Re-Thinking Membership Models: Key Insights from the CMA CEO Workshop

HAI staff was fortunate to be among more than 35 association executives who came together at the National Association of Manufacturers’ Washington, D.C. headquarters in April for a CEO Workshop on the topic of "Rethinking Membership Models.” The session, organized by the Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA), explored innovative membership strategies that are driving success today—and shaping the future. 

Key takeaways included the importance of data-driven decision-making, the need to continuously demonstrate member value, and the impact of compelling storytelling. The following is a summary of insights that association executives can bring back to their staff and their Boards.

Setting the Stage - Data, Trends & Insights

Nikki Golden, CAE, of Association Laboratory set the stage for the workshop by sharing results from a recent survey of trade associations as well as her insights as a strategic consultant:

• Member retention, acquisition & engagement top the worry list. Association Laboratory’s 14-year longitudinal study shows these three concerns eclipsing all others for today’s associations.

• Competition is coming from unexpected places. For-profit start-ups and self-organizing LinkedIn/Facebook groups present alternatives to traditional trade associations.

• Membership is a “data problem.” Know your member data and your Association Management System (AMS) and its capabilities. Treat your AMS as a strategic asset—clean data enables segmentation, quality research, personalized messaging, engagement metrics, and other insights.

• Patience matters. Rolling out a new model is a three-year journey. Invest early in change-management communications.

• Communicate, then communicate again and again! Effective, frequent communication to all stakeholders is vital to success when rolling out any changes to the membership model. 

From the Panel - Success Stories and Lessons Learned

A panel of CMA members and association leaders took the stage to share insights and lessons learned as they made significant shifts in their membership models.  

Judy Mulcahy, Chief Operating Officer, Alliance for Automotive Innovation

Starting Point

• Association centered around public policy development and advocacy

• Auto industry facing multifaceted headwinds in 2023

Key Moves

• Created a 2035 Roadmap

• Interviewed 37 board and executive committee members

• Roadmap Initiatives include:

• Storytelling with compelling thought leadership

• Advocacy and policy solutions

• Business Intelligence (Data, Trends, Market Research)

Results 

• New OEMs entered as members

• Revised governance structure

• Increased revenue generated by the plan over three years

Susan Avery, CEO, International Assn. of Plastics Distribution

Starting Point

• Distributor-centric model in 2006, holding 90% of board seats

• Distributors paid higher sliding dues based on revenue

• Manufacturers, resin suppliers, reps paid flat fee

Key Moves

• Unified sliding dues scale for all full members

• Board seats limited to 51% distributors (down from 90%)

• Reinvested in the association with programs and gov’t relations

• Focused on what members can’t do alone

• Created dashboards and scorecards

Results 

• Increased engagement from manufacturers/resin producers

• Association became problem-solving platform

• Move from transactional to indispensable, through strategic alignment

Sara Truesdale Mooney, President, Hargrove Association Insights, SVP, Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Starting Point

• Desire to innovate membership model and increase member engagement

• No substantive dues increase for over a decade

Key Moves

• Utilized data-driven insights from AMS engagement data and new research on value and price perception to make decisions.

• Confirmed current model is meeting member needs.

• Initiated at-risk, onboarding, and other new programs to increase engagement

• Restructured dues table and increased dues according to perception data

• Member communications over a one-year period

Results

• Significant revenue increase to support added member services and new initiatives

• Grew member count, retention, and satisfaction

• Engagement scores more than doubled

Dialogues - Roundtable Outcomes

After the panel presentation, executives engaged in roundtable discussions addressing key questions and made the following points:

1. Long-term goals first. Consult your strategic plan goals before deciding on the membership model. Alignment of member value with your plan is key.

2. Consider member types. Determine how you will address non-members who don’t fit into the current membership model, i.e. partners, suppliers, and vendors. 

3. Examine AMS Dashboards. Examine the utility of dashboards in your AMS to monitor results and make data-driven decisions.

4. Create member personas. Create personas to help identify differences between types of members. Personas can help with marketing and targeting relevant services.

5. Member complexity tiers. Participants explored segmenting not just by size (small/medium/large) but by operational complexity—offering a “light-touch” bundle for low-complexity firms and robust services for high-complexity players.

6. Metrics validate decisions. Participants recommended adding KPIs and OKRs as “gate checks” before green-lighting new offerings. Facts and numbers resonate with board members.

Top Takeaways

In summary, the top takeaways that attendees came away with from the CMA workshop were the following:

From data points to turning points—discover what’s next for your organization >> Let’s Chat.