A Message from the SOCAP President:

SOCAP Launches Six New Industry Communities

Dear SOCAP Member:

In a recent membership survey, over 80% of SOCAP members responded that they were interested in connecting with other members from their specific industry to share best practices and maximize professional networking opportunities. In recognition of this opportunity to build more specialized networks, SOCAP has successfully launched six new Industry Communities! These six Industry Communities were formally introduced at the 2009 Symposium in Chicago along with benchmarking data results directly targeted for each. The six new Industry Communities which, represent the top industries within the SOCAP membership are:

• Automotive
• Food & Beverage
• Household & Personal Care
• Retail & Consumer Goods
• Healthcare
• Travel & Hospitality

Attendees at SOCAP’s 2009 Symposium expressed very positive feedback about the event’s new focus on Industry Communities.  When asked if they would like to see industry-focused sessions offered at next year’s Symposium, 96% of attendees responded “yes” and 81% said they gained helpful strategies and ideas from their community-specific sessions. By joining the Industry Community that best matches your professional needs and area of focus, you will have access to:

• Industry-specific networking opportunities, including listservs, webinars and new social networking forums
• Cutting-edge industry benchmarking research data
• Educational materials designed to pinpoint industry trends and best practices

As our Industry Communities grow, we urge our members to take advantage of this source of customized resources. Click here to visit our Industry Community Sign-Up Page and register your interest with a community that best suits you. After submitting this completed form, you will be given access by SOCAP to a LinkedIn community based on your Industry Community selection and will begin enjoying the networking and idea sharing with other SOCAP members from your industry.

To learn more about SOCAP's new Industry Communities please visit our Frequently-Asked Questions page. I hope you will reap the member benefits of SOCAP's new Industry Communities. If you have any questions, please contact me at matthew@socap.org or Marjorie Bynum, Sr. Director of Education and Communications, at marjorie@socap.org.

Enjoy building your SOCAP community!

Matthew R. D'Uva