The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) President, David Templeman, is encouraged by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement at the National Press Club this afternoon that the Australian Government will place “in 2017, a new focus on preventive health will give people the right tools and information to live active and healthy lives.”

“PHAA’s believes that health protection, promotion, prevention are essential to improving the health of individuals and populations,” said Mr Templeman.

“Preventive health care measures will be critical to reducing the coming impact of chronic disease on Australians and on our economy.”

“The evidence is in. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australia’s health 2016 report shows that funding for health prevention initiatives in Australia has reduced from 2008 levels of 2.2% to 1.4%.”

“Combine this with the rise in chronic disease and the number of Australian’s with multiple chronic diseases also increasing, our health capacity and response capability is severely compromised.”

“A new focus is needed, particularly on the key drivers of increasing chronic disease in our society and start tackling the causes of the causes before people require major treatment interventions and hospitalisation.”

A 2014 report by the McKinsey Global Institute concluded that the costs caused by tobacco use, obesity and alcohol abuse were the 1st, 3rd and 4th most expensive social burdens on the world economy.

“So the Prime Minister’s commitment today that his government’s 2017 agenda includes a specific focus on preventive health is fantastic news,” said Mr Templeman.

“His government’s response could significantly improve the future wellbeing of all Australia’s individuals and families, as well as the productive strength of our economy.”

This media release was originally sourced from PHAA. 

Leading healthcare associations are working together to craft strategies for better engaging members. Even as the healthcare industry continues to change, a new report offers six recommendations to boost engagement that associations in all sectors can learn from.

It’s rare for someone to be excited about a doctor or dentist appointment. These routine check-ups are good for you, but they interfere with life, and they can be stressful or painful.

If you get cold sweats before entering the exam room, then maybe, just maybe, you can take some satisfaction in the fact that healthcare associations are likely to break a sweat thinking about membership engagement.

“Healthcare associations typically look at membership and engagement as a static solution, when in reality it’s a dynamic problem,” says Dean West, FASAE, president and founder of Association Laboratory, Inc., a consulting firm based in Chicago. “Historically, these associations needed very little modification, but emerging membership models have forced them to change and become more customizable and adaptable.”

At the same time that membership is changing, the healthcare industry is changing too—thanks in no small part to politics, technology, and generational trends. What isn’t changing, West says, are the demands on doctors’ time and attention. “It can be a chaotic and unpredictable environment for medical professionals, which is why associations are putting some serious thought toward their membership engagement strategy,” he says.

Whether you’re in the healthcare space or not, there are probably a few lessons to be learned from Association Laboratory’s recent whitepaper, “The Future of Healthcare Membership and Engagement” (ASAE log-in required). The report cites six common strategies that healthcare associations are using:

1. A robust market understanding
   
2. Customized engagement models
   
3. Integrated and sustained experiences for members
   
4. Community outreach and development
   
5. Sustained engagement throughout the membership lifecycle
   
6. Adaptive governance, staff, and operational systems
   

Nearly 50 healthcare trade and professional associations were analyzed for the study. The findings are helping organizations, like the American Dental Association (a study participant), to evolve their strategy.

“One thing about this report that I found interesting was that we all seem to have the same struggles, yet we don’t compete directly with each other,” says Bill Robinson, vice president of member and client services at ADA. “Associations go after different market segments, based on their profession, which is why I’m convinced that we have to solve membership engagement challenges together.”

Getting associations talking is the first step in the right direction, West says. ADA is using an adaptive strategy that’s currently being tested and piloted with membership.

It includes upfront engagements with dentists at the beginning of their career. ADA has a membership partnership with the American Student Dental Association, and it’s piloting a program where student ambassadors coordinate membership events between national and state-based dental associations.

“We also have strategies that target first-years coming right out of dental school,” Robinson says. “That transition—when someone is starting their career—is arguably when an association can be the most helpful.”

THINKING ‘COMMUNITY FIRST’

Usually when associations think about their engagement experience, they immediately think about their member first. But really, associations need to be thinking in broader terms, West says. They should be thinking about their members’ community and content understanding. By looking at membership in segments, associations can target each group’s unique challenges and needs.

One of the membership societies that West studied, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, traditionally relied on conference tradeshows for revenue.

Under the leadership of President and CEO Stephen Lieber, HIMSS changed its focus to a “community first” model, creating and delivering content to specific membership segments when they needed it the most.

As a result, the association’s credibility and influence within the healthcare technology sector has increased, and revenue has grown by 765 percent in the last 15 years. Even today, HIMSS continues to grapple with the question: What are the resources and information that membership segments need at any given moment?

