Both event managers and continuing education managers play critical roles in enhancing prospective and current member experiences. Event managers focus on organizing conferences, workshops, and seminars in addition to planning out the content and organizing speakers. Continuing education managers focus on planning and executing education programs that provide value to current members and attract new ones.
Despite both roles having similar goals and objectives, they often operate in silos and rarely collaborate resulting in lost opportunities. By joining forces, event managers and continuing education managers can craft experiences that not only complement each other but also open avenues for improved events and educational experiences.
Below are some impactful benefits Cadmium has seen when these two roles have become unified for members both new and old.
Benefit #1: Make Events Part of the Learning Journey
Once an event has concluded and everyone goes home, that tends to be the end of it. There may be a couple recap emails shared with attendees after the event or even a short video montage, but the event manager's scope of focus usually concludes there. All the content prepared beforehand, such as presentations, fact sheets, speaker recordings, and brochures, are either archived or saved for the next event. Without the continuing education manager's input, events will just be one-off occurrences that don't contribute to the organization's overall narrative and efforts.
The unified approach: Events will be seen as a continuation of a member's learning journey that will provide current members with important information and an opportunity to network, while prospective members can see speakers or panels that fall into their area of interest.
This unified approach will also enable:
- Event content to be turned into accessible content members can view.
- Members to get more value out of their membership and stay.
- Both event and education managers to see topics that interest members.
Benefit #2: Extend the Life of Your Content
As touched on in the previous section, event content can be used long after the event. However, continuing education managers can deal with similar challenges when it comes to making full use of their content. After the certification or credit has been completed by the member, then that educational content (videos, fact sheets, guides, etc.) won't be seen or used outside of the course. Without the event manager's input, this course content may be stuck behind a huge wall that prospective and current members won't see unless they take that specific course.
The unified approach: Your course content's life will be extended by using it to give eventgoers a preview of it and decide whether they want to take it, provide speakers with a foundation to delve deeper into your course content, or even be showcased as a rewarding and exciting offering that comes with being a member.
This unified approach will also enable:
- Excitement and buzz around a new course or learning experience during an event.
- Continuing education managers to find new ways to introduce important topics.
- More meaningful event content to be created and presented.
Benefit #3: Find New Revenue Opportunities
Without communication between event and continuing education managers, it's easy to miss out on the possibility of generating income through combined efforts. For example, popular event topics can inspire new educational courses that members are willing to pay for, while insights from continuous education courses can lead to targeted, in-demand event content that can lead to premium sponsorship deals or increased attendance.
The unified approach: New revenue streams will not only be explored, but also educational and content resources will be fully maximized. Cross-promotion between events and educational programs can turn a single touchpoint into a full introduction into your organization and retain existing members.
The unified approach will also enable:
- A cohesive strategy that leverages both event and continuing education perspectives.
- A robust and attractive membership package that can be used to boost membership.
- New ways both event and continuing education managers can bring value.
Unify Your Efforts with Cadmium
Cultivating a strong partnership between event managers and continuing education managers is not only strategically beneficial for organizations, but necessary. By unifying their efforts, organizations can unlock the full potential of member engagement and satisfaction, leading to a vibrant membership community and a stronger bottom line.
At Cadmium, we are leading the way in creating connected events and continuing education experiences for all. Book a Demo.
