The last several posts have been focused on 2007, but now that we’re into 2008, I feel some predictions are in order. I have placed a call to the Psychic Hotline, and here’s what they had to say about the things that will happen in the association industry in 2008…
- There will be a really cool new association launched that will generate huge buzz in the association community.
- Six more blogs about associations will be hatched.
- Everyone will complain about the new IRS form 990.
- ASAE & The Center will debut two new research projects. One will be great, the other… not so much.
- Acronym will get redesigned and the President & CEO of the Center, Susan Sarfati, will start blogging there.
- Associations will really get interested in Facebook. Meanwhile, something like Second Life, but better, will be introduced and there’ll be another land rush among early adopters.
- People will be saying “As good as Nashville” in the San Diego Convention Center during ASAE & The Center’s 2008 Annual Meeting (that would be a compliment, for readers who didn’t attend 2005’s Annual Meeting).
- The backchannel will be back and better than ever.
- There will be another Association Social Media Unconference or perhaps a Blog Camp for association folk.
- There will still be no movement on an EMSAL.
Tagged: Association Management; Associations; CAE; Certified Association Executive
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I’ve been aggressively promoting Facebook among our staff and made a Facebook group available for members. It’s been a bit slower to take off than a similar group I created for my national church organization, but that’s probably more to do with the high number of youth in the latter group.
But today I got a note from the CEO that he’s got some ideas on incorporating Facebook into several educational initiatives our association is doing. I’m stoked to see our organization adapting (and adopting) so readily!
I’ve also seen a slower-than-expected response to our facebook group. Our facebook group is more popular by just 60%, and I’m surprised to see such interest in the LinkedIn group, given that LinkedIn is only 33% the size of facebook.
Not sure if this will meet your prediction for the new association, but I’m attending a conference this month that is convening a group I am sure will consider becoming an ongoing community. It’s called VizThink. Check it out at vizthink.com.
We’ve had WAY more interest in our Facebook page than we’d anticipated–we’re closing in on 6,000 fans, and the page has only been up for about 2 months. Linkedin, not so much–we only have about 250 members. Then again, the Linkedin group is limited to members and the Facebook page isn’t.