A big-name daily newspaper is trying a quiet test with a group of its subscribers—and the early success exhibited by this strategy makes it an idea that anyone with a community interest should keep an eye on.

The Boston Globe, like other legacy newspapers, has a lot of problems and some major issues to solve.

But it also has an audience dedicated to its mission—the kind of long-term subscribers who both care about their community and see that the Globe’s mission is just as important as it’s portrayed in the Oscar-winning movie Spotlight.

Currently, the paper is contemplating a massive reorganization of its team with an eye toward digital—which might give more resources to the types of journalism that the paper is uniquely organized to build, while moving away from the everything-to-everyone model that’s long defined them to the public. (Boston media blogger Dan Kennedy has the details on that.)

But, today, I want to focus on a very small experiment that the paper is trying that I think associations should be watching closely. It’s being done on everyone’s least-favorite social network, Facebook. And it’s proof that, by thinking differently about what you’re offering your most dedicated members, you can succeed at using established tools in new ways.

Here’s the skinny: The Globe recently decided to create a Facebook group that is only open to its paying subscribers. It’s effectively designed to turn something that a newspaper might generally focus on—public-facing distribution—into a way to nurture the community that actually really likes receiving a pile of dead trees on their stoop every morning.

Reporters have access to the group, in case one of their stories becomes a point of discussion, good or bad. In addition, circulation folks have their eye on the group in case someone doesn’t get their paper—not an insignificant issue for the Globe, which just 12 months ago had disastrous delivery problems that were bad enough to drive headlines.

SMALL BUT ENGAGED

Matt Karolian, the Globe’s director of audience engagement, says that this approach is meant to take something that has worked well for the company—that is, Facebook—and apply it in a new context.

“We’ve squeezed all the water out of the Facebook page stone — where the pages are great and can generate a ton of traffic,” Karolian told Harvard’s Nieman Lab last week. “But there’s a whole bunch of Facebook that isn’t pages, that people use extensively but publications aren’t using extensively. And there’s untapped opportunity in Facebook groups.”

So far, the group is proving itself a useful benefit for the roughly 2,000-plus subscribers that are a part of it. Despite being a much smaller network of people than the newpaper’s 500,000-strong Facebook page, the group drives twice as much conversation on an average post. While the network is moderated to prevent heavily promotional content, the approach taken by Karolian and his team is mostly hands-off.

At this point, the group’s member count also is just a tiny fraction of the people who actually receive the paper in subscription form. ( According to a piece on Bates College’s website, the newspaper stands at a circulation of 250,000 on Sundays and 150,000 on weekdays—both numbers far removed from the their peak totals in the mid-1990s.) The Globe isn’t heavily promoting the effort and letting it grow organically.

Still, a strategy like this might prove handy for keeping the current subscriber base happy.

“For publishers who have a paywall, building as much value into the paywall as possible makes a lot of sense, and so far this group appears to be something of value. We want to be able to create more of these touchpoints for readers,” Karolian added in his comments to Nieman. “If other metro dailies could go ahead and do this as well, it would help us all have a much larger dataset to understand what’s successful, what isn’t.”

BUILDING COMMUNITY THE RIGHT WAY

This approach might sound somewhat obvious to folks running a private community in an association, but I still think it’s worth analyzing, simply because they seem to be doing a good job putting the pieces together.

Putting your most passionate supporters in the same community and giving them extra TLC is the very definition of creating value—a huge challenge, especially for a newspaper.

Small steps like this one help to right the ship by bringing together the most active and interested community members in a more effective way.

And let’s be honest—comments on a newspaper article or on a Facebook page are terrible. If offering a narrower audience to its most engaged users helps raise the tenor of conversation, that’s probably a good thing for a newspaper.

Another thing I like about this is that there’s a customer-service element being brought into the group. And I don’t just mean among the circulation people. The idea that reporters are stepping in to play or offer perspective is inspired, and helps to encourage a more personal relationship with the news.

As I’ve said before, foundation is a hugely important part of building a community, because you only get to really do it once. The Globe can only do so much about the broader internet, but by focusing on the people who have the highest potential to engage certainly encourages positive trends down the line.

