AMC's 10 Triumphs of 2010

We are honored to be a part of our clients’ successes, and are excited to share some 2010 accomplishments and initiatives. These are just a few examples of the great things that can be accomplished by association partners whose energy, passion, and vision are reflected every day by motivated volunteers and staff.

AMC Clients Take the Social-Media Plunge

Are you tweeting with your association colleagues? If not, consider this: Nearly 80% of AMC association clients are now on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, where members actively engage in timely and real-time discussions on vital matters affecting their profession. In 2010, the popularity of these sites soared among our clients. The National Association for Healthcare Quality now has 1,124 Facebook fans—up from 485 fans just a year ago. Likewise, American Pain Society members regularly use media sites and have a private platform for professional networking and information sharing. AMC salutes our associations’ online involvement and success and looks forward to more social media milestones in 2011.

Class Innovation

Although the 700 seats reserved for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine’s (AAHPM) midyear Board Review Course in Chicago filled quickly, there was still limitless opportunity for Academy members to partake in the high-quality course—thanks to some innovative thinking. A new product was created to extend the experience to those unable to register—complete with professional course recordings, an audio-synchronized PowerPoint presentation, and MP3 recordings. Just 2 months after the course was held, more than 500 copies of the recordings had been sold. Online assessment tools and practice tests were also revised and accessed by more than 1,000 physicians prior to the certification exam.

Sharing New Media

This year, AMC created a task force to lead the surging trend of social networking in the association community. Because our clients, like many other nonprofit organizations, find social networking an extremely powerful marketing tool and valuable member benefit, our task force now offers those new to social media some best practices to help them get started in online networking. With the right tools and structure, social media helps associations lead.

Word-of-Member

How did NANN achieve record-high conference bookstore sales in 2010? With collaborative help from its volunteers, board members, and staff. First, staff members used social media to promote special discounts and generate excitement for new educational material, such as a “competencies toolkit” and a “pocket-sized care cards” with clinical information. At conference, NANN board members traded shifts in the conference bookstore, providing member-shoppers personal guidance in selecting products that best suit their needs. In turn, these members shared news of their buys with fellow attendees. Fueled by the power of conference buzz, bookstore sales tripled the 2009 sales figures by the end of the meeting.

Elevating Strategic Thinking

As a doctoral candidate in management at Case Western Reserve University, Mark Engle actively researches and collects data on how boards can use their limited time to make successful and significant decisions. His research will ultimately help provide an empirical-knowledge base on which to build professional association leadership nationwide. Mark believes that to reach their highest potential, associations need to work strategically and focus on vital issues affecting their industry. After just of few months of joining AMC, the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association has begun adopting board best practices, allowing them to better focus on advancing their growing organization to the next level.

Metal Campaign Shines

The Metal Initiative (TMI), the educational component of the Metal Construction Association (MCA), promotes the use of metal in commercial, institutional, and industrial construction. What makes the effort particularly interesting is that it comprises a consortium of diverse MCA-member companies banding together to achieve a broad, common goal—to generate awareness on the benefits of building with metal. Among the program’s successes in 2010: The launch of the new and robust TMI website (www.themetalinitiative.com) with its new case studies and information about retrofit and sustainability and sleek print ads, which generate substantial leads and Web referrals when they appear in widely circulated trade magazines. This program has increased market share for metal by over 20% since its inception and provides members significant ROI.

Website Gains its Own Recognition

This year, the Awards and Recognition Association (ARA) created the “Recognition is Rewarding” website (www.recognitionisrewarding.com) to educate consumers and increase demand for awards in certain market segments. As a sign of immediate success, the site itself gained recognition in the form of visits, which nearly doubled from 900 when it launched in April to more than 1,750 by year’s end. ARA’s market plan includes print advertisements, a Facebook page, house ads, and a member e-blast campaign. ARA recently launched a marketing kit, which includes a downloadable and customizable newsletter and print ads, and a downloadable radio spot for ARA retail members.

Online Messaging Makes a Statement

In 2010, APHON created a YouTube video to help celebrate the first-ever Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses Day and used it to open their annual conference, which was among the highest attended conferences in APHON’s history. The video provides insight into the rewarding work of pediatric hematology/oncology nurses and the photos were from entries in the annual Day in the Life of a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurse photo contest. It was an emotional highlight of the conference.

Online Honors Abound

The American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) was recently honored with a Platinum Award for Best Site Design. AAPM’s website, www.painmed.org, was among over 1,400 entries to the eHealthcare Leadership Awards and was one of only two sites to receive a platinum award in its entire category, physician/clinician-focus site. The site is designed to meet physician members’ needs, highlight important news and medical journal articles, and provide networking opportunities for AAPM colleagues. Another AMC client’s patient-focused website was also honored this year. The AAHPM patient site, www.PalliativeDoctors.org, was selected as the 2010 Bronze Winner of the Web Health Awards and also was named to the 2010 Associations Advance American Honor Roll, a national competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership. The site was one of only 24 programs nationwide to receive this honor, and was credited as a great example of the vital role that associations play in improving the quality of life in communities across the United States. Each month, more than 1,000 patients or family members looking for information on palliative care visit the site.

Proudly Achieving What We Believe

AMC’s steadfast commitment to its clients extends to its own staff as well. AMC is proud to have been named one of the 2010 Best Places to Work in Illinois, ranking 16th on the list of small to medium companies (15 to 249 U.S. employees). The award reflects the culture everyone at AMC works hard to build. This year, AMC also received the Professional Convention Management Association Spirit Award, which recognizes an organization that significantly affects lives in a charitable or humanitarian way. AMC received the honor for its community efforts with Solid Rock Carpenters, a nonprofit organization founded by AMC Principals Jeff, Mark, and Scott Engle that provides decent affordable housing to people in need, most recently in Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Washington Parish in Louisiana.