How is an AMC structured?
AMCs, like associations, come in all sizes and shapes. They can be
as small as one full-time person or as large as having many locations
around the world. They can have a formal office or a virtual office.
What’s common is that each AMC has a staff person assigned to
your association who has full access to all elements of an office:
phone, fax, email, computer, copy and printing, filing and administrative
systems.
Do I have an executive director?
Most AMCs designate a staff person as the primary executive for your
association. Depending on your size and need, you may have a full
time executive director, or an account manager. And you may have additional
full-time or part-time staff dedicated to your association. That’s
one of the benefits of working with AMC. You get the staff you can
afford and need, when you need them. In all cases, the fact that you
are using a management company will be invisible to your members.
How do AMCs charge for their services?
Generally, AMCS offer one of two methods: flat-fee or ‘time
and materials’. A flat-fee, typically charged monthly, covers
all services performed, including personnel and facilities. Some direct
expenses, such as travel and printing, are billed directly.
A ‘time and materials’ fee is figured on actual services,
much like an hourly fee. You generally will be billed directly for
expenses such as postage, fax, copies, travel etc.
Does an AMC maintain each client’s identity?
Yes! Association management companies take steps to assure that your
association has and maintains it’s own identity — that’s
critical to a membership organization. First, AMCs generally assign
your association a key contact or team, so that member calls and needs
are channeled directly to staff who know you. Many will have their
phones answered with a generic "Association Headquarters"
and direct the caller to the right staff. But you can certainly request
a dedicated phone line and specific greeting. Email accounts and web
sites are association-specific, as are items like letterhead and business
cards. Additionally, your association will have its own phone directory
listing and likely your name posted on the AMC’s door or lobby
directory.
Can I hire and fire my own staff at the AMC?
Staffing is the responsibility of the AMC — which is one of
the benefits of contracting with an AMC. It relieves your association
of personnel matters like recruiting, interviewing, training, evaluating,
mentoring and firing. It also relieves you of negotiating salaries
and benefits. Having said this, as a client, you do have a right and
an obligation to be involved in the evaluating and selection process.
If you feel that a staff-member assigned to your association isn’t
the right match, you should bring that to the AMC’s attention.
All good AMCs will respect your concerns and work with you to get
the right match. And ultimately if you feel the AMC is not being responsive
to you concerns and needs, you have the right to leave the AMC.
How do I choose the right AMC?
Choosing the right AMC is a lot like choosing the right employee.
While gut instinct plays an important role (Do I feel confident in
this AMC and can I work with them?), a rational, disciplined process
will significantly increase the likelihood of a valid, apples-to-apples
assessment and a good, final decision. See How
Do I Choose An AMC? for more information on standards of performance,
and other gauges.
How do I find an AMC?
The American Society of Association
Executives (ASAE) annually publishes a directory of AMCs. They
also maintain an on-line directory of AMCs, as does International
Association of Association Management Companies (IAAMC).
Is there licensing or accreditation for
AMCs?
There are no licensing requirements for AMCs, but there are two voluntary
accreditations available through American
Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and International
Association of Association Management Companies
(IAAMC). Both are new, but gaining credibility and can certainly
be used as one measure of an AMCs qualifications.
Two other measures to consider are membership in professional associations
like ASAE and IAAMC and professional certifications for AMC staff.
There are several common certifications including Certified Association
Executive offered by ASAE and Certified Meeting Planner offered by
the Convention Industry
Council.
Have any surveys been conducted on the value
of AMCs as a management option?
In a 1995 survey of elected leaders, AMCs were rated as equal or
superior to other management forms on more than 89% of the survey
criteria. The survey, commissioned by the Association Management Company
Education Foundation and the International Association of Association
Management Companies took a close look at how elected leaders select
and evaluate management, examined how leaders selected and evaluated
management options. In general, the researchers reported that AMCs
provided the greatest value to their client associations. The study,
Re-Assessing Effective Association Management: 1995 Survey of Elected
Leaders, was conducted by Sumaria I. Mohan-Neill, Ph.D., and Alan
G. Krabbenhoft, Ph.D., both of the Walter E. Heller College of Business
Administration, Roosevelt University, Chicago.
back to top
