The Future of AI in Your Association

During conferences and annual meetings, most associations passively collect behavioral data on attendees as they participate in social events, visit booths or go to sessions. AI has the ability to track and analyze these seemingly disparate data and leverage the insights obtained to improve attendee experience. 

Using the power of AI to blend, consolidate and learn from various data sets like marketing data, engagement data, volunteer and membership data, can help create a more intuitive membership experience. This is because AI can connect dots that individuals and other tech solutions might otherwise miss. 

For instance, AI can help craft a conference buddy system where attendees are matched based on member engagement scores, geographical location and career experience. 

One of the biggest challenges that associations have are busy, five-minute members, or individuals who need a gentle nudge to commit fully to the association’s activities. Using AI, associations can craft more personalized experiences for such members. 

Tracking behavioral data can help provide insights into how these experiences can be created. For instance, AI can dynamically load content into newsletters that such non-committal members like reading. 

Periodically, AI can load content containing special offers about discounts on conference registration rates or free membership webinars. Since these newsletters are already valuable to such members, they are more likely to take action. 

There is a world of difference between the number of members in an association and the number of engaged members. Unengaged members can simply drain resources, as you send countless unread emails, updates and newsletters. 

Engaged members contribute to the good of the association, either through active participation in meetings, serving on vital committees or volunteering for fundraising events. AI analyzes your membership data together to create an active membership persona. 

This persona tells you what type of member is most likely to be engaged, what motives him or her to become involved and how much involvement you can typically expect. 

As younger generations join associations, they are not as interested in the prestige of the association, but in the perceived benefits the association provides to them. That is not to say that younger generations are more selfish than Baby Boomers. They simply view their time as a commodity. 

Research indicates that the top three individual benefits Gen Xers expect from membership are networking, current information regarding their profession, and career development opportunities. AI social analytics gathers up-to-the-minute information from a variety of social media, news articles, and other public sources as well as your association management solution (AMS). 

Using specific algorithms, AI can then rank this information in order of relevance to your association.

Boredom inhibits engagement. Try new ideas and test their success using AI analytics. Try offering new products or programs to a few select members in return for their honest appraisal. Or, try hosting “theme nights” for different aspects of your association’s membership or prospective members. 

Again, use your AI data to track engagement with each new implementation through surveys, feedback during the event, and by monitoring the chat room or community platform. Keep what works and never be afraid to move on to the next new idea – perhaps one suggested by one of your engaged members.