Report on association trends in spain 2014

INFORME DEL
SECTOR ASOCIATIVO
EN ESPAÑA 2014
Research conducted by MCI Spain for
the Association Day 2015
Report on
Association
Trends in Spain
2014

INFORME DEL
SECTOR ASOCIATIVO
EN ESPAÑA 2014
Introduction 5
Association Management 7
Interview: EucheMS 10
IT & Digital Environment 12
Association trends 14
Interview: DIRCOM 16
Development of Associations 18
Events 20
Content digitalization 22
Membership 24
Conclusions 26
Index

5
Introduction
Since 2012, the aim of this research has been to analyze the current situation of national and international associations
based in Spain. Once again the report has focused in identifying current trends in management, areas of improvement, and
challenges for the future, new technologies, and funding patterns.
This third edition has been mainly focused in areas identified as the most relevant ones during the two Round Table sessions
organized by MCI in May 2014 in Barcelona, and in November in Madrid. The key issues identified were:
New generations:
How to integrate them
into having an active
participation within the
associations?
How to improve the relation between the
association and its members?
How to increment value to the services offered
to members?
Which are the key factors in capturing
sponsorship?
How are the associations facing the future?
Strategy &
Development:
What can
associations do in
order to grow and be
able to capture new
members?
Communication:
Many associations
have an active
presence on social
networks, is there a
communication plan
or a global strategy
behind it?
Attendance
to the events:
On average only 30-
50% of the members
attend the annual/
biannual society
congress.
Panel discussion, Association Day, Barcelona, May 2014

6
Report on Associations in Spain 2014
Methodology Aboutus
Informationrelatedtoassociations
The research has been conducted both by face-to-face
interviews as well as online survey, from November to
December 2014.
This report is based on representative sample of 52 Spanish
associations, and 27 international ones with at least one
Spanish member in the Board of directors.
MCI is the world’s largest provider of strategic engagement
and activation solutions and has been a key driver of
innovation in the meetings, events, association and congress
industries since 1987. Through creative live experiences
and digitization, globalization, brand enhancement and
content strategies, MCI helps multinational companies
and international associations enhance organizational
performance, grow globally, energize communities and
drive business results. An independent, privately held
company with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, MCI’s
1,800 professionals in 60 cities and 31 countries help
clients across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, India, the
Middle East and Africa unlock their potential and deliver real
change. Find out more at www.mci-group.com.
ASSOCIATIONS BY SPECIALTY
Total number
of answers:
National
Associations
International
associations
52
27 Not Specified

7
Association
Management
Certain areas related to association‘s
management have been traditionally
managed by specialized external
companies.
However, the interviewed associations show a tendency to insource part of the administration.
How does your association manage bureaucracy (membership management, financial, …?)
Through an external
Congress agency
Through an external
Accounting firm
Internally through a
secretariat
Internally through
Administration
department
76%
80%
100%
71%
70%
64% 63%
57%
52%
Accounting
Firm
Others Travel Agency Editorial Professional
Congress
Organizer
Association
Management
Company
Public Relations
Agency
16%
11%
62%
11%
Which type of service companies does your association use?

8
Does your association have any of these resources?
Last year, 2014, the Pharmaceutical Industry’s Code of Conduct in Spain changed, and almost all the medical
associations which were surveyed, were aware of the changes and the impact on Sponsor relations:
Does your association have a dedicated resource for?
100% 100%
100%
87,50% 12,50%
70% 61% 58,5% 38,1%
62.8%
4,5% 90,2% 73,1% 76,7% 70,7% 65,8% 58,5% 50% 38,1%
5%
9,7%
4,9%
9,5%
2,3%
29,3%
36,6%
52,4%
34,9%
95,5%
7,3%
2,4%
2,4%
2,5%
7,1%
4,9%
12,2%
14,6%
23,3%
26,8% 29,3%
39%
50%
54,8%
25%
Administrative
staff (less than
3 people)
Administrative
Staff (more than 3)
Association
Management
Software
Congress
Management
Software
Physical
Headquarters
Website Mentor
program
Youth
Commitee
Past
Presidents
Committee
Institutional
Relations
Committee
Congress
Manager
Financial
Manager
Managing
Director
Commitee
by Scientific
Expertise
Yes In development No Sí In process No

