This document outlines a membership drive and goals for PPGNY, a photography association. It aims to double monthly new members and relax stringent acceptance rules to attract more students, beginners, and variety of specializations. The drive will promote benefits like networking, learning, and vendor access. Promotional materials like brochures, posters and websites will be created to distribute through photo vendors, trade publications, and community groups. Future program ideas are listed covering business, technology, styles and specialized fields of photography. The document proposes this will strengthen and improve PPGNY.
This is a “modified” image from the adobe stock photo files. We would have to pay to use it. I have an alternative (shown below) that might work. Alternatively, we could create a similar image in one of our studios and use that. We could also take a group shot of all the members at the next dinner meeting with everyone pointing at the camera or with their arms stretched out in a welcoming gesture.
Alternatively, we could create a similar image in one of our studios and use that. We could also take a group shot of all the members at the next dinner meeting with everyone pointing at the camera or with their arms stretched out in a welcoming gesture.
The names indicated in parenthesis refer to those individuals who have responsibility for the indicated Member Benefit. These individuals will be required to provide a brief (one or two paragraph) description of their Member Benefit. These descriptions should be concise and play up selling the advantage of this benefit and why it makes membership in PPGNY a very good thing. A good way to do this is by example (TEP - Frank Fontana and Church Directories) Photo needs We will also need any photographs that are available to illustrate each of these Member Benefits. Photographs should feature key speakers (especially heavy-hitters), group participation, awards, grab-n-grins, shots of the raffle prizes filling a table, picnic, outings, etc.
The names indicated in parenthesis refer to those individuals who have responsibility for the indicated Member Benefit. These individuals will be required to provide a brief (one or two paragraph) description of their Member Benefit. These descriptions should be concise and play up selling the advantage of this benefit and why it makes membership in PPGNY a very good thing. A good way to do this is by example (TEP - Frank Fontana and Church Directories) Photo needs We will also need any photographs that are available to illustrate each of these Member Benefits. Photographs should feature key speakers (especially heavy-hitters), group participation, awards, grab-n-grins, shots of the raffle prizes filling a table, picnic, outings, etc.
The names indicated in parenthesis refer to those individuals who have responsibility for the indicated Member Benefit. These individuals will be required to provide a brief (one or two paragraph) description of their Member Benefit. These descriptions should be concise and play up selling the advantage of this benefit and why it makes membership in PPGNY a very good thing. A good way to do this is by example (TEP - Frank Fontana and Church Directories) Photo needs We will also need any photographs that are available to illustrate each of these Member Benefits. Photographs should feature key speakers (especially heavy-hitters), group participation, awards, grab-n-grins, shots of the raffle prizes filling a table, picnic, outings, etc.
Create web-based affiliate links to our existing vendors and drive the new membership to those vendors as part of the PPGNY “family” In return for these referrals to the vendors we ask the vendors to talk us up and promote our activities. Perhaps we could gain access to their equipment registration lists and “Professional Club” lists?? for mailings. Existing vendors and Affiliate members should be encouraged to promote our Membership Drive and promote what we offer. Through that vendor’s association with us there is a synergistic benefit to the new member, existing members and the vendors (win-win-win) Mailings of promotional literature (snail & “e”) to non-affiliated studios/vendors. Saturate the pro-level photographic community. Contact professional photography trade associations and groups and inquire about access to their NY area subscriber lists.
Get The Word Out Large scale information dispersal to the photography community should draw large numbers. Repetitive community service oriented announcements on local media can accomplish this for very little or NO money. Local, regional and community-oriented newspapers and periodicals are often “hungry” for editorial content. Prize awards, high caliber speakers on subject of interest and other events make great “fodder” for these needs. Press releases and editorial coverage of PPGNY events and activities can be excellent free advertising and publicity. Affiliations with Kiwanis, Rotary, Masons and other professionally run community and civic groups could be synergistic. We could offer to judge photo contests and conduct mini-workshops, or, better still, invite their members to our meetings.
Photography clubs and their exhibits would be a good source for new “aspiring” or “wanna-be” members. In addition to being good venues for getting the word out about PPGNY, photo galleries could also be an outlet for some of our member’s work. (win-win) A formal presence at trade shows (down-the-road) might be a good idea (Photo Expo, WPPI, MacWorld, NAPP events, etc.) Working the crowd at Photo Expo, Seminars and Workshops. We need personal credentials (ID badges, pins, and membership cards)
Create an html version of our promotional literature so that it can be included as a link in e-mails to prospective members. Brochure needs to be created for inclusion in our membership kit and for other promotional and leave-behind purposes. Poster(s) need to be created for posting in labs, galleries, schools, trade show bulletin boards, seminars, conventions, etc, etc, etc. Credential kits need to be made up. These would include, membership card (credit card stock), “XXXXX is a member in good standing certificates”, ID badges, pins, etc. Self-running promo media… (ProShow Gold/Producer) on VideoCD, DVD, web/Flash, etc. Scripts of what to say and what not to say when promoting PPGNY. Probationary membership cards for new members.
Initial goal should be to double within two months. With saturation of our target market, we should be able to dramatically increase the size of our membership. Depending on the energy and synergism of our collective efforts, a believable, attainable goal would be 150 new members by the end of 2006 . Let’s GO FOR IT!! Incentives to members for number of new members they personally “sponsor”. Simplify and categorize levels of membership: Professional - Aspiring - Student Evaluation standards should be loosened - Don’t make it difficult to “get in” Immediate “probationary” (pending) memberships should be instituted.
In addition to big name photographers like Dennis Reggie, Monte Zucker, Doug Kirkland, Seth Resnick and Michelle Celentano etc. we should have programs that appeal to a wide cross-section of photographic interest and which touch on issues and areas of importance to the new and future membership.
