Meetings can be fun, but getting to them—well, that’s another story. Between long security lines, flight delays, and lost baggage, flying can be a hassle.

An alternative: driverless cars.

“In our study, we showed people trips of different lengths and asked them to choose whether they would rather drive themselves, take a flight, or ride in a self-driving car,” write Stephen Rice and Scott Winter on Fast Company. “In general, the data indicated that people always preferred driverless vehicles over manual driving. Taking a driverless car got even more attractive if people were told that after flying, they would need a rental car in their destination city.”

Although the research shows that many people are still reluctant about riding in driverless cars, it also showed that as people learn their benefits, they would be more accepting of the technology. Like flying, passengers could eat, drink, work, and sleep during the journey. But unlike air travel, they could leave whenever they want, stop for breaks, pack without restrictions, and eliminate the need for a rental car upon arrival.

“These changes could substantially change the aviation industry, with airlines ordering fewer airplanes from manufacturers, airports seeing fewer daily flights and lower revenue from parking lots, and even airport hotels hosting fewer guests,” Rice and Winter say. “The future of driverless cars is appealing to consumers—which means the future of commercial flight is in danger.”

Three Key Tenets to Onboarding

At its core, #member onboarding is about reassuring new #constituents that they made a good decision and should stay involved with your organization. https://t.co/iBQi1Fde6c

— Personify (@Personifycorp) June 17, 2019

We’ve all heard the importance of a member onboarding strategy: It’s your organization’s chance to engage new members and prove your value upfront.

But membership waits for nobody. If you don’t have an onboarding program, or are in the middle of revamping an old one, it’s still important to reach out to new members. So, send a personalized welcome email.

“Not only should new constituents receive a welcome email from your organization, they should be enrolled in an email nurture campaign that will affirm the value of your organization and all of the ways they can become involved,” says Amanda Myers on the Personify blog.

To really make them feel special, give them a call, too, and help them connect to your community.

“Take the time to make a good first impression, ensure they’re informed, share your impact and keep them involved,” Myers says. “You don’t get a second chance.”

Other Links of Note

Is a social media apocalypse upon us? The Hootsuite blog breaks down three misleading social “trends.”

Culture is not optional when it comes to growing organizations—and a successful digital culture often starts with creating the right workplace environment, says Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Making wellness a priority at your next conference? Take inspiration from these health-focused experiences, from Event Marketer.

(AndreyPopov/iStock/Getty Images Plus)