10
Interview: EuCheMS
EuCheMS is an organization which includes 42 societies
as members from 32 different countries and represents
around 156,000 people (data 2014).
The activities EuCheMS has, as a supranational institution,
are centered in:
• Increasing Chemists importance in Europe as one
voice.
• Creating a European “corporate identity” among
Chemical Societies.
• Show Chemistry to European, International and
other institutions, as an essential and key provider for
global challenges.
EuCheMS in a great society which includes many members
and different Chemistry Associations. It is composed of 18
divisions and working groups. Could you explain to us how
they were created and which are its main aims?
Divisions and working groups have been created to address
the needs of members in our societies in different Chemistry
areas. All of these societies held biannual conferences unless
the EuCheMS Chemistry Congress is celebrated.
Many of them organize Summer courses, are involved in other
conferences, help to design the ECC scientific programme
and also celebrate awards.
Some of them have been working for more than 40 years
while others have just started. There are two types of working
groups. Part of them are small groups which work certain
areas of chemistry mostly, and some have been created to
become a division once they have enough support from the
Partners Societies. Divisions and working groups are the key
of EuCheMS success.
Interview to Professor David Cole-Hamilton, Presi-
dent of EuCheMS, European Association for Chemi-
cal and Molecular Sciences.
Many societies are worried about keeping their members
and work on their capacitation but only a few of them conduct
frequent researches in order to analyze their members
satisfaction. What does EuCheMS do to attract and keep its
members? Which is its main added value?
At the moment, EuCheMS is preparing an Strategic Planning
Exercise. One of the groups that has been created, will be
mainly focused on the interaction between EuCheMS Centre
with Member Societies. The idea is assessing exactly what the
memberswouldliketohavefromEuCheMSandthebestwayto
be in contact with professionals. This group will also study how
diversity could be incorporated to all those activities in which
EuCheMS and its divisions/working groups, are involved. The
pan-european character helps to EuCheMS cohesion and we
are trying to make the Member Societies aware, through the
General Assembly, including all the Presidents of Societies
and assisting members, of what we are doing for them.

11
Some societies have a relatively little participation by their
younger members, who prefer being at the background, and
let the more experienced ones be in active role. How involved
are the youngest members in EuCheMS and which are the
challenges the organization has to face on this issue?
EuCheMSmembersarepartofayouthorganization,theYoung
European Chemists Net, They participate in ECC, having their
own scientific presentations and transferable skills, and have
their own Delegate Assembly once a year, and it lasts some
days. They have gained sponsors, have created bonds with
other national societies, specially with the American Chemistry
Association, and have their own awards. They also offer
courses to young people from Member Societies. They will
held their first Pan-European Conference for Young Chemists
Conference, associated with the Portuguese Young Chemists
Meeting, held in Portugal in April 2016. Young European
Chemists Net is one of the most active and dynamic member
of EuCheMS.
Which are the most important challenges and aims EuCheMS
will have to face in the near future?
The main aim is to be the first reference to all European
Institutions in topics related to Chemistry and keep on being
an independent and trusted voice in Chemistry’s world.
EuCheMS also wants to affect the development of European
politics, in order to Chemistry continue being considered as
the exciting subject it is. Moreover, they want the politicians
to see the importance Chemistry has. We are building ECC
(Sevilla 2016 and Liverpool 2018), so attending this Congress
is an must for all Europeans Chemists and we will keep on
developing strong bonds among divisions that are part of the
chemists’ community. The main challenge is having the money
needed to do all the things we would like to do.

