Meetings

Daily Buzz: Do a GDPR Check With Vendors

One year after GDPR changed the rules for data management, many meeting planners are struggling to adhere to them. Talking with vendors can help. Also: Steer members away from snail-mail renewals.

Just over a year since the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation became effective, many meeting planners are still struggling to implement GDPR-compliant processes for data management, according to some recent studies.

Vendors may be playing a part in these challenges, but ultimately planners are responsible for securing attendee data, even when they might not be handling it themselves. According to MeetingsNet writer Kevin Iwamoto, that means planners need to ensure that vendors processing data on their behalf are complying with GDPR, too.

“If you aren’t doing so already, you should be having a conversation with your event suppliers about their understanding of GDPR and how their activities and processes align with yours to ensure compliance,” Iwamoto says.

Get answers to questions such as “Where is my data housed, and who will have access to it?” and “How does your system handle data deletion?” But don’t stop at talking to vendors. Check in with your team members to make sure they’re handling data properly, too.

“GDPR is not someone else’s responsibility; it is everyone’s responsibility. Period,” he says.

Make Membership Renewals Digital

As membership payment shifts online, some members might still prefer to send their dues in the mail. “It’s not a complicated concept, but you should spend time putting together some messaging on why a member would want to pay their dues online,” Colleen Bottorff says on the MemberClicks blog. “That way you’ll have a few well-thought-out tidbits to share with members when it comes up in conversation and to use on your website.”

Another way to get members to ditch snail mail: Make the payment portal easy to find on your website, with specific and clear directions on how to use it.

When all else fails, Bottorff suggests offering an incentive, such as a 5 percent discount to any member who renews online.

Other Links of Note

Plan your next social campaign with the help of Snapchat’s new major events guide, which includes insights on how brands can leverage engagement throughout the year, from Social Media Today.

As membership changes, so should its price. The Web Scribble blog explains how to determine a price point that accurately reflects membership value.

Feeling the burnout? A psychotherapist tells Quartz at Work how to deal with the symptoms.

(ChrisSteer/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Jeff Hsin

By Jeff Hsin

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