In return for fiscal support from the Chapters, the international SGML Users' Group will offer a completely new range of support services to Chapters.
We know it's not easy to start up a Chapter, nor is it inexpensive. To help new Chapters get started, the Group proposes to supply the form, while local organizers supply the content (how's that for being "in the spirit of SGML"!).
Over the next three months, we will be developing a Chapter start-up kit. It will contain:
Quite often, I am contacted by a member who is interested in starting a Chapter, requesting a list of members in their area. We are happy to forward on the names of other members in the area, but usually the number of members we have in any one area of the globe is minimal. Yet, helping organizers find contacts in their local area could be the single most important factor in creating a successful Chapter.
The international Group contacted SGML Open to see what we could do together to help foster this growth. One proposal (still to be ratified, but rather well accepted by the SGML Open sponsor members we spoke to) would be to initially identify two mailing houses (one of these in the US and one in Europe) where SGML Open sponsor members could put their mailing lists of leads, prospects, etc. who are interested in SGML. When the Group is contacted for members in an area, the Group could order a mailing to the appropriate geographic location announcing the new Chapter's formation and contact information. Neither the Group nor the Chapter would have access to the list other than for mailings of this nature. By putting the lists at a mailing house rather than with the Group itself, noone has access to a vendor's private mailing list. By contracting with more than one mailing house, we make sure we get the best local mailing rates. If the receiver of the mailing decided to contact the organizer, great, if not, they could not be contacted by phone.
The SGML Open Sponsor Members benefit by helping their leads and prospects make contact with other Users and get more information on SGML sooner.
Similarly, if desired by the SGML Open members, the Group could do a mailing about the Group in general, citing local Chapters, following each major conference (although the logistics on this would have to be worked out very carefully so that we were not continuously mailing to current members).
However, starting up a Chapter is only part of the story. At recent AGMs (held each year at the GCA SGML Europe conferences) and mid-year meetings (an open meeting held each year at the GCA SGML conferences), the discussion often turns to how to keep a Chapter vital. Whilst many members may want a Chapter to continue, it is often difficult to find time to design meetings, get speakers, coordinate with vendors, etc. So the challenge for the Group is to provide services that help established Chapters maintain their membership.
One way to do this is to provide benefits that make renewing membership worthwhile. The benefits of membership of the Group include:
Additionally, we would send the Chapter all of the issues of the Newsletter for the Chapter's members. This would provide the Chapter with the opportunity to add any Chapter-specific information/flyers/etc. to the mailing. Further, if the Chapter had less members than the maximum in the band they were paying for, they could use the leftover Newsletters to send to prospective new members.
Above all, it is ultimately the individual and corporate member who must benefit. Those individuals who currently belong only to their local chapter can soon enjoy the benefits of international membership for a small incremental cost. Those individuals who are currently members of the international group can continue to enjoy their benefits of international membership and the local chapter benefits of meetings for a lower cost.
Once the Chapter is established, perhaps for a first anniversary, SGML Open could work with the Chapter to present an SGML Open for Business seminar. They have already worked with two of our Chapters to organize this introductory, one-day, dual-track seminar for managers and technical personnel.
For groups that do not have a sponsoring organization to provide administrative support, the Group could provide:
The Group could also put available funds toward promoting the Group, referring interested parties to their local organizers.