12
Have presence
In development
No interest
IT & Digital
Environment
Undoubtedly, the most established channels are Magazines and Journals. From previous years we have seen a significant rise in
the use of Linkedin and Twitter.
ONLINE MEDIA USED IN YOUR ASSOCIATION
E-MAGAZINE
TWITTER
ONLINE
PUBLICATION
FORUM / MEMBER
COMMUNITY
23,5%
57,6%
74,2%
77,8% 87,1% 90,5%
75,6% 76,5%
17,7%
24,2%
22,6%
11,1%
9,7% 4,8%
9,8%
11,8%
58,8%
18,2%
3,2%
11,1%
3,2%
4,7%
14,6% 11,76%
LINKED INWIKI
NEWSLETTERS FACEBOOK

13
28,68%
5,88%
29,41%
Networking among members
Promoting activities
17,65%
17,65% Member Acquisition
Sponsor Acquisition
Spreading knowledge among members
0,74% Others
Surprisingly, networking among
members is not one of the most
important. Content distribution
and visibility seem to be the
main objectives for majority of
associations.
What’s the main purpose of using social networks in your association?

14
Decline
3,53
3,43
3,41
3,68
3,21
Association Trends
There exists a clear decline on sponsorship income; while training programmes and congresses remain stable, and membership
fees have been on the increase.
As to different income channels for your association, where have you noticed growth, decline, and which have
remained stable?
Which areas do you identify as opportunities for the future?
StableIncrease
Congress Sponsorship
5,3% 39,5% 55,26%
Sponsored member services and products
10,26% 43,59% 46,15%
Congress delegate fees
21,43% 52,38% 26,19%
Training programmes and journals
26,83% 51,22% 21,95%
Membership fees
50% 40,91% 9,09%
Expansion into new markets and sectors
Creating new products for members
Increase in sponsorship income
Increase in number of members
Partnering with other associations

15
In relation to previous years, quality of service offered to members and the visibility of association, continue to be the most important
challenges, while exploring new funding models and improving the relationships with sponsors have increased significantly.
Improving quality of services offered to members
Improving public relations and visibility
Improving institutional relations
Defining new funding models
Facing the generational shift of members
Improving sponsor relations
Others
Which do you consider as the main challenges for the future of your association?
87%
79%
72%
59%
44%
38%

16
Interview: DIRCOM
Recently, the Word Public Relations Forum 2014 has taken
place in Madrid, hosted by DIRCOM. Which challenges has its
organization posed?
For DIRCOM, the WPRF Madrid 2014,has posed a top
challenge, involving certain risks, as it was the first time our
Association was hosting a worldwide event, with about one
thousand participants from over sixty countries. In order
to face this successfully, we reinforced our staff, with the
best professionals in all areas. Among them, obviously, the
PCO was critical and that is why we set off a strict selection
process, finally won by MCI Spain. Some of the key challenges
with WPRF were the institutional dimension (including the
participation of Spain’s Prime Minister in the plenary), the
economical dimension (with a very big total turnover compared
to our regular budget), the media dimension (with over 150
accredited journalists) and the corporative one (with the need
of satisfying more than twenty sponsors, among them some of
the most important companies in our country).
Which has been the impact it had in DIRCOM?
This Congress has been a milestone in DIRCOM’s history,
and apart from the satisfaction it brought in all aspects, it has
helped us reconsider our activity and mostly, our international
image. The WPRF 2014 has started a new stage in which
the international dimension and the organization of important
events, are two working paths that we see from a new point
of view. In relation to the media impact, we have beaten all
expectations. There have been 608 news generated by the
event, which have reached an audience beyond the 129
millions people worldwide. In social networks, the WRPF has
had a top potential impact of 49.6 millions users.
Interview to Sebastián Cebrián, General Manager of
DIRCOM, Association of Communication Executives.
Which has been your approach to sponsors-to-be in the
forum?
Were they receptive from the beginning, feeling it as an
opportunity, or was it a hard task for DIRCOM?
Sponsorshipalwaysrequireahardworktogetit,evenwhen,as
it is the case, most of the companies were already connected to
the Association and have supported our candidacy to Madrid
2014. An intense work was needed during the year before
the event, and we have the satisfaction for the compliments
received from the three levels of sponsorship and, also from
the exhibitors in the commercial exposition which was being
celebrated simultaneously.

