Specialized Services

Associations can benefit from shared resources by bringing on an AMC to handle administration, consulting, strategic planning, meetings and conventions, finances, government relations, certification, education, membership, publications, marketing, public relations and interactive services.

Meeting planners and executive directors, for instance, are turning to AMCs for myriad services.

Case Study: How AMCs have increased membership.

Administration
AMCs can provide administrative services from supplying office space for your organization's home base to collecting dues, maintaining the membership directory, and answering phones and email inquiries.

Certification
Since AMCs develop and maintain certification programs for existing clients, the firms can put this knowledge to use as a specialized service, including arranging curricula, testing standards and other measures.

Consulting and Strategic Planning
Running a trade association or professional society is similar to running a for-profit business. The same questions need to be asked: How can the organization grow? Where should we get new members? What positioning do we want for our organization with our target audiences?

Financial Management
The accounting standards necessary to keeping 501(C-3) organizations and other like organizations are stringent. An AMC can provide the third-party oversight your organization needs to maintain its financial accountability. When an association hires an AMC, they have another layer of internal and external control as a third layer of accountability. Also, AMCs relieve their association clients of the burden of employment-related liability by assuming 100% of the risk.

Government Relations
What happens in our nation's capital can impact what happens to your association's interests and the individual members. Many AMCs are at the forefront of legislative activity and can represent your interests to Washington.

Marketing
Marketing ideas that have worked with other association clients can be put to work for your association. Whether it's marketing plan development, marketing research, product/service development, advertising or a host of other marketing essentials, AMCs can be your partner in expanding your market presence.

Meeting Planning
As meetings, exhibitions and tradeshows are typically the largest non-dues revenue generator for an association, successful meetings can mean the difference between growing and stagnating. Coordinating and managing meetings can also be a time drain on your staff or volunteers. AMCs are skilled at negotiating with hotels and travel partners, developing themed meetings, marketing the meetings, managing logistics and providing on-site supervision.

Membership
Association members are looking for member value and AMCs are equipped to know the needs of members when it comes to the membership benefit package. Whether it's keeping members involved in the organization or finding new members, AMCs add value to the membership equation by putting the experience and success stories from their association clients to work.

Publications
Whether publishing online, in print or both, AMCs have systems and relationships in place to publish the weekly member newsletter, the monthly magazine or the quarterly research journal that members and other association audiences need and want.

Public Relations
Associations, since they speak for an industry or profession, can find public relations to be an effective outlet for communicating core messages of the organization. AMCs that work with newspaper and magazine reporters, TV and radio producers and Internet journalists can get associations and their issues covered in tomorrow's news story.

Web Services
Today's Internet can provide a wealth of member services and benefits. AMCs are knowledgeable of the features association members are seeking, as well as how to deliver website content and messaging.

Related Articles:

1. Using an AMC to Run Your Meetings, Conferences and Trade Show
2. Lower Your Audit Fees With AMCs?
3. Reducing Liabilities