The Association of Association Executives (AAE) is strengthening its member base in India by launching an India-specific website and converting its Association Leaders Forum to an annual affair.
“There are two ways that association executives can be part of AAE, one is through subscription, while the other is through a membership. As a member you have to be more involved, as you are on an intelligence panel and need to answer surveys,” explained Damian Hutt, executive director of AAE.
AAE currently has 90 members and 6,000 subscribers in the country.
At present, AAE has one global website, and is planning to launch an India-specific website for association executives in June 2018. The association will have India-based staff to ensure that the website has the right content to engage the local member base.
As well, AAE organised its second Association Leaders’ Forum in New Delhi in partnership with KW Conferences last month, where 22 representatives from different Indian associations participated.
Hutt shared: “We are keen to convert our Association Leaders Forum into an annual conference. This year, we plan to do (it as) a two-day event and are thinking about organising different sessions for trade associations and individual member organisations.”
He pointed out that AAE has learnt a lot about the different challenges faced by associations in India through the annual forum.
“The whole idea of Association Leaders’ Forum is to have very small working groups where you are addressing associations, societies and federations, focusing on some of the challenges they face in terms of driving membership, and keeping them engaged. The event also focuses on conference development, and how to get more attendees at a time when there are multiple meetings happening in metro cities,” said Monimita Sarkar, managing director, KW Conferences.
Other aspects the forum covered included sponsorship development, a need for more collaboration and partnership between associations, and ensuring exhibitor sales in a price-conscious market.
