A DAA Country Group gives people the opportunity to learn more about the digital analytics industry and its latest developments and to network with other professionals in their region. Country Groups are an excellent way to help people break into the digital analytics arena, learn more about the local and global markets, and meet their peers. DAA believes that Country Groups are very important for the continued growth of the organization.

Purpose

The purpose of each Country Group is to support DAA in:

• Providing value to the local members
• Expanding the membership base locally
• Building local awareness and education around digital analytics and digital marketing

Steps Required

The following steps must be followed when forming a Country Group:

1. Determine if there is an existing digital analytics group or other similar group in your area.

   See if there is an established digital analytics or digital marketing group in your country – if they are already actively involved in your area you will need to determine whether-or-not your market can support the addition of a DAA Country Group.

   Research to see if any local organizations hold educational, networking, and/or social events for the digital analytics community, and make sure to include this information as a part of your Country Group plan. Keep in mind that current DAA members, or potential members, may already be active in the local search community, and try to avoid duplicating efforts.

   If you find there really are no digital analytics or digital marketing organizations that meet your needs, this is an excellent indicator that a local DAA Country Group would be worthwhile.

2. Establish a management/leadership team.

   Check the DAA’s online Member Directory to find other members in your country and contact them to see if they are interested in starting and managing a Country Group. For support in reaching out to members in your locale, via email blasts, please contact .

   Remember: only current DAA members can serve on the management/leadership team.

   The key functions of the management/leadership team include:

   • Co-Chairs:

     Identify a maximum of 2-3 people who will chair your Country Group. These individuals will be responsible for managing the group and making sure it is successful and meeting the established goals/objectives.

Membership

Membership in a Country Group is complimentary to all members in good standing of DAA "Global”. DAA "Global” will provide 25% of dues revenues received from country members back to the country group for operating expenses. (To be eligible, Country Groups must have at least 25 members. See finance below).

Guidelines for Country Groups

Quarterly Report: The Country Manager will submit a quarterly activity report to the DAA Secretary, using the standard template. If requested, further reporting will be submitted to the Secretary and/or Board of Directors (BOD).

Support from DAA "Global": The DAA Executive Director will provide guidance and assist country groups on how to build-out and manage areas such as finance, sponsorship revenue, administrative support, etc.

Commitment: Country Groups Managers should plan to stay in their role for a period of one year. If a Country Manager does need to step down from that position, it is imperative that the Executive Director be notified immediately so the momentum and operations of the group are not affected.

Goals: A Country Group’s goal should be to provide a forum for digital analytics education and networking as to liaise the activities of the DAA committees locally.

Each group should maximize membership retention, grow existing membership, and promote education through the DAA (DAA Base Camp and the UCI/UBC certificate programs) and eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit – the official summit of the DAA – as well as other educational programs.

Increases in membership and member engagement (involvement in committees, attendance at education and networking sessions) will be key factors in measuring each Country Group’s performance and success.

Committee Participation

Country Group members are encouraged to become active in DAA Committees and Special Interest Groups. This is critical to ensure that the programs and products developed represent the global perspective of DAA membership. Each Country Group is required to have at least one representative on each active Committee or Special Interest Group.

To learn more, contact the following group chairs:

• , Jim Parker and Helene Cameron-Heslop
• , Christopher Berry and Amanda Watlington
• , Darrin Wood
• , Jared Vestal and Michael Kaushansky
• , Emer Kirrane, Michele Kiss and Eric Feinberg
• , Tim Evans
• , Jason Paulsen
• , Judy Ritland

You may also contact .

Operational Issues

Business Plan

Draft an annual business plan to include the following key components:

• The group’s goals for the year
• Tactics for achieving those goals
• Metrics that will be used to measure performance against the plan

Finance

County Groups will receive 25% of the dues revenues paid to DAA "Global” by their country members. Country managers will establish and manage a Profit and Loss Statement (aka P&L or Income Statement). Tracking costs and revenue associated with operations and each event is key to presenting the financial health of the group to DAA. This person or persons will need to coordinate with the DAA Executive Director at certain times of the year, making sure that expenses are handled according to organizational guidelines, and funds collected are properly managed.

Conduct regular management meetings

Each Country Group should meet at least once a month - in person, by telephone, or Skype - this does not include any of your events.

It is helpful for meetings to be conducted right after an event. If this does not fit into your master meeting schedule, it is recommended that the group’s management team attend a post-event meeting to debrief about what was successful, what could be improved, ideas for future events, etc.

The monthly meetings should be planned in advance for the year, and occur on the same date and time each month whenever possible.

The Country Manager should post all meetings on the Country Group webpage and a meeting reminder should be manually sent out two days prior to each meeting.

