Integrated Media Association

Becoming an iMA member contributes to building a unifying force within public media that has cross-industry vision able to strengthen public media by forging collaborations, facilitating digital strategy discussions, exploring new business models, brainstorming system-level digital initiatives and platforms, and establishing partnerships among other things. Membership in iMA allows you to participate and help drive those discussions that are shaping our future.

iMA membership is offered at two levels, each providing very tangible and quantifiable benefits beyond the opportunity to be a part of the innovation dialog. Member benefits by level are broken down as follows with additional details listed below:

• Annual Conference Discount: Significant discount on the annual conference and tickets from conference partners.

The iMA conference partners with SXSW Interactive, the largest conference on emerging technologies in the world. Together, iMA and SXSW present the latest with emerging technologies, the most innovative projects in public media, and opportunities to discuss the most pressing industry challenges.

• iMA members receive roughly a 50% discount, or $350 off per person (in 2013), on iMA conference registration.

• iMA members also receive an additional discount on their SXSW Interactive registration that varies from an additional $50 - $200.

• Leadership Focus

The iMA Executive Leadership Series is a gathering of iMA strategic member executives on a regular basis providing substantial executive education and an opportunity for industry leaders to share with their peers. The gatherings will explore innovative business models, strategic initiatives, and collaborations with the potential to have significant impact. This group of leaders will work together, sharing ideas and knowledge, looking for ways to advance the mission of public media. The fall 2012 gathering is scheduled for October in Boston at member station, WGBH. 

The leadership series will extend to an executive community initiative providing on-going opportunities for peers at the executive level to stay in touch, share ideas, and solve problems collectively and collaboratively.

• Education: Discounted and free educational opportunities – on-line, virtual, and in person.

iMA offers an On Demand Google Analytics for Public Media course available to iMA members for $75 and non-members for $295.

iMA is investigating opportunities for additional training needed by iMA members and will add more offerings on a regular basis.

• Webinars: Access to special webinar series for public media professionals, technical staff, and executive management.

iMA provides some webinars that are open to everyone as a service to the entire industry. We also provide a very specialized series called iMA Premium Webinars. The topics for premium webinars are very targeted to the needs of the iMA member community. They tend to be more advanced and very discussion oriented or educational in nature. They are free to iMA members and available for a fee to non-members. Past topics have included:

• A Step by Step Approach for Measuring Social Media Success

• Improving Your Online Engagement Strategy

• Mobile May Be Public Media's Chance to Lead

• Google Analytics Training: Multi-Channel Funnel Reports

• Is Responsive Web Design a Silver Bullet?

• Peer Discussion Groups: Opportunity to participate in peer discussion groups facilitated by iMA to share the challenges and solutions of different professions within public media.

iMA hosts discussion groups for members targeting professional groups where issues and challenges and ideas are exchanged. iMA identifies peer across organizations and organizes and moderates the conversation in a variety of mediums. Currently iMA hosts Digital News Directors groups and Interactive Directors Groups.

• Public Media Knowledgebase: Access to a growing content and information database relevant to Public Media.

iMA built a Public Media Knowledgebase that houses or references cross industry information and resources relevant to public media. There are vast resources available in the industry, but it’s hard to know where to find everything. The database contains references to a variety of resources created around public media and available for sharing. It includes descriptions of new media initiatives, best practices, standards, papers, research, policies, strategies, recommendation tools or technologies, and educational assets. Some assets are housed in this database and others are linked to online sources around the industry. The iMA Knowledgebase is the place to find all of them and to share your locally produced assets that you think will provide value to your colleagues.

• Research: Full access to iMA developed research about industry initiatives, executive perspectives, and technology topics. Currently, the following reports are available to iMA members:

• iMA Mobile Research Study - reveals the thoughts and progress of TV and radio stations around the system in building their mobile presence.

• Social Media Strategy Recommendations - this study went in depth at three different member organizations to provide both tactical and strategic recommendations. Those recommendations have been aggregated and share the best practices for all public media organizations.

• iMA Grants: iMA is actively pursuing grants for project and consulting work. iMA members will be the beneficiaries of those grants. 

iMA received a $125,000 grant for social media strategy consulting from IBM in fiscal 2012. The grant services went directly to iMA members. iMA continues to pursue additional opportunities to fund initiatives that can benefit its members. 

iMA continues to grow its services as we grow our capacity and hear more from our members.  Please tell us what you think and give us your suggestions on our Feedback page.