Programming and events that unite us, ABC members - by Karl Hudson

Despite an impending snowstorm, over 80 ABC members from more than 35 different companies attended our Future Leaders event at Lord Hobo’s beautiful brewery in Woburn last month. ABC’s program and events manager Dan Gearin said the great turnout was bolstered by 20-30 of them who are employees of member companies that he had not seen at previous events.

ABC hosts a number of events and seminars throughout the year to provide your company with great networking opportunities and give employees the ability to hone their skills by interacting with fellow members. For instance, ABC offers informational programming that cover topics ranging from new industry requirements to HR and legal issues, often sponsored by our government affairs committee, future leaders, human resources committee, or legal roundtable, to name a few. This is a great way for members to get involved in the organization, which helps us unite and grow.

And there are things you can do to make our ABC offerings even more successful.  For example, I would bet the majority of your employees don’t realize that they are ABC members too.  Every employee of each member company belongs to the organization. Communicating this fact reinforces an awareness that they are also part of the organization, and this can be as simple as forwarding program and event invitations. Very often, ABC has just a couple of contacts at each member company, so we need your help.

Improving member engagement is one of my main goals in 2019, and there’s no better way to do it than by increasing attendance at ABC programs and events.  If we succeed, your company will not only benefit from having more engaged employees, but also from being represented by an association that is even better able to advocate on your behalf across the construction industry and on Beacon Hill.

Karl Hudson is the chairman of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc.-Mass. Chapter, Woburn and is vice president of L.C. Anderson, Inc., Brighton, Mass.