Associations have always sought ways to deepen member engagement, build long-term loyalty, prove value and maximise ROI. This is especially crucial now, with free information widely available to current and potential members. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool for not only streamlining membership processes but also in personalising engagement experiences and ensuring that organisations stay relevant and competitive.
In my role at MCI, I’ve seen firsthand how AI can enhance membership operations and strategic planning, as well as power solutions that analyse member feedback, extract insights from surveys and connect members with similar interests.
Increasingly, AI supports the art and science of building and monetising communities. As my colleague Oscar Cerezales, Chief Strategy Officer at MCI, says, AI can shorten the development time required to create, track and monetise new products and services for association communities, allowing associations to focus on providing tangible value to members rather than getting bogged down in manual tasks.
A framework for AI-driven engagement
The Association Engagement Index (AEI), a global benchmark that measures the effectiveness of associations’ engagement strategies, underscores the importance of understanding and guiding members through an engagement loop. This loop represents a continuous cycle of interaction – moving from passive to highly active engagement – comprised of four stages: Consume, Contribute, Collaborate and Co-create.
By using AI strategically, associations can encourage members to move from one stage to the next with tailored opportunities that match their interests. AI-driven algorithms can identify members who are ready to take on specific volunteer roles, highlight relevant networking events or suggest content that resonates with their career goals.
AI also enables associations to segment and target potential attendees or members based on their interests. For instance, predictive AI can sift through various data points, such as demographics, past event attendance or industry affiliations, to recommend who is most likely to register for your upcoming conference. This can help craft personalised invitations or marketing messages, substantially increasing open and click-through rates, thereby boosting attendance.
From quick insights to strategic transformation
AI’s benefits often appear in day-to-day operations, such as analysing open-text survey responses. An algorithm can quickly parse pages of comments, filter trivial feedback (like room temperature concerns), and spotlight the crucial insights that guide better decision-making.
When it comes to strategic planning, AI truly shines. The technology can handle all the “under the iceberg” research, including collating data from surveys, scanning industry intelligence and summarising large documents. Instead of one person spending days compiling a briefing, AI offers a concise overview of trends and themes in a few seconds.
Additionally, if an association wants to reach more millennials or Gen Z members, AI tools can sift through past event attendance data, social media engagement and survey feedback to identify emerging patterns specific to younger demographics. By uncovering preferred communication channels, content formats and even leadership opportunities that resonate with younger audiences, associations can adapt their strategies to meet their needs and expectations.
Tools like Fireflies.ai or Microsoft Teams can record live sessions and generate an immediate summary of breakout discussions, as well as committee and board meetings. This process frees up participants from the notetaking role, making the conversation more inclusive. Once the meetings are over, AI can combine every breakout group’s output, identify common threads and point out unique ideas for follow up — all without extensive manual labour.
It can automate repetitive marketing tasks such as scheduling social media posts or sending event reminders so teams can focus on creativity and strategic decisions. By analysing large volumes of event data, AI can offer deeper insights into attendee behaviour and help refine everything from session topics to on-site experiences.
At events, AI-powered virtual assistants can enhance on-site interactions by guiding attendees around the venue, answering questions in real time, and suggesting relevant sessions or exhibitors. Chatbots are becoming truly conversational, helping attendees solve issues without waiting for staff intervention. These tools free up association staff and volunteers to focus on relationship building and member service rather than logistical troubleshooting.
In addition to research tasks, AI can elevate marketing and engagement strategies, accelerating communication and the delivery of targeted solutions, which is particularly valuable in a global membership context.
Mitigating risks and prioritising ethics
Alongside AI’s potential for efficiency, associations must be vigilant about data security and responsible usage:
- Privacy controls: It is vital to protect sensitive information. Regulations like GDPR enforce higher standards, particularly for organisations with a global footprint. Investing in the paid versions of AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Microsoft’s Copilot, and correctly setting privacy controls often provides stronger safeguards.
- Member trust: Associations serve as trusted advisors, so it’s critical to create policies on responsible AI usage. Staff need clear guidelines, knowledge and training to use AI effectively without overstepping ethical or legal boundaries.
- Equitable access: While AI can automate notetaking or real-time translations (improving accessibility), it needs to be scrutinised for hidden bias.
AI should be seen as an enabler, not a standalone solution. Knowing which tools are reliable and what operational problems they solve is essential. At MCI, by testing and sharing best practices across teams, we work to identify solutions that drive results for association clients.
Seizing the AI opportunity
As AI continues to evolve, associations have a chance to lead by example, showing members what ethical, strategic deployment of AI looks like. By leveraging AI-driven insights in content personalisation, event planning and community building, organisations will be better equipped to meet members where they are, providing a smooth path from passive consumption to active co-creation.
AI isn’t a future concept; it’s already reshaping how associations gather insights, curate content and deliver services. There is a rare window for associations to adopt these tools and make a significant leap forward in the value they offer members and their competitiveness.
And yet, for all its useful assistance, the human element remains essential. As Avinash Chandarana, Global Learning and Development Director at mci group, notes in AI: Enhancing marketing and customer engagement: "We can't just rely on what we are getting from AI. This is where our own expertise is critical – we have to leverage all that we've learned to see what is really authentic and what is in context." While AI can supercharge our productivity and knowledge acquisition, it’s our own expertise that ensures results are relevant, ethical and contextualised. Rather than replacing professionals, AI augments our capabilities, giving us more time and freedom to focus on strategic thinking and member engagement. By embracing AI thoughtfully, associations can demonstrate leadership, enhanced value for members and guide their industries through rapid technological change.
Contact MCI to discover how AI can empower your association, providing best practices for leveraging this technology.
Erin Fuller - Global Head of Association Solutions
