An Association Management Company: What is it?
If you haven’t spoken to or worked with an association management company (AMC) lately, you may be surprised by the endless opportunities an AMC can provide to associations.
For more than a century, association management companies have been helping trade associations and professional societies run smoother, but not all association professionals know exactly what an AMC is or the scope of services they can provide.
As my colleague Wendy Weiser discussed earlier this month, an association management company is “a professional service company that provides management and administrative services to associations on a fee-for-service basis. AMCs provide staff, office support, office space, tech support and equipment, typically for multiple associations at one time. An AMC can benefit its association clients by streamlining office tasks and tech systems, and exercising bulk purchasing power on behalf of its clients.”
AMCs offer unprecedented management with quick responsiveness and flexibility. 
Full-service or outsourced services – the scope and benefits of each for your association.
Endless benefits for staffing, financial, operational and long-term capabilities; an AMC is the ticket for knocking out daunting tasks.
For over a century, association management companies have been helping trade associations and professional societies run smoother, but not all association professionals know exactly what an AMC is or the scope of services they can provide.
As my colleague Wendy Weiser discussed earlier this month, an association management company is “a professional service company that provides management and administrative services to associations on a fee-for-service basis. AMCs provide staff, office support, office space, tech support and equipment, typically for multiple associations at one time. An AMC can benefit its association clients by streamlining office tasks and tech systems, and exercising bulk purchasing power on behalf of its clients.”
According to American Association of Association Executives (ASAE), for more than 110 years, the association management industry has continuously grown to more than 600 service providers worldwide that work with associations representing 3 million+ members. AMC’s provide association clients with management capabilities, quick responsiveness and flexibility. If your organization becomes short-staffed or doesn’t have the financial resources to afford the powerful back-end technology needed to keep your website, membership database, complex benefit programs, career center and continuing education certification programs humming along, an AMC can be the ticket to accomplishing these daunting tasks.
Full-Service or Selective Outsource?
The AMC Institute outlines two frameworks from which association management companies operate: full-service and outsourced services. Within a full-service framework, the management company handles management of operations, including membership, marketing, policy development and legal and risk management. In addition to operations management, the management company takes responsibility for management of daily operations related to staffing, office space, equipment, contracts, technologies and member services.
Within the outsourced services framework, an AMC delivers specialized support to a client in one or several specific areas of operations, ranging from expositions and trade shows to managing financials to fine-tuning Web communications and social media. Outsourced services allow associations to implement additional help where needed with the assistance of an AMC.
Regardless of the specific needs your association might have, AMCs make managing associations easier.
Benefits
Choosing to work with an AMC can significantly streamline your operations, giving your association long-term staffing and financial benefits.
Operational and staffing benefits include:
- Complete customization of staff and services
- Specialized know-how among AMC management
- Daily operation and long-term staff management
- Enhancements to resource allocation
- Unparalleled management practices, resources, and technology
Financial benefits include:
- Shared resources
- Increased buying power
- Reduction of exposure to industry risks
Long-term benefits include:
- Higher satisfaction levels among members derived from responsiveness and professionalism offered by AMCs
- Allowing board members to refocus priorities on strategic decisions, rather than daily operations
- Innovation within strategic development
- Ability to expand organizational capabilities without excessive obligations and overtime
Regardless of your needs, an AMC can streamline management capabilities. It can also enable an association to focus energy in pertinent aspects while handling the lingering operational obligations.
Are you considering hiring (or re-hiring) an AMC? Check out Wendy Weiser’s insightful article 7 Questions to Ask When Hiring an Association Management, or Hank Berkowitz’s article for scenarios to ponder before signing on the dotted line.
Caroline Dumas is a graduating senior at Georgia College studying marketing. She is completing an internship with Naylor’s marketing department.
