Does anything trump the economy?
For those of you not already counting down, the 2011 ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo in St. Louis is 60 days away. That means it's the time of year when we start to look ahead to the topics, ideas, and discussions that will be shared at the meeting and examine them here on Acronym.
What better place to start off than the opening general session? This year, the Sunday morning keynote will feature Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough of MSNBCs Morning Joe, who will "dissect the events that are transforming our world."
I'm looking forward to their perspectives, as I enjoyed the global trends expertise shared by Fareed Zakaria at the 2009 Annual Meeting. It's good for association leaders to get some insight on how major political, societal, and economic trends are affecting their work.
This brings me to a big question, though:
Even with a long list of major national and global trends shaping our present and future, does anything but the current state of the economy come close to the top of the list of concerns for an association executive?
Of course, it would be foolish to simply ignore macro trends and events—the rise of the BRIC nations, conflicts in the Middle East, and changing demographics in the United States being just a few examples—but I'd think an association struggling to get attendees for a conference because its members are cutting expenses, for instance, would be more concerned about, well, finding ways to drive attendance at its conference.
So I'll be curious to hear what association execs at Annual say are the most pressing trends facing their organizations and how many of those are related to the economy. For now, I'm curious for your thoughts on the question above. Does anything trump the economy on your list of challenges? Either way, what other macro trends are the most pressing for your association when its leaders discuss strategy?
As August approaches, we'll continue with this format here on Acronym, focusing on important questions related to topics to be discussed at Annual. Sometimes we'll reach out to speakers and presenters to offer their answers, and other times we'll just keep questions open-ended. In any case, your thoughts are welcomed.
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Comments
Our members are Construction Industry and our job is to focus on how to keep the construction industry 'working' during these hard economic times. What future projects (like a pipeline) might create future work for so many? We want our members to know our door is open to them and that we are here to listen to their concerns and be a voice for them. (I don't think our members always realize that.) Yes, I think it really comes down to the economy and how it is affect our members from the construction company to the suppliers to the service organizations and what we can do right now to help them survive.
Posted by: Kimberley Gray | June 8, 2011 1:30 PM
The economy certainly is an important issue, Joe. But for CFA Institute, many other issues trump the economy on our list of "challenges:. As an organization, we weathered the worst of the economic downturn with no ill affects and we continue to prosper & expand globally during the current economy. For us, a greater challenge than the economy is restoring investor trust and maintaining/enhancing our members' (investment professionals) reputations and unerring commitment to the highest ethical standards.
Posted by: Chip Deale | June 13, 2011 9:09 AM
The economy seems to be a good news/bad news issue.
The bad news seems to be a long-term stagnation in the US--not a double-dip recession or a U-shaped recovery, but plenty of Jimmy Carter's "malaise" as we deal with the possibility that the labor markets may be in a new equilibrium that might be best addressed in the long term with retraining and programs that ensure new graduates' skills match the requirements of employers. I keep thinking the 'American exceptionalism' discussions reflect nostalgia as the greatest growth occurs outside the US and probably will for a long time.
The good news is that associations can serve as part of the solution in the labor markets, and continue to serve our missions and support our fields effectively with or without growth. Most of us with 40% market penetration generally serve the 'best' 40% in the field--those most likely to keep their jobs and stay in business. The CFAs will grow but so can most other associations willing to expand domestically and globally, and who are able to scale as their industries and professions adjust to new conditions (driven by economic conditions, technology, etc.)
Posted by: Kevin Whorton | June 14, 2011 9:15 AM