The staff at TAO is often asked how a small team can accomplish as much as we do. The truth is we couldn’t do it without the support of our member companies and hundreds of volunteers. Without you, we would not be able to provide relevant professional development, useful networking events, and compelling marketing opportunities to showcase our members and their employees.
Your participation as volunteers and the financial support you provide enable us to continue expanding into other areas of Oregon and offer the high-quality programming you have come to expect.
The team at TAO has strived to continue enhancing and expanding our member benefits and programs over the past eight years without an increase in dues. However, in order to continue providing the quality level of programming and benefits you have come to expect, members will notice a modest increase in your membership dues for 2017.
Updated membership pricing is available here.
By continuing your membership in 2017, you support our efforts to develop opportunities on your behalf, better our economy, and provide a unified voice for innovation and technology in the region.
You may know TAO for our various events and the connections we facilitate within the tech community, you may not be aware of our other member benefits. As TAO members you are eligible for member-only pricing–not only for TAO events–but also for discounts on hotel lodging, health and wellness services, and job board listings. You also receive a vote in selecting TAO’s Board of Directors, access to elected officials and policy makers, and access to marketing and PR opportunities. The best part of all these benefits is that all full-time employees of TAO member companies can take advantage of these benefits.
With your support, we have continued to grow our presence by welcoming over 120 new member companies from around the state in the past year. A large portion of those new members are served by TAO Southern Willamette Valley in Eugene and TAO Central Oregon in Bend. In Eugene alone, we have seen membership more than double in the past year and we are laying the foundation for similar growth in Bend in 2017 as well.
TAO now supports 20+ communities of interest (Communities & Labs) across the region. Along with our member companies, we represent various industries, audience segments and important subject matters among these varied groups. Throughout 2017, we look forward to increasing the quality of our programming and enhancing engagement across our Communities & Labs with a focus on amplifying partnerships both internally and externally.
This year we are also making it easier for tech companies to amplify their collective voice and impact in the state. TAO’s education foundation, Innovate Oregon, works with school districts and industry around Oregon to empower the next generation of innovators to meet some of the biggest civic challenges facing our state. You can donate to Innovate Oregon by clicking here or via your invoice.
It’s essential that we show our support for elected officials who understand and appreciate the role the tech industry plays in Oregon’s economy and who can help us achieve legislative initiatives that enable tech companies and their employees to thrive. You can do so by donating to the Oregon Technology PAC by clicking here or via your invoice. Contributions of all sizes are appreciated and don’t forget about Oregon’s progressive $50 per person/$100 per couple tax credit for political contributions.
If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact TAO Membership Manager Armando Yaws-Gonzalez. We thank you for your continued support and hope you will join us for another exciting year in 2017!
