The economy's toll on meeting attendance.

Meetings represented the largest single source of gross nondues revenue for associations in 2002, which is no surprise given that approximately 90 percent of associations hold a major annual meeting. Lately, against the backdrop of a troublesome economy, numerous anecdotal reports have surfaced about the challenges associations are facing with fewer meeting registrations and increasingly frequent registration cancellations. These perceived challenges probably are linked to the assumption that meeting attendance fits in the category of discretionary spending. When times are hard, travel and meeting attendance are two of the first areas that fall victim to the budget axe.

But how does the angst in the association community compare with the actual numbers? According to an ASAE Industry Research study that examined nearly 800 associations of all types and sizes, about 38 percent of associations reported that they did not experience any major change in meeting attendance in 2002. However, 40 percent of associations were not so fortunate. This group of associations underwent an 18 percent average decrease in attendance, which was attributed directly to the economic slowdown. On the other hand, about one fifth of associations reported an increase in attendance (by an average of 20 percent).

What about associations that have taken the extreme measure of postponing or canceling their meetings as a result of the economy heading south? Based on the same 2002 study, only about 4 percent of associations have actually done so.

For more detailed data on association meetings and conventions, call 888-950-ASAE and ask about ASAE's industry research benchmarking publications, or visit www.asaenet.org/bookstore for the latest ASAE benchmarking titles.

Submitted by Steven Williams, director of ASAE Industry Research. E-mail: [e-mail].