learn, and solve problems with peers. But the association market-
ing message is critical in driving home the theme that “help is on
the way. Come take advantage of it.”
Still another major difference between corporate and associa-
tion events is the decision-making organizational structure. In the
corporate sector, decisions are usually made by a president, a vice
president of marketing, or a branch manager. Regardless, the deci-
sion is usually arbitrary, unimpeded by committee interaction and
passed along as company doctrine to event planners and mar-
keters. The decision making in an association environment is quite
different. One event may be the subject of preferences and debate
among many committees or councils, including the executive com-
mittee, the board of directors, the site selection committee, the ed-
ucation committee, the welcoming committee, the exposition com-
mittee, the spouse activities committee, and many more. Bear in
mind that most of these volunteer leaders have little or no experi-
ence in event management and marketing. Even for the uniniti-
ated, with associations the potential for confusion in direction,
and delay in implementation, is obvious. If you are responsible for
marketing the event, your clear tasks may become much more dif-
ficult to determine even as deadlines become tighter.
Budgetary considerations also vary greatly between corporate
and association events. Corporations typically develop a preset
budget for events, based on overall company projections and per-
ceived value of the event itself. No registration income is antici-
pated because employees attend as part of their employers’ re-
quirements. Expense budgets are based on the overall financial
operating plan and are static (unless a crisis strikes the corpora-
tion, which could affect not just the budget, but the validity of the
event itself). Association budgets are highly varied and adjusted
through time as income and expense factors change. Remember-
ing that attendance is voluntary and less predictable, associations
will monitor registration income carefully and adjust expenses up
or down, depending on whether or not revenue will either create
income over expense or at least cover expenses, as the overall as-
sociation budget may require. Why is this of any importance to
you as the marketing executive? Because when registration fees
are falling short of expectations, additional registration revenue
must be generated. In addition, other revenue may be increased to
compensate for the shortfall. This could include sponsorships, ex-132 Chapter 6 Marketing Corporate Meetings, Products, Services, and Events