The Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada (SMCC) is an amazing organization and the member organization for the Canadian sponsorship industry. The question is, are you a member? If so, well done. There is great benefit to being a member. If you are not yet a member, why not?
Member associations are a vital part of all industries. They provide all-important professional development opportunities, they are a source for mentorship development, often they are the lobby group for the industry, and they provide a wealth of “best practice” information. Many member associations also host major conferences and events for their members at which much networking and sharing occurs.
You may be a member of AFP, C.A.F.E., ARPA, FCM, CAMA SUMA, CAISAP, OEMC, CAEM, CCAE, CMA, ACA, FSAC, or one of many other member organizations. You join because your organization sees value in the association. So, why have you not yet joined SMCC? I believe it is important to support your member association so that it can support you. It can provide value in return. So, what do you get for your membership in SMCC? Here are a few examples of where I see value.
- There are great professional development opportunities – the Toronto Breakfast Forums the third Wednesday of each month are fantastic. They provide incredible content, great speakers, and panel discussions on hot topics in our industry. Tomorrow (September 23), the topic is cause marketing and sponsorship. It will be terrific. I am flying to Toronto to attend!
- These types of social and professional development events also occur most months in Vancouver and Calgary. In fact this Thursday, I am flying out of Toronto to deliver a session on negotiation at the Calgary SMCC after-work event, which includes tickets to a Calgary International Film Festival screening immediately following (as tickets are available).
- These monthly local events are free for SMCC members (guests can attend for a fee) and provide incredible professional development and learning opportunities, terrific networking with sponsorship professionals in the local markets, as well as great social opportunities.
- Each year, SMCC delivers a two-day “entry level – sponsorship 101” training workshop led by industry leaders who volunteer to share their knowledge with new industry members of less than two years. This is a membership-only event.
- Each spring, the SMCC Sponsorship Marketing Awards are staged in conjunction with a full day of conference and sharing. This is a day of learning combined with a celebration of the “best in the business” awards.
- The SMCC offers amazing volunteer opportunities in all Canadian markets. As a member, you could be on the board of directors, or any one of a dozen or more committees seeking sponsorship, working on the SMCC Sponsorship Marketing Awards, one of the three regional educational committees, or on the awards judging panel, all of which provide great networking and learning opportunities.
Yes, we at the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists® are a member and have been for years. We are proud to be a member, pleased with the value the membership benefits deliver, and feel that the membership is a great investment for the reasons noted above. Join today or let me know on my blog why you are not a member! (And if you are a member, be sure to share your thoughts on the blog as well!)
These are just one person’s thoughts. Yours are welcomed as well. Please add your thoughts or comments below. Thank you for reading and your feedback.
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