Communicating to the masses

Article published: May 2010

Nick Jones, Managing Director, Nexus Collections 
 
Associations by their very nature are made up of diverse and (usually) geographically distant members.  For them an Association and in particular annual association events offer them a chance to meet their peers, network and share.  From the Association’s point of view the disparate nature of their members provides immediate communication challenges – how do you achieve a consistent message across language, cultural and geographical differences?  How do you draw the members together, creating kinship and a sense of community?  The key areas to consider are the means to promote, the cost, the CSR implications and the quality. 
 
Our modern world presents a myriad of technological tools for global communication but few are as powerful as face to face meetings.  Associations can disseminate information, opportunities and developments via the internet, email, social networking, snail-mail and the telephone but they compare poorly to events and the ability to discuss issues and ideas directly with the membership.  But the communication opportunity doesn’t stop there – each event offers a host of communication opportunities such as sponsorship, advertising, speaking slots and more.  But for many of these methods there is a cost that goes beyond Pounds, Euros and Dollars.  It is the CSR cost. 
 
A key part of the communications element at events are the branding opportunities.  These allow the organisers, sponsors, members and advertisers to reach out and touch the delegates, create links to their products and develop relationships.  Frequently opportunities for sponsorship revolve around tangible promotions such as the conference packs, portfolios, conference bags, usb sticks and badge lanyards.  But they can also include sponsorship of refreshments, meals, the venues, excursions or more.  Whichever is chosen, whichever is considered most appropriate the need to be CSR aware has become stronger over the course of the last few years. 
 
Our sales for environmentally friendly products have increased from less than 5% three years ago to over 40% today.  Associations have been instrumental in this, demonstrating strong environmental awareness which has focused suppliers like ourselves to develop appropriate products.  In fact, I firmly believe that Associations have led the corporates in this area, they have been more pro-active in the search for environmentally responsible products and they continue to lead as sponsors look to Associations for guidance. 
 
Whilst CSR it a triumvirate made up from Social, Economic and Environmental issues, the latter has been the dominate subject for the events industry and Associations.  This has in turn led to instances of greenwashing – a pitfall that all must avoid.  Greenwashing, like whitewashing is the practice of covering over something a little dirty and unpleasant with something clean and bright to make it just a little more appealing.  More specifically it is a situation where a supplier makes a misleading statement about a product’s environmental impact and sadly this is happening more and more.  
 
I have encountered a variety of products in recent months concealing the truth and some of the best examples lie within my own area of expertise – the conference bag.  Many suppliers now promote cotton bags as environmentally friendly despite the fact that cotton consumes copious amounts of water, is heavily reliant on pesticides and requires bleaching, boiling and chemical treatment. 
 
The fundamental quality of the branding or communication medium must also be considered by Associations and those involved in promotion during events.  This can range from the quality of the wording and imagery in adverts to the physical quality of the more tangible products.  We have seen this firsthand during the last 15 years as sponsors have become educated about the quality of products available to them.  They now demand more from their suppliers and the Association staff making such purchases on their behalf.  By and large most companies prefer to be linked to something of high quality and value rather than a second rate option. 
 
Communication and branding at events is an industry in its own right, providing every conceivable opportunity to promote one brand over another.  It must not however be undertaken lightly, without consideration for the environmental impact or the pros and cons of different quality products.  Associations and their members can reach out to huge audiences using the right tools but they must, above all be chose with care and a professional attitude.

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