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Membership

Regular Membership 

The vast majority of IABC members are Professional Members. Dues for professional members vary widely based on where you live. Some countries are charged a lower amount for international dues, based on World Bank data. Chapter and region dues also vary. You can view the membership dues chart here.

Corporate Membership 

Corporate membership packages are available for organizations with five or more members. Corporate packages offer the convenience of one renewal date, as well as reduced membership and World Conference rates. There are different corporate package levels that vary by the number of employee members at one organization.

Student Membership 

Student memberships are available to full-time students of colleges, universities and other educational institutions, as well as part-time students working toward a degree, or a certificate program in Canada, who are not presently working in the communication profession.

Student transition

Professionals who have graduated from a degree program from an accredited institution in the last year are eligible for the student transition rate. For student transition members, the regular application fee is waived, and the student pays half of the international dues plus full region and chapter dues. Members can only have one year as a student transition; they must then become professional members at the full professional rate.

Retired Membership

This membership is for retired professionals looking to stay engaged and involved with the professional association they have always loved.

Got any questions?
Contact IABC Member Relations.
Email: member_relations@iabc.com
Phone: + 1 (415) 544-4700+ 1 (415) 544-4700 | Toll free: + 1 (800) 776-4222+ 1 (800) 776-4222

Ever wonder where your annual membership fees go and how they are disseminated through the various levels of IABC?

IABC membership is $309.

The bulk of your membership fee ($254) goes to IABC International to cover offerings that are available to all members, like World Conference, webinars, Discovery, resources on the IABC International website at www.iabc.com, Communication World magazine, etc.

The rest of your fees go to your region (Canada West Region) at $20 and your chapter (IABC/Regina) at $35. Canada West Region is made up six chapters. They provide support to boards through leadership development, professional development, and programs and sponsorship. They also offer professional development opportunities to members through the Silver Leaf awards and regional conferences.

IABC/Regina supports about 170 members and is committed to providing quality programs and services that educate, engage and inform. We strive to provide value to our members through a variety of networking, learning and mentorship opportunities through channels like professional development luncheons, coffeehouse chats, the Mentorship Challenge, and provide access to the international community of communicators.

Got questions about membership dues? Contact IABC Member Relations.
Email: member_relations@iabc.com
Phone: + 1 (415) 544-4700 | Toll free: + 1 (800) 776-4222

There are many great benefits to being an IABC member for communications professionals at any stage of their careers. If you've ever found yourself wondering 'why join IABC?', check out the following blog post from our colleagues at IABC/NewJersey.

Non-members often ask this question when they attend our events. The answer they get are numerous and vary depending on who is being asked. So, we decided to formally record these answers by posing the question to a few current IABC NJ members (including some board members, such as myself). You can watch this brief insightful video here. In addition to my answer in the video and the others from my colleagues, I want to offer an alternative perspective too.

If you're a professional communicator - if this is the career that you're looking to advance in, either in a corporate position or as a consultant or freelancer - then I would turn the question around and ask "Why wouldn't you join the IABC?"

If you don't want to build an extensive network of communication colleagues throughout the NY/NJ area and even beyond (we're international and there are opportunities to network at that level), then don't join the IABC...

If you don't want to have the opportunity to take member-only classes and training sessions, attend professional development programs at discounted prices, or socialize with the best in the business at networking events, then don't join the IABC.

Obviously I'm being a bit sardonic, but if you care about your career then joining a professional society is an important step. For instance, a civil engineer doesn't think twice about joining the American Society of Civil Engineers (I happen to know many of them), as do CPAs with respect to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. So why should it be any different for a communication professional? It's an instant sign that you're serious about your career and that no matter how good you are you know that you can be even better by participating in an organization dedicated to your success and that of your profession.

But most of all, you get to meet really nice, cool, smart people, who can teach you a lot, and that is invaluable!

Rob Caldera
Past President, IABC NJ
July 2014

We couldn't have said it better ourselves! To learn more about the value of being a member, or to join IABC/Regina today visit our Membership homepage.

Maximize Your Membership: The benefit of corporate memberships

As an IABC member, you have access to a variety of professional development tools. And for busy professionals, or those unable to travel to workshops and conferences, one great benefit is IABC’s library of on-demand webinars. These webinars are available at your convenience and feature top speakers presenting the latest trends and best practices in communication. Better still, they are free for IABC members (or US$100 for non-members). To learn more, visit on demand webinars.

And for more information on the wide variety of IABC memberships available, check out this infographic.

IABC professional certification gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your strategic communication knowledge and expertise, and provide evidence of your outstanding abilities. Through certification, you engage in a process of lifelong learning that elevates your career and provides a structure for keeping your skills fresh and applicable.

The Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC®) currently offers two levels of certification:

Communication Management Professional (CMP) —For people established in their careers as communication managers and looking to demonstrate their competence.

Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) —For highly skilled business communicators practiced in providing strategic communication advice and counseling to an organization’s leadership.

Why become certified? Professional certification gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, and provide evidence of your outstanding abilities. It will help you stand out to employers so you can elevate your career and keep your skills fresh and applicable. Achieving certification shows that a candidate has professional competence in six core principles that are the building blocks of their work, including ethics, strategy, analysis, context, engagement and consistency.

Where do I start?

Here’s a brief summary of the process:

1. Apply for certification. The application asks applicants to describe their education, training and experience, along with supporting documentation. The GCCC will assess and verify applicants’ skills, knowledge and experience. Candidates will be notified within 30 days if they are approved to proceed with the exam. If the application isn’t approved, the candidate will be notified and asked to provide the required information.

2. Prepare for the exam. The exam is in multiple-choice format and is conducted in English only. Exam questions are based on the following key areas and the associated knowledge that’s required for effective performance as a communication professional.

3. Write the exam. Approved candidates have two years from the date of their application to write and pass the exam. If the candidate is not successful, he/she can retake the exam within the two years.

4. Maintain certification. Individuals maintain their certification through annual continuing education (e.g. professional reading, attending recognized training or courses related to communication, mentoring, etc.).

For detailed information on the CMP or SCMP certification program or to apply, visit GCCCouncil.org