Each year, the Society of Broadcast Engineers conducts a member recruitment drive, which calls on current SBE members to encourage their non-member colleagues to join the association.
This year, the drive resulted in 68 newly-recruited members, who were sponsored by 57 current members. The recruiters represent 43 different SBE chapters.
The theme for the 2023 drive was “The SBE and You: The Perfect Fit.” It ran from March 1 until May 31.
The SBE is the professional organization of television and radio engineers and those in related fields. At present, it has more than 4,500 members in 115 chapters across the United States and in Hong Kong and Eastern Europe.
Chriss Scherer, the member communications director for the SBE, told Radio World: “While the membership drive is a pointed effort at recruitment, the SBE encourages all members to recruit new members throughout the year. Many chapters have meeting attendees who are not members, and they are encouraged to join.”
As a recruiting incentive to members, the SBE asked for prize donations from SBE sustaining member companies. In addition, recruiters could earn $5 per new member (up to $25) off his or her 2024 membership dues.
Nine sustaining member companies plus the SBE provided prizes this year, ranging from shirts and hats to broadcast equipment.
All recruiters were also eligible for the Membership Drive Grand Prize: A trip the SBE National Meeting this fall — which will be held during the Midwest Broadcast & Multimedia Technology Conference in Columbus, Ohio. The Grand Prize winner this year is Randy Lee of KXXV(TV) in Waco, Texas.
“The Membership Drive alone does not make up for the very slow decline in membership, but it helps,” said Scherer. “Retirement is a significant part of the that decline.” He says the SBE’s Technical Professional Training Program and the SBE Mentor Program are also efforts to attract new and younger members.
