W3C Members have indicated that what is most important to them about their Membership is:

• The opportunity to interact and work directly with the leading companies, organizations, and individuals in the Web world;
• The ability to provide strategic direction to the Consortium through review of W3C Activity proposals and operational policies;
• Participation in W3C Working Groups, where specifications and guidelines are developed, and in W3C Interest Groups, where discussions are conducted;

Membership benefits include:

• Access to a full-time staff of experts in Web technology, who contribute to W3C's technical work and help coordinate discussions across the Consortium.
• Creation of Incubator Groups, part of a lightweight process for rapidly developing, on a time scale of a year or less, new Web-related concepts;
• Member Submissions, for consideration as future Consortium work;
• Sponsorship and marketing opportunities such as those for W3C10;
• Access to the Member Web site (Member-only link) containing early information on emerging Web technologies, software, events, forums, news and announcements;
• A seat on the W3C Advisory Committee (AC), including an invitation to semi-annual Advisory Committee meetings;
• Access to Member-only mailing lists, hosting discussions on work underway in the Consortium;
• Use of the W3C Member logo on your Web site and to participate in press releases through quotes and testimonials (in English or other languages).
• Promotion of Member talks and presentations about W3C work on the W3C home page.
• Promotion of Membership and participation W3C via the home page testimonial program.
• Discounts for W3C Member employees at select conferences.
• Additional sponsorship opportunities that provide visibility of your organization's support for open standards.