Environmental scan findings revealed at ASAE Nashville 1998.

The ASAE Foundation's environmental scan research points to a future where serving the changing needs of the association community will require extending the current interpretation of "available association resources." It will certainly begin to include creating new alliances where old competitions once ruled, expanding existing supplier relationships into true partnerships, and maximizing the partners' intellectual capital, not just their financial support. This broadened view of resources reflects the changing organizational cultures of associations.

Eight education sessions on the environmental scan were held at ASAE Nashville 1998. Each peer-to-peer, interactive session was targeted to a different audience - from the small professional association to the convention and visitors bureau to the large trade association.

Participants reviewed the ASAE Foundation's environmental scan executive summary entitled Facing the Future: Preparing Your Association to Thrive. They explored the 14 future trends and other key findings identified from the environmental scan research and discussed ways to better assess the needs and operations of their associations and members. Participants learned to plan for, implement, and manage future changes facing their organizations and left the session with skills and tools needed to begin strategic planning with their boards of directors and staffs.

Peg Scherbarth, regional director of sales, Walt Disney Attractions, Washington, D.C., conducted the environmental scan education session for hospitality executives at the annual meeting. According to Scherbarth, "The ASAE Foundation's environmental scan executive summary is a 'must read' for all suppliers to the association industry. It's a tremendous tool to assist us in strategically positioning our product to the buyers of the future. But, more importantly, it provides a blueprint on how we can recreate ourselves to grow and sustain successful business partnerships with our association clients."

Facing the Future: Preparing Your Association to Thrive is available via ASAE fax-on-demand (document 10203) and on the Foundation Web site. The expanded environmental scan report, a component of the upcoming Association Futures Toolkit, will be available in December.

Other toolkit components, available next spring, include background planning information, presentation materials, and exercises that are useful to the entire association community. They will give you step-by-step instructions on how to

* conduct an environmental scan,

* choose which issues are critical to planning for your organization, and

* do strategic planning and thinking.

For more information, call Michelle Mason, [phone].

A Thought Provoker...

Review your association's existing supplier relationships. Investigate how your organization could be using their intellectual capital to support, augment, and advance the fulfillment of member needs. Invent an environment for intellectual contribution and dialogue between the association staff and its supplier contacts.

A note to scan panelists:

The ASAE Foundation thanks all panelists for participating on the environmental scan trend-analysis panels in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles. It is with contributions like yours that the success of the ASAE Foundation research efforts will be guaranteed.