I believe that 2025 will continue to be an exercise in flexibility, change management and some continued uncertainty for associations. The landscape for most industries continues to change at an accelerating pace, fueled by social, economic, and technological influences. Understanding what is, and is not, flexible for your association is key – and keeping those static truths and needs at the forefront when planning will serve associations well in the long run.
These inflexible guidelines tend to include your mission, your responsibility to remain fiscally responsible to your membership, and the need to communicate and connect with your membership. When times are uncertain, members tend to look toward their associations for guidance, insights into trends, and the ability to connect with their fellow members. This human connection will remain a key element of what members look to associations to provide – particularly in light of the technological advancements that continue to evolve and take on previously human responsibilities.
We’ll continue to see costs increase this year, particularly with event fees for food and beverage, audio visual and other related expenses. While tariffs loom large as a question mark for the US market, trends indicate a continued rising cost in food and labor.1 Similar to eggs, poultry and beef impacted by the avian flu outbreaks in livestock in the US – the LA fires this month will also have an impact on the US food supply chain which will continue to drive the cost of food up this year.1 The FTC ruling in December 2024 on junk fees could have some strong impact on contracting for meetings, resulting in higher room nights (though possibly removing or lowering resort fees) or impacting service fees paid on food and beverage charges by associations. The final impact of this ruling could result in a net wash for associations, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out as the industry adjusts to this change – and how it could potentially open negotiations that positively impact the total spend by associations for conferences or other events.