from fellowship, fun, and conviviality to education and idea
sharing?
■Does the new president want to be featured as the corner-
stone of the event, unlike her predecessor who wished to re-
main in the background?
■Is this event intended to proclaim dramatic changes in orga-
nizational structure, as well as plans for a new headquarters
building?
■Will the coming year be dedicated to new alliances with in-
dustry entities, the momentum for which will be developed
at the annual convention?The point is that marketing strategies must reflect the priori-
ties favored by elected leadership and paid staff, and those asso-
ciation priorities may be much more fluid than will usually be
found with corporate events, the leadership of which is more en-
trenched. That being the case, the corporation’s goals are typically
more identifiable—namely, please the shareholders (stakeholders)
and energize and reward the employees.
STAKEHOLDERS
Stakeholders for any event can be described as those who hold a
personal and compelling interest in the success of that event. For
an association, stakeholders clearly will include board and com-
mittee members, staff, event attendees, and exhibitors. Look even
further, however, for other stakeholders who rely on marketing for
a successful and well-attended event that will fill their needs and
expectations. These will include suppliers (e.g., event facilities,
caterers, transportation companies, exhibit designers and decora-
tors, speakers, entertainers, and security companies). And exam-
ining even further, local merchants, host-city attractions, labor
union personnel, the convention bureau, and the chamber of com-
merce certainly have a stake in an attendance-rich event.
And how does that happen? It happens through a combination
of pertinent programming and creative marketing.The greatest
challenge? Understanding the purposeof the event and the orga-
nizational goals that have been identified by elected leadership
and salaried staff. The greatest opportunity? Translating those
The Association: A Unique Business Model 103