Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
 

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2007 Annual International CHRIE Conference & Exposition 
264
METHODOLOGY 
The current study addressed the use of the distribution strategies of educational content by professional 
associations via the deployment of technology that does not require participants to be face-face. A convenience 
sample of 130 professional associations was identified from the attendees of the Professional Convention 
Management Association’s (PCMA) conference held in January 2006. 
The website of each of association used in this analysis was visited to identify if any educational content 
was marketed to their membership and if the association was distributing the content via the distributed technologies 
explored above. Characteristics such as membership size, type of association, and industry, were used to identify 
factors that were found to be significant in the level of use of Internet based technologies used by professional 
associations. The data were analyzed for descriptive statistics and any correlation with the use of these technologies 
to the associations’ demographic characteristics is described. 
FINDINGS 
The websites of 130 associations were evaluated and it was determined that 83.1% (108) associations 
provided educational content to their members. It was further determined that the development and distribution of 
educational content was important to the membership of 75% of those that provided educational content. When 
reviewing the mission statements of the associations on their webpage only 64.8% (70) of the associations actually 
included education as a part of their mission statement. 
In terms of the types of educational content, the survey found that 34 associations offered certifications 
programs, 53 offered continuing education programs, 37 offered professional development programs, 10 offered 
other forms of content (not specified in the survey), and on 26 association websites not enough information was 
found to determine if educational content was provided (Figure 1).