If there is a quibble to the strategy, it’s that the group cedes ownership to Facebook, which is, as we’ve discussed, a double-edged sword: It helps build the audience from pre-existing roots, but it comes at a cost of independence. Still, there are nonetheless many directions to take this basic idea—both in terms of technology (Slack groups, as tried at Gimlet Media, would also be a good strategy here) and in terms of narrowly focused groups themselves (free idea for the Globe: put one of these together for Red Sox fans).

Again, maybe this is obvious to your association. Maybe you’re already doing all this. But it’s good to see someone else get it right—especially in an industry as challenged as the newspaper business—because nailing the strategy is often the hardest part of the community-building process.

It’s one small, useful solution that could help The Globe solve a bigger problem.

This article was originally sourced from Associations Now and written by Ernie Smith.

AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, today welcomed the appointment of Greg Hunt as Health Minister, saying that Mr Hunt’s experience as a senior Minister in the Environment and Industry portfolios should prepare him for the demands of the Health portfolio.

Dr Gannon said that Mr Hunt, who has been in Federal politics since 2001, and who was named Best Minister in the World at the 2016 World Government Summit, faces many challenges from day one in his new job.

“The AMA would like to see Mr Hunt get off to a flying start by scrapping the Government’s freeze of Medicare patient rebates, which is causing great hardship for patients and doctors,” Dr Gannon said.

“The new Minister must also quickly get across the many reviews instigated by his predecessor, most importantly the review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and the review of Private Health Insurance, which are key to the sustainability of our health system.

“The ongoing issue of public hospital funding is another priority, along with Indigenous health, mental health, and prevention.

“The AMA will meet with the Minister at the earliest opportunity to discuss the broad range of health policy issues that need urgent attention, especially in the context of the 2017 Budget in May.”

Dr Gannon also congratulates Ken Wyatt on his promotion to Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health.

This media release was originally sourced from AMA.

The Exercise Association of New Zealand (ExerciseNZ) wants people to put their mental wellbeing first when considering New Year’s resolutions and is emphasising how physical activity leads to people being happier and having a healthier state of mind.

A total of 14.3 percent of adults in New Zealand exercise for less than 30 minutes a week, yet those who exercise say they’re happier and have more energy. Research shows that sleeping well, eating healthy and exercising all relate to a better wellbeing. Physical activity can reduce depressive symptoms, stress and improve moods.

Less than half (48 percent) of New Zealand adults are physically active despite the Ministry of Health recommendation that adults should take part in moderate exercise for at least two and half hours a week. For extra health benefits the recommendation is five hours a week.

ExerciseNZ chief Richard Beddie says those who make physical activity a top goal for 2017 are likely to feel better about their health, be less stressed, have more mental clarity, be more positive and happier.

“At this holiday time of year it is important to leave the previous year’s baggage behind. As a new year approaches people naturally reflect, recharge and start planning for what comes next. When reflection of negative occurrences overpowers happy and positive thoughts, this can lead to unhealthy rumination and feelings of hopelessness and depression.

“Physical activity can have an incredibly positive influence over the state of mind and practicing mindfulness techniques in combination with exercise is a great way to keep focused on the here and now and to remove that unwanted clutter.”

Yoga is increasingly being recognised as one of the best ways to improve physical and mental wellbeing because it helps improve multiple facets of someone’s life all at once. People who practise yoga experience improved sleep patterns, have more energy and an increased focus which leads to improved general habits like eating heathier and exercising more.

“Exercise is no longer just about go hard or go home. More Kiwis are taking up yoga as a way of combining physical activity with mindfulness techniques to restore a healthy balance, de-stress and maintain an overall state of wellbeing,” Beddie says.

ExerciseNZ recommends the use of registered exercise professionals to be most successful in adopting and maintaining exercise regimes. NZ Register of Exercise Professionals: http://www.reps.org.nz/

This press release was originally sourced from Scoop. 

A NEW but familiar face will be taking over in 2017 as CEO of the Cattle Council.

