The who, where and why of KC/IABC

By Melanie Deardorff

At least a couple of times per month in the past year, I get asked one of these questions (sometimes all three in rapid-fire succession): Who are KC/IABC’s members? Where do they work? Why do they join the group?

You’d think after being asked this so often that I’d have my KC/IABC elevator speech ready. I have to admit: I occasionally get caught off guard. One of the things I can easily share is my personal KC/IABC story − how I was burned out on networking organizations from being self-employed almost five years … then a KC/IABC member and co-worker asked me to help out on a chapter event … how I liked the people I met and soon after, really liked KC/IABC … I joined the board (in my fifth year and almost at end of my presidency) … I grew my knowledge of digital marketing and social media (instrumental in me getting the job I have today) … and I benefit from my affiliation with KC/IABC and can’t say enough great things about this group.

Today, I wanted to remind myself of our group’s demographics (the who and where) and thought you might also find this info interesting:

• First off, we have 203 members. The largest segment of our membership base works for advertising, marketing and PR firms: 14%. This includes people from AdFarm, an integrated marketing, branding and digital agency, and Trozzolo Communications Group, a marketing communications agency.
• Next comes financial services. Nineteen members (10%) work for this industry. I’m part of this group, where I work in digital marketing for J.P. Morgan. Other members in this industry: Cindy Ralls (National Advisors Trust, FSB – meet Cindy on LinkedIn) and Rachel Ryan (Tortoise Capital Advisors. Check out Rachel’s profile on kc.iabc.com).
• Rounding out the top-10 list is health care/medicine (8%); consulting (7%); government/military (7%); retail (5%); charitable organizations (4%); education (4%); consumer products/manufacturing (3%); and insurance (3%).
• Top five areas of responsibility for KC/IABC’s members: corporate communications (50 members, which is a whopping 25% of our base); marketing/communications (42 members, 21%); media relations/PR (19 members, 10%); customer/member communication (nine members, 5%); and CEO/executive/senior management (nine members, 5%).

That’s the who and where of KC/IABC. Want a stat that speaks to why KC/IABC? IABC headquarters tracks stats for more than 100 chapters world-wide. According to the 2011 data, Kansas City scored near the top of the list with 21% in new-member growth and 92% member retention. That says a lot for our group. We’re bringing in new members and offering relevant programming, valuable networking and other benefits that keeps members renewing each year.

Check our website for the KC/IABC stories of nine members, including Anna Lewis, account coordinator at the National Auctioneers Association and a chapter member since September 2010. Anna will soon complete her first year on the KC/IABC board as director of external relations. She plans to come back in July, when our new board term begins, as the co-director of our Business Communicators Summit. This conference is one of our flagship events, and we couldn’t deliver it year after year without dedicated volunteers, like Anna.

“Before KC/IABC had an impact on my career, it played an important role during my job search. I first got in touch with IABC through helpful board members. They reached out to me and made me feel like I was a part of the association before I paid my membership dues. The networking lunches, social events and education has given me great insight about how to communicate not only with my clients, but also with my fellow co-workers. KC/IABC is current and evolving, just like the workforce. I owe my success to the connections and experiences I gained from being an IABC volunteer and member.”

Do you have a KC/IABC elevator pitch? If so, I hope you’re telling it to colleagues and associates. I’d love to hear how you describe the value of being part of KC/IABC. Send me an email or add a comment to this post.

Disclosure: The opinions in this post are my own and don’t represent my employer.