Real Innovation for Associations

Last week, McKinley Advisors made a powerful case for real innovation for associations by innovating your business model to drive an association’s mission – not just a buzzword, but a strategic imperative. I couldn’t agree more.

For too long, many associations have equated innovation with launching new products or tweaking existing services. But as McKinley rightly points out, that approach alone won’t move the needle. Real innovation is more comprehensive. It means rethinking value, revenue, community, reach, and operations as interconnected drivers of long-term relevance.

I’ve seen firsthand how this plays out. When we unified SEMDA and Southeast BIO to form Southeast Life Sciences, it wasn’t just a rebrand. It was a reinvention. We expanded regional reach, integrated programming across seven states, and built new revenue models that aligned with mission impact – from PitchRounds to Life Science Women@SLS & SE Color. We didn’t just add offerings – we restructured how the organization operated to better serve the ecosystem.

Here’s what I believe:

• If your membership doesn’t foster community, it’s just a list.

• If your programs don’t generate value, they’re a cost center.

• If your operations can’t adapt, they’ll become your biggest liability.

Association leaders can’t afford to work in silos or settle for incrementalism. We need cross-functional thinking, collaborative models, and a clear-eyed willingness to retire what no longer works. Innovation isn’t optional. It’s mission-critical.

If you're working on reinventing your association's business model – or thinking about it – I'd love to compare notes.