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Association News
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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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Leading Indicators, by Timothy Schneider, Publisher, Association NewsMember 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 SchneiderTimothy 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.

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Placement Dates: 02/05/15 – 04/05/15
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