This document outlines a workshop focused on establishing and maintaining a membership program for organizations. It covers the definition, benefits, and execution strategies of membership programs, emphasizing community engagement and the importance of effective communication. The workshop encourages participation and sharing of ideas to enhance learning and collaboration.

2. Central Topics
Central Topic / Item Minutes
• Workshop Panel Introductions and Ground Rules 5
• Round Robin Introductions and Workshop Goals 5
• What is a Membership Program 10
• When Should you Start a Membership Program 10
• Why Start a Membership Program 10
• Who are your Members and Where do you find them? 10
• Establishing a Membership Program 10
• Maintaining a Membership Program 10
• Summary and Sharing Ideas 5

3. A. Participate!
This workshop is designed to be an idea sharing time.
B. Contribute!
You probably know something we don’t, but how will we learn if you don’t share your idea or best practice?
C. Keep on Track!
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover in 75 minutes.
D. Have Fun!
The best way to retain knowledge is to have fun while learning.
E. Participate!
This bears repeating!
Workshop Ground Rules

4.  What is a Membership Program?
 Why start a Membership Program?
 When should you start a Membership Program?
 Who are your Members and Where do you find them?
 Establishing a Membership Program.
 Maintaining your Membership Program.
 Summary and Review.
Workshop Outline

5. A membership program is one which asks people to contribute
something - money, time, their presence, their names,
and certain actions - to your organization, in return for
which they become somehow affiliated with it for a
set period of time -- usually a year.
What is a Membership Program?

6. Loyalty Program: A structured marketing effort that reward, and
therefore encourage, loyal buying behavior…behavior that is
typically beneficial to the organization.
Membership vs. Loyalty Program

7. Membership Program: The customer buys into the "mission"
of the organization and is aptly '"rewarded" for this both by the
organization as well as by his/her own good feelings of
accomplishment.
Membership uses the individuals need to be part of something
bigger, to leave a legacy, to develop a loyalty that far surpasses
anything a simple "loyalty program" can achieve.
Membership vs. Loyalty Program

8.  What programs in your community have you joined?
 Why did you join?
 What benefits do you receive that bring value to your membership?
 How often does the organization communicate with you?
ConsiderThis…

9.  Building or Maintenance Fund
 Venue Conversion (Film to Digital)
 Team Building and Staffing
 Community Engagement or “Buy-in”
 Donor Discovery and Foundation Building
Why start a Membership Program?

10.  Membership Programs encourage
 Loyalty
 Patronage
 Evangelism
 Ownership
 Dedication
 Ambassadors
CompellingArguments

11. A properly managed Membership Program can
contribute a whopping 25% to your venue’s
operating budget!
Did You Know?
Ticket Sales
Concessions
Merchandise
Membership

12.  Could you use extra funding?
 Could your venue’s image use a makeover?
 Could you use some new fresh ideas?
Does your organization need Members?
If you answered “YES”, a Membership Program might be the way to do it!
However, the program MUST be executed flawlessly to make an IMPACT.

13.  Don’t compete with large, community involved fund raisers.
 Coincide with an important holiday or an event in your
community.
 Partner with similar organizations to discover new
prospective members
 Plan with your team in mind.
 When do you really need the extra funding?
When should you start a Membership Program?

14. Who are your Members and Where do you find them?
 Existing Customers and Patrons
 Social Media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn
 Similar Community Organizations
 Chamber of Commerce / Rotary / Exchange Clubs
 Social Organizations
 Film Festival Patrons
 Faith-Based Organizations

15. Challenge: 20 Members in 20 Days
1. Plan to host a Venue Tour
2. Identify 20 People in Your Community
i. Personal connections
ii. Local Celebrities and Business Owners
iii. Current customers from the Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)
3. Commit to connecting with them in 7 days
4. Don’t pitch on the phone… (unless pressed to do so)
5. Invite your prospective members to the venue tour.
6. Send a reminder email 5 days and then 2 days before your event
7. Pitch your Membership Program options in person

16.  Develop your top-tier Membership level first!
 Create subsequent Membership levels with targeted demographics
 For example: Student, Sustaining, Film-Lovers, etc…
 Articulate your mission and goals clearly
 Create packages that make sense for each demographic
 Maintain records of each communication with prospects and new Members
Establishing a Membership Program

17.  Make it easy for new members to join
 Web, Box Office, Social Media and on the Phone
 Stay away from manual forms – enable electronic membership signup forms if possible
 Each level should make sense, and easy to enjoy
 Benefits should be easy to deploy
 Track benefit usage
 Sharpen membership levels each year to encourage upgrades
 Work within your budget
ApplyThe K.I.S.S. Rule (Keep It So Simple)

18.  Train your Box Office personnel on non-abrasive membership program solicitation
 Keep careful records of patron’s spending behavior
 Keep careful records of current members benefit usage
 Keep connecting with prospective members through networking and hosting events
 Ask for endorsements, consider developing an Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
Maintaining your Membership Program

19.  Use Email Marketing to stay in front of your members
 Ask for referrals from board members and new members
 Articulate how their membership dollars are being spent
 Host a “Members-Recruiting-Members” Event
Communicate!

20.  Is a Membership Program right for your organization
 Understand the importance of timing
 Understand how to develop a membership program
 Manage Membership benefits, offerings and features
 Understand how to attract new members
 Understand the importance of maintaining careful records
Summary and Review.

21. Thank You for Participating!
Questions