fyp2016: what's happening to/in the world of associations and what will associations look like...

The World of Associations

Jakub M. Konysz, CAEAmerican Chemical Society

Washington, DCUSA

Founded in 1920Based in Washington, DC, USA22,000 members10,000 organizationsUnited States and 50 countries

Our SessionWHAT’S HAPPENING TO/IN THE WORLD of ASSOCIATIONS AND WHAT WILL ASSOCIATIONS LOOK LIKE TOMORROW

• Investigate the origins of associations

• Seek to understand why associations exist and what challenges face them today

• Confront your experience and investigate how you might organise an association

1. Association Meetings are Growing: Learn about the Landscape

2. Identify your expectations and learn about the associations expectations. Share your expectations and experience

3. Develop a working partnership with the association: Learn from each other

4. Help them navigate through different experiences

5. Help them to make other contacts6. Listen to each other and learn what

is similar and what is different7. Solve their stated problems;

anticipate their unstated problems8. Enjoy the relationship and the

business

RACE FOR RELEVANCE5 Radical Changes for Associations

YesterdayToday Tomorrow

YESTERDAY

In the United States …

1 in 3

In the United States …… Associations represent virtually

every profession and industry sector.

Size & Scope of U.S. Associations• There are roughly 92,000 trade and

professional associations in the U.S.• There are nearly 1.3 million charities,

foundations, and similar organizations.• Other types of tax-exempt entities in the

U.S. include social welfare organizations, labor unions, colleges and universities, churches, veterans’ groups, and more.

Importance of Associations

Enrich LivesImpact EconomyMaintain Competitiveness

• 98% of ASAE members indicate they hold a regularly scheduled Annual Meeting each year

• Median Attendance per meeting is 1,175

• Median Room Nights per meeting is 1,711

• Members book nearly 14,000,000 room nights annually for just their annual meetings alone

ASAE Members

• 42% have members internationally– Increase from 37% in 2001

• 17% have offices outside the U.S.– Increase from 5% in 2001

• 27% have international Board members• 35% have international components• 47% have meetings outside the US

– Increase from 13% in 2001

ASAE Members

“Membership is the

Lifeblood of every association.”

“Membership is the

Lifeblood of every

association.”

LEARNING KNOWLEDGE

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY

Presentation Information

Personal BenefitsAccess to the most up to date information available 1

Professional development or educational program offerings 2

Opportunities for you to network with other professionals 3

Access to career information and employment opportunities 4Access to products, services and suppliers 5

Opportunities to gain leadership experience 6

A reference directory of members/practitioners 7

Member discounts or group purchasing activities 8

Challenges

• Doing More with Less• Time to participate• Getting to know members

at a deeper level• Getting their Attention:

Communicating in an appropriate way

• Keeping member’s interest in continuous engagement

• Staying relevant

Membership Value

The End of Membership as We Know It: Building the Fortune-Flipping, Must-Have Association of the Next Century by Sarah L. Sladek, Published by ASAE (2011)

The number one reason individuals or companies join an association is because they believe that association will help them solve a problem

Define value:– Members decide what has

value– Value is validated by a

member’s willingness to exchange money or time for something

– Value changes

From Road to Relevance: 5 Strategies for Competitive Associations,

by Harrison Coerver and Mary Byers, CAE, Published by ASAE (2013)

TRENDS IMPACTING

ASSOCIATIONS

Trends Impacting Associations*• Demographic Shifts

• Technology Advances

• Sectors Blurring

• Networks Organize/Enable

• Volunteerism

*Adapted from Convergence: How five trends will reshape the social

sector, The James Irvine Foundation and La Piana Consulting

Trends Impacting Associations*• Demographic Shifts

• Technology Advances

• Sectors Blurring

• Networks Organize/Enable

• Volunteerism

*Adapted from Convergence: How five trends will reshape the social

sector, The James Irvine Foundation and La Piana Consulting

When Five Trends Converge

OUCH!

Demographic Shifts

Sectors Blurring

Volunteerism

Networks for Organizing

Technology

Advances

It is the convergence of trends in motion and the accelerated speed of change that can distract us from creating and delivering on real value.

Group Work

• Based on The Race for Relevance, Chapter 1:– Identify issues impacting the

association sector– What are the causes?

Group Work

• Time• Value Expectations• Market Structure: Consolidation and Specialization• Generational Differences• Competition• Technology

TOMORROW

36

Will “Generation Y” join their professional associations as their predecessors did, or are they different in ways that make this questionable?

Group Work

• Identify an association– Membership– Target audience– Industry

• Identify challenges facing the association– Trends– Challenges– Opportunities

• Identify solution– Define Value– Help it thrive– What will the future bring?

The Race for Relevance

• Governance Model • CEO and Staff• Member Market• Programs, Products and Services• Technology

Thank youJAKUB M. KONYSZ, CAE

j_konysz@acs.org