The main sources of association funding used to be annual membership dues and tradeshow revenue. That has altered in the previous five years, with learning and continuing education now the major revenue stream.
Every profession has regional, national, and worldwide associations vying for membership. Whatever your profession is, there is an association for you. The American Society of Association Executives reports 86,054 associations in the US alone.
Most of these careers require continuing education to earn and retain a license. Associations generate and sell information to professionals to meet their continuing education requirements. Education and e-learning have both benefited from technological advancements, providing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven portfolio management to learners/members and trainers via an easy-to-use smartphone application or a web-based Association Training LMS.
Technology has transformed the education and eLearning industry a lot. But, in the case of associations, how effective can it be?