“You reverse-engineer your strategy, based on the audience and their needs, not on you and your organizational structure.” West says. “Members’ challenges are dynamic and evolving throughout their lifespan. If you don’t understand your community, then you can’t define a solution for each individual members.”

In some respects the healthcare association space has been immune to change. Senior leadership and the “cultural tailwinds” theory—the notion that medical school students will automatically join an association because of institutional forces—don’t challenge some associations to think differently, West says. “While much of that culture remains, there are new avenues for healthcare professionals to solve some of their biggest challenges and issues today,” he says.

For example, ADA is keenly aware that student debt is a primary concern for younger members, especially those just exiting dental school. ADA targets new members with debt consolidation services, as way to save members money. But ADA is also competing against a widening field of services, including online debt consolidation companies, which have grown in size and popularity in the last few years.

NO ‘ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL’ APPROACH

One of the biggest advantages and challenges for ADA when it comes to membership engagement is its tripartite structure: Enrollment guarantees membership at the local, state and national levels. But the membership experience can vary, particularly for state and local dental associations. Bigger states have more resources to engage their members than smaller states. For ADA, technology tools can help to level the playing field a bit.

“We think technology will help to tackle the variability in membership experiences,” Robinson says. “It’s not going to be a one size-fits-all approach. We want members to be able to select their levels of engagement with us.”

Right now, ADA is in the process of selecting a technology firm that will help to expand its digital footprint. The hope is that communications and online services can be tailored to members, regardless of where they live.

In many ways the six key findings in the Association Laboratory report can serve as a routine checkup for all associations to take, regardless of their industry or focus.

What problems does your association face when it comes to membership engagement? And, what strategies or tactics are you using to solve them?

This article was originally sourced from Associations Now and written by Tim Ebner.

The 2017 Directors’ Alert was issued this month by Deloitte Global. This year’s publication is based on the need for courageous actions in the boardroom, highlighting the benefits of diversity and discussing some of the main disrupting factors that boards must address: technology, transparency, innovation and culture. The report serves as a useful tool for boards to approach these issues.

We strongly recommend you at least read the key “Q’s for directors to ask” on strategy (page 7), Culture (page 11, and the table on page 10), technology (page 19), disruption (page 23) and diversity (page 39). Or we have attached the summaries in the Snapshot pdf here.

The insights and challenges equally apply to profit focused businesses and public benefit entities.

Related to the challenges facing all organisations is the generational disruption that millennials are to employers. The Deloitte Millennial Survey 2017 provides an update on how millennials view the world and work.

Last year, many millennials seemed to be planning near-term exits from their employers. But, after 12 months of political and social upheaval, those ambitions have been tempered, according to Deloitte Global’s sixth annual Millennial Survey. Young professionals now indicate they’re less likely to leave the security of their jobs, more concerned about uncertainty arising from conflict, and—especially in developed countries—not optimistic about their future prospects nor the directions their countries are going.

Next month we will cover benchmarking. As we have found that benchmarking has a very strong impact on organisation performance and also the outcomes achieved across the relevant industry. The highlighting of key differentiators in high and low performance can sometimes be surprising and definitely focus the efforts of an organisation to improve their outcomes!

Dunedin’s successful bid for the World Congress of Herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians) has helped put the city on the map as the wildlife and scientific capital of New Zealand, bringing with it a host of academic and economic benefits.

The congress, which will take place in 2020, is expected to showcase the scientific research out of the University of Otago, as well as local ecotourism experiences and iconic wildlife, to an influential international delegation.

The 9th World Congress of Herpetology will be hosted by University of Otago’s Department of Zoology, and Professor Phil Bishop says: “This is a fantastic win, not just for New Zealand, but specifically for Dunedin and the University of Otago. We will have the opportunity to showcase our university and city to hundreds of international biologists, as the wildlife and scientific capital of New Zealand.”

Moreover, the event is expected to attract up to 1,000 delegates to the city, translating to up to 6,000 room nights and bringing an estimated $2.1 million to the local economy.

The benefits will provide a major boost to the city, especially given that Bishop hadn’t previously considered bidding for an international conference. “I had no intention of ever taking on something like this, but our vice-chancellor and Tourism New Zealand hosted a lunch and there seemed to be a lot of support and enthusiasm for bringing large conferences like this to New Zealand,” he says. “I am very proud of New Zealand and Dunedin and thought this would be a good opportunity to showcase what we do to my colleagues.

