According to Merriam-Webster, a silo is defined as “– 2. To isolate (someone or something, such as a grouping or department) in a way that hinders communication and cooperation with others.”

Can you relate to silos in your organization or on your team?

If you answered ”yes,” please read on to learn how three AMC service teams merged to form a cohesive business unit to drive value, foster engagement, enhance creativity, and create more efficiencies.

The Opportunity

For most associations, the annual conference is one of, if not THE top revenue generator and largest expense for the organization. Numerous stakeholders and multiple facets engage in the strategy, planning, and execution of the event, all with a common goal of ensuring a successful event that engages members, provides valuable learning and networking opportunities, and generates revenue for the organization.

At AMC, three teams—Strategic Events, Industry Relations, and Registration—all were deeply involved in the planning of an annual conference, but they operated as independent business units.  With a laser focus on their functional area of expertise, thinking about the impact of decisions on other teams was not always top of mind for them. Just as we have re-imagined many of our clients most visible asset, their annual meeting, to meet changing needs, we also looked at these teams with the question “What if?”    

What if we re-imagined these service teams through an integrated and holistic model that fostered more collaboration, agility, and innovation?

What if we provide concerted strategic advising with diverse and inclusive perspectives from the team to drive revenue and engagement?

What if we define a model that supports business and staff development goals?

A Highly Specialized Team

The integration of these three teams into one is exactly what we did, renaming the group as the SEIRR team (Strategic Events, Industry Relations, and Registration). As we, and the associations we serve, have discovered, the benefits have been vast.

• As an integrated team, SEIRR kicks off the year with an in-person retreat discussing our purpose, engaging everyone in a generative discussion on various topics, and brainstorming ideas. This has had a significant payoff, enabling team members to learn different perspectives, build trust, foster open communication, and define the objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive results for our team and clients.   
• We lead collaborative conference strategy sessions for our association clients and bring a holistic perspective that ensures all cross functional teams, contributors, and interested parties are aligned in reviewing data analysis, optimizing pricing, and creating new revenue streams with an understanding of customer needs and behaviors that will foster engagement and connection to the organization. In addition, our experienced SEIRR team leads contract negotiations and utilizes our buying power to reduce expenses.
• As we improved efficiencies, the SEIRR team created an operations subteam to provide cross-training and support across the 3 focus areas of our team (Strategic Events, Industry Relations, and Registration) and to assist in meeting our business needs. Having this vast knowledge in the 3 areas has also opened up a multitude of pathways for career development and growth within our team.

Is it time to re-imagine your teams to drive your organization forward?  

Colleen Bagnasco is vice president of Event Strategy & Industry Relations at AMC.

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