17
DIRCOM is member of the international organization, Global
Alliance, responsible of the event. In your opinion, has
DIRCOM’s position been reinforced in Global Alliance, before
the celebration of the WPRF2014?
Yes, undoubtedly. It was a challenge also for them due to the
low impact they had in the Latin world. It has been the first
bilingual Congress, with an important presence qualitatively,
not only from Spain but also from Latin America, specially
considering the growth GA has in that continent. DIRCOM,
which already had a representative in the executive Committee
of GA, has been reinforced, no doubt about it, in this worldwide
federation.

18
Development of
Associations
From the following areas, which do you consider are being adequately developed in your association and which
do you consider that are below your expectations or underdeveloped?
100%
14,28% 25,58% 18,6% 24,44% 6,82% 9,3% 12,2% 4,65% 40,91%
66,67%
51,16%
55,82%
48,89%
25,58%
26,67%
29,55% 37,21%
41,46%
44,19%
52,27%
19.05
Consolidated In progress Not developed
Acquiring
additional
sponsors
Media
relations
Adapting
to new
Outreaching
general public
Adapting
to new
technology
Relating
to different
institutions
(public
Internal Acquiring
new
members
Expanding
to new
markets
(i.e.
There are still many areas in progress
but it is interesting to note that the
importance of strategic initiatives has
increased from previous years. As
expected, adapting to new technologies
is one of the subjects of importance.
It is really interesting to check out that
there are many initiatives focused on
attracting new sponsors and adapting
to new generations to come.
According to the results shown, there appears to be a
general fail related to long term planning, or a structured
way of managing it.
Does your association have any of these tools?
100%
42,9% 66,7% 60%
31%
2,4% 2,4% 2,4%
45,2% 52,4%
26,2%
19,1%
20%
19,1%
23,8%
21,4%
14,3%
20%
47,6%
28,6%
23,8%
31%
Strategic
Plan
Marketing
Plan
Development
Plan by
scientific area
Plans for
collaborative
actions with
international
associations
Institutional
Relations
Plan
Measurement
and Analytical
tools
Using it In development Not using it Externally
provided

19
How is the financing of your association structured?
From the following options, which possibilities do you think are more viable as a source of income in the future?
There are no notable changes compared to previous years.
Members’ fees
State aids and grants
Journals and publications
Association’s Scientific activities
Financial Sponsors (economic contribution)
Non-financial sponsors (non economic contribution)
47,26 %
5,14 %
12,8 %
4,34%
4,29 %
26,17 %
Sponsorship 3,9 / 5
Exhibitor revenues 3,7 / 5
Advertising 3,7 / 5
Free content for members sponzorised by the industry 3,6 / 5
Content dissemination (paid) 3,5 / 5
Sponsored research 3,5 / 5
2,75 / 5Average
Content dissemination 11%
Free content for members sponsorized by the industry 22%
Advertising and media 10%
Sponsorship 34%
Exhibitors revenues 23%
11%
22%
10%
34%
23%

20
Congresses
Percentage of members who assist on a regular basis to your recurring event(s):
Are you using or are you planning to use any technologic tools to support the organization of your events?
0% - 10%
10% - 30%
30% - 50%
50% - 70%
70% - 90%
25%
5,88%
24,39%
30,77%
12,5%
14,63%
50% 64,71% 39,02% 30,77% 20% 12,2%
25%
29,41%
36,59% 38,46%
67,5%
73,17%
4,76%
14,29%
30,95%
35,71%
14,29%
Mobile apps Others Virtual events Content capture Event
Management
software (registry
and abstracts
online)
Social networks

21
Key challenges facing your event (from most to least important):
What do you think could mean for the congress to make the session available in streaming?
1. Increasing the number of participants 1.73
An opportunity to
generate additional in-
come and a new way
to distribute content
56.41%
A threat for the
traditional format
17,95%
A technical issue with
a high cost to the
congress
17,95%
An added value to the
members as a mean of
loyalty plan
30,77%
An added value to the
congress participants
as an innovative image
of it
38,46%
2. Increasing the number of sponsors 2.46
3. Improving the programme/content 3.24
4. Improving the participants’ satisfaction 3.96
5.Giving more visibility to sponsors and exhibitors 5.10
6.New formats (for example, online events) 5.22
7. Sustainability and social responsibility 6.29