“I think it's going to be a tremendous boost to the university's reputation internationally, and it’s a good chance for our students and those working on amphibian and reptile research around New Zealand to interact with an international audience.”

Dunedin won the event over competing bids from Kenya, Hungary, Morocco and Australia. Bishop notes: “We might not have as many species of reptiles and amphibians, but what we lack in quantity we make up for in quality. The species we do have are iconic, unique, and very unusual. Scientists like to tick things off their list. Tuatara is an order of reptiles that you cannot see anywhere else in the world and we also have amazing geckos, skinks and native frogs.

“Plus, New Zealand has an international reputation of being beautiful, clean, green and sustainable, and a wonderful place to visit. When I delivered the bid at the 8th World Congress in Hangzhou, China, a lot of people said: ‘Great, New Zealand’s on my bucket list, we’d love to come’.”

Bishop adds: “The support I received from Tourism New Zealand and Enterprise Dunedin, both financially and logistically, took all the hard work out of preparing the bid and together we produced highly professional brochures and an amazing presentation which blew away the competition! Tourism New Zealand printed all the bid documents and even had them posted to the hotel in China. They also helped me put together an event budget, which was important for the selection committee.

“Tourism New Zealand’s Conference Assistance Programme contributed to both my airfare and accommodation in China to present the bid. That support is extremely helpful in today’s economic climate where funds for conference participation are limited.”

Bishop says a tailored approach to the target audience would hopefully deliver international tourists to lesser-travelled destinations such as Stewart Island, Fiordland and Invercargill. “Our bid document really helped with the message ‘it's not as far away as you think’, and we provided lots of information about touring New Zealand, with amazing photos of animals you can see here. The main part of the conference will take place in early January, and we hope a lot of people will decide to come for Christmas and spend their break here. We will run tours in the greater Dunedin area to see reptiles and geckos, but we’ve suggested wider pre and post tours geared to scientists and biologists, not just typical tours, whether that is going to see the yellow-eyed penguins, national parks, Kaikoura, Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch, or the Kiwi Birdlife Park in Queenstown.

“Tourism New Zealand has offered further support in assisting with attendance at other conferences to promote the event, to keep it alive and active in everyone's mind that they will be coming to Dunedin in 2020.”

If you would like to find out more about Tourism New Zealand, please visit www.businessevents.newzealand.com

Health insurers funded an additional $100 million in healthcare in 2016 as more Kiwis took out health cover, according to the latest figures from the Health Funds Association (HFANZ).

Claims paid for the year jumped 9.4 percent to $1.136 billion as insurers funded record levels of elective surgery, HFANZ chief executive Roger Styles said today.

“Insurers have reported strong growth in elective surgical claims over the year, as more operations are being funded by health insurance. This is a huge jump and reflects the sizable contribution private health insurance makes in the New Zealand healthcare system,” Mr Styles said.

There was also a surge in the number of New Zealanders getting health insurance – up nearly 20,000 over the year – which Mr Styles said was the strongest growth in a decade. The total number of New Zealanders with private health insurance cover stood at 1.36 million as at December 31, an increase of 1.4 percent on figures from the end of December 2015. In the December 2016 quarter, lives covered rose by 5900, or 0.4 percent.

“People value the fact that health insurance provides certainty and timely access to treatment. Taking out health insurance means they are making a positive contribution to their own healthcare, at the same time as helping to relieve pressure on the public system,” he said.

“New Zealanders with health insurance are literally saving the Government hundreds of millions of dollars each year.”

Today’s release was the first time HFANZ had included in its data a category for minor medical policies, which offered a more limited range of medical cover at a lower cost. These typically covered some reimbursable items such as glasses, physiotherapy and GP visits but had limited or no cover for major surgery. Such policies accounted for around 50,000 lives covered – around 3.5 percent of those with health insurance.

ENDS (Full release and four-page statistical summary can be found by clicking link below)

Read full summary here

This Media Release was originally sourced from Scoop.

The world is changing, and because of that, associations are facing several obstacles that they’ll need to overcome. Also: How to create content optimized for short attention spans.

Change is hard. But we all know associations have to adapt to industry and societal forces to stay relevant and valuable to members.

While organizations may be straining against change for hundreds of reasons, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting’s Midcourse Corrections Blog points out six common 21st-century challenges that many associations are struggling to meet.

The unrelenting digital transformation of the modern world is the biggest pressure point that many associations face.