All DAA group members (committees, task forces, and working groups) must adhere to the attendance policy outlined in the Operating Guide, which states that if a member misses 3 out of 4 meetings, the committee can act – upon majority vote - to remove the member from the group. Failure to attend meetings, and failure to contribute to the group, will result in expulsion from the group. Be sure to let all group members know about this policy before they join to ensure they can commit the required time and that they fully understand the expectations of the group.

It is the responsibility of the Country Manager to ensure that each member reads, and understands, the Committee Operating Guide.

Marketing

Create and maintain the group’s identity in the Country Group page on the DAA website (public and member) and community forums such as Facebook, Linked In, etc.

Work with DAA’s Marketing Communications Manager to create group-specific collateral as needed and to explore web-based marketing channels.

Tips for Organizing a Successful Event

General Tips

• Try to cover event costs through sponsorship revenue, which should be around $1,000 per event, depending on the size and scope of the meeting.
• Consider having a mix of social and educational events.
• Develop a relationship with an event facility in a central location to attract a large audience.
• Plan your events far in advance: attract a large audience, promote through PR, and allow time to attract maximum sponsor revenues. Having the events at a consistent time and location is helpful.
• Be sure to present new and innovative topics during your events to educate people on the latest developments in digital analytics.
• Try to develop a mix people within your group to help maximize interest in your group.
• Work in coordination with other local organizations including WAW, as well as AMA chapter, DMA chapter, IAB Chapter, etc. - for member and non-member events.
• Send an email to all local DAA members to let them know about the event and ask them to invite their colleagues and contacts – send your text to no less than 3 business days prior to the send date.
• Strong and compelling content is the key to a successful event. All speakers and presentations should be neutral and not present a sales pitch or self/company promotion.
• Be sure to get senior-level speakers and not just sales or agency representatives.
• Try to have large “open” events – for members and non-members - at least once per quarter. If you elect to have one event per month, the other two events per quarter should be members only and focused specifically on the needs of your membership, which will deliver maximum value to the members of DAA and your group.
• Leverage the experiences and knowledge of other DAA Country Groups and share best practices related to event topics, sponsorships, group operations, etc. (DAA will work to facilitate communication among Country Groups by establishing a Chairman’s Forum where Chairs from all Country Groups can meet to share ideas and best practices.)
• Survey your members and attendees often – it is always good to know after the event what worked and what didn’t. After your initial event you should try and understand whether people would prefer morning, afternoon, or evening events. Find out what is most important to them – networking, education, latest industry news - this will help guide your event calendar.
• Always charge an admission fee for your events. Consider a minimum of $10 - $20 per person, per event, but chose an amount that is appropriate and realistic for your market. Charge non-members twice the member fee to encourage becoming a DAA member.
• You can set up registration through the DAA website – and people can pay via credit card. Contact for information on how to set up registration page.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the DAA .

Event Content

Content for your events should be based on what DAA membership and your local audience is most interested in learning about or discussing.

Once a list of topics has been established, create a calendar of when they will be presented and assign a person(s) to secure a presenter(s) and address the logistical needs. This includes getting the speaker’s bio, picture, a list of the key discussion points they will present, and any other needs that person may have. If a PPT will be used during the meeting, the chair(s) must review the content prior to the meeting to ensure that it is neutral and does not contain any sales pitches or self/company promotion.

Work closely with the Country Group’s PR and marketing representatives to make sure the event is promoted early and often.

It is important to create an annual schedule so members know well in advance when meetings are going to take place. This will help increase attendance and allow you to start pre-arranging sponsorships. The sooner the content and speakers are finalized, the more successful the event will be.

Event Logistics

Coordinate with the vendors who will supply the meeting facilities including parking, food, drinks, and audio/video.

Manage the list of people interested in attending the meetings (this may include opting people out of group messages) and send event invitations and directions.

Oversee the check-in process for each meeting (nametags, guest list, etc.)

Public Relations

Create and distribute press releases for events, and coordinate with DAA’s Marketing Communications Director if additional assistance is needed.

Coordinate with the presenter(s) to ensure the press release has been reviewed and approved prior to distribution.

Send the final press release to for inclusion on the DAA website.

Event Marketing

Send event information, videos, etc. to for posting (as deemed appropriate).

Community Outreach

This is one of the most important functions of the group and will typically involve the entire group instead of just the management/leadership team.

Communication about your upcoming events is critically important to growing the membership base. Reach out beyond traditional groups to anyone who may find value in the content your group provides. This will help grow and establish your group.

Sponsorships

County Groups should drive sponsorship revenue to offset event costs. Depending on the location or scope of the event, $1,000 to $2,000 per event is typically needed to break even.

Make every attempt to pre-sell sponsorships based on the year’s event schedule. The further in advance the events are planned, the easier it will be to sell sponsorships. Annual sponsorships reduce the burden of having to sell individual event sponsorships.

The Country Manager must work with the Executive Director to determine process for receiving sponsorship funds and paying expenses of the event.