22
Digital Content
Extends Your
Congress
Life-Cycle
Making content available after
your congress or educational
event will significantly extend its
lifecycle. Content dissemination
services and portals allow
delegates to access sessions
that they may have missed, or
simply to review the sessions
most relevant to them, as many
times as they need to. Key
messages can therefore be
continually reinforced long after
the closing session is over.
To help ensure that people
are using the online content,
particularly in the early stages,
it’s vital to send reminder
messages, including the login
details for easy access.
Digital Content Creates New Revenue Streams
Digitising your content can provide a significant new revenue stream.
For its 2013 congress, ESPEN created different access models for congress delegates, with full
access to conference presentations included in a ‘Full Access Registration’ fee. The conference
attracted 2,523 delegates, 2,095 of whom (83%) chose to purchase the Full Access Registration,
making an impressive profit of over €80,000.
WGA chose to launch its educational content portal to all participants soon after the Fifth World
Glaucoma Congress. While delegates received this service as part of the overall conference
package, the educational portal offered a new revenue stream for WGA since non-congress
participants paid for access.
An additional source of revenue was created by capturing industry meetings and Glaucoma
Society symposiums during the 5th WGC at an additional fee. These symposiums were also added
to the portal.
Five reasons for content
digitalization
1
2
By MCI Group
With large volumes of information available online and with
members increasingly assessing the value gained from
membership, healthcare associations must innovate, and do
so quickly, in order to stay relevant.
A major part of this effort must be focused on driving digital
innovation, and a simple but effective place to start is by
digitising your association’s content.
From the World Glaucoma Association (WGA) to the European
SocietyforClinicalNutrition&Metabolism(ESPEN),ourexperts
have worked with a number of leading healthcare associations
to digitise their congress content, with great results.
Here are our top five reasons for taking your association’s
content digital:
22

23
El contenido digital puede llegar nuevas audiencias
Digitalizar el contenido es también un modo de alcanzar uno de los objetivos de una asociación:
compartir su valioso contenido. Las comunidades que no son capaces de asistir al congreso
pueden aprovechar esta valiosa oportunidad que anteriormente no era posible.
Siguiendo el ejemplo del 5º World Glaucoma Congress, el portal de contenido fue comprado por
otras sociedades que querían ofrecer el contenido a sus propios miembros.
Éste es un magnífico ejemplo de cómo el contenido puede comercializarse no sólo a nivel
individual sino también a otras sociedades que quieran incrementar el alcance original del
congreso.
El contenido digital
proporciona valor añadido a
miembros y delegados
Un buen portal de contenido digital o de
servicio de divulgación puede aumentar
los miembros y delegados potenciales. Si
están dudando sobre darse de alta en una
sociedad o sobre asistir a un congreso, un
modelo de compartir contenido novedoso
puede ser el incentivo que necesitan para
decidirse.
Los consumidores digitales
ansían el contenido digital
Las nuevas generaciones han crecido en la
era digital y son consumidores de nuevas
tecnologías. Con motivo de aumentar su
visibilidad y empatizar con los jóvenes
profesionales (un objetivo clave de cualquier
sociedad para asegurar su futuro y relevancia)
centrarse en la innovación digital es casi una
obligación.
3
4
5
Digital Content Reaches New Audiences
Digitising your content is also a great way of fulfilling your association’s goal of spreading valuable
scientific content. Communities unable to attend the event itself, in particular those from low or
middle-income countries, can be provided with valuable learning opportunities and resources that
would previously have been unavailable.
Following the Fifth World Glaucoma Congress, the WGA’s portal was purchased by affiliated
societies to make the content available to their membership at a special buyout fee.
This is a great example of how content can be purchased not just by individuals, but by affiliated
societies who can dramatically expand the original reach of the congress.
Digital Content Provides an
Added Value for Members &
Delegates
A valuable digital content portal or dissemination
service can sway potential members or delegates. If
they’re hesitating about membership or conference
attendance, an innovative content sharing model could
be just the pull they need to sign up.
Digital Consumers
crave Digital Content!
Healthcare associations need to think
seriously about tomorrow’s members.
Today’s medical students and young
healthcare professionals have grown
up in the digital age and are digital
consumers. To increase visibility and
engage with young professionals – a
key long-term objective to ensure any
association’s future relevance – driving
digital innovation is a must!
3
4
5
23

