Association management company

An association management company (AMC) is a group of skilled professionals who provides management, specialized administrative services to trade associations and professional societies in an efficient, cost-effective manner. AMCs take a for-profit approach to not-for-profit management and run associations like a business. AMCs manage associations of varying sizes (from 10 members to 10,000 members) and annual budgets (from $50,000 to $16 million).

Over the years, associations have grown in number and size. Managing these associations has become increasingly complex. association management companies are skilled in the complexity and changes taking place in industry professions, technology and government regulations.

The AMC model affords association clients the characteristics of economies of scale, experience in the association marketplace, flexibility and adaptability, buying power, and centralized facilities. Other catalysts behind the growth of the AMC industry has been shrinking association budgets, the weak economy and consolidating industries within association membership.

Additionally, association leaders (members of boards of directors at associations) are often volunteers at companies who are finding less and less time from their daily responsibilities at the office to devote to association matters. As a result, association leaders look to AMCs for professional management and other professional services.

Many decisions, from the smallest to the most crucial, have to be made in an association. AMCs allow the leadership at associations to put more energy into their industries and professions rather than into administrative tasks.

AMCs typically provide strategic planning; financial management; [[executive management]; membership development; [[marketing] & public relations; educational & professional development; communication services; Meeting & [[event planning]; Cost-Effective Solutions; personnel, equipment, facilities & budget; and administrative tasks. Associations can utilize an AMC for full service management, whereby the AMC location becomes the association's headquarters.

Additionally, AMCs -- due to their understanding of association management dynamics -- are brought into an association as an outsource partner for specialized services such as meetings management, membership marketing, public relations and website development.

The first AMC was founded in 1886. Since 1986, the AMC industry (number of Association Management Companies) has grown by 150%. There are an estimated 676 AMCs located in 48 states and 11 other countries. The AMC industry serves more than 4,600 associations, encompassing nearly 5 million association members.