ABPCO Column
COME
AND
JOIN THE
GREAT-
EST
SHOW
ON
EARTH
Written by Kate Sargent
Kate Sargent, co-chair of ABPCO, says
associations are failing to talk to the younger
generations – and it could be their downfall
This issue’s focus on youth, and how
associations can engage more effectively
with young people, is one of the biggest
challenges facing our industry.
Associations live or die based on
their membership levels, and active
engagement among their community.
Younger members are energetic,
enthusiastic individuals with a desire to
develop their careers, and a huge depth
of talent in all fields.
Why, then, is it such an issue to
attract new members among younger
communities?
The answer isn’t to be found in a social
media strategy, a fashionable logo or a
celebrity speaker at an event. Those are,
frankly, just patronising attitudes that
don’t appeal, because in most cases the
potential younger members simply don’t
know your association exists in the first
place.
Some associations, particularly in the
medical sector, are well known because
individuals need to join to practice,
complete exams or obtain insurance.
Although in the majority of cases
associations exist to add significant value,
they are not a necessity - therefore their
profile and knowledge of their existence
is often far less than people appreciate.
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that a
younger version of myself was finding my
way into the world of events.
I accidentally slipped into the world
of associations, but up until that point I
had no idea what they were, what value
they added, or why I should join one.
If you don’t believe me, ask your (non-
work) friends next time you catch up, ask
your family…chances are high that they
won’t have a clue what an association
is, or which one they could, and perhaps
should, be a member of.
If you are lucky enough to be among
those associations that are known by
www.aenetwork.co.uk
your target audience, take a close look
at yourself and consider what messages
you are portraying. Is your desire to
be appealing to a diverse group of
younger members hampered by a board
that is ‘stale, pale and male’? Is your
content appealing to those recently
joining the industry, or incredibly dull
and introspective? Do your events feel
uncomfortable for newcomers, who are
going to struggle with the networking?
It is all too easy to become insular and
forget future generations. Association
event management, while one of the
most interesting, challenging and creative
types of event management, is still an
unknown to most people joining our
industry. They leave education with heads
full of ideas about experiential promo
events, launches, festivals and weddings,
with no idea of the conferencing world
(unless they are lucky enough to go to
one of a handful of forward-thinking
universities).
Associations need more youthful
members; association event management
needs a younger workforce. There is
nothing dull about what any of us do, and
we have the power to change the world
with our events.
We just have to get the message out.
“Ask your
friends, ask your
family…chances
are high that
they won’t have
a clue what an
association is.”
5