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Looking Back at 2018: Where We've Been and Where We're Going

To celebrate the beginning of a new year, we’re reflecting on what we accomplished in 2018

What a year 2018 was for SBI! We took strides toward adopting new technology, honing best practices, and exploring new innovations to improve our clients’ member experiences – and had fun while doing it! Together with our team of staff, client partners, association volunteers, vendors and business partners, we continued to grow, tackle new challenges, and set the bar high for what we will do in 2019.

Excellent Events

Last year, SBI planned and executed more than 130 local, state, national, and iternational association conferences; regional events; and chapter meetings throughout the US. In total we met with more than 7,000 attendees from seven unique sectors.

But, we didn’t do it alone. It truly takes a village, and our staff worked with hundreds of association volunteers from all over the world who assisted with planning and otherwise supporting these events. We are lucky to work with such kind and dedicated individuals who give freely of their time, and share a goal of success.

New Client Partnerships

We were thrilled to have welcomed six new clients into our ranks who, combined, brought with them more than 30,000 dedicated members and supporters. This includes:

Every new client we take on adds to the breadth of knowledge that we hold as an AMC, pushing us to reach new levels of service and expertise, and we look forward to growing alongside these new partners over the next several years.

Professional Development

Our growing company is made up of growing professionals!

It is important to us to celebrate team and individual successes, and this year we had a lot to celebrate.  Particularly, 2018 was a strong year for continued education at SBI. We are most proud of Shantaé Young, who completed her master’s degree in marketing. Our Events team continues to impress: nearly all team members have earned or are pursuing their Certified Meetings Professional (CMP) credentials. In addition, several staff members have themselves become members of professional associations to assist them in their professional advancement and continued education. Cheers to that!

Giving Back

Our clients and the association community inspire us to do more and be better. In 2018, we participated in several giving projects for our local Seattle area. We held a food drive for our entire office building in support of Northwest Harvest, raising more than 100 pounds of perishable food items for those in need. We also supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Giving tree program, providing 20 gifts for children during the holiday season.

Industry Connections and Events

Connecting with friends and partners from the AMC and association communities is one of the best parts of our work. In 2018 we sent staff to represent SBI at the Washington Society of Association Executives (WSAE) Annual Convention in Yakima, Washington; the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois; the first-ever MC LIVE! conference put on by MemberClicks in Indianapolis, Indiana; and Washington State Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Annual Chapter Awards here in Seattle, Washington.

Technology Enhancements

Last year, we reached our goal of moving each of our clients who are on MemberClicks to their new, upgraded AMS platform for improved navigation, easier event registration, member application and renewal processes, and stunning visual updates (to name a few!). We want to continue this trend and introduce our clients to even more new technologies and continue to find innovative solutions to meet their growing needs.


…and setting new goals for 2019:

We hope you will continue to follow along with SBI’s endeavors. We understand that our client success is strongly tied to our own, and in 2019 we’ll be putting more of an emphasis on their needs relevant to member recruitment, retention, and event marketing.

We have room to grow, and are always looking to embrace new partnerships. We are excited about the opportunity to meet, learn, and partner with more national and international associations in the coming year.

You don’t have to watch from the sidelines! Connect with us to stay tuned for employment opportunities, your chance to help support new community giving projects, help us celebrate staff advancement, welcome new partnerships, follow our travels around the country, and more!

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