Energizing Tomorrow: Member Engagement Practices

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During visits with professional sections and student chapters, I often get asked what other sections and chapters are doing that engage their members and help them get the most out of their SPE membership. This can vary greatly depending on geographical location and the size of a given membership base, but I have seen some interesting and quite effective approaches. With that in mind, I thought I would share some of them in this column. Hopefully, doing so, it will provide some “food for thought” for others who might want to adopt or modify them for their own use.

The more than 200 geographic sections, along with the 25 technical sections and over 400 student chapters, that SPE currently offers its membership form the backbone of our Society. The geographic sections vary in size from the minimum number of members necessary to those with thousands of members, and they are all equally important!

However, the needs of these sections can vary based on location and the number of members. Please keep this in mind as you read the following suggestions—they won’t all apply equally. One of the great things about SPE is its diversity. Shop for ideas that will work for your section’s situation or that you may want to try, knowing that you aren’t expected to incorporate all, or even any, of these concepts.

Reaching Members

While SPE provides SPE Connect as a communication channel, most sections also use other avenues. LinkedIn is by far the most common; however, many groups also use platforms such as Instagram, X (Twitter), or chats via WhatsApp. While it can be a bit more time-consuming to post on multiple platforms, not everyone uses the same ones (it would be nice if they did, but that’s generally not the case), and multiple platforms will reach more people on their preferred channels. In other words, we can’t always expect people to come to us; sometimes, we need to go to them.

Also, if your section or chapter has a website, please keep it as updated as possible, or if that’s not possible, consider taking it down and using social media channels instead. We all know there’s nothing more frustrating than looking up when the next event is and finding an “upcoming” event scheduled for 15 June 2024. And don’t underestimate the power of QR codes, which are easy to generate. Bottom line—keep things easily accessible and as timely as possible!

Meeting Times and Locations

Humans are creatures of habit, and many sections have long-standing days and time frames for hosting meetings. This is understandable, as it makes planning, reserving locations, etc., much easier and members know when to expect a meeting.

But what about those members who can’t make that time or day? Maybe they work a day shift and are too far away to drive to the meeting location. Or, if it’s a standing evening meeting, they may be a parent with young children who can’t easily attend or would need to incur the cost of hiring a babysitter.

I have spoken with many section officers who say they’ve had excellent experiences varying meeting times and occasionally location. Obviously, there isn’t a time and place that works for everyone, but adjusting them from time to time creates an opportunity to reach members who might otherwise never be able to attend.