When ASIS International’s global chapters come together, they open up a world of opportunity for networking, inquiry and engagement. In this #StrongerTogether Series, the ASIS Blog looks at the various ways our chapters are engaging with one another and taking advantage of ASIS International’s global network. Swiss Chapter Chair Etienne Ammon, CPP, shares his insights on how several European chapters connected to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
By Etienne Ammon, CPP
In April 2021, an active member of the Swiss chapter contacted our chapter’s board leadership with an idea for an event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. We agreed to progress this idea immediately, as we saw the relevance for security professionals to discuss the events of that historic day; the aftermath of these events changed the way we live and our profession.
The following are some lessons we learned that could be helpful to chapters across the globe as they consider collaborating with one another – something I would highly recommend.
Wield the power of connectivity
We decided to contact our chapters in neighbouring countries to inquire about their interest in forming the first joint chapter event (for us) and thus join forces. Our idea was met with genuine enthusiasm by the Austrian, French, and Italian chapters, and we are grateful for their openness to approach this commemoration collectively. When looking at collaboration between chapters, the sky is the limit– meaning you can look at this sort of collaboration locally, regionally or across continents. With approximately 250 chapters worldwide, there is no shortage of chapter opportunities, subject matter experts, etc.
Get organized
We got to work on planning an event immediately, working together on the logistics (i.e., agenda, needs for speakers and moderators, and the like). Setting up a common file-sharing structure for all parties involved was vital in effectively managing all the logistical components and ensuring that information shared was information seen by all.
The initial structure of the event, which took place over an entire day, was adopted with each chapter owning a piece of the event (like pieces of a puzzle coming together).
The Italian Chapter led one session and the technique to ensure a seamless event. The French Chapter led one session. The Austrian Chapter provided access to speakers and the Swiss Chapter led one session, the communication and the overall project management.
During the planning phase, we were also reminded of the power of the ASIS network, which ultimately allowed us to secure recognised subject matter experts in expedited fashion. In the end, our event took five months to plan, and we were glad we gave ourselves to properly plan a valuable and valued event.
Use all available resources
While our Italian colleagues had already scheduled an event for that same day, we were grateful they included this event in their program and shared their technical support to ensure this first multi-chapter, multi-location hybrid event worked smoothly throughout the event.
We were also fortunate to have partners outside of the ASIS network that helped us make this event a success, such as the University of the Swiss Italian region (USI) who generously provided us with a location to host our chapter and the opportunity to engage with more than 100 of their students, who were able to connect to our event. This was made possible thanks to our members’ extensive professional network. Creating opportunities to introduce ASIS and the security profession to students provides with us a pipeline to our Young Professional Community, too.
Practice makes perfect…when it comes to technology
After countless hours of meetings and calls, we took time prior to the event to ensure the technology was working with all the rooms and that participants from the globe could access our platform easily. Trust me, you never want to host an event that speakers and attendees have difficulty accessing.
Have fun and stay connected
There is one obvious thing we learned coming out of this collective experiment: We Are Stronger Together! This was the first, but definitely not the last, joint chapter(s) event we will organize. I highly encourage all chapters to try a similar experiment by reaching out to other chapter leadership to work on something collaboratively. You will not be disappointed. Undoubtedly, the connections we made will last long after our event.
