This is the fourth in a series of six interviews of CEOs of online community platform providers to the association industry, in conjunction with a white paper we’re writing about them. The first three interviews are here. The white paper will be available for free download in the next few weeks.

CEO Interview – Rob Wenger, Higher Logic

Tell us a bit about the history behind Higher Logic. How did you get where you are now?

I have been designing and building web software for associations and non-profits for over 10 years. Initially, I designed web sites and applications that integrated to the back-end systems that organizations used to run their business. Later, I became the principal R&D architect for one of the leading AMS vendors where I designed the next generation Association Management System.

While thinking about the future of the AMS, I started looking at social media and social networking tools like facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, Google Groups, etc.  I realized how well the community building concepts of these tools matched with the goals of most Associations: real-world networking, information sharing, and group collaboration.

I saw a need for a social media solution that Associations could use  immediately with little to no customization and that would extend the value in their back-end systems to their members. I was very fortunate when hiring my management team at Higher Logic to bring in many veterans of the  association industry. Higher Logic’s Connected Community was developed with input and ideas from people with real world experience and a clear understanding of how social networking can radically change the member experience.

What’s your vision for the company? Where are you going?

During the initial phase of our company’s growth, we focused on getting the platform and the tools built and on developing a clear understanding of what our clients needed from these tools. This a never-ending task of course, as needs change, new ideas come up, and lessons are learned. But I am very  pleased with where our tools are today and am even more excited about our upcoming Connected Community suite enhancements and new products.

In Phase II, our focus is on what it takes to make social media tools even more successful for our clients. When we started, there was little to no history on social media tool use in associations. However, after two years, we have a much better picture of what works and what doesn’t.

My goal is to provide meaningful, tangible ways for clients to measure success, and we are doing that now. By empowering our staff, clients and industry thought leaders to analyze how the tools are being used, I have no doubt that together we can come up with even better blueprints for success. My vision for Higher Logic is that we continue to innovate and produce exceptional products and provide associations with new opportunities to enhance their members’ experience.

What makes Higher Logic’s platform unique?

If we are just talking about the technology, the actual tools that we sell, I would say there are two major things that make our platform unique:

1. The focus on integration with the AMS. We built our suite from the ground up with integration to our customers’ back-office systems as a primary architectural feature. I don’t think anyone else has really done this nor does anyone else have anywhere near the experience in doing this that we do. We integrate to 15 AMS systems now and have more coming online all the time.

2. The extensibility of our platform. Connected Community is almost as much a development platform as it is a social media product. Our services staff, clients and partners can build customizations or extensions and add them to their community sites using our tools.

Beyond the technology, and building on that last point, we have just launched our Higher Logic User’s Group (HUG) which forms a community of our clients and partners. Here, clients can interact with one another, with our staff, and with our partners to share ideas and experiences.

Finally, I think that our partner channel may be the biggest differentiator. We have a fantastic collection of partners that offer products and services that really complement our own. This is a 2 + 2 = 5 situation where the result of our integration and collaboration is really much more than the sum of its parts. This is a big area of growth for us now and in the future.

How do you see your platform shaping the association industry? How does it change “business as usual” at the operational level?

I am not sure that I would say “our platform†will change the association industry, but rather that the concepts it seeks to turn into tools and initiatives, the changes in the way our clients interact with their members and more importantly the members interact with one another, will change the industry. I often think too much emphasis is put on changing the “operations†of the staff organization, and not enough is put on changing the “member experience†of the members.

The how? It is about facilitating networking and communication. It is about collecting the knowledge of the membership and making it more easily accessible to the industry. The day our client’s community site is launched it won’t make a significant difference. But a year or two later, when there are thousands of documents online and rated, thousands of questions asked and answered, blogs posted, groups formed, people networking, etc., the value to a new member on the day they join will be huge.

The private social network, integrated with the AMS, for the benefit of the members will help shape the future of the association industry.

If you could use just three adjectives to describe Higher Logic, what would they be and why?

Experienced – The Higher Logic team has a wealth of experience in building web applications for associations. We have over 100 association clients and growing from which we have learned and continue to learn so much more.

Engaged – Social media and social networking for associations and non-profits is what we do. We are engaged with our clients, partners, and peers with the sole purpose of making a better solution for all.

Inspired – We truly are inspired by our clients and by the difference these ideas can bring to their membership. Knowledge is the key to success in everything. Making knowledge more accessible is the future of associations.

Stay tuned for more CEO interviews, as well as more details about the white paper in due course.

Want more info on Higher Logic?

www.higherlogic.com
contact: Mark Lowry- 202.360.4448 – mark@higherlogic.com

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