under pressure: navigating extreme association trends

Under Pressure: Navigating Extreme Association TrendsSunday, March 9, 20142:45 – 4 PMHashtag: #ideas14 LO1

Scott Oser, Scott Oser AssociatesAaron Wolowiec, Event Garde

Aaron Wolowiec

The Meetings Coach@aaronwolowiec

MSA, CAE, CMP, CTA

Scott Oser

President@scottoser

Like Me

Handouts

Roadmap

• Membership models• Face-to-face meetings• Social media• Wrap-up

Membership Models

Membership is Dead!

The era when associations could count on members joining and renewing has passed.

--Sarah Sladek, XYZuniversity.com

Membership is Dead!

Over 52% of the 690+ associations participating in this study report a growth in membership, versus only 31% reporting a decline in their membership. And the reported growth is vigorous, with nearly 24% of associations reporting a gain in membership of 6% or more.

--2013 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, Marketing General, Inc.

Membership is Dead!

While associations boasting 80% renewal rates or higher are significantly more likely to indicate they have not made changes to their membership model (70%), findings show that associations reporting increases in new members and increases in overall renewals are significantly more likely to have made such changes compared to associations with no change or declines in new members and renewals.

--2013 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, Marketing General, Inc.

Membership is Dead!

The membership model will continue to be a viable option for associations. At the same time, associations need to be open to new audiences and ways of doing things that will enhance their members’ experience.

--Lori Gusdorf, CAE, Point-Counterpoint: Is Membership Dead? ASSOCIATIONS NOW, February 2009

Membership is Dead!Five reasons why membership is killing association business models:1. Organize all value around the membership relationship.2. Tend to focus on association outputs instead of

stakeholder outcomes.3. Often depend on cross-subsidies that create

unintended consequences.4. Ask members to make the most important decisions

about new value creation.5. Require a significant investment of human effort for an

insufficient return.

--Jeff DeCagna, Principled Innovation Blog, July 2012

Personal Reflection

Table Discussion

Group Discussion

Action/No Action

Face-to-face Meetings

The Demise of Face-to-Face Meetings

Face-to-face experiences serve a comparatively small minority of stakeholders in most associations, and no matter how financially successful these events have been in the past, there is good reason for concern about their long-term sustainability.

--Associations Unorthodox: Six Really Radical Shifts Toward the Future, Jeff De Cagna


Across all demographic segments, respondents reported a strong preference for in-person education programs over distance formats.

--The Decision to Learn, Lillie R. Albert, Ph.D. and Monica Dignam

The Demise of Face-to-Face MeetingsA range of factors—from the economy to technology advances to younger generations entering the workforce—point to growth in the use of technology for learning and to a clear opportunity for technology to transition into a more significant, more strategic part of the mix of education and professional development associations provide to members.

--Association Learning + Technology 2014, Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele


In a global survey of 2,300 Harvard Business Review subscribers, 95% said that face-to-face meetings are both key to successful long-term relationships and to building strong relationships.

--Harvard Business Review Report “Managing Across Distance in Today’s Economic Climate”


Adults in online conditions performed modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction.

--U.S. Department of Education, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies

Personal Reflection

Table Discussion

Group Discussion

Action/No Action

Social Media

No Social Media? Are You Crazy?!?

Among our panel of association executives (several dozen), 58 percent indicated they would invest at some level in social media in the next (2013) budget cycle.

--Social Media Use By Associations, One Orange Feather Inc., 2012


The direct effect of social media on your audience can be difficult to determine.

--The Why and How of Social Media: An Introduction for Associations, Association Management Center


Social media has the potential to revolutionize your association’s impact with member communications, event marketing, advocacy and networking. It also promises to make outreach less expensive.

--associationtrends.com


Many organizations launch their online community without conducting needs assessment interviews or customer surveys to help align their community with their target audience’s core problems.

--Paul Schneider, Socious Online Community Blog, April 12, 2012


If you haven’t started to implement social media into your marketing mix, now is the time to start.

--Sarah Sladek, The State of Social Media in Associations and What to Do About It


Only 10% of respondents said that social media is the single most exciting opportunity for your organization (or for your client) in 2014?

-- Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing: 2014 Digital Trends, Econsultancy in conjunction with Adobe

Personal Reflection

Table Discussion

Group Discussion

Action/No Action

Wrap Up

10 Things to Do Before Implementing Something New

1. Co-workers2. Colleagues3. Member benefit4. Squirrel!5. Constituents

6. Pilot program7. Bottom line8. Research9. Sleep on it10.Consultants

Contact Us

Scott OserPresidentScott Oser [email protected]@scottoser301.279.0468

Aaron Wolowiec, MSA, CAE, CMP, CTA

The Meetings CoachEvent [email protected] @aaronwolowiec616.710.1891

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]