WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Electronic Retailing Association announced that it has partnered with MCI USA for full-service association management services. In November, MCI USA began supplying ERA with services including strategic planning and analysis, resource development, sales, and communications, while serving as the association’s comprehensive headquarters management and operations team.
“As our industry and marketplace continue to evolve at lightning speed, ERA is pleased to partner with a company that has real depth in marketing, global operations and execution, and overall communications and engagement strategies,” says Poonam Khubani, ERA chairman and vice president of international markets for TeleBrands.
The strategic partnership will help ERA provide a broader set of services to its members and enhance the DR community. “I am elated about this strategic partnership in that it gives the ERA the platform, the bench strength, and the association experience to carry out our strategic plan: to become the focal point for omnichannel marketing and industry government affairs,” says ERA President Chris Reinmuth. “We look forward to working with MCI USA to better meet our members’ needs and more importantly, drive new members to our shows, where our current members showcase their specific services.”
ERA membership benefits will continue uninterrupted. The association will offer the same events, services, and programs members have come to expect, including The Great Ideas Summit, D2C Convention, ER Magazine, ER Online, and industry advocacy and government relations.
Staff resources, however, will now be provided by MCI USA. The company has welcomed several ERA staffers to its team of more than 100 nonprofit and association professionals; members will continue to work with many of the same people, as well as new team members who are working to enhance ERA’s programs and services.
MCI USA (www.mci-group.com/usa) helps companies and associations engage and activate their target audiences to build the communities necessary to strengthen brands and boost performance. Headquartered in the Washington, D.C., area, MCI USA has been recognized by the American Business Ethics Awards as a leading company in the United States for vision, leadership, and integrity.
“We are so honored to serve as ERA’s partner as they move into an association management model,” says MCI USA’s President of Association Management, Erin M. Fuller, FASAE, CAE. “[We] believe that our unified staff team—of both legacy ERA and existing MCI USA team members—will enable ERA to achieve the goals set out by the board, and deliver results that drive both relevance and sustainability through enhanced member engagement and thought leadership.”