3 (More) Ideas for Non-Dues Revenue You Probably Haven’t Thought of Before

Many associations already offer an app to accompany their conference or tradeshow. An app can provide attendees with important event information, such as the agenda, maps, exhibitor lists, speaker bios, and networking opportunities. Personalization features allow attendees to plan their schedules and track sessions, giving associations insights into member engagement, preferences, and behavior.

An app can also allow an association to expand the revenue potential of its event. “Events are a lucrative source of revenue for associations and, thankfully, people are finally traveling again for live events,” explains Chrissy Gow, Director of Marketing at EventMobi. “Associations can add value to existing sponsorships and create additional advertising opportunities by integrating an app into their event, which will also enhance the experience for attendees.”

Gow goes on to provide several examples of how associations can monetize their event app beyond basic banner ads, including:

• An app is an excellent place to deliver time-sensitive announcements to attendees, and these can be monetized. If, for example, a sponsor is planning a product release, special announcement, or some kind of prize, a sponsored alert can direct attendees to their booth.
• Whether they’re looking for the registration desk or the route to their next session, attendees will frequently reference the map, where you can place sponsors’ logos in the title area of the map — somewhere eye-catching that doesn’t interfere with the map. Or, you can help drive traffic to sponsor booths or tables by highlighting and labeling them on the map.
• Reward higher-tier exhibitors by offering enhancement packages that allow them to improve their presence in the exhibitor listing. Upsell sponsors on in-app exhibitor booths, which can include their branding, social media links, and attached resources like product presentations, brochures, and videos.
• Periodic surveys and polls delivered throughout the duration of an event can increase member engagement and also provide creative sponsorship opportunities.
• Event gamification has become more popular recently. Applying an app’s functionality to gamification challenges like points, badges, and leaderboards can foster even more participation from attendees and also create unique sponsorship opportunities.

According to a 2022 report from Wyzowl, 80% of consumers want to see more videos from businesses. Moreover, the researchers found that 87% of respondents say video marketing has helped increase sales.

For many associations, video is already a key part of the content mix. Used strategically, video can also be a meaningful component of your non-dues revenue portfolio.

“Associations can leverage the incredible momentum video is enjoying by offering video sponsorship opportunities to grow their non-dues revenue,” says Michael Hoffman, CEO of Gather Voices, which offers software solutions that automate the process of creating, branding, and publishing video content.

“Creating a video sponsorship plan is an achievable strategy for association teams of all sizes,” says Hoffman, who offers several examples of how an association can monetize video:

• Give sponsors the ability to record and distribute video content across the association's marketing channels.
• Offer sponsors the option to add their logo and branding to individual videos or interactive video galleries.
• Create a branded experience at live events to co-create member-driven video content and increase brand awareness.

Nearly every association has a resource library on its website. It’s likely to be featured in the main navigation and, in terms of functionality, it’s even more likely to have changed very little since the website was launched.

Upgrading to an interactive Resource Library platform, however, provides more dynamic functionality to improve member experience, deepen engagement, and grow loyalty. An interactive Resource Library can also be a recurring source of non-dues revenue because it aggregates third-party resources, such as whitepapers, webinars, podcasts, and other types of educational material.

Here’s how a Resource Library can grow non-dues revenue:

• When an association member is interested in accessing a specific sponsor resource, they fill out a short registration form with their business contact information.
• The sponsor receives the member’s contact information as a sales lead, connecting the organization with a qualified prospective buyer.
• Sponsors pay a fee for each lead, which serves as a new revenue stream for your association and a way to fund other member programs.

Jeff Schottland, CEO of Lead Marvels, describes Resource Libraries as “game changers” for the associations his organization has partnered with.

“Not only does a digital Resource Library allow an association a way to offer its members access to more high-quality content,” says Schottland, “but a tech-enabled Resource Library platform can provide a dependable, recurring stream of monthly revenue that an association can use to fund other member programs.”

Associations can build their own customized interactive Resource Libraries if they have the expertise, resources, and funds. However, more than 100 associations have partnered with Lead Marvels to white-label and launch its Resource Library platform in just a matter of weeks.

There is no cost whatsoever to the association, and the Resource Library is hosted and fully managed by Lead Marvels, which can also manage the sales effort.

To learn more, visit Lead Marvels Associations or request a no-obligation demo about how the program works.