The value of online resources
Maxine Tod , director of business partnerships at the Professional Conference Organisers Association , talks about the value of webinars .
Q : Why do you use webinars ?
A : We ' ve been using webinars for a few years now and they ' ve really helped us to develop an ongoing online personal development program for both our members and nonmembers . Our webinars help people in the conference , meeting and events industries by providing them with the tools to develop their professional and personal skills as well as advance in their careers .
Q : What was the situation like before using Redback Conferencing ?
A : Before we started using Redback we didn ’ t really have any online learning resources as we mostly used our annual conference , newsletter and blogs to reach and educate our members .
While we still use all of those resources , webinars have allowed us to expand our horizons and offer so much more value by giving our members more diverse content and a whole new platform to engage with .
Q : What is your favourite thing about webinars ?
A : I absolutely love the flexibility webinars offer when it comes to viewing time and location . Another advantage is the fact that webinars can be archived and viewed repeatedly .
This makes it so easy for people to access content when and where they want to , and it also allows us to re-purpose our webinars when needed .
Q : What benefits have you gained from using webinars ?
A : The main thing we have gained is the ability to provide a regular personal development program for PCOA members and business partners .
This has really enriched our entire events program and allowed us to explore a range of topics through snappy 30 minute webinar sessions .
We now also have a consistent audience for our events and the community we have developed is great . Our members find that the value offering for their membership is so much better and they have gained some great skills along the way .
Q : How much do you charge ?
A : Our webinars are free for all members and business partners , however we do charge $ 25 per event for non-members .
We do get non-members join each webinar which benefits us in two ways . Firstly , it ’ s a great revenue generator and secondly , it means we are reaching a wider audience who could potentially become members in the future .
We are really happy with the registration numbers so far and will stick to the same price guide in the future . Q : How do you choose your presenters ?
A : We get most of our presenters from experienced PCOA contacts within the meetings and event industry .
When looking for a presenter we are really focused on making sure they can offer real value to the audience through presenting engaging content . Generally we will find the presenter first and then let them make the decision on the topic they present .
Q : What has the feedback from members been like ?
A : I am so happy with the feedback we ’ ve received . It has been consistently positive and it seems that the audience is really enjoying our presenters and topics .
From learning how to handle difficult conversations to getting tips of blogging for business . The skills are invaluable and the engaging nature of the sessions mean that everyone leaves feeling really happy .
Q : If you could do it all over again , what would you change ?
A : To be honest everything is going so well I can ’ t think of anything to change ! The webinars have been a great resource for PCOA members , non-members and business partners . We ' re looking forward to seeing what the next year holds .
PCO ASSOCIATION NEWS
PCOA rewards Martin student with sponsored conference registration
Amongst the attendees at the PCO Association Conference in Brisbane was Elyce Silcox who recently graduated with a Diploma of Events Graduate from Martin .
Elyce was awarded Professional Conference Organisers Association – Event Student of the Year 2016 for her sound academic achievements and a commitment to and passion for the events industry .
For the past year , Elyce combined studies at Martin with part-time work with Velg Training , which included working an annual conference held on the Gold Coast for over 1200 attendees .
The PCO Association will be following Alyce ’ s career in events with much interest .
www . cimmagazine . com Convention & Incentive Marketing , Issue 8 , 2016 35