The End of Membership As We Know It : Building the Fortune-Flipping, Must-Have Association of the Next Century

How new membership models can help associations survive and thrive in today's evolving environment

The era when associations could count on members joining and renewing, even with a relatively unchanging menu of membership benefits, has passed. No, membership is not dead, argues author Sarah Sladek. But associations do need to change their thinking and their models. In The End of Membership As We Know It: Building the Fortune-Flipping, Must-Have Association of the Next Century, Sladek offers practical, proven ways that associations can respond to changes affecting participation such as the generational shifts in the workforce, social changes, and technology-eased access to content and community.

The End of Membership As We Know It explains:

• How niche the new competitive advantage is
• Why organizational culture has an enormous impact on recruitment and retention
• What emerging member-prospects value and want
• Why and how to focus on member ROI instead of program ROI
• How to craft and deliver compelling benefits rather than features
• How to extend your reach
• Which emerging models are taking root and showing promise

Providing numerous real-world examples along with specific guidance, The End of Membership As We Know It is a must-have guide for moving your membership model into the future.

Sarah Sladek is an experienced marketing and media professional who started researching demographic shifts in 2002.

Concerned about declining engagement in our nation's membership associations, nonprofits, and workplaces, she founded XYZ University to help organizations identify their competitive advantage, embrace change, bridge gaps, increase ROI, and remain relevant to future generations.

Sarah has authored two books on the generational topic. The New Recruit: What Your Association Needs to Know About X, Y, & Z (2007) was the first book to address the generation gap in membership associations. Shortly thereafter, she authored Rock Stars Incorporated: Hiring the High-Performance, High-Maintenance Hotshots Half Your Age (2008) and also launched the RockStars@Work Conference, both geared towards bridging the talent gap in the workplace. As a sought-after speaker and consultant, Sarah works with organizations nationwide, providing Next-Generation Intelligence through a variety of mediums: strategic planning, keynotes and workshops, web-based training, marketing campaigns, and special events.

Her expertise has been featured in local and national media, including the Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, National Public Radio, and Fast Company. She has keynoted events for the American Bar Association, Associated General Contractors, Community Bankers Association, and National Fraternal Congress of America.