How do you distill your organization’s signature member benefits to create focus in your association? How do you make membership a business imperative?
In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jennifer Abril, President & CEO of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA). Jennifer discusses:
- How her members are contract chemical manufacturers or divisions within larger companies that create small batch specialty chemicals for a huge spread of industries across the country.
- How SOCMA focuses on three things:
- B2B Networking
- Advocacy
- Safety
- SOCMA has different ways to connect members, including:
- On online directory that lets companies find contract manufacturers based on the most specific of capabilities.
- Lead sheets that allow companies to specify their needs, with help from a SOCMA members; these lead sheets are circulated to all members. To date, nearly 300 lead sheets have gone out to members, and an estimated 55% have resulted in business for members.
- A tradeshow that connects companies with members.
- SOCMA had sold its tradeshow many years ago and when they did, they realized that the industry lost a critical way to network, share and find partners. Many years later, SOCMA bought a tradeshow and is on the way back to a thriving show.
- How SOCMA advocates to regulators around the special circumstances of contract manufacturers, who manufacture different chemical on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
- How SOCMA provides members with a suite of safety trainings and guidance documents.
- SOCMA membership is growing and the organization is thriving.
- The new SOCMA strategic plan calls for SOCMA membership to become a “business imperative” – we love this bold thinking and messaging!
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