Common Problems in Organization Outreach

Definition of a successful event: An event which produces a desired audience turnout who feel
that they have gained something by attending.

In the past, CAMPDC has organized several events. Many of them were successful. They reached a crescendo in 2005 in terms of the sheer number of events staged. Over time however, the audience turnout gradually declined. We faced attrition among our board members due to demoralization and burnout. Furthermore, the organization did not have the means to gauge member satisfaction via surveys, forums or other feedback mechanisms. In retrospect however, most ex-board members would agree that the general members were not satisfied with the events because they did not think that they were gaining what they wanted.

As an organization, CAMPDC may have suffered from a few problems specific only to itself. These are a topic for another post. I want to highlight some of the challenges that CAMPDC faced through no fault of its own, i.e. those challenges that every organization affiliated with
the regional Muslim community can and does face.

1. Lack of a marketing platform
   Pre-event marketing avenues are limited and require a great deal of effort
   to get the word out. Announcements and flyer distributions at regular gatherings such as Friday prayers or popular venues such as restaurants tend to rely on a network of dedicated ambassador-individuals. With individual styles, personalities, and schedules, it is possible to represent an inconsistent image of the organization. Flyers are consistent, but they are most effective when handed out to every prospective attendee in person, which requires a great deal of effort.
   
   
2. Lack of visibility into the community
   The feasibility of an event depends (among other things) on the time and date on which it can be scheduled. In the Baltimore-DC area, there are many Muslim organizations that are contending for the same time slots. Unfortunately, there is no way to gain insight into the general activities occurring in the region. As a result, it is possible to have two comparable events conflict with one another, the organizers being unaware all the while.
   
   
3. Inability to provide closure
   To be successful in the future, post-event marketing is probably as important (if not more) as pre-event marketing. It creates a continuum between successive events and allows the attendees to digest the event. In effect, it provides closure to the attendees. In the case of prospects who are unable or unwilling to attend, a simple, upbeat press release can gain attendees for a future event even before that event has been conceived. This suggests that post-event marketing is really no different than pre-event marketing if executed properly.

CAMPDC will be competing for the attention and patronage of a diverse and vibrant population with other Muslim (and non-religious, cultural) organizations. It is my opinion that we are players in a crowded marketplace, which may not bode well for all organizations. However, if CAMPDC can leverage the above issues and address them for the benefit of the whole community, it will gain a lot of recognition. A few ideas have been floated that can address the above issues, namely a unified community calendar and a blog style news magazine. The technological solutions exist and can be implemented rapidly, however it is getting people to adopt and embrace them that are part of the social challenge that will present the most inertia.

Comments welcome.