ASAE

If you are an association executive today, you are likely caught in a tension between two distinct pressures. On one side, there is the push to innovate by using artificial intelligence to personalize member experiences and streamline operations. On the other hand, there is valid hesitation regarding data privacy, AI making mistakes, and the fear of losing the "human touch" that defines your sector. The sweet spot is not avoiding AI or rushing into it.

Most association leaders run an annual engagement survey. Their survey results typically indicate that things are fine. But about one in three are going to be blindsided in the next 12 months by a senior staff resignation, a board governance breakdown, a member retention drop, or a culture issue that erupts in a place no one was watching. The survey isn’t lying. It’s measuring the wrong thing. Engagement surveys are designed to capture satisfaction and discretionary effort. Those are valuable metrics.

Ask most association executives how their annual meeting went, and they will tell you about attendance. Ask how it performed, and they will show you the P&L. Ask whether it was successful, and they will pull up the satisfaction scores. These are reasonable answers. They are also the wrong ones. Attendance, revenue, and satisfaction scores are the right metrics for an event business. But your annual meeting is not just an event.

Earlier this year, three million people tried to get a ticket to a beauty expo. There were 3,000 available. They sold out in minutes. Ulta Beauty World took over a convention center in Orlando. Sephora built a touring event that now spans five continents, selling out every single stop. Two brands fighting for the same customer. Both betting on live experience. These are not niche happenings. They are a sign that we, as associations, cannot afford to keep ignoring.

Over the past two-plus decades, associations that focused on search engine optimization (SEO) have aimed for goals like driving traffic, increasing clicks, or appearing on the front page of a Google search, all with the intent of cementing their association’s reputation as an authority in its field. Achieving a front-page Google listing, let alone the top listing, was a golden ticket.

Rulemaking in the second Trump Administration is proceeding in a drastically different landscape than in the first. Decision after Supreme Court decision has changed long-settled administrative law in fundamental ways. For associations, these changes mean more chances to challenge rules that burden members, but also more risk to rules that create a stable platform for their members’ operations.

Implementing low-cost ideas to generate quick revenue is a good starting point for associations wanting to boost profitability. But the best strategies are sustainable long-term—and go beyond membership dues. When you improve your association’s overall fundraising capacity, you can stop worrying about ensuring your doors stay open and start planning for your future.

You want to create a thriving membership base for your association, and there’s no better time to encourage involvement than in members’ first year. Beyond your initial welcome, the first year is your opportunity to invite new members to engage fully in your association. Creating a seamless experience can get new members invested for the long haul. Before setting new strategies and processes, understand what the first year of membership currently looks like.

In the first article in this series, I introduced the idea that many nonprofit associations already operate with governance structures that closely resemble ERISA fiduciary oversight. Boards, committees, and leadership teams are accustomed to structured decision-making, documentation, and accountability, particularly within retirement plans. Those practices are not theoretical. They are already embedded in how many associations operate today.

How do you make members feel seen and heard in a “big tent” trade association that represents nearly 2,000 members across 29 different company types? That is the challenge that the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) faces every day. While this breadth of the membership is the foundation of the association’s strength, it also creates challenges in ensuring every member feels valued—an expectation of today’s members. One of the greatest benefits of MBA’s diversity is its credibility.