“Our association’s success or failure hinges on digital tools and ultimately becoming digitally mature organizations,” writes blogger Jeff Hurt.

While the digital revolution has us more connected than ever, there is a downside to that information overload. “Connectivity—the measure at which people are connected to each other, networks, and the internet, and the ease or speed at which they converse—is replacing knowing,” Hurt contends.

He goes on to say, “In a world where information is commoditized and is boundless, associations can’t compete with just dispensing information. What’s scarce is feedback, understanding, and application.”

Associations must keep up with what people want to learn, because there’s a lot of competition out there. “Associations have to compete with other possibilities that are frankly more compelling, creative, and social than marching through a passive, one-way webinar, outdated newsfeed, lecture, or recording,” he says.

These days, attention spans last for mere seconds on average, and your group may not even get access to those precious seconds unless your content can rise above the messy fray. What is your association doing to create content that your audience will want to read?

HubSpot provides several ways to make sure you’re creating engaging content that will provide value to your members.

Ask yourself if you actually need to write that blog post. Writer Sophia Bernazzani says associations should validate content topics first by doing “industry and persona research and selecting keywords to target.” She says to audit your competition to learn what types of content have performed best across your industry.

Bernazzani also recommends meeting your readers halfway. They may give you only a few seconds of their time, so give them content that they can digest quickly. Use bullet points, headers, and bold fonts to make blog posts easy to read. Clearly indicate your takeaway section so readers can find it quickly when skimming.

Read more here.

This article was originally sourced from Associations Now and written by Raegan Johnson. 

It’s no secret that in this day and age, everything’s going digital. Meetings, events, methods of communication - you name it, it’s all going online.

That said, is an online event, such as a virtual conference, something your association should consider? What exactly are the benefits of hosting a virtual conference versus a traditional, in-person event?

Well, as it turns out, there are several. Take a look!

Benefit #1: They allow more people to potentially attend

Sometimes, in-person conferences can be difficult for people to attend. First, there’s the issue of having to get away from the office. Some people simply can’t swing that. But then, there’s also the issue of travel and hotel costs. Depending on where the conference is, some people can’t afford and/or justify that. A virtual conference eliminates those barriers, allowing more people to register and attend. (Plus, when it comes to networking, virtual conferences can be much less intimidating than in-person events - another draw for some people.)

Benefit #2: They can save you time and money, operationally

Think about how much time and money you spend planning an in-person conference. It’s a lot! Sure, virtual conferences still cost money, but not necessarily as much money. With a virtual event, you can cut back on costs for hotel room blocks, conference center rentals, food and drinks, onsite signage, and more.

Benefit #3: They leave you with evergreen content (and something to leverage)

Last but not least, virtual conferences provide you with valuable content to use in the future. Because virtual conferences take place entirely online, everything can easily be recorded. That means your association can then use that content and information for years and years to come. Your attendees should, of course, be able to access that content for free, but as far as non-attendees go, you may want to consider leveraging that information as a source of non-dues revenue for your association.

Ok, let’s say you’ve decided to host a virtual conference. What now? Where do you even begin when it comes to planning and executing?

Allow us to help! Check out our free guide, How to Plan a Virtual Conference at Your Association, below! It’s a step-by-step guide to ensure your association’s online event (from the content to the technology) is a MAJOR hit!

This article was originally sourced from Association Universe and written by Callie Walker.

Did you miss these? Jamie’s Association Success posts in December focused on the visible parts of culture….

The Link Between Office Design and Culture

Several years ago I saw a presentation from an association CEO who had recently redesigned their office space. He started by talking about the core values of the organization, which included one on “Having Fun” (or something of that sort). This was a place that viewed fun as an integral part of getting their work done.

He then showed a photo of their old work space (pre-redesign), that looked remarkably like many association offices I’ve seen: a sea of grey cubicles enveloped by fluorescent lighting. As he pointed to the photo, the CEO was really clear about his message:

You can’t claim that you’re all about fun, and then make your people work in an environment like that.

>> Read more

Redefining Dress for Success

Whether or not you have a written policy about it, all organizations have a dress code. It’s a part of your culture—the kinds of clothing that you are expected to wear (or not wear) actually says something about what is valued internally at the organization.

But honestly, I don’t think most organizations realize this. They choose their dress code based on some vague understanding of WHY the code is required. I hear that we want a “professional atmosphere” or are concerned that certain items of clothing are “unprofessional.” Um, okay. But what does that really mean? And who gets to define it?