Duncan Bremner prepares to take the reigns over the council after previous CEO Jed Matz spent four years in the position.

For Cattle Council president and beef producer Howard Smith, there was nothing fishy about the new appointment.

"Mr Matz has been very successful in his time as CEO,” Mr Smith said.

"He has helped lead the industry through a very prosperous period and he decided it was time to move on.”

Duncan Bremner who already has a wealth of experience in leadership positions, was an easy decision for the new appointment said Mr Smith.

"Duncan has a range of rural experience that makes him a perfect choice,” he said.

"He has worked with Animal Medicines Australia, the Australian Road Train Association and he has even been a journalist.”

However it is the political experience of Mr Bremner that will make him most integral to this position said Mr Smith.

"Over the next year, especially with the developments in the global and domestic beef industry, Mr Bremners background in politics will be important,” he said.

"Mr Bremner was first secretary to former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson and has worked with the rural based national party.”

Mr Smith said that the cattle council is hoping to move towards an all direct elected membership so more beef producers can participate in the course of the beef industry.

"To make this transition better we need a long term funding stream and the ability to communicate and participate, and with Mr Bremners contacts and experience this will be easier to achieve,” he said.

The future for the beef industry in 2017 seems somewhat unpredictable, but a new council structure and Bremners appointment are positives for the industry said Mr Smith.

"These are exciting times forth we should be optimistic,” he said.

"If we can get it right and get out of the commodity phase it'll be a bright future.”

This article was originally sourced from Chinchilla News and written by Rory Hession.

Residential property - particularly in Auckland - is in for another year of strong growth according to Property Institute of New Zealand Chief Executive, Ashley Church. But he's also predicting that house price inflation, while still running in double digits, will fall away from the highs of the past couple of years.

This is one of 7 predictions that Mr Church is making for 2017 - predictions that he describes as 'more informed opinion than crystal ball gazing'.

The predictions are as follows:

1. Longer term mortgage interest rates will rise

"The general consensus is that interest rates are on their way up - partly because of international events, and partly because NZ Banks will need to pay more to attract a diminishing fund of investment from kiwi depositors. Expect to see little change in 6 month to two year mortgage rates - but a jump of up to 1% in longer term rates as Banks try and woo borrowers into shorter terms in anticipation of further funding increases over the next 2 or 3 years".

2. House prices will keep rising....

"The current lull in the Auckland market is partly the result of the 40% LVR restriction on property investors put in place in October - and it can't last. The continuing gap between demand and supply means that further price inflation is inevitable for the foreseeable future".

3. ....but Investors will be constrained for a while

"That 40% hurdle is a tough one and investors who were highly geared will need to wait a while before they have enough new equity in their properties to get back into the market. Those investors who had lower debt gearings are still buying - but are being constrained by tighter lending rules which are acting as a brake on runaway house prices. That means that it's unlikely that we'll see a return to the heady 20%+ levels of annual price growth experienced in the last couple of years".

4. New home construction will start catching up

"Depending on your source, Auckland either needs 40,000 new homes 'right now' or 10,000 per year for the foreseeable future. Either way the market will finally start to make some inroads on this target in 2017. The houses built through the combination of Government building initiatives and private sector construction of apartments and free-standing homes will, for the first time in years, exceed the number of homes actually required just to stand still - although we'll still be a very long way short of the number required to ensure that supply matches demand".

5. The cost of renting will start to rise, in Auckland

"Renters in Auckland would probably disagree - but they've been renting in a relatively benign environment for the past two or three years. This is because many Landlords have chosen to forgo big rent increases while the capital growth on those properties has been so strong. This is likely to change in 2017 as Landlords look to offset lower capital growth with higher rental returns".

6. Debt-to-income measures are off the agenda - for now

"The Reserve Bank talked a lot about debt-to-income restrictions on mortgage lending during the latter half of 2016 - but is unlikely to act on them this year. This is partly because it will take a wait-and-see approach on developments in the world economy - but more specifically because the measures are politically unpalatable to either major Party. While the Reserve Bank is independent - it's not completely blind to the politics of such a move".

