Interview with:
Darren Shepherd, National Membership Directior, British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF)
Chair of the “Member value, growth and retention” stream
1. Please can you tell us a bit about your association and your role there?
British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) is the largest trade association for the wider printing industry in the UK with membership comprising of 55% of the industry by turnover.
We look at our Membership offer by way of 3 pillars:
Training – BPIF Training is the largest provider of industry specific apprenticeships in England Wales with well over 400 colleagues currently in learning, funded via Levy or a contribution basis.
Professional Services – BPIF have a large team of advisers providing Human Resources, Health & Safety, Environmental and Legal advice with industry specific insight and guidance.
Trade Association activities – which sit at the very core of BPIF’s offer – supporting the industry in terms of lobbying, data and surveys, regulatory guidance and support, networking and industry events – amongst the extensive suite of services.
My role as National Membership Development Director is to lead the national membership team to support our existing Members and ensure that they get full value from their Membership, and also build our Membership numbers through strategic recruitment programmes.
I see recruitment and retention in very much the same guise, in that it is all about demonstrating the benefits and value of the offer.
2. Why did you decide to step into a chair role for Membership Excellence 2024?
Like most, I didn’t leave school planning a career in membership, but after joining BPIF realised that it is very different to the commercial world that I had worked in.
I joined MemberWise and gained enormous value as it helped formalise my thoughts around value propositions and the approach that I needed to take.
After attending MEMX on a couple of occasions, I wanted to continue to learn from my peers and find that supporting the forums and events allows me to spend time with membership colleagues who are willing to share their journeys and findings – with lots to take away and use in my day-to-day role.
3. What do you see as the key challenges for associations with membership for next year or so?
At BPIF we are focussing on the core needs of delivering value to members, and firming up our Recruitment processes with stretching targets.
Regulatory matters for our industry are increasing exponentially, so remaining ahead of this wave is critical to ensure that BPIF deliver value.
Trade associations in general have to ensure that their purpose is clear, that they deliver value to members and remain visible and vital to their members.
The wonderful position of a trade associations is that it can facilitate collaborative discussions with Industry supplier members (associates) that may otherwise struggle to take place.
4. What are you looking forward to most at this year’s Membership Excellence Conference?
I have spoken to most of the speakers in the “Membership Value, Growth & Retention” stream that I am chairing – and the topics and presentations that they are delivering are very interesting indeed. My membership team will also be at MEMX2024 so we will be covering all streams to ensure that we pull from all parts of the conference and will share and de-brief afterwards.
5. Why do you feel it’s important for association and membership professionals to attend Membership Excellence this year?
Membership as a product has very similar challenges and operational needs – whether you are a trade association or membership body – the need to provide value sits at the core of our very existence.
There is so much that can be picked up from how other organisations have tackled challenges that will be very familiar to all membership-professionals, and will in-turn provide direction and clarity for one’s own role when back at our desks.
Membership Excellence 2024, Thursday 14th November, Novotel London West hotel, is delivered by the MemberWise Network and is formally accredited by The CPD Standards Office.
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