In 2011 the Association of Water Technologies (AWT) took a big leap, for them, with a new social media offering. We have a very active listserv – a benefit members value greatly – that has been in place for years. And, our LinkedIn Group, which was started in 2009, continues to grow with the number of members and the quality of discussions. The Board made a conscious decision not to have a Facebook presence and instead focus on other ways to engage our members, so, at our 2011 Annual Convention, we launched Conference 2.0.
Conference 2.0 (offered through Omnipress) is an online social networking community built around an event. It’s where speakers, attendees, exhibitors and sponsors were able to engage with one another before, during and after the Convention. They could tag one another as colleagues, find people with similar interests, set up appointments, select which sessions to attend, have conversations, and even download presentations.
The results were promising and we’re hoping to build on this in 2012. We had a very successful usage rate (37%), especially for the first time using the technology, and members continue to use the site today. For next year, we’re making plans to further improve on our success with greater usage and more engagement. And, if it’s successful, we even hope to develop it into a persistent social community where members can connect not just around an event, but around shared interests or volunteer opportunities. As association professionals it is our job to provide more opportunities for member satisfaction and engagement.
