Editor's Note: CSI is pleased to publish this blog from Ken Lambert, Director of Industry Development and Technical Services for the International Masonry Institute. He can be reached at klambert@imiweb.org. If you have an idea or opinion you would like to share with your colleagues in the construction industry, please contact CSI Content Strategist Peter Kray at Pkray@csinet.org. He would love to help publish your thoughts.
Recently our section of the country and of the CSI landscape, the Northeast Region, embarked on a journey of creating a 2 ½ minute video (a commercial essentially) of why you should join CSI, and more broadly, what CSI means to people and to the building industry at-large.
We are now promoting and showcasing this video throughout various avenues and websites. https://honceoui.wistia.com/medias/7qinole0rg
I was part of a small four-person subcommittee who represented the NE Region, and worked with a third party video producer/director to accomplish this task. This group had some great ideas, and helped to steer the direction of what we wanted this video to demonstrate.
As a volunteer, this was actually a fun and exciting project—and I think most of the regional CSI directors would say the same.
We were able to get nine CSI members on camera, for this piece. Given the current COVID restrictions unfortunately all of the taping had to be done via ZOOM/ virtual. That said, the overall quality of video and audio is generally fine. These nine representatives, all within the Northeast, each had a story to share and some insight to give us as to why they joined CSI, and why they still are members of CSI (often after many years).
There were some great points that were stated, some being very logical and formal, but others being more personal and heartfelt. One member said that CSI was like another family in her life. Another speaker said that the friendships which he gained due to CSI have been longstanding and very important to him. Note, all of the interviews were unscripted.
As I watched, and analyzed, a couple versions of the video numerous times to try to help craft the best outcome that we could, I thought to myself “You know, CSI is a really good group of people who are in fact actively trying to better the built environment.” This, of course, was one of the main objectives of the project.
The other objective is to encourage folks that are not yet CSI members to become members in the near future. Given some membership declines over the past several years, especially in 2020 due to the COVID economy, I think this is quite important and timely.
Much of what we do within CSI chapters and CSI regions can be fairly rigid and predictable; we have a plan and some tasks that work, and we generally repeat them month after month. But it is wise to step outside of the box now and then to help reinvigorate our members and give them something different to talk about. I hope that the benefits of our video will come to fruition, but even if they do not I think it made a difference to the people involved and to the current CSI members who have watched it.