Guiding Associations

Acumen Blog

2024 Predictions: Associations & the Renewed Focus on Soft Skills in the Workplace

by Lori Conaway, CAE | Mar 14, 2024 | Acumen Blog, Acumen Education, Association Management, Leadership

Data, technology, and automation have dominated business headlines for the past several decades. At the same time, increased reliance on automation and AI have highlighted the need to counter technical aptitudes with soft skills in the professional setting....

This is Not a Drill: Conference Hotel Construction

by Association Acumen | Feb 2, 2024 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership, Meetings & Conferences

By Suzanne Fedie, CAE, and Edith Chavez Like most organizations in 2020, our association client successfully navigated the challenges from COVID in several meaningful ways, including rolling over its 2020 conference hotel contract to October 2023. Little did...

Meetings in 2024: Exciting New Trends

by Julie Frinzi | Jan 30, 2024 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership, Meetings & Conferences

According to SEC Newgate EU, an integrated public relations and public affairs consultancy in Brussels, it’s time for associations to have some fun and open the doors to all. Here are five exciting event trends happening in 2024. DEI Everywhere – Diversity, Equity and...

More Thoughts on AI: Where Are We Going?

by Suzanne Fedie, CAE | Jan 30, 2024 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership

While there are many benefits to working with an Association Management Company (AMC), one of the most visible is efficiency. As Association Acumen asserts, “All associations are different, but many of them have similar needs – great AMCs leverage this and create...

2024 Artificial Intelligence Update: Where Are We Now?

by Elizabeth Schlicht, CAE | Jan 30, 2024 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership

Last year, my 2023 prediction was that we’d start seeing large gains in AI become integrated in more technologies and industries – including association applications. And we did see a large number of technologies start incorporating more AI-powered features. The...

Simple and Surprising Ways to Beat Rising Meeting Costs

by Julie Frinzi | Nov 20, 2023 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership, Meetings & Conferences

According to Meetingsnet.com, most key meeting expenses are up well over 20 percent even as inflation across the economy has fallen. One of the biggest areas of a conference budget is the food and beverage - costs are up 25% and wages for hospitality staff are up 20%....

Retaining Members Post-Pandemic-Increasing Member Benefits and Promoting Value

by Association Acumen | Oct 23, 2023 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership, Membership

By Matt Close, Membership & Communications Manager You’ve ditched the facemasks; your social distancing is in closer proximity, and you’re no longer hoarding toilet paper – now what? How do you blend the new norm to the old like a fine wine? The post-pandemic...

Operating on a Tight Budget

by Association Acumen | Oct 23, 2023 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Budget & Finance, Leadership

By Edith Chavez and Kassie Davis Everyone today seems to be operating on a tight budget and associations are no exception. While organizations want to continue providing benefits to the members and striving towards their mission, they need to think about their...

Hybrid Meetings: How Successful Are They?

by Jennifer Stalsberg | Sep 22, 2023 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership, Meetings & Conferences

Very few people had experienced a hybrid meeting or video conference call outside of a board room until it became the norm for all conferences and networking opportunities during the pandemic. But as many association meetings are returning to in-person, does hybrid...

You Complete Me. Servant Leadership Makes Us All Better.

by Caley Mutrie, CAE, IOM | Sep 22, 2023 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership

“It wasn’t just about the money, was it? Was it… Was it?” ~ Jerry McGuire Servant leadership has a long history as a philosophy of conduct but a relatively recent tenure as a formal leadership model. “Servant leadership” is generally attributed to Robert K....