. Access the SAACI Academy and enter a world of inspiration, connections and world-class skills development. Visit our online community: www.saaci.org www.saacicongress.org www.saaci-academy.org
+27(0)11 880 5883 info@saaci.org Learning | Growth | collaboration
