In a recent podcast, Exemplar Global community manager Jamie Gravatte and manager of communications and content Mike Richman discussed the forthcoming launch of the Exemplar Global Community. This new resource will be a big step forward in allowing conformity assessment professionals to connect, learn, and grow.
“It’s going to be an online space designed specifically for all of our customers,” Gravatte says. “Certified professionals, auditors, peers, and anyone in this industry will be able to connect and share knowledge with each other.”
Gravatte’s role will involve planning community events and engagement initiatives, moderating discussions, and collaborating with our entire range of community stakeholders both inside and outside of Exemplar Global.
“I’m very passionate about building spaces where people can go in and support each other,” she says. “The Exemplar Global Community is all about creating that trusted and approachable kind of home base for our global audience.”
Breaking out of the silo
As Richman and Gravatte discussed, many professionals in the conformity assessment industry are often on their own within their organization, without colleagues to offer advice and support.
“These folks are kind of siloed within their organizations,” says Richman. “There are not a lot of colleagues that they work with day-to-day who do the same things that they do, whether it be auditing or other conformity assessment or certification functions. We look at this as a place where people can come together to have community, ask questions, get feedback, and comment on things that are going on in the industry. It’s a way to get their voices heard and share their achievements.”
Gravatte agrees and takes the point further.
“We had lots of great tools and resources like newsletters already, but we didn’t have that central interactive space where people could connect with each other directly,” she states. “It’s easy to feel like disconnected, so hopefully this community gives industry professionals a good place to ask questions, trade industry insights, stay connected, and build meaningful connections.”
What to expect
Asked to provide a brief overview of what users will see once they join the Exemplar Global Community, Gravatte was enthusiastic.
“We’re launching with a few communities,” she says. “The global community, which is just kind of a more general space for things; the training provider community, which is exclusive to our training providers; and the self-help center, which offers general support. Users will also be able to see webinars in the community, both past and also future ones. Down the road, we see the community just being the central hub for everything from Exemplar Global.”
Richman agrees with the vision.
“We want people to tell their stories,” he says. “This isn’t going to be a one-way conversation. It should ideally be multi-directional where people are publishing content and others are commenting on it and we’re getting conversations going as opposed to just starting them ourselves.”
The Exemplar Global Community is coming soon. Watch this space for further details.