Interview with:
Wendy Eley, Group Operations Director, Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
Chair of the “Membership Strategy & Engagement” stream
As we gear up for Membership Excellence 2024, we’re thrilled to have Wendy Eley, Group Operations Director at Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) on board as Chair of the “Membership Strategy & Engagement” stream. With over 20 years of membership experience, Wendy’s deep understanding of member needs and her passion for engagement make her the perfect leader for this stream. In this exclusive interview, she sheds light on the challenges facing associations and how to demonstrate value in an increasingly competitive subscription economy.
1. Please can you tell us a bit about your association and your role there?
CSSC is an exclusive membership body for the Civil Service and Public Sector, and we offer affordable and accessible health, wellbeing and recreation activities for our members. We are 103 years old so have evolved a lot during our history! But our raison d’etre remains the same and we work hard to ensure our members get the most of out of their precious spare time and to enjoy our activities with their friends and family. I am the Group Operations Director and I have been working for CSSC since 2018, but I have been a member for over 20 years!
2. Why did you decide to step into a chair role for Membership Excellence 2024?
I was very proud to be a keynote speaker last year, and I loved the vibe and energy of the day. I wanted to play a part again this year, so putting myself forward for a chair role seemed like a natural step. I am so excited for all the speakers this year, and I get the best view in the house as chair!
3. What do you see as the key challenges for associations with membership for next year or so?
I still think the economy is a huge issue – people are being very careful with their money and very selective with what they choose to spend it on, so membership bodies have to really demonstrate the value they offer to attract new members and retain their existing ones.
I also talk a lot about the challenges of the subscription economy. Many people now subscribe to services on a monthly basis, such as TV channels, music channels etc and they are far more ruthless at cancelling subscriptions if they aren’t using them. As many membership bodies offer a monthly subscription, they need to work harder to stand out against all the other monthly payments in peoples bank accounts, but also work harder to stand out against another similar membership bodies.
So, in summary, I feel the biggest challenge is demonstrating your organisation’s value on a daily basis to your members as they are not as loyal as they used to be.
4. What are you looking forward to most at this year’s Membership Excellence Conference?
Obviously the wonderful speakers in my stream! I feel very blessed as all the sessions look amazing and I will have to remember I am the chair! I can see myself just being fully absorbed in what they are talking about and then forgetting my chair role! It will also be great to network with other professionals.
5. Why do you feel it’s important for association and membership professionals to attend Membership Excellence this year?
This event is a key date on the calendar for our staff because no other event offers the insight and connections that MEMX does. I describe it as an event full of kindness; I can’t recall attending any other event where everyone just wants to genuinely connect and learn from each other. Our team took so much away last year to help with some of our challenges, and we found some great suppliers from the multitude of stands that were there. It really should be an essential annual event for all professionals in our sector.
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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