Association Management Company Industry Booming in Weak Economy

ATLANTA, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Threatened by economic uncertainty, many associations in the United States are being forced to re-evaluate their financial stability, efficiency, and future outlooks. Faced with financial pressures and staffing challenges, associations are increasingly hiring professional Association Management Companies (AMCs), businesses that provide professional management to non-profit organizations. The AMC Institute noted that half the AMCs surveyed witnessed an increase in Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in the six months prior to its industry research.

Peter Rush, Chairman of Kellen Company, a member of the AMC Institute, said "We are seeing more elected leaders with limited time to run their associations turning to AMCs for financial management, special events and conferences, and membership development. In today's economy, the concept of shared resources among nonprofits especially rings true."

In its 2009 survey, the AMC Institute found that one third of AMCs added staff. Of this group, 50 percent added to staff new clients.  In 2009 alone, Kellen added four full service association management clients: Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, Environmental Markets Association, the Drug Information Association and World Airline Entertainment Association. In 2010, the trend continues with the addition of association management duties for the Greater New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Extruded Polystyrene Foam Association to Kellen's roster.

When associations across an AMC's client base share resources, they enjoy the best of both worlds – a wide range of expertise and rapid scalability as the environment dictates – characteristics not often present for non-AMC managed associations. "AMCs run their association clients like businesses, focusing on the bottom line, while providing them with tremendous flexibility and adaptability – crucial in today's marketplace," said Richard Cristol, Kellen's president and president-elect of the AMC Institute.  "At Kellen, we provide leadership, strategic counsel and day-to-day association management, giving volunteer leaders the opportunity to devote their limited time to policy, planning and leadership."

In all, more than 80 groups are managed by Kellen Company, the world's second largest AMC. Association Management Companies range in size from small proprietorships to corporations like Kellen, with offices in Atlanta, GA; Beijing, China; Brussels, Belgium; New York, NY; Tucson, AZ; and Washington, DC.

About Associations and AMCs

Numbering 147,000, U.S. associations and nonprofits contribute approximately 10 percent to the Gross Domestic Product. And nine out of 10 adult Americans now belong to at least one association. While a 100-year-old industry, Association Management Companies have grown in number by 150 percent in the past 20 years. AMCs now manage budgets approaching $3.5 billion collectively.

About Kellen Company

Founded in 1964, Kellen Company provides association management, government affairs, public relations, meetings management, creative communications, website development and other professional services to associations, as well as individual companies and other organizations. Kellen serves more than 10,000 companies and 100,000 professionals worldwide, either through its more than 100 client associations or directly from offices and representation in the United States, Europe, China, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. For more information, please visit kellencompany.com and kelleneurope.com.

SOURCE Kellen Company