Throughout FY21, ULI continued to make great strides in delivering new and upgraded technologies to improve the overall member experience. These investments have proved especially important as ULI was able to continue to deliver exclusive member-only content, engagement opportunities, and connections across the global member network in a virtual capacity.
Member Directory saw over 20,000 unique users in FY21 and continues to allow for one-to-one connections for members worldwide. By using the Advanced Search feature, members can find others with the right expertise, interests, and more, to make meaningful, lasting connections.
Navigator added more than 50 additional opportunities for ULI members to lead and volunteer across the organization. There are now over 500 opportunity types, representing more than 15,000 unique placements for members. There was also a 7 percent increase in the number of members who submitted inquiries to participate, despite most of the opportunities pivoting to virtual and remote engagement.
Knowledge Finder, which was launched eight short months before the start of FY21, was a critical step in delivering on ULI’s commitment to provide members access to ULI content and to further knowledge sharing across the global network of members that is core to ULI’s mission. In FY21, three new content types were added (ULI Learning Courses, Virtual Tours, and Podcasts), in addition to key new functionality that enabled members to translate the site to Japanese, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish; search within podcasts, videos, and webinars by keyword or phrase; and save key pieces of ULI content to their own personal libraries. Rounding out the end of the fiscal year, the platform won its fourth Communicator Award from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, recognizing the Knowledge Finder monthly digest emails that deliver content matching each member’s self-identified interests with recently published content from Knowledge Finder.
The Fall and Spring Meeting virtual tour program was launched in FY21 to provide behind-the-scenes access to exemplary developments during the pandemic. The latest in 360-degree photo technology transported users into the projects, while embedded video recordings of the developers, architects, and other stakeholders provided the context for each scene. These interactive tours were one of three new content types added to Knowledge Finder.
ULI designed and implemented a global navigation menu to connect 70 district and national council websites and three regional websites to ULI.org, the three member tools (Member Directory, Navigator, and Knowledge Finder) , and other global web properties. The navigation makes it easy for members to move from site to site and enjoy their many benefits, and it raises awareness of the breadth of ULI’s digital offerings.
ULI will continue to explore more ways to deliver more value to members through technology investments. As always, we strive to deliver the best possible member experience.
