Association Management Case Studies

• Advancing a Technology Association's Global Goals

• Building Win-Win in Electrical Distribution

• Creating a Window of Opportunity for a Trade Association

• Public Relations Powers a Global Organization

Advancing a Technology Association’s Global Goals

Client Profile

The client is a non-profit, member-governed organization whose mission promotes and encourages the management of application software development and maintenance through the use a standard methodology for software sizing. The association also provides a range of services and forums for networking and information exchange to promote the use of software product/process metrics.

Challenge

Aggressively grow the organization’s membership internationally and enhance its leadership opportunities and stature on a global scale.

Solution

Professional Certification

CMA worked with the group to better leverage and expand its professional certification initiative. CMA provided comprehensive management and administration of the testing and certification, while expanding the number of testing locations worldwide. Within three years, the number of certification exams grew from a handful to over 800 exams taken in 28 international locations. The result was increased global recognition of the certification designation and, as membership is a requirement for certification, membership grew exponentially.

Event Management

CMA’s turnkey event planning and seasoned on-site event management services have increased the participation, quality, success and cost-effectiveness of major association events as well as enhanced their international stature as important industry forums.

Financial management and member services administration

CMA provides the group with comprehensive in-house financial oversight and CPA financial and tax services to achieve a results-driven focus on financial goals, while also serving as the organization’s physical headquarters for all membership communications and dues administration.

In partnership with CMA, the association has steadily grown in membership and significance as a global leadership voice in the software measurement community. Today, the group enjoys an expanding membership of individual, corporate, educational and institutional members from more than 30 countries.

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Building Win-Win in Electrical Distribution

Client Profile

The client is a rapidly growing national marketing group of more than 1,000 independent mid-market electrical distributors.

Challenge

Grow the group’s membership and enhance participation in the programs and events to increase distributor members’ business growth and build sales volume of affiliated vendor manufacturers’ products.

Solution

Group publication

CMA overhauled the group’s quarterly newsletter into an industry leading four-color magazine. CMA also initiated advertising support, which increased pages five-fold in four years, dramatically bolstering the group publication’s industry stature and profitability as a revenue source.

Member incentive programs

CMA originated and administers the Incentive program, which provides distributors the opportunity to redeem points for an arsenal of marketing communications materials—from direct mail, newsletters and promotions to public relations and websites—fully customized and professionally produced by CMA to meet members’ needs for greater marketplace visibility and a bolder business development presence.

Corporate communications

CMA provides copy and design for many of the group’s corporate, program and event materials, ensuring a high impact brand identity is consistent across the organization's various member and promotional communications.

The impact of CMA’s program innovations and communications initiatives on the client’s behalf has greatly enhanced the group’s marketplace visibility and industry success. CMA’s partnership with the organization has resulted in a 45 percent membership increase, double-digit growth in the Incentive program as well as increased participation in other programs and events.

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Creating a Window of Opportunity for a Trade Association

Client Profile

The client represents window and door manufacturers and suppliers to advance the goal of providing affordable access to information and education regarding market and sales trends, regulatory building codes and new technologies shaping the window and door marketplace.

Challenge

The client sought a full service association management company that could manage and advance all aspects of the association and its programs.

Solution

Event management

CMA’s turnkey event planning and seasoned on-site event management services have increased the quality, success and cost effectiveness of the major client events and enhanced its stature as important industry forums.

Financial management and member services administration

CMA provides the client with comprehensive, in-house financial oversight as well as CPA financial and tax services to achieve a results-driven focus on financial goals. CMA serves as the client’s physical headquarters for all membership communications, prospect member outreach and dues administration allowing for effective and consistent dues renewal and member communications.

Marketing communications

The CMA in-house marketing group created a communications program which included an annual member directory, a prospect member kit as well as promotional and on-site materials for annual meetings. CMA also provides design and copy for the client’s quarterly newsletter, which features member news as well as technical and building code articles. CMA's public relations group generates industry visibility of the association’s philanthropic support for the Northeast chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

CMA full service administrative and event management, membership services and communication strategies have strengthened the client’s ability to provide important benefits to its members and furthered its mission as an industry leader.

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Public Relations Powers a Global Organization

Client Profile

The client serves the plastic transaction (credit) card industry, from plastic card manufacturers and suppliers to major card issuing organizations and equipment vendors.

Challenge

Leverage ongoing media relations to increase membership and support the worldwide stature of an established trade association.

Solution

Global trade media relations

CMA continues to roll out strategic PR programs, which include developing and placing bylined feature articles in national and international trade publications. This consistent editorial development addresses a variety of industry topics and trends.

Consistent and proactive PR

Additionally, CMA develops press releases on an ongoing basis, keeping the association consistently visible in the trade and business media by announcing new milestones, new members, association-specific tradeshows, industry award winners and scholarship programs.

With the help of CMA’s public relation expertise, the client has achieved increased membership, industry prestige and heightened global awareness. More importantly, the association is recognized as the voice for the plastic card industry worldwide.

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