The Kansas City Society of Association Executives (KCSAE) is dedicated to elevating the profiles of the Kansas City associations, educating public officials and to enhancing the performance of its members. In order to achieve this mission, KCSAE offers membership in an organization of 230 people, representing more than 70 associations in the Kansas City area. The monthly educational programs, the annual conference and various special events facilitate the professional advancement of the KC association community and provide unique networking opportunities. The monthly newsletter and website provide practical tips and tools for association executives and their business partners to ensure the success of their business. Finally, the KCSAE membership directory and listserver will give you access to 230 professionals that are committed to the growing KC association market.

The Kansas City Society of Association Executives is:

• Dedicated to raising the profile of Kansas City associations through public awareness and educating public officials, while advancing the professionalism of association management.
  
• Enhancing the performance of its association members and promoting unique marketing opportunities to its business partners who serve associations.
  
• A 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation that operates through an elected board of directors chosen annually by its membership. Its membership is made up of nearly 180 association members and 80 allied business members.
  
• An allied society of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the largest organization of association executives and industry suppliers in the world.

What's So Special About Associations?
In the U.S. alone, over 135,000 associations serve a wide variety of professions, charities, hobbies, industries, and causes. As new professions arise, new associations form to represent member interests not only in the public policy arena, but in developing important professional and industry standards. In fact, Americans will form as many as 1,000 new associations in this year alone.

Why Are Associations Important?
Here are the facts:

• 9 out of 10 Americans belong to at least one association
• 1 out of 4 Americans belong to four or more associations
• Associations serve not only their members, but society at large, by providing industry research not found elsewhere
• Associations are the major originating source for codes of ethics and safety standards for every major profession and industry; the end result is better consumer protection

Economic Impact of Associations
Associations not only have a positive impact on our society, but also on our national economy. Here are the facts:

• Associations employ over 300,000 people in the United States
• Associations dominate the national meetings industry by spending $56 billion annually on conventions and seminars of the $83 billion annual income of the industry.
• The direct spending on conventions and travel by associations support 1.57 million full-time equivalent jobs in the United States.
• Last year alone, associations spent:
  $5.5 billion on printing and publishing
  $2.2 billion on technology
  $46 billion in health premiums