How Trade Organizations add Value with Virtual Events

When anyone joins a trade organization or industry association, they do so for 2 reasons.

1. Earn certification or degree that improves their chances for employment or higher wages
2. To be part of a network that can help with employment

Anyone who manages new memberships will tell you that the second question, (after ‘how much does it cost), is ‘do you offer career services?’

Many savvy organizations have begun to offer more and more career services and are seeing the benefits. 

New potential members see that the organization is vested in their success and are going to be part of that support even after the member earns their certification.

Taking it one step further, associations are now recognizing the shift that has taken place in the recruitment industry and is ready to follow suit. That shift is hosting virtual hiring events, and that’s exactly what they are now offering their members and corporate sponsors.

It makes so much sense for an association with thousands of members to add such a vital service. 

After all, the reason they turned to you is to improve their resume and increase their potential for a good job. 

These virtual hiring events will help you connect those members with employers that are looking for them, a classic win-win.

Not only that, but members are a built-in audience that is highly engaged and much more likely to respond to and attend your events. The challenge with most virtual hiring event hosts is attracting enough participants to attend and making it a successful event. That is not an issue with associations since communication with members happens frequently and members perceive them as valuable.

Take AAPC for example. 

They have over 200,000 members and a recent update showed that 7,000 were looking for new employment. By hosting a virtual hiring event, they can invite all of the corporate sponsors to attend and post all of their job openings. Members can attend the event remotely from anywhere in the country and see what opportunities might be the best fit. Everything you can do at an in-person event can be done at a virtual event.

A New Income Stream

Employers recognize the tremendous value you are offering and will happily pay to be a part of it. 

Hiring qualified employees are the key to a successful organization and companies know that your events will attract exactly what they are looking for.

Offering booths and sponsorships, even if just for a few hundred dollars can easily turn into revenue in the tens of thousands of dollars. This new income stream can be used to add even more member services or improve other areas of the association that bring more value.

Another large organization we have seen leverage this service is TECNA and local tech chapters like South Florida Tech Hub. SFTH quickly pivoted to virtual events during the pandemic and has not looked back.

Being able to offer members this kind of service, especially during a lockdown is invaluable. This is another tremendous benefit to offering virtual hiring events, it offers the safe option in the event of another situation that makes meeting in person difficult or even impossible.

The benefits listed below are all great reasons to add virtual hiring events to your organization or association:

1. Career Services – improve the odds your members will get the job they’re looking for
2. Corporate Sponsors – add value by connecting members with employers with minimal costs
3. New Revenue Stream – charging employers a small fee for a booth or sponsorship can quickly add up to a significant new source of income
4. Competitive advantage over other organizations that do not offer virtual hiring events for their members

If you want to learn more about how your organization can host a virtual hiring event for its members, contact us to schedule a free demo.

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