Whenever SITE chapter leaders connect in-person, everyone agrees: these opportunities to exchange ideas and problem-solve together create instant value that enhances and enriches SITE membership.
We are grateful to Tourism New Zealand, this year’s chapter sponsor, for supporting our in-person chapter leader meetings this year, beginning with our first 2024 session in Istanbul. Close to 100 Chapter Leaders from 15 different countries gathered in late February just before this year’s Global Conference to reflect on what’s helping them grow and deepen the impact of SITE membership throughout their regions.
Here’s just some of what the group said and shared.
Make membership memorable from the very start
SITE Mountain West President Lisa Kincannon Cherry explained several strategies her chapter uses to engage members, including many efforts that launch as soon as someone joins the chapter.
SITE Mountain West provides new members with a welcome packet that also includes a detailed questionnaire. The chapter then uses question responses to shape welcome announcements shared across social media. They also pair new members with a board buddy in the same state (since the chapter spans several different US borders) who helps orient them to resources and contacts within the chapter.
Both new and longtime members are also encouraged to join a committee, with over one-fourth of the chapter electing to deepen their involvement through these opportunities. Lisa herself is a proud champion of volunteering, pointing to her own personal and professional growth as a testament to the opportunities that can spring from getting involved with SITE.
Shared leadership responsibilities expand the member experience
2024 SITE Texas President – Julie Blank and SITE Texas Past President– Todd Zint showcased how their chapter takes a distinct approach to the presidency role. They’ve created what they call the “office of the president” that’s composed of any given year’s current chapter board president, as well as the incoming and immediate past presidential leadership.
This “trifecta,” as SITE Texas describes it, allows each of these three leaders to focus on one area: with one leader responsible for sponsorship and membership; another looking after events; and the third leading marketing initiatives.
SITE Texas has found that this shared division of leadership provides strengthened visibility and accessibility for members, with clear lines of communication and a wide base of support for anyone with questions, suggestions, or challenges.
Looking after Young Leaders
Moving across the Atlantic, SITE Ireland stood out as an exemplar of how to get creative when looking to engage the next generation of incentive professionals.
Stuart Thornton, now the SITE Ireland President-Elect, spoke about his journey with the chapter, beginning back in 2015 when SITE Ireland began proactively revamping their chapter’s Young Leader program.
Now, the chapter holds an annual event that details exactly what the incentive travel industry can do and deliver for students about to graduate from university hospitality courses. This event, and the partnerships that make it possible to deliver, is driven by another SITE Ireland board member who engages regularly with all of Ireland’s hospitality courses. It also enjoys strong support from a dedicated sponsor that provides additional perks like resume or CV reviews.
The chapter also offers scholarships to support student SITE memberships and Young Leader attendance at SITE Global Conference, to ensure they’re engaging some of their youngest members from the very start of their careers — giving them a “flavor” of SITE, as Stuart said, to encourage future involvement and senior board participation.
Chapter growth and development: two more cross-cultural perspectives
SITE Africa and SITE Australia & New Zealand, two of SITE’s most geographically dispersed chapters, shined a light on the challenges of managing members who can be thousands of miles away from one another.
SITE Africa challenged leaders to rethink what comes to mind for African-based incentives. The chapter was upfront that the entire continent is not incentive-ready, but described efforts their members are extending to push different destinations to this stage, often with the support of CVBs and DMOs within their destination who rely on and find support from the SITE brand too.
SITE Australia & New Zealand spoke to the importance of making thoughtful sponsorship decisions when operating a geographically disparate chapter. They pointed to how they’ve connected membership and sponsorship functions within their chapter so that these two streams of work go hand-in-hand and truly support each other’s shared projects and efforts. This provides stronger, more tangible ROI, which then delivers stronger events and activations for chapter members.
Partnerships make a powerful membership experience possible
Wrapping up the chapter presentations was SITE Scotland. Heather McNee and Theresa Steven walked their fellow chapter leaders through the vision that shaped SITE Scotland’s successful summer 2023 garden party event.
This supplier-heavy chapter wanted to design an outing that would flip roles and treat all attendees like “buyers for a day.” Members were proud to leverage connections and bring in bespoke, engaging entertainment that created an incredibly special, memorable afternoon.
This proved to be a win-win, where suppliers who brought the event to life were able to link in with the wider SITE Scotland member base so that everyone had a better understanding of what’s on offer throughout the destination, and not just in their immediate region.
This opportunity to form future unique collaborations and partnerships to strengthen the delivery of future business has already paid off. At least two of the activity providers have already won business off the back of SITE Scotland’s garden party event.
With so much fantastic activity taking place, it can be a whirlwind to keep track of it all!
If you have a success story you’d like to share, or if you want to connect with any of the chapters above or the SITE HQ membership team, email Head of Membership and Chapter Engagement Dallas Lyons III or Chapter Specialist Fiona Jahn.
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