Anyone a member of the International Blogging and New Media Association?

[Maggie McGary]

I work for a professional, scientific and credentialing association and have been tasked with evaluating and suggesting ways we can/should enter the world of web 2.0. Currently we do not use social media at all, except for some half-hearted RSS feeds to parts of our website.

I am scrambling to connect with others who work for associations that are either already using some form of social media, or that are in the "should we?" stage too. In my search to connect with these people I came across an association I've never heard of before: IBNMA--the International Blogging and New Media Association.

I've been blogging about social media for a while now and wonder why this is the first I've heard of this association. Looks like it only came into existence in April of this year, which would obviously account for that.

Do any of you know anything about this association and/or are any of you members? It seems cool to me, but then most things seem cool to me so what do I know?

[Paul Chaney]

As the newly-elected president of the IBNMA I would like respond to your questions.

The IBNMA was formed in November of 2007 and is the brainchild of Rick Calvert, the creator/organizer of Blog World Expo.

It was formed for the purpose of promoting and advancing the blog and new media industry through research, information, education and advocacy. Membership is open to anyone who actively participates in the industry as well as those who have an interest in doing so.

Since its formation, the organization faced challenges in gaining traction. I took over as president in March. Since that time we've been working on laying the foundation, building an advisory board, updating the Web site (very soon we'll have a much more robust web presence) and creating more extensive documentation that explains our purpose, mission and member benefits.

I would be happy to dialogue further with you about what we're hoping to accomplish with the organization. The bottom line is that blogging and social media is burgeoning as an industry, one that I and others feel needs associational representation. The IBNMA has been formed in the hope that we can serve that role, though not in a de facto way. We realize that trust must be earned and it's our intention to build an organization worthy of trust and respect.

[Jason Kintzler]

Thanks for clarifying, looks like an interesting group. We'll be sure to check it out. And Welcome to PitchEngine!

[Paul Chaney]

Thanks, Jason. I appreciate the opportunity to be here. I'll keep you updated on our progress.

[Maggie McGary]

Thanks for clarifying; I think it looks great and like it will be a valuable resource, which is why I was surprised that nobody seemed to know about it. I subscribed to your blog and am now following you on Twitter so I'll be interested to see how it goes.

[Jason Kintzler]

Here is some additional info on IBNMA. Thanks for the post Maggie, glad we got to the bottom of it! To learn more, visit Paul's Blog.

[Wayne Hurlbert]

Congratulations on your election as President of IBNMA. You have long been a driving force behind the development of a professional association for bloggers and new media practitioners. The creation of a professional association can only help members of the blogging and social media communities gain greater recognition for their contributions to all aspects of society.