Global Strategies ThatRise Above the RestThe global economy has seen rapid change in the last decade} and the

recent recession has only complicated international opportunities for

u.s.-based associations. But organizations with a solid international

development plan are likely to encounter the latest ups and downs as

speed bumps and not road blocks.

By Beth Ziesenis

At the 2009 annual conference of the American Speech-language-Hearing Association, thenumber of international attendees increased 20 percent. Similarly, ASHAhas seen an increase insubmissions to its research journals from authors outside the United States, and it is also organiz-ing a "conference within a conference" that will focus on international issues in the profession,offering international travel awards for researchers to attend events.

Not bad for the middle of a recession.Lemmietta McNeilly, Ph.D.,CAE,chief staff officer for speech-language pathology at ASHA,

says the expansion is coming from both the organization and its members. McNeilly saysabout a decade ago, ASHArealized the need to allow members from around the world to sharecultural and clinical insight about communication disorders. More recently, a grassroots move-ment from members led to the development of a special-interest division called Global Issuesin Communication Sciences and Disorders. McNeilly says the association has a global vision oflanguage-disorder problems and recognition of cultural factors that make each locale unique intreatment and addressing problems .

•Assoc.iations Now Supplement March 2010 3

Global Strategies ThatRise Above the RestThe global economy has seen rapid change in the last decade} and the

recent recession has only complicated international opportunities for

u.s.-based associations. But organizations with a solid international

development plan are likely to encounter the latest ups and downs as

speed bumps and not road blocks.

By Beth Ziesenis

At the 2009 annual conference of the American Speech-language-Hearing Association, thenumber of international attendees increased 20 percent. Similarly, ASHAhas seen an increase insubmissions to its research journals from authors outside the United States, and it is also organiz-ing a "conference within a conference" that will focus on international issues in the profession,offering international travel awards for researchers to attend events.

Not bad for the middle of a recession.Lemmietta McNeilly, Ph.D.,CAE,chief staff officer for speech-language pathology at ASHA,

says the expansion is coming from both the organization and its members. McNeilly saysabout a decade ago, ASHArealized the need to allow members from around the world to sharecultural and clinical insight about communication disorders. More recently, a grassroots move-ment from members led to the development of a special-interest division called Global Issuesin Communication Sciences and Disorders. McNeilly says the association has a global vision oflanguage-disorder problems and recognition of cultural factors that make each locale unique intreatment and addressing problems .

•Assoc.iations Now Supplement March 2010 3

"We have moved very deliber-ately and have involved members allalong the process," she says. "This hasempowered members to do thingswith the association and member-to-member communications. The growthwe're seeing is the result of a growingmomentum."

While ASHA's international expan-sion has been slow and steady, thepre-recession growth spurt of Thelnstitute of Internal Auditors (IIA)mayhave caused the global economic crisisto deal it a heavier blow. The organiza-tion operates with independent legalentities in more than 100 countries,and less than 50 percent of its memberslive in the United States. Vice Presidentfor Global Relations and DevelopmentSylvia Boyd says IiAenjoyed double-digit membership growth around 2005,leading to a rapid expansion of IrAinfrastructure and services. When theeconomies of the world began to falter,their members cut back on training,travel, and membership, and Boyd saysIIAhas had to cut about 30 percent ofits workforce and increase participa-tion fees for the independent countryorganizations.

While IIA's overall revenue has takena hit, Boyd says it has not seen a hugedecline in membership. The organiza-tion has created several programs toretain members between jobs. Boydsays IrA's focus is on the value of mem-bership and strengthening loyalty totheir members as their profession facesa tough economy.

"We have a worldwide membership,so sometimes there is a delayed effect.To some extent, being a worldwideglobal organization allows you to bemore diversified, so the economy didn'thit every country in the same way or atthe same time," Boyd says. "The moreglobal you become, the more complexit is, of course, but that kind of diversitycan be a strength for an association."

While the ups and downs afthe glob-al economy have affected associationsin myriad ways, Martin Sirk, CEOof theInternational Congress and ConventionAssociation, says the challenges of

4 Associations Now Supplement March 2010

international expansion have not reallychanged in the past few years, but theyhave intensified. Along with the eco-nomic crisis, Sirk says European associa-tions are expanding their accreditationprograms and services internationally,and other emerging markets are creat-ing competition.

"U.S.associations are now in anever-more competitive marketplacewith worldwide associations," Sirk says."Far-sighted associations see the oppor-tunities for global expansion first andsee the threats to their U.S.dominancesecond."

Develop a Strategy forExpansionIn a challenging economy, the basicprinciples for global expansion stillapply, says Richard O'Sullivan, princi-pal of Change Management Solutions.O'Sullivan also recommends associa-tions ask themselves to analyze thebenefit of going international to theirexisting membership. Then they haveto identify the parts of the world wheretheir members are already exchang-ing goods and services, and they mustdevelop goods and services specific tothe new markets.

"It shouldn't be surprising that thedownturn did not change the asso-ciation's approach to internationaldevelopment," O'Sullivan says. "The glo-balization engine has been running forabout a decade or so. The trend is moredeveloped now. The recession meansthat you have to pay attention to inter-national more, not less."

Bonnie Koenig is president of GoingInternational, a consulting firm thatworks with associations and nongov-

. ernmental organizations on interna-tional expansion. Koenig says she isworking with several organizations thatare moving ahead with their interna-tional plans despite the economy.

