When the National Vehicle Leasing Association (NVLA) came to Association Acumen in 2014, the independent leasing community had been severely impacted by the Great Recession. Their net assets had dwindled and their marquee fund-raising event for the next year had not been booked.
“NVLA had a dedicated group of board members who had to roll up their sleeves during the recession and understand that they needed to find a new management partner, said NVLA Executive Director Mike Mathy, CAE. “The combination of their enthusiasm, their passion for the industry, coupled with the organizational structure that Association Acumen brings as an association management company, helped fuel their growth.”
“It all started with a plan,” said Mathy, “We sat down together and talked about their needs and where they wanted to be in a year. We built a two-pronged attack, one centering around membership and the other concentrated on generating great attendance and financial support for the Annual Meeting.”
According to Mathy, that approach helped stem the tide and get NVLA back on solid ground, propelling it for future growth as the economy continued to improve and as businesses in the vehicle leasing space found a need to join an association again. NVLA currently has a healthy bank balance, its net assets have risen dramatically and its conference registration has increased by 48%.
“The keys to a successful transition are organization and creating a detailed plan. Step one of the Association Acumen Proven Process focuses on our transition,” said Bill Elliott, CAE, Acumen’s Vice President of Operations. “When we’re bringing in a new client, we have a very detailed plan and we make sure we’re not missing a beat. But we know questions will also come up, so we lean on volunteer leaders for historical knowledge.”
Association Acumen’s onboarding transition process includes a thorough review of all association policies and procedures, mandatory documents, the current committee structure and an audit of all existing systems, including meetings, membership, communications and financial. To watch a video about transitioning your AMC, click here.
“We’re committed to providing a smooth and comprehensive transition to our clients,” Elliott said. “We’ve done it many times and we’re proud of that.”