About the Client
The Student Accommodation Association (SAA) is the representative body for quality student accommodation providers across Australia. With a strong profile across the commercial, government and education sectors, SAA serves to inform policy and planning pertaining to the definition, assessment and development of student accommodation throughout the country.
As a mostly volunteer-run organisation, SAA needed end-to-end support across administration, marketing and member engagement to represent the sector credibly, keep members connected and hold day-to-day operations together.
Client: Student Accommodation Association
Category: Virtual Marketing Department
Date: July 2017-ongoing
The Challenge
SAA approached MemberBoat in July 2017 seeking end-to-end admin and marketing support, not a single campaign or project, but an ongoing strategic partner that could function as a fully embedded internal team.
The association needed help across multiple interconnected areas. From the ground up, SAA required a professional website capable of supporting member management, content publishing and community engagement. They also needed a reliable CRM to underpin their growing membership base and a consistent approach to social media that reflected the professionalism of the sector they represent.
Alongside the digital infrastructure, SAA needed practical event marketing support, structured promotional plans, audience outreach and materials that would drive attendance and generate tangible value for members and the wider industry.
Core Requirements
- Volunteer-Based National Committee
- Required Ongoing Admin and Marketing Support
- Website and Association Management Software to Manage Members, Marketing and Operations
Our Approach
MemberBoat stepped in as SAA’s Virtual Marketing Department, providing ongoing, full-service marketing support across digital, design, content, social media, events and accreditation. Rather than delivering a one-off project, MemberBoat embedded itself into SAA’s operations as a long-term strategic and executional partner, taking ownership of the marketing function so the association could focus on its core mission.
Laying the Digital Foundations for a Professional and Scalable Online Presence
MemberBoat has managed SAA’s website from the ground up, initially building and maintaining a functional member platform, then leading a full migration to a more modern, professionally designed website in 2025, replacing the association’s outdated digital presence.
The new website delivers a significantly improved user experience, reflecting the sector’s credibility and professionalism. MemberBoat continues to manage and evolve the site as SAA’s needs grow.
Streamlining Member Management with a Centralised CRM Built for Growth
As part of the 2025 website transition, MemberBoat also implemented and continues to manage SAA’s CRM system, giving the association a clear, organised view of its membership base. This infrastructure underpins communication, event management and member engagement, ensuring SAA can operate with the efficiency and insight of a well-resourced organisation.
Amplifying the Association’s Voice Across Digital Channels
From regular member communications to targeted event promotions, MemberBoat plans, builds and sends SAA’s email campaigns. Each campaign is crafted to be clear, professional and purposeful, keeping members informed, engaged and connected to the association’s activity throughout the year.
MemberBoat also manages SAA’s social media presence on an ongoing basis, developing content, publishing regularly and engaging with the association’s audience. This sustained activity has grown SAA’s following and positioned the association as an active, authoritative voice in the student accommodation space.
Underpinning all of this is MemberBoat’s in-house graphic design capability. From email headers and social media graphics to event collateral and membership materials, every visual asset is designed to reflect SAA’s professionalism and maintain a consistent brand identity across every channel and touchpoint.
Driving Attendance and Impact Through End-to-End Event Marketing and Coordination
MemberBoat manages SAA’s events end-to-end, from early planning and promotional campaigns through to on-the-day coordination and post-event follow-up. This includes managing sponsor relationships, identifying opportunities, coordinating sponsor involvement and ensuring sponsors are professionally represented throughout the event experience.
This full-service approach ensures each event is well-attended, professionally presented and delivers real value to participants, sponsors and the broader industry.
Strengthening SAA’s Role as a Standards-Setting Body Through NPAS Accreditation
MemberBoat provides dedicated support for SAA’s National Property Accreditation Scheme (NPAS), assisting with coordination, process management and the creation of professional supporting materials. This work reinforces SAA’s role as a standards-setting body within the student accommodation sector and adds a layer of credibility and structure to a critical association function.
The Results
Stable Membership Base and Growing NPAS Portfolio
Since the partnership began, SAA has seen strong membership renewals and consistent growth of NPAS portfolio, reflecting stronger awareness, clearer communication of value and a more professional presence across all channels.
Events That Delivered Impact
With structured event marketing in place, SAA’s industry events have seen consistent growth in registrations and attendance, driven by earlier promotion, clearer messaging and coordinated outreach that resonates with the right audience.
A Stronger Digital Presence
SAA’s digital footprint has grown significantly across all channels, from a modernised website and consistent email communications to an expanding social media following and professionally designed marketing materials.
A Professional Digital Home
The modernised website has become the central hub for SAA’s membership activity, content publishing and industry communication, providing a scalable, reliable platform that continues to serve the association’s evolving needs.
A Fully Functioning Marketing Department
SAA now operates with the confidence and capability of an organisation with a dedicated marketing function, with consistent strategy, professional execution and long-term momentum across every channel.
SAA now benefits from:
- A modern website and managed CRM that replaced an outdated digital presence and supports scalable member engagement
- End-to-end event marketing and coordination, from planning through to execution
- Consistent, on-brand campaigns that keep members informed and connected
- An ongoing strategic marketing partner embedded in the day-to-day of the organisation
This engagement demonstrates what becomes possible when an association has access to sustained, expert marketing support. SAA arrived without a marketing function and, through a long-term partnership with MemberBoat, built one, piece by piece, channel by channel, resulting in a stronger, more connected and more professionally represented industry body.
“We’ve worked with the MemberBoat team for a long time now and that relationship means everything to a volunteer-run organisation like ours. They cover so much ground, from design and digital to admin and member engagement, and we know we can always count on them to deliver. They’ve helped us show up professionally in ways we simply could not have managed on our own.”
Geoff Denison, Student Accommodation Association (SAA) President