Because I know for a fact that my previous boss (a former Ambassador) would not have accepted someone coming into work with a suit jacket, suit pants, collared shirt, BUT NO TIE—yet such an outfit is a staple for companies today with very formal dress codes. And don’t get me started on the definition of “jeans” (if you pay $200 for them, and that keynote speaker you hired was just wearing them, can they really be called jeans?).

And before you start debating the no-tie thing or the jeans thing—stop. The deeper you get into that conversation the more folly it becomes. There is no right answer once you get into the details. It’s all debatable. And trying to figure out whether something is a sweater or a blouse is a huge waste of time, because it’s avoiding the underlying question: what purpose does your dress code serve? Or, put another way, how does your dress code drive the success of your organization?

> Read more

What Does Your Annual Meeting Say About Your Culture?

In the association world, we tend to think of our annual meeting in terms of what it delivers to the members. It is typically a crown jewel type of program—that part of our annual calendar where it’s all hands on deck because a large number of our members get a LOT of their networking and education there (two pillars of your strategic plan). And all that is certainly true, but there’s another piece that you might be missing here:

Your annual meeting defines your culture.

Well, not ALL of your culture, but part of it. Remember, your culture is the collection of words, actions, thoughts, and “stuff” that clarifies and reinforces what is truly valued inside your organization. So how you run your annual meeting can have some important implications about what is valued, yet we often don’t make decisions with that in mind. That means you’re shaping your culture WITHOUT intention, and that can be a problem.

> Read more

This article was originally sourced from Social Fish and written by Maddie Grant.

Onboarding is an essential piece of the membership engagement puzzle. While many associations have an onboarding campaign that includes targeted messages, it can be easy to overlook the value of making face time with new members.

The new relationship—is there anything more exciting, and at the same time terrifying, than getting to know someone for the first time? Associations, like people, spend a lot of time and money on the process.

Onboarding programs are tactical efforts that “show the love” to new members, says association consultant Ed Rigsbee, CAE. He recently wrote a blog post that shows what an onboarding program can look like. In his “relationship banking” approach, associations need to put in sufficient relationship currency, or deposits, to justify the member making a withdrawal.

If there’s one thing we know about associations, it’s that they’re pretty good at making those transactional deposits. According to Marketing General Inc.’s 2016 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report [PDF], a majority of associations surveyed are sending new member communications in the form of email welcomes or welcome kits.

But a smaller fraction take the time to gain intentional face time with their members: 21 percent of associations said they hosted a new member reception or orientation event as part of the onboarding process. While events like these can happen in a number of ways, association consultant Lowell Aplebaum, CAE, says that face time can be particularly valuable for creating a deeper experience.

“There has really been a shift in how associations onboard new members,” Aplebaum says. “And it’s one that favors more experience-based membership. And at the heart of that experience is the creation or feeling of a sense of belonging to the organization.”

In other words, putting a name and a face to your member is just as important as sending information about membership benefits and opportunities. That might mean changing your meeting approach slightly.

“Associations can use existing events, like their annual conference or chapter meetings, and take a proactive step toward welcoming new members,” Aplebaum says. “So that by the very first time the member participates, they feel a part of the organization; not apart from the organization.”

NEW MEMBER MINGLE

One way in which associations can build experience into the onboarding process is through a “micro-involvement” event, Aplebaum says. These usually work best in associations with a chapter setup and are opportunities for first timers to ask questions, sign-up for an event, or possibly volunteer their time.

The Kansas City chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry hosts micro-involvement events monthly, through a series called New Member Mingles.

“In our welcome message, we invite each new member to attend an upcoming Mingle,” says Jan Burchett, NARI Kansas City’s executive director. “Most of the time people are just curious. We try to bridge that curiosity gap. It’s also an opportunity to network in a small group setting.”

The incentives to attend are a pretty small, but turnout is strong, Burchett says. Attendees come for coffee and doughnuts or cookies. As they leave, each attendee receives coupons, which can be used in their first year of membership for special discounts on educational programming, events, and membership renewal.

“Our goal is to get them to attend an educational program, join a committee, and eventually renew their dues,” Burchett says. “Renewal is always our biggest challenge and biggest goal.”

The chapter hosts two Member Mingles per month: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Much of the program’s success is due to the fact that NARI Kansas City’s onboarding process revolves around member participation.

CONFERENCE BUDDY SYSTEM

But what if you’re a national association that doesn’t have a chapter structure that allows for face time with new members? Aplebaum says there are a number of ways for associations to use existing events, like your annual meeting, to target and engage new members.

