Why Do Companies Join an Association?

By Abby Shapiro

Senior Vice President – Business Development, USCIB

In associations with renewal rates of 80 percent or higher, what do you think are the main reasons members join?  According to the 2012 Membership Marketing Benchmark Report conducted by Marketing General Inc., advocacy and access to specialized and/or current industry information are cited as the primary reasons members join an association.

That’s the heart of what USCIB does, which is why it’s not surprising that when we look at the major indicators of membership health  – total membership, new members acquired and membership renewals – USCIB continues to show improvement in all three areas.

This comes at a time when the economy has caused many people to reassess what’s important to them.  USCIB’s strength at recruiting and retaining members points to a growing recognition among globally engaged companies of the need to stay informed, and to have their views heard by national governments and at the multilateral forums that shape international regulatory policies.

That’s why we need to make sure companies know what a valuable resource they have in USCIB’s Policy team, which can provide expert guidance on the issues, along with access and advocacy to policy makers worldwide.

That’s why we need to make sure companies know that our Policy team can serve as an extension of their own resources, to provide an efficient and economical way to leverage their ability to cover the issues.

That’s why we need to make sure companies know we’re on the ground and cover more issues than any one company can do on its own.

And that’s why USCIB is experiencing membership growth even as the economy remains fragile, and as memberships in associations come under increased scrutiny to show real value.

As we look to 2013, we want to thank you, our members, for your continued support, and ask for your help to spread the word about USCIB to friends and colleagues.  Together we can make 2013 even better than 2012.

USCIB Member News

Dan Konigsburg, director of Deloitte’s Center for Corporate Governance in New York, was recently selected by the BIAC Executive Board as the new chairman of the BIAC Task Force on Corporate Governance. … The BIAC Executive Board has appointed John Sullivan, executive director of the Center for International Private Enterprise, as vice chair of the BIAC Development Task Force, to contribute expertise to the private-sector position in the Steering Committee of the newly-formed “Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.”

USCIB Staff News

We welcome Barbara Wanner, who was named vice president for information, communications and technology (ICT) in September. Wanner comes to USCIB from the Coalition of Services Industries, where she was director of the Global Services Summit and played a leading role on ICT policy. As the lead staff member supporting USCIB’s Information, Communications and Technology Committee, Wanner will work closely with a diverse member base led by the committee’s chair, David Gross (Wiley Rein), and its vice chairs, Joseph Alhadeff (Oracle) and Leslie Martinkovics (Verizon). Recent policy initiatives falling under her and the committee’s remit include the UN’s Internet Governance Forum and December’s World Conference on International Telecommunications.

In addition to her work with the Coalition of Services Industries, Wanner has held positions at the U.S. Asia Pacific Council of the East-West Center, the International Electronics Manufacturers and Consumers of America, the Japan Economic Institute, and on Capitol Hill. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University.

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

• Fenwick & West LLP
• The Nickel Institute

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your organization, contact Alison Hoiem (202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org).