FY14 marks the 30th year anniversary of the WTIA and, like the member companies we serve, we are committed to innovation and continuous improvement. You are reading this on our revamped website that we encourage you to explore. In addition, we are excited to announce other big changes that are either currently in place or will be released during 2014:

New Company Membership Structure

Since inception in 1984, company membership dues were based on number of employees and company classification (technology vs. non-technology). This pricing model is very traditional and continues to be the industry standard for most associations. That said, the model is archaic and must be changed if associations expect to serve their members effectively.

Effective Jan 1, 2014, the WTIA has adopted a new pricing model, which is based on value received (not headcount) and company classification. Members will now pay dues based on specific services, programs and branding platforms they want to access.

New Services

The core WTIA service has been the WTIA health insurance plan. This long standing service has been critical for small and medium sized businesses, with over 60% of our tech company member base taking advantage of this offering.

In an effort to augment our services and the value of our Health Insurance Plan, the WTIA is excited to announce it has added four new offerings in FY14. These services were specifically selected to help our small and medium sized companies grow revenues and improve their access to capital and talent. The WTIA new service bundle includes access to the following:

• WTIA Health Insurance Plan
• Free job postings on WTIA web site
• Free business consulting
• Leadership training and education
• Member Marketplace

Note – Dues contributions must be made at the “contributor” level to have access to the service bundle.

New Programs

Online Community

The WTIA has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to build its first ever online community. The goal of the online community is to offer a unique web experience that allows technology professionals from around the state, the region, and the world to connect, share expertise, access skills training, and build business connections to help them complete projects, achieve goals, and grow as professionals. The online community contains three critical components:

• Webinars and education materials
• WTIA content (blogs, newsletters, research)
• Member-only networking platform

Stay tuned for the launch of this community later this quarter.

CEO Forums

The first CEO forum program concept was delivered to a beta group of CEO’s in 2013. Due to its popularity and the incredible amount of value that was delivered to the group, the WTIA has increased its investment in this highly curated and focused program for executive leaders.

The  program connects industry leaders in a safe and trusted environment to build impactful relationships, expand their network, share best practices, and get peer advice on how to deal with their most pressing and confidential business issues. By invitation only.

New Branding Opportunities

The WTIA has a focused platform that provides firms with the unique opportunity to market directly to the tech sector. Traditionally, event and venue advertising were the two primary advertising mechanisms used to reach industry targets. With the release of our online community, there are now several more platforms that are available to company members, including:

Virtual company video tour

Do you have an awesome workspace? WTIA membership gives you the ability to share a virtual office tour within our community. We can help you produce it, or you can produce it in house, and we will promote it through all of our channels and post it on our website for continued viewing.

Advocacy Steering Committee

The WTIA influences public policy to improve the political and business ecosystem for the technology industry. Advocacy Steering Committee members are part of a select group of industry leaders to formulate policy positions, establish communication strategies, and develop the WTIA’s working plan to effect change for the benefit of the industry and for the entire state of Washington.

Note – Dues contributions must be made at the “advocate” level to have access to an advocacy steering committee seat.

Conclusion

The 30th year anniversary of the WTIA marks a significant milestone for the organization. It also represents a “changing of the guard”. We are excited about our new membership structure and offerings and believe that the WTIA is well positioned to serve the tech community for the next 30 years!