Two days of networking revealed the real challenges association professionals face.

Association professionals all have something in common: They are passionate about member engagement, marketing strategies, and technological innovation.

At least, that’s what we learned during two packed days at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., (May 12-13) for ASAE’s 2025 Marketing, Membership, Communications + Tech Conference.

This year’s theme, “The Future Is Yours to Create,” couldn’t have been more fitting. Associations currently face challenges in retaining members, keeping up with digital transformation, and creating meaningful engagement. MMC + Tech delivered exactly what they needed: practical solutions backed by real-world experience.

As first-time exhibitors, our goal was to do what we do best: listen. And what we heard painted a fascinating picture of an industry at a crossroads.

The technology tension

One theme emerged repeatedly in our booth conversations and networking lunch chats: the delicate balance associations must strike between innovation and tradition.

One association professional shared that their leadership wants to transition to an all-digital approach, but half of their members still prefer print newsletters. This sentiment echoed throughout the conference halls. Association professionals are caught between the need to modernize and the reality that their member bases often span multiple generations with vastly different technology preferences.

With a bevy of platforms available — many of which were also exhibiting at the conference — it’s more about creating sustainable content strategies that serve both the early adopters eager for mobile apps and digital communities, and the longtime members who still value a physical piece of mail. As one communications professional explained, they’re essentially running two parallel universes of content, and somehow they need to make both work.

New Field Guide: Meeting a potential content agency? Start with these best practices.

Quality AI prompting is a problem

Some of the most intriguing conversations were centered around AI (of course) — not whether associations should use it (that ship has sailed), but how to use it effectively.

Put succinctly, bad input is bad output. Association professionals are more aware that AI is becoming fundamental to their workflows, but they’re also discovering that the quality of their results depends entirely on the quality of their prompts.

We heard stories of well-intentioned attempts at AI-assisted content creation that fell flat because the prompts weren’t specific enough, didn’t capture the organization’s voice, or failed to account for the unique needs of association communications. The professionals who are seeing success with AI aren’t necessarily the most tech-savvy — they’re the ones who’ve invested time in learning how to communicate effectively with these tools.

New connections, lasting impact

Exhibitors often measure conference success in terms of leads generated or meetings scheduled. But the real value of MMC + Tech 2025 came from the relationships we built and the deeper understanding we gained of the challenges facing association professionals.

Every conversation reminded us why we’re passionate about supporting this industry. Associations aren’t just organizations — they’re communities that bring people together around shared interests, advance important causes, and provide professional development opportunities that shape entire careers. The professionals who run them deserve communications support that understands that they face unique pressures but also have vast and untapped opportunities.

What struck us most about this conference wasn’t any single insight, but the collective relief people expressed at being able to have these conversations in person.

So, as we head back to our desks with notebooks full of insights and new contacts in our phones, I’m energized by what we learned. The association professionals we met are adapting to change and thoughtfully navigating complex transitions while staying true to their organizations’ missions.

There will always be technology tensions, planning challenges, and AI learning curves. These just mean there are opportunities to build stronger, more resilient associations that serve their members more effectively.

To everyone who stopped by our booth, shared their challenges, or grabbed lunch with us, thank you for making this conference so valuable. Your insights don’t just inform our work; they remind us why supporting association communications matters.

Were you at MMC + Tech 2025? What challenges or insights are you taking back to your association? We’d love to continue the conversation — connect with us to share your experience.

Sign up for our upcoming summer webinar series—kicking off with “Substantive Editing” on June 25 at 1 p.m.—and learn more by visiting the Training tab at dragonflyeditorial.com/training.