24
Membership
Wich do you consider as the most valuable reasons for joining as a member to your association?
Facing the challenge of incorporating new generations, which of the following best describes your association?
1. Reduced fees for scientific activities
2. Training and content
3. Prestige
4. Networking among members
5. Contact with international associations
6. Legal advise
7. Others
Today we do not have any problem on that concern
and we do not have a specific action
We need to change the format concerning scientific
activities, by integrating new technologies and
personalized content
Today we do not have problems on that concern
because we have a person in charge of new
generations
We have created a youth council to ease the
integration
Others
We bearly have assistance of young professionals
3%
8%
10%
10%
33%
41%
During a round table session organized with several
societies in May 2014 in Barcelona some of the main
challenges facing associations were identified. As the most
important one was how to engage the new generations in
the activities of the society.
Some of our respondents highlighted the following for
improving their interest:
• They make promotions and disclosures at colleges.
• They offer a discount on congress’ fees for students
and post-graduate students.
In some european societies, like EuCheMS, which has
been interviewed for this report, youngest members have
their own division, in order to awaken their interest and
make them participate more actively.

25
Which could be the best way to attract new generations?
21,33% % Incorporating young professionals in the board of directors
14,67% Creating a comitee with young members in the association
22,67% Creating special contributions and discounts
25,33% Offering supplementary services (journals, sessions…)
13,33% Creating a loyalty programme
2,67% Others
Are satisfaction surveys conducted regularly to members?
Only 20-25% of the surveyed associations measure regularly the satisfaction in an structured way. Compared to previous
years in which a survey was conducted, there is no improvement noticed. There are still many associations which do not have
a standardized procedure to measure the level of satisfaction of their members, what was already striking in previous years.
Annually
14,63%
4,88%
4,88%
26,83%21,29%
26,8%
Biannually
When the board of directors
Only for congresses
Sporadically
Never

26
Conclusions
Compared with previous years, quality of services
to members and the visibility of the association, are
still the most important challenges. The importance
of defining new business and the relationship with
sponsors has increased considerably.
Regarding the development of associations, we
noticed that there is a lot in process and it is
interesting to observe that the strategic initiatives
have gained importance, though still many in their
early steps.
We have also seen that there is a lack of planning
in the long term among the surveyed associations.
There has been an improvement in the use of social
media, but Spain tends to be conservative in other
issues, like mobile apps or virtual events.
There has been no improvement regarding the
measuring of members’ satisfaction.

27
MCI hopes that the results obtained with this report could
be of help and guide the associations on the decisions
they take, by giving them a better understanding of how
other associations work in Spain.
We thank all those people who responded the survey,
and take this opportunity to inform you that the next
research will take place during 2015. Further information
regarding the research of any area presented, we are at
your disposal.
Digital or printed copies are available upon request, as
well as the original research paper in Spanish.
The MCI team
Joonas Järvinen
Research and Contents
Beatriz Ramírez
Survey and Analysis
Cristina Vizcaya
Editorial and Interviews
María Herreros
Survey and Contents
Miguel Delgado
Layout and Design
Laia Cuberes
Layout and Design
Pilar Ramos
Project Lead

MCI Madrid
C/ Sainz de Baranda 45 Bajo B
28009 Madrid
T.: +34 91 400 93 84
Fax: +34 91 504 37 74
MCI Barcelona
C/ Tuset 32 5ª˚
08006 Barcelona
T: + 34 93 445 97 20
Fax: + 34 93 445 97 21
MCI Lisboa
Avenida do Brasil 1, 5º - Sala 6,
1749-006 Lisboa, Portugal
T: +351.21.792 37 89

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