New Economic Impact Study Shows Surprising Confidence Yet Signals Concerns for Association Community

“Although some of the research confirms what we hear anecdotally from associations operating in a soft economy, other findings are somewhat surprising and counter-intuitive to what we assumed to be industry-wide trends,” said ASAE & The Center President and CEO John H. Graham IV, CAE. “For example, many associations are emphasizing virtual experiences right now, which is probably good planning, but the study clearly shows that the members who participated in the study want to meet face-to-face instead, and may even skip some more localized events that they would normally attend in order to afford a larger, distant meeting where the perceived value is high. This study really speaks volumes about what members want and value from their associations, and should be a great resource for associations as they adapt to these changing economic conditions.”