That’s exactly how the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) tweaked its semiannual meetings to pay closer attention to student members. One of their biggest problems was getting student members to convert to the professional membership status.

AMCP’s membership department decided to implement a conference buddy system that paired student members with existing professional members. The pairings are marketed as a career mentorship, and it’s helped to incentivize meeting attendance for younger members.

“The buddy system model is something that I see as fairly common amongst associations now,” Aplebaum says. “The ones that are doing it successfully are changing their program, from a buddy who will inform you about membership benefits, to a buddy who will listen to your problems.”

AMCP’s mentors volunteer their time and serve as membership evangelists, says Susan Noell, assistant director of corporate relations and membership. In three years, the program has grown from 27 to almost 150 pairings. Now, AMCP’s biggest challenge is managing a program that has grown in size and popularity.

“It’s so big that we have tapped other departments for help,” Noell says. “Our goal is to make sure that the student and professional have a good fit. We want to plant seeds for a mentorship to take root.”

REMOTE HANGOUTS

Of course, the world is a big place, and your membership might be spread across several countries, making it virtually impossible to do face-to-face meetings. That’s the main issue for the Control System Integrators Association, which counts members in 27 different countries. Face time for Tony Veroeven, CSIA’s exchange community manager, means signing on to Skype.

“My job is essentially to welcome new members and give them that warm and fuzzy feeling through the platform of their choice,” he says. “Everyone joins an association for a different reason, so I try to listen and see what that individual has to say.”

No matter if it’s Europe, South America, or Australia, Veroeven will make time to meet with members, and he says it’s important to be platform agnostic—most recently he used Google Hangouts to host a meeting.

These individual and remote hangouts prove valuable for associations, particularly if they coincide with their automated email campaign. Essentially, you’re giving the member a chance to ask questions, Aplebaum says.

“In the end, everyone wants to see their onboarding program boost engagement and membership loyalty,” he says. “An automated email campaign can only go so far. Why not recognize and invite the individual to connect personally? Those follow-ups can often be the easiest way to advance the relationship.”

This article was originally sourced from Associations Now and written by Tim Ebner.

Our recent reader poll may have seemed like it was penned by Captain Obvious, but our staff enjoys getting back to basics every now and then and taking a look at the foundations of association life. One of those foundations is why members attend events, which often play a central role in an association’s operations.

Events are a major conduit for members to meet and grow professional relationships and friendships. They are a major way for members to take in continuing education.

They are just plain fun, too: What member, for reasons other than budget or time constraints, has said “No thank you” to an association awards night, a pre-conference brewery tour, or a charity event that benefits their own community?

On the association staff side, events provide a way to become more personally familiar with the membership. Knowing members personally hones the ways in which staff can better strive serve them. Serving members better leads to more membership renewals and the creation of association ambassadors, which leads to new members. Better-served members who enjoy quality events also leads to repeat attendance at such events. Both increased membership and repeat attendance leads to more non-dues revenue, and a financially healthy association that can afford to make desired changes in the industry that benefit its members and stakeholders.

That’s a lot of potential success riding on events!

Going back to our spirit of getting back to basics: With so much potential riding on a successful association event, we wanted to know: What is the main reason your members attend your events?

Out of four potential choices, our readers responded accordingly:

Not too surprisingly, networking (46%) and education (36%) were the top two reasons chosen for event attendance. These choices reflect the basic reasons many professionals join associations; that is, to connect with like-minded individuals in their industry and to grow their professional knowledge beyond their formal education.

Sharing ideas/expertise and simply getting out of the office tied for third place as the reasons members attend events. Closely related to networking and education, sharing ideas is another foundational reason many members join an association. Younger members can offer insight into current research or technology they may have been taught while earning their recent degree/certification. More seasoned members have the benefit of years of experience in the field, and often want to share that knowledge with others just starting out in an effort to pass on the same type of professional kindness and guidance they were shown when they began their careers.

And who can blame members for wanting a change of scenery every now and then? Simply getting out from behind the desk for a midday lunch program such as TSAE’s Learn@Lunch program can be a breath of fresh air for some. For others, a longer event in an alluring destination, such as NAFA Fleet Management Association’s Institute & Expo, to be held in Tampa this year, can provide a professional jolt of ideas along with a mental and emotional rejuvenation that leaves a member refreshed and ready to tackle their next challenge.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our polls. A new poll is up in the sidebar and on our Open Polls page: For what type of project are you most likely to work with a third-party vendor?

This article was originally sourced from Association Adviser.