7. Property will be the #1 Election Issue

"Expect to see a string of announcements, from the Government, spelling out what it is doing to fix the Auckland housing crisis and outlining new ideas to speed this process up. In particular - it's possible, even likely, that the Government will offer a more generous response to the plight of first home buyers in a pre-election budget surplus splurge".

This press release was originally sourced from Scoop.

The country’s peak body for donors, Philanthropy Australia, is embarking on a strategic plan which includes a bold new business model around membership and changes to its legal structure while still retaining its core policy and advocacy work. Lina Caneva spoke to CEO Sarah Davies about the changes for 2017 and beyond.

Philanthropy Australia’s CEO Sarah Davies has now been in the top job since November 2015.

Even in that short time she agrees that the terms “philanthropy” and “giving” have changed significantly both in Australia and globally and a new strategic plan for the organisation has required an evolutionary approach rather than a revolutionary approach.

“When developing our 2017 to 2020 strategic map, we had to balance our rich heritage with the ‘now’ and the future. We had to recognise the incredible expertise and resources of our traditional members and to their commitment to philanthropy. But we also needed to acknowledge that philanthropy is changing,” Davies said.

“We needed to respond to the emergence of new types of philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, new ways of giving, new ways of investing corpus, changing and blurring relationships between ‘givers’ and ‘receivers’ and the growing realisation that the social sector was very much part of the philanthropic community and they have as much of an interest in our success as do the funders. We also understood that corporates and intermediaries are critical to the success of our community.

“We have spent a lot of time looking at what the world is shaping up to look like for the next five to 10 years. How do we adapt and accommodate and take advantage of the opportunities it presents and how to we defend ourselves against some of the challenges that it might present.”

She said for the organisation, the drivers for change were simply about how philanthropy as a broad practice was evolving and changing and adapting and growing.

However, Davies said one of the keys to Philanthropy Australia’s future success would be to change the way their supporters and members engaged with the organisation and the need to democratise the existing membership model.

One of the big ticket items in the strategic plan is a new business model around membership that moves away from determining grant-maker membership categories and fees based on annual distributions.

“This will mean that our members will be able to select the membership package that suits their needs, where price is related to the level of benefits offered and received,” Davies said.

“We need to [be] relevant and confident that we add value and [we need to] work out how we do that in a business-like sense that is sustainable and viable.

“We are no different to any other not-for-profit organisation. Our business model is 40 years old and the world has changed rapidly and we need to evolve this model so that it is viable in the next five to 10 years and I have no doubt [that] in seven or eight years we are going to have to have another go at evolving it.

“We need a business model to address the changes in philanthropy that makes sense.

“It is not about adding a whole bunch of products and services to our portfolio… that is not going to help anybody, but it is about being clear about our contribution to that community but the community needs to be broader and more inclusive.”

Davies was quick to point out that the membership re-categorisation would not take effect until 2018.

“We will communicate the new packages and options well before the changes take place.”

Philanthropy Australia will also be seeking grant-based support from its members who wish to support its activities in the advancement of philanthropy.

Davies said another key to their ongoing success would be changing from an incorporated association to a company limited by guarantee.

“In a really simple sense we are an incorporated association in Victoria which sort of means we can never hold an AGM outside of Victoria and that’s just not relevant in today’s world.

“We are a national organisation and we have members all over the country and we want to engage and service them nationally and we need to be flexible and agile in that.

“Secondly there are challenges in conceiving and designing and managing a skills-based governance structure for a council or a board… because despite the desire and intent and the work that it does you can’t actually deliver it.

“The third reason is around the use of language. Under the incorporated associations act the word ‘member’ has a very clear meaning and also under the corporations act as well, but there is a greater restriction around how we can use language as an incorporated association.

“One of the great strengths of PA is the membership culture and the membership behaviour and the membership value… we really are committed to being a membership organisation in that sense but… the use of that word in an incorporated association is currently a bit complex.”

