Why do we need a

Why do we need a "Virtual Chapter"?

CSI has more than 140 chapters across the U.S. When CSINext receives its charter, it will be unique among them. The biggest difference? Simple...target market. Until CSINext, all of CSI's chapters - even the ones meeting by conference call and webinar - were specific to a particular city or geographic region. They grew out of a location, and focused in part on that location's construction community.

CSI chapters  offer a rich, face-to-face experience that capitalizes on their community, and leverages those community connections. In cities across the U.S., you can go to a monthly chapter meeting and expect to attend a great education presentation for commercial-level construction professionals in a room filled with local architects, engineers, contractors, product reps, owners and others with an interest in the construction community.

But there are people around the world who can't get to such a meeting, and would get little out of the discussion if they were to. There are would-be members as far away as Dubai, and as close as West Virginia, which doesn't have a single chapter within its borders.

CSINext is a flexible answer for all of these potential members.


CSINext is also a simple way to sample CSI. Our meetings are, and will continue to be, open to non-members. We hope that what they'll find here helps them decide to take up CSI's mission, learn how construction communication should work, and become a full member of the Institute. We're in the business of connecting people, so if there's a chapter in their neighborhood, we will encourage them to check that out, too!

CSINext will also provide high quality, consistent, mission-focused training for CSI leaders.  A chapter built on a web-based model like this could conceivably have hundreds, possibly thousands, of members, so our leadership issues may very well be far more complex than the typical chapter, and our leadership needs proper training to meet this challenge. Our goal is to focus on issues and skills leaders may not get to discuss at their chapter board meetings and region leadership training.

If you're already a CSI member, join us anyway. CSINext is a way that you can help CSI build its visibility on the web and connect with people you may never have had a chance to meet in person. Your experience as a place-based CSI member is invaluable.

In summary, CSINext is for:

  • People who can't get to a chapter in the U.S. and across the globe
  • People who want to try CSI before they spend their membership dollar
  • Leaders who want to take advantage of another education opportunity
  • Members who love CSI, and want to help build CSI's web community

Please sign up for our newsletter and register as a member if you would like more information.

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