The How do your views on association staffing, meetings, and membership compare to those of fellow executives?
Marketing General released the 3rd Edition of its Association Economic Outlook Report the other week, which includes the perspectives of roughly 500 association professionals and consultants. Association professionals also shared assessments of their associations' responses to the pandemic in 2020. The report is helpful to association professionals looking to benchmark their 2022 forecasting and plans against others in the association sector. This week's blog features ten quick stats:
Performance
- 92% of association executives believe their association responded and adapted quickly to the events unfolding in 2020
- Factors supporting the quick adjustments were attributed to:
-
- The rapid pace of senior executive decision-making (81%)
- Staff expertise in launching new initiatives and programs (79%)
Membership
- 71% of associations saw an increase in member engagement in 2021
- 85% of associations expect an increase in member engagement in 2022
- 44% of associations plan to increase their 2022 membership marketing budget
Staffing
- 71% of associations plan to keep the distributed workforce model as an option for employees moving forward
- 54% are concerned about the deterioration of morale and company culture from a remote workforce
- 66% worry about having fewer opportunities to develop communication and relationships among co-workers
Meetings
- 44% plan to host a hybrid event
- 39% plan to host an in-person only event
(Editor's note: This survey was in the field in October and November of 2021 - more current feedback on plans for association meetings indicates a higher trend towards in-person meetings due to member preference and the added cost of producing hybrid events.)
Access your copy of the Association Economic Outlook Report to see how the outcomes and trends of other associations compare with your experiences.
The full report is available at https://go.marketinggeneral.com
first published MSAE 2022
