What Sponsorship Trends Also Reveal About the Future of Membership

In a September 2022 Associations Now article, sponsorship consultant Bruce Rosenthal noted how the pandemic has accelerated the demand for customized sponsorship opportunities, including thought leadership, greater member access, and something beyond the average expo-hall booth.

Facing rising costs across the board, individuals are forced to look closely at what really matters to them when it comes to choosing which association memberships to join or remain members of and which ones they should pass on.

More choices also increase the demand for personalization and connection. Associations cannot be everything to everyone, but at the same time, they must accommodate the diverse needs and interests of their members to operate globally.

Gabriella Lehimdjian, communications manager at ASIS International, noted that while the tiered model is a good strategy, a lot of associations are having a hard time getting members to know and use all the benefits that are available to them. This leads to a gap between the value of membership recognized and understood by association staff and the perceived value by current or potential members.

As the world continues to give people customized content and offer opportunities to pay for exactly what they want, associations will need to reimagine benefit structures to remain attractive and competitive.