by Chelsea Earhart, CAE, ICE-CCP, KCSAE President-Elect
As the calendar flips to 2025, associations and association professionals across Kansas City and the surrounding areas are gearing up to make this year one of growth, innovation, and community impact. With new challenges and opportunities on the horizon, organizations have an opportunity to reflect on the successes and failures of 2024, as well as redirect strategies to enhance member engagement, promote leadership, and adapt to an ever-changing landscape for 2025.
Refining the Mission
The start of a new year is an opportune moment for associations to revisit their mission and vision. The beginning of a new calendar year is a great time to ensure that association goals continue to align with organization’s mission and vision, as well as the evolving needs of members and the broader community. This could involve gathering feedback from staff and stakeholders, analyzing industry trends that may have an impact on membership in the coming year, and setting priorities that resonate with both longstanding and new members. Reviewing the goals and priorities, at a time when many boards are adding new members and conducting board member orientations, is a great exercise to ensure that all projects and goals set for 2025 continue to be in alignment with the overall mission and vision of the organization.
Tips for Starting Off the New Year
To ensure a successful start to 2025, associations and association professionals may benefit from adopting one or more of the following strategies:
- Conduct a Strategic Review of 2024: Assess accomplishments from the previous year and identify areas for improvement. Like reviewing the mission and vision, the task of analyzing successes and failures from the previous year can help provide a roadmap for things to work on in 2025. Reviewing successes and accomplishments with staff and volunteers is a great way to help remind everyone what their hard work accomplished.
- Engage Members Early: Kick off the year with a strong communication campaign that highlights upcoming opportunities and invites participation in key initiatives. The start of a new year is a great time to get members to focus on upcoming events and get them penciled in on their quickly-filling calendars. Letting them know what to expect in the coming year is a great way to ensure the events do not fall off of their radar.
- Celebrate Successes: Recognize and celebrate achievements—both big and small—to build momentum and morale. Similar to the strategic review, celebrating successes goes a long way in helping to start the new year off on a positive note. This is true for staff as well as volunteers.
- Embrace Flexibility: Stay adaptable to changing circumstances by having contingency plans and encouraging innovation within your organization. The coming year could bring many challenges and uncertainties, but having plans in place to address potential scenarios that may arise can bring some calm during any potential storms. Engaging in Foresight exercises is a great way to make sure your association is prepared to navigate any uncertainty.
- Collaborate with Other Professionals: KCSAE provides a wonderful opportunity for local association professionals to come together to network, share ideas and challenges, and learn about emerging trends and issues that are affecting the industry. Committing to attending several in-person events that KCSAE offers is a great personal goal for those looking to increase their knowledge base, meet others facing the same challenges, and find a community of professionals that may be facing some of the same challenges in the coming year.
New Year = New Government
The transition to a new administration could present both opportunities and challenges for the association world. Proactively preparing for potential shifts in policy and regulation is key to maintaining stability and advancing organizational goals in 2025. This could include proactive policy monitoring, strengthening advocacy efforts, keeping members informed about potential changes that may affect them, using foresight to develop contingency plans in case of disruptions due to changes in regulations, and partnering with other associations or forming coalitions to provide a unified voice on critical issues. These actions could help prevent an organization from being blindsided by changes that could directly impact an association or its members.
The Road Ahead
The year 2025 holds immense promise for Kansas City-area associations and association professionals. As we move forward into the new year and experience whatever challenges may be ahead, it’s clear that associations and KCSAE remain vital to fostering collaboration, advancing industries, and building stronger professional communities. Cheers to a happy, healthy, and productive new year for all!