Davies said the legal change would separate more clearly the appropriate structure and behaviour and expectation of governance and proxy ownership in a not for profit and the culture and the purpose of the stakeholder group.

“The traditional definition of the funder, non-funder, grant maker, grant-seeker they are all becoming incredibly blurred and so we really want to embrace the contemporary and future philanthropic actors and approaches as they evolve and emerge without being constrained.”

She said there was an expectation that PA will hold a special general meeting in the later part of 2017 to ratify any moves to changes the legal structure.

Davies said policy and advocacy would continue to be the core role of Philanthropy Australia in 2017 and that the current and emerging issues were “red hot”.

“The bottom line is, as a membership organisation and a peak body, that at our core is the policy and advocacy piece and without a doubt it is our kind of beating heartland,” she said.

“I think our significant advocacy points in the next couple of years are going to be about defending philanthropy.

“My hunch is that as Australia faces the federal government’s revenue challenges there could be some storm clouds gathering over the suite of incentives that are used to encourage people to be philanthropic and make deductible donations… that will be huge.

“We did ok on the franking credits last year and a lot of work was done and I suspect that will come back on the list at some point.

“There’s a DGR review going on. We have got to really watch that and be active in understanding what the implications are and what it might mean and the whole issue of advocacy and funding advocacy we know has a got a red hot vibe that we are concerned about and we have then got the ‘in Australia’ provisions and what might happen there.

“As well there are the things that might just be urban myths and rumours or muted comments around limiting deductions in the financial period. So, you know, we have got some major issues.”

Davies said along with all these issues PA was pushing for innovation and incentives to grow philanthropy.

“So we are still pushing for different types of changes and structure and rules that will encourage and incentivise more philanthropy. One of the big ones is how to encourage more charitable bequesting. What are the range of models and incentives that we could put into play that people can take advantage of in their lifetime but actually guarantee increase philanthropic and charitable giving through bequesting.

“We are still pushing hard on ideas and innovation into how we continue to feed and grow the philanthropic ecosystem.

“We are only going to be as effective as the quality of our relationships with our members, with the philanthropic community, with the not-for-profit community, with the regulator and the policy makers. We are not a lone voice. We can never be a lone voice. We are one part of this and I think we are pretty clear about the part that we can play but need to do it with everybody else. This is a collective.”

This article was originally sourced from Probono Australia and written by Lina Caneva.

After 14 years working in professional membership organisations including the Australian Physiotherapy Association and most recently as Chief Executive of the Australian Podiatry Council, Damian Mitsch is the leader that will see the ADA through its next chapter, and he has some big ideas.

“I’m grateful to Robert (Boyd-Boland) for establishing such a high-performing team and laying the groundwork for the future, and now I want the ADA to take the next step in becoming one of the greatest membership organisations in the country. An organisation that brings together members, branches and staff to create something great. To innovate. To inspire. To influence.”

Being on the Board of the Australian Society of Association Executives, Damian knows better than most that it’s a hard road and patience is a necessary virtue. “I’m big on listening and learning about what makes an organisation tick when I first get into a role”, Damian muses about his first weeks on the job. “To really affect change, you have to understand the detail of the environment in which you’re operating, and for me this is a steep learning curve.”

That being said, he’s no stranger to the core challenges facing the dental profession - “Coming from physio and podiatry means I’m already across how private health insurers are influencing health professionals, the impact of corporatisation and the commoditisation of health services, and the attitude of government and their amazing ability to avoid proper funding for long-term health outcomes” he says.

Originally from Melbourne, Damian has an amassed an eclectic range of experience throughout his career; from aged care and disability to IT and company directorships. A mere glance at his LinkedIn profile paints a clear picture of the skill set he brings to the table which no doubt will prove invaluable to the ADA – strategic planning, corporate governance, policy, leadership, and change management, to name a few.

When considering how his skills and experience translate into his leadership style, Damian explains, “Running your own business gives you a genuine sense of accountability and focus, and an understanding that you need to keep innovating. Twenty-plus years in health associations (including as a member) stresses the importance of really listening to members and delivering value, as well as a keen sense of the real issues and access to a wide and varied network. Time on boards of directors, both large and small, give you an understanding of what it means to govern.”

