As someone who has worked in the hotel industry and been with Easter Associates for almost 20 years, this cancellation complication has been on my mind heavily. The way I see it, there are two main outcomes of a conference that associations will struggle most with due to cancellations: finances and networking. In-person events are one of an association’s primary revenue sources.

At Easter Associates, we pride ourselves on delivering a wide variety of services to our clients. One of the most important is lobbying and government relations. Being a successful lobbyist is a specialized skill, and Easter Associates’ staff excel at familiarizing ourselves with the issues facing our clients’ industries and acting as an advocate for their positions.

Managing an association of any size is no easy task, especially if you don’t have the right association management system (AMS) to keep track of all the moving parts. Here at Easter Associates, we utilize a specialized association management system that was developed in-house.

Successful membership emails disseminate information, increase attendance at events, and generate new membership while enhancing member loyalty. Are your association’s emails accomplishing these objectives?

As we approach the end of 2020, year-end planning for your association should be top-of-mind to prepare for the new year and stay on track with your organization’s goals.

I watched my dad create and grow Easter Associates, and now as President & CEO I’m honored to keep the tradition going. When Peter Easter started our company in 1976, associations throughout Virginia grappled with the time consuming and tedious aspects of managing their organization. Now, 44 years later, association leaders have even more responsibility because of competition, financial demands, technology trends, additional modes of marketing, and more.

It’s been months since many of us have been able to take meetings in our office. Our home is filled with constant distractions; we do our best to contribute on work calls, but it’s challenging to stay engaged.

John, a volunteer member of the board of directors of a mid-sized association in Roanoke, VA called, and the stress he was feeling resonated through the phone.

Members are the lifeblood of any association, and being able to grow and retain members is year-round work.