One of the most powerful tools an association has is its ability to connect to its members. Association professionals can bring together members with each other, with consumers or with products and services that will help membership with professional development. But some associations are unsure how to connect their youngest members with what they really want and need.

1. Programs & Events
to Keep Your
YP’s Actively Engaged
Jesse Pero – Director of Sales & Marketing
Bay Area Chamber of Commerce &
Energize Bay Area Young Professionals Network

2. Welcome
Jesse Pero - Director of Sales & Marketing
~ Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
~Energize Bay Area Young Professionals Network
jesse@baycityarea.com
989-893-4567 x227
www.facebook.com/EnergizeBayAreaYPN

3. Mission
• To attract, engage and retain young professionals in the Bay Area and the Great Lakes Bay
Region
• Description:
• Explore your professional, social and volunteer opportunities through Energize Bay
Area Young Professionals Network. Energize is your connection to everything
educational, fun and current in Bay City and the Great Lakes Bay Region.
• Energize's focus is to bring together the talents and insights of emerging young
professionals 21 and over from all backgrounds, professions, and lifestyles.
• Energize is a program of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and works regionally
with Midland MyPros, Saginaw Valley YPN & Mt. Pleasant Area YPN. Our mission is
to attract, engage and retain young professionals in the greater Bay area.
• vimeo.com/82097469

5. Membership Drives
• Hold membership drives every other year
• Off year will be to retain them
• Incentives for the new member
• Discounted rate ($5 off coupons) to a luncheon if signed up during membership drive
• Incentives for the volunteer/committee member
• Gift cards for their hard work
• Contests
• Prizes to the person who refers the most new members
• Have fun with it
• If your volunteers/committee members have fun with it, then the members they bring
in will see how fun the YP group is

7. Mentor Program
• One year program for each new member
• The new members should “hopefully” see the value of your YP group before the year
is up
• Use your steering and sub-committees to be the mentors
• like an ambassador program
• Mentors will email, call or make visits to invite new members to events
• This makes the new member feel welcomed to the group right from the start
• Great for retention
• You’ll see your retention numbers go up with a mentor program

8. New Member Receptions
• Hold quarterly receptions
• Get sponsors for these events and include them in the reception
• Invite all new members within that quarter and the last quarter
• Keep a spreadsheet of all this activity…you’ll need it
• Great way to meet other new YP members and steering committee members
• Ice breakers
• Make this fun
• Use games
• Get them to open up about themselves
• Provide them information about your YP group
• Don’t make this stuffy and don’t overwhelm them with too much information
• Keep it away from a board room setting
• Have a welcome packet and brochures ready for them to take back with them

9. New Member Receptions

10. New Member Receptions

11. New Member Receptions

12. New Member Receptions

13. Getting Their Attention
• Make your programs/events fun and engaging
• Ask your members WHAT THEY WANT
• Make them want to come back for more
• Contests & giveaways
• Work with non-profits to give back to your community
• Habitat for Humanity, Kickball tournament for cancer, raise money throughout the
year to give to non-profit
• Have a mascot or a tagline to keep members intrigued

19. Utilizing Social Media
• Set a schedule for your postings
• Don’t post too much in one day/week
• Only allow certain committee members to be admins on your social media pages
• Usually this would include your marketing committee
• Stay informed of new changes or updates to social media
• 2015 will bring a lot of Facebook changes
• Post upcoming events on the events page and invite members and non-members
• Social media contests (for “likes”)
• The more “likes” the more possible members and more to attend events
• Keep it professionals (watch what you put on social media)
• www.facebook.com/EnergizeBayAreaYPN

21. Luncheon Programs• Ask your members WHAT THEY WANT
• Surveymonkey.com
• E-blasts
• Topics?
• See attached sheet for a breakdown of events and programs
• Choose what fits for YOUR YP group and YOUR members
• Speakers?
• Research
• Get who you know (or who others know)
• Learn from mistakes
• Send promotional materials
• Postcards, flyers and e-blasts
• Make sure they walk away with something from that program
• The more interactive, the better
• Don’t put them to sleep…zzzz….
• Have them get up out of their seats
• Network

22. Social Events
• Ask your members WHAT THEY WANT
• Only have a couple per year
• Or you’ll go CRAZY !
• It’s another way to let your YP’s network with other YP’s in a different atmosphere
• Make sure they stay young PROFESSIONALS (watch the drinking)
• Have fun!
• Boat Cruise: vimeo.com/101956092
• Golf Outing: vimeo.com/103954878
• Casino Night: vimeo.com/82562447

26. Luncheon Programs

27. Leadership
• Invite members to be on sub-committees or steering committee
• Have an application for both steering and sub-committees
• Let them learn the ropes of your YP group
• Make sure they’ve come to events and programs first
• See their passion for your YP group
• Your members want to grow personally and professionally, too
• let them grow with your YP group
• Watch them soar with confidence
• Introverts vs extroverts
• You could learn a thing or two from them
• Utilize their knowledge of leadership

28. About WebLink
WebLink is an Indianapolis-based SaaS company, established in
1996 and is one of the leading software provider to business
associations and chambers of commerce.

29. About WebLink
• ONE web-based centralized database
• Prospects, members, non-members and all reps in same system
• Financials, events, email, committees, website, reporting

30. Jesse Pero - Director of Sales &
Marketing
~ Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
~Energize Bay Area Young Professionals
Network
jesse@baycityarea.com
989-893-4567 x227
www.facebook.com/EnergizeBayAreaYPN
Benji Craig – Director of
Digital Marketing
~ WebLink International, Inc.
sales@weblinkinternational.com
877-231-4970
www.weblinkinternational.com