The Modern Member: How Associations Are Adapting to What Members Expect Now

Join us as we present the latest groundbreaking research revealing association members actually report more career success, leadership roles, and promotions than nonmembers, especially Gen Z and early-careerists. But loyalty is softening among Millennials and mid-career members, and AI is reshaping what members expect, with 4 in 10 believing their organization could become obsolete if they don’t keep up. The 11th annual Association Trends Report, based on surveys of 1,010 members, 764 nonmembers, and 200 professionals explores:

• Does membership actually drive career success?
• Why are association loyalty metrics declining, and which members are driving it?
• How is AI reshaping member expectations?
• How does membership affect AI-readiness?
• What matters most to Gen Z members versus Millennial members?
• Which member priorities do professionals consistently underestimate?

Professional development is evolving and members increasingly expect their associations to play a bigger role in helping them build successful careers. The 2026 Association Trends Research reveals meaningful differences in financial stability, promotions, and access to career resources between members and nonmembers. This webinar explores how associations can turn those insights into greater member value.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the career advancement and financial stability gap between members and nonmembers.
• Identify ways to differentiate association learning from generic, outdated, or inaccurate online content.
• Explore how evolving learning and career offerings can meet the needs of a changing workforce.
• Discover how career technology can create an always-on career and learning engine.
• Examine the growing role of micro-credentials and continuous skill development.

Takeaways: Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for evolving professional development into a more meaningful, career-focused member benefit.

How members view an association’s technology is closely connected to how satisfied they feel with their membership. Momentive Software’s 2026 Membership Study found that 72% of members who view their organization as an early technology adopter are very satisfied with their membership, while only 32% of members who view their organization as a technology laggard report being very satisfied.

For associations, the opportunity is to use AI both internally and across the member experience, helping staff work more efficiently while delivering more personalized education, relevant recommendations, and timely support. Join association and technology leaders to learn how to:

• Align technology decisions with member expectations
• Personalize content, education, and recommendations
• Deliver more timely and relevant member support
• Help staff create greater value through smarter systems
• Balance automation with privacy, trust, and human connection

Your attendance numbers look great. Your members might not agree.

In-person events are winning, but are your events delivering what members actually value? Explore the disconnect between attendance metrics, member expectations, and the realities of event budgets—and learn how to build experiences that drive engagement without adding more work for your team.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand what members value most from in-person events
• Explore why young professionals continue to prioritize in-person connection
• Identify where event metrics may miss the member experience
• Learn how registration can become an early engagement touchpoint
• Discover how technology can streamline logistics and free teams to focus on the attendee experience

Takeaways

• A clearer picture of what makes an event worth attending
• Practical ways to align event strategy with member priorities
• Ideas for using technology to improve engagement while managing resources