SmithBucklin Outlines 20 Association Trends for 2019

Celebrating its 70th year in business, association management firm SmithBucklin has released its 16th annual Circuit publication, which includes 20 association trends for the new year.

Topping the list for 2019 is approaching situations from a different vantage point. "What you see and what you experience depends a lot on your perspective," wrote SmithBucklin president and CEO Matt Sanderson in the publication. "The best experiences are created by many pieces -- and many people -- coming together."

Trend number two is the attention to diversity and inclusion. The publication cites a recent study by Vetted Solutions, a talent-recruiting firm for associations, which found that 84 percent of associations focus on diversity and inclusion because they feel it is "the right thing to do." However, just 55 percent of the respondents said they believe it made "great business sense," and just 19 percent said it was "helpful to our profitability."

Ultimately, said Vetted Solutions' president and CEO Jim Zaniello in Circuit, associations need to define what diversity means based on the demographics of the industry or profession they're serving, in order to establish benchmarks and measure their progress against those markers.

Rounding out the top five trends for associations this year were:

• Associations should rethink what their value for their members. Offerings that increase members' efficiency make for happier and more satisfied participants and provide more value than strategies simply designed to engage.

• Organizations with "character" are more successful and better at sustaining their worth to their audiences. According to Circuit, "This is particularly true among associations, where high-character leaders -- as fiduciaries and stewards of the organizations -- are essential to long-term success."

• For number five, SmithBucklin touts "the power of outrageous fun." As association events try to stand out from the crowds of similar events and online services, "planners must constantly strive to make their events stand out, create buzz, make memories and leave attendees counting down the days to the next conference."

Source:  Northstarmeetingsgroup.com