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Leading Indicators, by
Timothy Schneider, Publisher, Association News
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Los
Angeles, CA – February 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / Last month, Association
News examined some of the major trends affecting the conventions
and trade shows that associations organize based on findings released by
the International Association of Exhibitions and Events. This month, we’re
taking a look at future trends in other areas of association management.
These predictions come from Abila,
a provider of software and services to associations and nonprofit organizations,
which released the five trends they predict will have the greatest impact
on the association marketplace in the coming year:
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Member
engagement. Targeted and personalized interaction with members through
multiple channels is key to the success of an organization. The ability
to measure member engagement will continue to be a top priority so it is
crucial to understand when, where, how and why members engage—or why they
do not. Association executives should make sure to collect good data and
use it to communicate with members and make informed decisions about practices
and programs that are tailored to the needs of their membership.
Millennials
and shifting demographics. According to the Brookings Institution,
millennials (identified as those people born after 1982) will account for
one-third of the adult population by 2020 and 75 percent of the workforce
by 2025. In order to stay relevant, associations will need to understand
their behaviors and engagement patterns and develop strategies to best
connect with this growing demographic.
Alternative
revenue sources. Associations are always under pressure to keep membership
numbers up and dues down. One way of doing that is by increasing non-dues
revenue. Associations should explore alternative initiatives to pump money
into the budget such as affinity programs, educational programs, merchandise
sales and sponsorships. Offer products and services that provide revenue
as well as give members valuable add-ons they can’t get anywhere else.
The
cloud and website optimization. The cloud will continue to be an important
resource for associations looking to capitalize on new technologies and
social media functions. In general, the cloud is best for groups that do
not have or do not want to maintain or staff their own IT infrastructure.
Associations also seem to always need to be redesigning or updating their
websites. If that is the case at your association, responsive design—which
provides an optimal viewing experience across a wide range of devices from
desktop computers to smartphones—is an absolute necessity.
The
new Congress and advocacy. You can help spread your association’s grassroots
political message by raising awareness of it through social media. Enlist
members as your online and in-district advocates and make a concerted effort
to educate new and returning members of Congress about the issues of greatest
importance to your organization.
For
more information on the services provided by Abila, visit www.abila.com.
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Timothy
Schneider is the publisher of Association
News and SportsTravel
magazines, which serve group travel planners responsible for generating
106 million hotel room nights annually. Schneider
Publishing also organizes Meetings
Quest, America's longest-running series of trade shows for meeting
planners, and the TEAMS Conference
& Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers.
TEAMS '15 is being held in Las Vegas, November 9–12, 2015. For further
information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free
877-577-3700 or 310-577-3700 if calling from outside the United States.
The
current issue of Association
News can be viewed in digital format online by clicking
here.
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Media
Contact:
Timothy
Schneider
310-577-3700
Schneider
Publishing Company, Inc. |