He has a strong vision, the credentials to back it up, and a “don’t hold back” attitude, so the question becomes –who is Damian Mitsch?

A husband to Sara and father to Cordelia, Damian is a self-made man who doesn’t mind a bit of hard rock and heavy metal (despite having to shut it down to make way for Taylor Swift and appease the ladies in his life). He has recently upped stumps from Melbourne to Sydney, to the shock of property prices, traffic, and a little less rain than he’s used to.

He has a passion for business and health organisations, but relishes time with family and friends around a dinner table, and when time and water temperature permits, the odd scuba diving trip.

When asked if he had any final words for this article, Damian simply replied, “it’s time to turn the page”.

This article was originally sourced from ADA.

The Spatial Industries Business Association (SIBA) and the Geospatial Information Technology Association Australia and New Zealand (GITA ANZ) have officially announced a merger between the two professional associations.

The newly expanded association, whose official name is still unclear, will continue to deliver services to members as an association representing the collective spatial ‘industries’ and the ‘users’ of geospatial technology. The merger aims to reinforce SIBA and GITA’s representation of members in advocacy across Government and more effectively drive growth for the spatial sector.

GITA president and Open Spatial CEO, Wanda Skerrett, will be appointed to the Board of the merged organisation, alongside GITA’s past president Antoine Burdett from AECOM.

SIBA chairman Alistair Byrom said the merger was a result of the growth being experienced in the spatial sector: “SIBA’s merger with GITA is a strong and determined response to the growth and consolidation of the spatial industry and draws together two organisations committed to a shared passion and vision for the spatial sector,” Byrom said.

“This merger will enable our larger association to provide a more consistent message and consolidate our combined efforts for greater impact,” he continued. “The merger will help increase awareness in the wider community of our members’ products and services and facilitate further growth opportunities.”

GITA president Wanda Skerrett similarly expressed the value of this newly unified ‘voice’ for the spatial industry: “With the merging of SIBA and GITA, we’ve set out to achieve a unified industry voice through an association for all,” she noted.

“Geospatial technology plays a critical role in all fundamental services supporting our community’s way of life as increasingly more companies embrace location information as a strategic focus of their business,” Skerrett continued. “This merger aligns the aims and visions of each ‘pre-merger’ association whilst enabling the enhanced, broader delivery of services such as member updates in areas such as spatial tools and technologies, industry collaboration and change, user and vendor networking and insight into common challenges.”

The practicalities of the merger remain to be seen and will be reported in Spatial Source as they become clearer.

Controversially, another crucial merger was foreshadowed late last year as part of the 2026Agenda Action Plan. The plan, compiled by an open group of representatives of the industry, listed a merger between the two peak bodies of Australia, the Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI) and SIBA, among 32 priority action items. The 32 priorities have been established with the aim of ensuring Australia’s surveying and spatial sectors reach their growth potential over the coming decade.

This article was originally sourced from Spatial Source and written by Anthony Wallace. 

AuSAE are very excited to announce one of North America’s most highly respected membership experts, Tony Rossell, will be coming to Australia and New Zealand to deliver our first round of Workshops in February 2017!

Tony Rossell serves as the Senior Vice President of Marketing General Incorporated, he is a sought after writer and speaker and is a contributing author to two books, Membership and Marketing (ASAE) and Membership Essentials: Recruitment, Retention, Roles, Responsibilities and Resources (ASAE and Wiley, 2016). He also launched the annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, now in its eighth year with over 800 participating associations worldwide, and he developed the widely adopted membership relationship framework known as the “Membership Lifecycle”.

