Discover how the Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) achieved a 360-degree transformation and improved every aspect of member relations with Glue Up’s all-in-one engagement management solution.
About The Florida Economic Development Council: A 60-Year Legacy of Growth and Innovation
FEDC Official website
Founded in 1964, the Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) has been fostering economic, workforce, and community development for six decades. With a membership of over 500 professionals from diverse organizations, the organization has built a robust ecosystem dedicated to fostering business growth, attracting new enterprises, and advancing statewide prosperity.
FEDC's vision extends beyond the state's borders, aiming to position Florida among the top ten global economies by 2030. This ambition is supported by a strategy focused on business retention, attraction, and community enrichment.
To further these goals, FEDC launched a new foundation, enhancing its technological capabilities to better serve its members and stakeholders. This foundation is a testament to FEDC's commitment to professional development and research in economic growth strategies.
The Need for Integrating a Comprehensive Workflow System
FEDC Annual Conference 2023
In 2023, the Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) recognized the urgency to modernize their business operations. This realization, timed with the beginning of their new fiscal year in July, was crucial for integrating a new foundation into their structure.
FEDC's requirements were diverse: a new website, a comprehensive CRM system, and a robust merchant services platform were essential to support the foundation's initial funding and activities.
Selecting and Implementing a Unified System
After thorough research and due diligence, FEDC chose Glue Up for its comprehensive offerings. This selection was made with great care; FEDC had previously employed a CRM system for over eight years and experimented with various event platforms for ticketing and registration.
The challenge was to find a solution that could seamlessly integrate the distinct needs of the foundation and the main organization, especially in terms of event management and financial transactions.
Glue Up's platform provided a unified solution, addressing FEDC's need to streamline its operations across multiple fronts. It allowed FEDC to effectively manage website content, event organization, and communication strategies from a single, integrated platform.
This shift was a strategic move to optimize FEDC's efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring that their workflows were equipped to support their evolving mission and the addition of the new foundation.
Efficient Integration and Customization
Before Glue Up, FEDC dealt with multiple providers for different services, such as webinars, CRM, event management, and website management. This fragmented approach was both time-consuming and less efficient. On the other hand, Glue Up offered a cohesive solution, combining all these needs into a single platform.
One of the significant advantages of Glue Up was its pre-existing templates, which greatly accelerated the setup process. These templates provided the necessary coding and structure, yet were flexible enough for FEDC to personalize and align with its brand.
This dual benefit of time-saving and brand customization was crucial for FEDC, as developing a comparable system from scratch would have been prohibitively time-consuming and costly.
Moreover, Glue Up's platform offered an interactive website feature with integrated merchant services, catering to FEDC's need for an active online presence that could handle transactions. The distinction here is that some websites are solely for promotion and marketing, without any transactional capabilities, but FEDC requires a more dynamic and interactive web presence.
360-degree Enhancement of FEDC's Membership Cycle
The adoption of Glue Up's comprehensive platform by the Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) has led to a 360-degree enhancement of their membership cycle.
From the initial member onboarding to ongoing engagement and retention strategies, the platform has enabled FEDC to maintain a dynamic, responsive, and interconnected community. This full-circle enhancement not only streamlined administrative processes but also fostered stronger connections among members, driving the Council's mission forward in the modern digital landscape.
A Personalized Approach to Member Acquisition
Glue Up's platform enhanced member engagement by helping FEDC personalize its communication with potential and existing members. This feature allowed FEDC to tailor content and access, improving both prospecting and member development.
The ability to view examples of client sites further aided FEDC in determining the elements that would be most beneficial for their site, particularly in developing the navigation bar and overall user experience.
Empowering Communities and Enhancing Member Engagement
FEDC Team at Rural Summit
As FEDC advances its mission of bridging gaps between industry, education, and government, Glue Up's platform serves as a key tool in facilitating this collaborative environment.
The platform's ability to foster ongoing dialogue and exchange of best practices among members has boosted their engagement and streamlined operations. Members can now effortlessly engage in group discussions, share valuable documents, and express themselves through personalized profiles.
This level of interaction not only encourages a vibrant exchange of ideas but also bolsters the sense of community within FEDC.
Mission Fulfillment and Membership Growth with Glue Up
As FEDC navigates the challenge of fostering connections across Florida's vast geographical and demographic expanse, Glue Up's features for setting up communities, groups, and committees are proving invaluable.
The prospect of growing memberships through innovative features like individual donations adds a new dimension to FEDC's strategy. This approach not only garners support from major grants but also empowers individual members to contribute to the economic development profession and their communities.
Additionally, the new website's clarity in mission and vision statements has unified FEDC's approach toward its goals.
Streamlining Interactivity with Members
The new website launch has been a significant success for FEDC, improving interactions with members and clarifying the organization's mission and vision, aligning with its strategic goals.
This digital overhaul has not only streamlined member engagement but also revitalized the organization's core objectives under its three pillars: educate, advocate, and connect. The elements are now prominently displayed on the website, providing a clear and direct reflection of FEDC's renewed focus and direction.
In anticipation of this new digital tool, the board of directors revisited and refined the organization's mission and vision statements, ensuring that every aspect of the website and the organization's activities are in sync with these updated goals.
Thus, this transformative approach has unified the organization, enhancing both internal coherence and external engagement, thereby solidifying FEDC's position as a leader in fostering economic development in Florida.
Enhancing Member Experience with Technological Advancements
The mobile app feature introduced by Glue Up has transformed the member experience, offering accessibility and convenience. This two-way communication tool has enabled members to engage more actively, fostering a stronger community within FEDC.
Unlike before, when the tool was primarily for staff use, the current iteration serves the entire organization, allowing both staff and members to utilize its full range of features. The convenience of having the app on a mobile device means members can stay connected and informed wherever they go, integrating FEDC activities into their daily routine. This mobile presence is a significant step towards making engagement with the organization a regular part of members' lives.
"Glue Up's platform has been instrumental in amplifying our efforts to meet our ambitious goals. It has provided us with the tools to effectively engage with our members, manage our resources, and extend our outreach. The ease of communication, the efficiency in event management, and the ability to connect with our community through a unified platform have significantly propelled our initiatives. This technological empowerment has not just streamlined our operations but has also enriched our capability to make a tangible impact in the economic landscape of Florida, bringing us closer to realizing our vision of becoming a top global economy."
Beth Cicchetti, Executive Director at Florida Economic Development Council
Looking Forward: The Future with Glue Up
As FEDC continues to explore Glue Up's extensive features, including AI-driven community management, they anticipate further enhancements in their operational efficiency. This forward-thinking approach signifies FEDC's commitment to leveraging technology for continuous growth and member satisfaction.
In conclusion, the partnership between FEDC and Glue Up symbolizes a significant leap in modernizing operations, enhancing member engagement, and driving economic growth in Florida. This collaboration sets a benchmark for other organizations seeking to thrive in the digital era.
To witness firsthand how Glue Up can transform your organization's efficiency and engagement, schedule a demo now and experience the power of our innovative platform.
