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Catch 'The Big Hunt' Webcast On National Membership Day, May 20
NAHB members and membership chairmen will don bush jackets and pith helmets for ”The Big Hunt” — the National Membership Day webcast on Tuesday, May 20 to help grow and revitalize their local builders associations.
But a hungry lion, elephant and gorilla have no intention of becoming fair game during NAHB’s annual event this year. Instead, they’ll be stalking members and HBAs for commitments on new members and retention during the three-hour webcast.
“Over the years, National Membership Day has become a key part of our culture,” says Vince Butler, NAHB membership chairman. “It’s always an exciting event.”
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What will be prowling during "The Big Hunt" webcast? | A Focus on Retention
HBA members who were traditionally considered “safe” are now at risk because of economic conditions and the industry downturn. As a consequence, the nationwide retention rate has slipped from 80.5% in 2006 to 74.9% at last count.
To give members and HBAs the tools to boost retention, as part of this year’s webcast, “The Big Hunt” will hold a retention roundtable with participants discussing the successful methods their HBAs employed to raise their retention rates.
Participating in the roundtable discussions will be:
- Bill Taylor, membership director of the Spokane Home Builders Association in Washington.
- Kathy Tolleson, of the Southern Utah Home Builders Association. In 2004, the HBA reported a retention rate of 63.1%, but after refocusing efforts during the next two years, the retention rate climbed to 81.1%. Tolleson will discuss the steps her HBA took to increase retention as well as how to manage a membership committee.
- Steven Gabbard, director of member services for the Home Builders Association of Lexington in Kentucky. The HBA had 754 members and its retention rate was 77% when Gabbard became the director two-and-a-half years ago. Today, the HBA boasts 1,200 members with a retention rate of 85%. Gabbard will discuss the programs his HBA initiated to spark the turnaround.
“We are facing some challenging economic times, but now, more than ever, membership in NAHB is important,” Butler said. “With such a wide range of tangible benefits and so many levels of support, membership offers a tremendous value.”
Membership Day Webcast
“The Big Hunt” membership day webcast will be broadcast from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST Tuesday, May 20. HBAs should be prepared to call NAHB at 800-899-6242 during the webcast to have May membership projections officially recorded and posted during the membership day event.
For more information about “The Big Hunt” campaign, visit www.nahb.org/membershipday, or call the NAHB Membership Team at 800-368-5242 x8440.
For membership day resources, visit www.nahb.org/BigHunt08.
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