During these workshops you will learn how to:

• Present the power and economic benefits of membership to your Board and leadership
• Build market testing strategies for optimal membership outcomes
• Develop an effective membership marketing acquisition plan
• Use data to increase the loyalty and engagement of members
• Maximise the renewal of your current members
• Calculate the true economic value of a member
• Forecast future, long-term membership counts
• Develop online inbound marketing strategies to reach beyond your current audience
• Use data analytics tools to increase marketing efficiency

Register now by clicking on the links below:

Sydney - Thursday 23 February 2017 

Melbourne - Friday 24 February 2017 

Brisbane - Monday 27 February 2017 

Wellington NZ - Wednesday 1 March 2017

In this early part of the year we see many articles and reports making predictions for the 12 months ahead. Various experts have gazed into their crystal balls to reveal the changes, challenges and enormous potential that 2017 might hold for the association industry. It’s an exciting time for any membership organisation with big goals. So we’ve searched around the world on your behalf and discovered some of the most interesting trends and ideas likely to emerge in the near future. Here’s a snapshot of our findings relevant to the Australian market.

It’s time to use your data

Associations and Association Management Software (AMS) providers have spent much of the past decade looking to upgrade their AMS platforms with more customisations and process capabilities.

Aside from business process optimisation, AMS also allows associations to gather valuable data and insights that can be used for segmenting membership, generating new membership leads from people using your services, or creating a strategic inbound marketing approach. In other words, now is the time to take advantage of all those terabytes of information stored in your database.

In fact, according to Loretta M. DeLuca in Aptify Top Association Management Expert Predictions for 2017, “Aside from a building and its reserve funds, data is arguably the most valuable asset an organization owns. For decades, the ability of AMSs to store more and more data has increased exponentially, yet the ability to extract and manipulate this data to support business planning and decisions has not... I look forward to a 2017 and beyond when organizations will finally be using their data to make strategic, forward-facing decisions” DeLuca states.

This view is widely shared among industry experts:

“We foretell that the core functionality of association management systems (AMSs) will shift from merely being the database of record to providing new levels of actionable insight into membership.”

– Abila Association Predictions For 2017

“Because they have so much content to share and very defined audiences, inbound marketing is an ideal channel for associations. In 2017, in order to build worldwide awareness and demonstrate relevance, associations will rapidly adopt this channel as part of their existing marketing mix.”

– Tony Rossell in Aptify Top Association Management Expert Predictions for 2017

Evolution of learning

Learning and development remains number one among the top reasons members join your association. However, traditional full-day workshops are no longer as effective as they once were. Associations need to be innovative to engage this new audience, or risk falling behind as the ‘evolution of learning’ continues at a rapid pace.

As Abila Association Predictions For 2017 asserts, “The importance of on-demand, online, and mobile learning options, and the value of professional certifications will be on the rise. Educational offerings for not just members, but also the public at-large, will be a big revenue driver for associations.”

Again this opinion is supported elsewhere:

“Associations should focus on helping members work less stressfully, more profitably and more productively in the online learning arena.”

– Mary Byers in Aptify Top Association Management Expert Predictions for 2017

“The continuing growth in interest in social learning and digital badges among associations can be linked to the ever-present challenge of increasing member engagement. Associations are increasingly looking to social learning initiatives to help them connect with and develop an engaged community of members and learners.”

– WBT Systems Blog

Finding new models of operation

So where to next for association leaders? Times are changing, and the consenus is that associations, like other organisations, must accept and embrace the benefits of alternative business models in order to make meaningful progress.

“In 2017 the pressure on association executives to adopt new business models will increase. As a response, they’ll need to be willing to experiment with new ideas rapidly,” argues Amith Nagarajan, Chairman and CEO of Aptify.

This change of direction may include new membership models, partnerships and mergers, along with the acquisition of new revenue sources, among other endeavours.

Here’s what the industry has to say about the potential of updated operations:

“In 2017, associations will finally discover that ‘sales’ is not a dirty word.” – Wes Trochlil in Aptify Top Association Management Expert Predictions for 2017

“This is not to say associations should be run like companies, certainly not. But associations can learn from some of their corporate counterparts to be more businesslike in structure, operations and strategy, while maintaining the purpose, values and ethos of achieving critical (and bone fide) mission goals.” – Omer Soker, www.ethicsofsuccess.com.au

This article was originally sourced from Member Boat.