Associations Popular Among Gen X Group

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 8/8/2005

Generation Xers are just as likely to join associations as baby boomers, according to preliminary results from a project being funded by the William E. Smith Institute for Assn. Research.

Nevertheless, the research, being conducted by Syracuse University associate professor Arthur Brooks, indicates that those born between 1965 and 1975 seek different levels of experience from associations than the generation born between 1946 and 1964.

Also, because there are fewer Gen Xers, associations will have to adjust membership acquisition strategies in order to draw a higher percentage of that group if they are to avoid long-term dips in membership. Associations can also draw on baby boomers, many of whom are choosing semi-employment over retirement, to sustain membership levels and fill volunteer positions.

As the study continues, researchers will analyze data to determine whether there are generational variations between manufacturing and service industries and the additional activities that interest the two generational groups.

According to Katherine Finley, the institute's research director, the final results, due out later this year, will include strategies associations can use to attract and retain members.

The institute is funded by association management firm SmithBucklin and named for the company's founder.

In addition to the research on generational differences in association membership, the institute is also funding an investigation into association mergers. Researchers from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and St. Louis University will look into six recent association mergers to assess what factors prompt groups to merge and what impedes such efforts.