"The organizations that have theirinternational strategies in place areholding their own," Koenig says. "Thereare clearly associations with interna-tional plans who can't move forward asquickly right now. But if an association

has a sense of what they want toaccomplish and the research to say it'ssustainable, there's no reason why theycan't begin to put the plan in place withthe resources that they have."

Indentify the Motive BehindExpansionBefore an association makes a movetoward international expansion, ingood times or bad, the leadership needsto examine the motivation behind theefforts.

"Often what will happen is that anorganization will get engaged in inter-national because someone tells themto do it or they have an active boardmember who encourages them. Youcan waste a lot of money and organiza-tional capital by making this move inef-fectively," Koenig says

O'Sullivan says that an associationmay tread into international watersbecause it receives more interest fromother countries. "An association willsay, 'Membership is down, but we'regetting all these calls from foreign con-stituents.' Then they try to take theirproducts overseas, and that will fail.The products that are developed fora North American market very rarelycan be translated. If you truly are goinginternational, you will have to changeyour product line."

Associations can also make mistakeswhen they expand internationally forthe sole purpose of generating rev-enue or increasing membership, saysMeggan Maughan-Brown, CMP,CAE,director of international relations andstrategic planning for the AmericanSociety of Civil Engineers. She says thefocus on long-term thinking instead ofshort-term revenue is what helps anorganization survive in today's volatileeconomic environment, and gettingmember buy-in is key.

"Expansion is going to be costly andtime consuming. If you're going to dothis, there has to be a commitmentwithin the entire association. You needto make sure your members supportthis type of outreach," Maughan-Brownsays. "Even if things don't work out as

quickly or easily as you'd like, you stillhave that impetus driving you forth."

Find Expansion OpportunitiesGlobal changes have unearthed newopportunities in China, India, and Brazil,all with economies on the upswing,says Maughan-Brown. And Koenig addsthat Australia has not been hit as hardas other parts of the world, either. ButO'Sullivan says choosing an area forglobal expansion is not just about pick-ing a hot economy or a country whereEnglish is the primary language. Whenconsidering a growth strategy, leader-ship needs to carefully analyze regionalmarket types to find success.

. "English gives you a false sense ofcomfort," he says. "Your radar goesdown. Questions that you would nothesitate to ask in another environmentyou don't ask [in an English-speakingcountry]."

of a tarnished reputation as an eco-nomic leader. But Sirk,who is based inAmsterdam, says the United States isstill seen as a strong partner.

"The downturn and the big hit thatthe u.s. economy took hasn't changedthe positive perception ofthese orga-nizations as massive potential sourcesof future business, nor has the generalbelief in the ability of the U.S.to remainthe primary global innovator," Sirk .says. Maughan-Brown adds, "There'sless purchasing power now, and maybepeople are more risk averse than before,but I don't believe that people have ajaundiced view of American business."

Seek Partnerships on theGround .Maughan-Brown says partnering withinternational organizations is a greatway to step into an international mar-ket. The partners need to bring insight

leaders might find other associationexecutives who have been throughthe transition and learn from them."Whatever they do, they shouldn't justtry to impose their U.S.style of businessor legal framework on their interna-tional partners and suppliers," he says."That way leads to great confusion andpam.

Look Ahead and Ask QuestionsFor associations with little experienceabroad, Sirk advises asking questions toguide their strategies.

"Do they want to expand member-ship? Do they want to forge alliances?Do they want to sell products and ser-vices-without building membership?Is it their professional accreditationprogram that they want to roll out?The events they organize will dependentirely on what they're trying toachieve," Sirk says.

"Don't be faint of heart, but don't be reckless. You want tolook at where your members are going and find out why."

O'Sullivan says many associationsthink the idea of dealing with anotherlanguage is going to be the tough-est challenge, but the governmentaland regulatory structures, as well ascultural differences, need much moreconsideration.

"I tell associations not to shy awayfrom countries that are different,"O'Sullivan says. "In fact, the more simi-lar a country is to us, the more hkely :there are similar associations on theground. Don't be faint of heart, butdon't be reckless. Youwant to look atwhere your members are going and findout why."

Some associations may worry thatthe recession in the United Statesmight hinder their ability to build astrong international outreach because

to the table, she says, and they shouldrecognize in the 1I.S.-based associa-tion a product or service that they maylack. Partnering can also help an orga-nization get through the challengesof understanding a different cultureand language, McNeilly adds. Boydsays leaders need to remember thatan international partner may alreadyhave the best programs and services fortheir markets, and the biggest benefitto partnering may be the value therelationship brings to the organization'smembers in the United States.

When talking about the mindsetan association must adopt to succeedabroad, Sirk cites openness to build cre-ative new partnership arrangements,as well as flexibility and the ability tolisten. He also says that association

-Richard O'Sullivan

McNeilly agrees that associationsneed to address the fundamental ques-tion of why they are reaching out inter-nationally. "If the answer is to trulyincrease the services you provide orincrease the resources you have avail-able or to strengthen the professionalcompetencies of your members, thiswill not only open doors to communi-cate with individuals from other coun-tries but will also help members in theUnited States understand why thismakes good sense for the association."•Beth Ziesenis is owner of AvenueZ Writing Solutions in San Diego,California. Email.beth@avenuez.net

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