For as much as £2,000 per year, senior executives in media and technology will soon have the opportunity to buy their way into the Financial Times’ elite social networking site built just for them. Membership to the FT Telecoms, Media and Technology Executive Membership Forum includes a 20% discount on all FT Global Conferences and Events, as well as free attendance to any one conference, as well as access to exclusive networking events and a year’s premium subscription to FT.com.
The virtual networking aspect of the Forum may be a draw to those looking to gain access to untouchable executives, the site allowing members to “search for and make unlimited private contact with fellow members – including leading industry figures such as conference speakers and editorial figures from the FT.” But we wonder what sort of safeguards FT will set up to ensure the contact information of these “leading industry figures” stays internal - and worthy of the up to £2,000 per year membership fee. (The price for a standard annual subscription to the Forum costs £1,700 before VAT.)
FT plans on launching similar sites for CEOs “from a range of industry sectors around the world” and executives in the luxury goods sector as part of their FT Executive Membership Forum series (execs who join more than one forum receive a discounted membership price).
[via The Guardian]
