SmithBucklin Offers Hotline For Association Managers

Association management and professional services firm SmithBucklin has introduced a free help line for association managers called Ask SmithBucklin. By calling (800) 539-9750, association leaders can discuss their problems with an assistant, who then logs the call into an online form to track industry members' trends and concerns. Within 24 to 48 hours, a senior association executive in charge of the service then returns each call with a suitable answer, according to Julie Silverstein, COO of SmithBucklin.

The hotline idea came six months ago during a brainstorming session of senior managers, who were looking for a way to give back to the association community. It also provides a way to potentially bring in more business, "but that's not the goal," Silverstein noted. "We hope to get trends and better understand the issues facing associations today," she said.