"By and large, my goal when I develop an event is not to generate income. It's to provide some measure of support back to our members, whether we're bringing together something that will give them inside information and some avenue of our history or whether it's putting people in a room together."
 - Mark Schulz, The Recording Academy

What Would You Do For Your Members if Money Didn’t Matter with Mark Schulz

Session 38

Go behind the scenes of the biggest music awards show and the members who make it happen this week with Mark Schulz. Mark is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy, which puts on a little event known as the GRAMMYs. As the GRAMMY Awards provides enough revenue itself, Mark talks about what happens when you do not need to rely on money and how that can create a completely different experience for members. He explains how membership is integral to the decisions process behind the GRAMMYs and the other music events that are not as widely publicized. Recording Academy members are given the unique opportunity to have a voice in discovering talent and deciding who wins these prestigious awards, and the Recording Academy has the unique position of not needing to rely on membership dues to keep its 12 regional chapters afloat.

Mark and Beth discuss:

  • Without dues in the picture, what is the role of membership in this organization?
  • How does having criteria to become a member impact your organization?
  • How stopping to ask “why” people are involved can help you learn
  • What is the biggest difference in not having to focus on membership dues as a primary revenue stream?
  • How does the dynamic of membership change and become personal?
  • Why it can be dangerous to market events for specific generations
Resources:

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