From Deliverables to Direction: What’s Next for AMCs

Sarah Timm, CAE, CMP-HC, President & CEO, Parthenon Management Group, AMCI Board Chair 

Community Engagement and Development: Building AMCI as Your Professional Home 

Mike Dwyer, CAE Chief Client Officer & Partner, Association Headquarters, AMCI Board Director

We’re excited to welcome Rachel Druckenmiller as our AMCs Engaged keynote speaker. Rachel is a TEDx speaker and Certified Speaking Professional with nearly 20 years of experience helping leaders think clearly, speak confidently, and show up with stronger presence—skills that directly support the AMC business model.

Her keynote, REFLECT. REFRAME. RECALIBRATE: How to Lead Through What’s Next, is designed for the realities AMC professionals face every day.

Grow Your AMC with a Smarter Marketing Toolkit

There are just two weeks left until our upcoming webinar, Grow Your AMC with a Smarter Marketing Toolkit—a practical, hands-on session designed to help association management companies strengthen their marketing, communicate their value more clearly, and attract new clients with confidence.

Veritas Association Management Welcomes Society for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management

Healthcare association selects Veritas to strengthen governance, operational infrastructure and member engagement

As we complete the first quarter of 2026, the momentum across AMC Institute reflects a strong, engaged community committed to advancing the association management industry. From new member growth to expanded professional development and global engagement, AMCI continues to make meaningful progress toward its ambitious 50 by 50 Strategic Plan.

Growing Our Community
AMCI is proud to welcome eight new member firms in the first quarter of 2026. They are:

Grow Your AMC with a Smarter Marketing Toolkit

Join this practical webinar designed to help association management companies market themselves more effectively, communicate their value clearly, and attract new clients with confidence.

April is National Volunteer Month, and we are proud to recognize and celebrate the exceptional volunteers who make AMCI’s work possible. The AMC industry thrives because of the dedication, expertise, and generosity of individuals who give their time and energy to strengthen our community and advance the AMC model.

Across AMCI, volunteers contribute in countless ways — shaping education, elevating industry standards, supporting partners, and building the next generation of AMC leaders. We are grateful for the passionate professionals who serve on:

Menomonee Falls, WI – Karen A. Hurley, MA, CAE, has been named the Executive Director of the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA). AFLA is managed by Association Acumen, an award-winning accredited association management firm based in Menomonee Falls, WI.

Pack your passport and your curiosity—because IMEX Frankfurt is calling, and AMCI wants you in our hosted buyer group!

Take your AMC meeting expertise global! AMCI is once again leading a hosted buyer group to IMEX Frankfurt, the premier international event for meetings and event professionals, May 19–21, 2026.

Welcome to this month’s AMCI Strategic Plan update, which focuses on the strategic domain of Quality Assurance. This domain envisions that “the majority of associations managed by AMCs validate that our model (the AMC model) is the gold standard” for how associations are managed.

Quality Assurance directly supports our Market Development efforts and the 50/50 initiative by helping ensure that as we successfully introduce new associations to the AMC model, they find AMCs committed to providing top-notch service and meeting both the minimum membership requirements and the more advanced expectations of the AMCI Accreditation standard.

We’re just four months away from coming together in Milwaukee for AMC’s Engaged 2026, taking place July 27–29 at The Pfister Hotel. We’re excited to welcome association management professionals, industry leaders, and peers for meaningful conversations around the strategies, solutions, and ideas shaping the future of our industry.

Celebrating 10 Years of AMCI Canada - https://amcicanada.ca/10-Year-Anniversary

Group Federal Tax Exemptions

After 5 ½ years, the IRS has announced that it will once again accept applications for group tax exemptions (Revenue Procedure 2026-8). A group exemption is a way for local units (State chapters, e.g.) of a larger parent or “central” association to achieve 501(c) status without having to go through the normal application process. The IRS also set forth the requirements for group exemptions, including existing group exemptions. These requirements largely mirror those already in place, but there are some deviations, and AMCs with clients that have group exemptions should nevertheless ensure that those exemptions comply. If they do not, there is a grace period until January 2027. A key requirement is that the parent association have “general supervision or control” over the local units. Under the new procedure, an affiliation agreement or charter may be sufficient to satisfy that requirement. Each local unit must have its own EIN. One noteworthy new requirement is that a parent association will now be limited to only one group exemption.

Philadelphia, PA — Alta Management Services, Inc. (“Alta”), a full-service association management firm, is proud to announce that it has been selected as the new management
company for Building Owners Managers Association (BOMA) of Orlando, effective immediately.

BOMA Orlando, a leading commercial real estate association serving Central Florida, joins Alta’s growing portfolio of Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) clients. Alta
currently manages BOMA Philadelphia and BOMA New Jersey, bringing deep experience and proven operational expertise to BOMA organizations across multiple regions.

CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two renowned association industry firms are joining forces to help their clients tackle what’s ahead. Market-leading professional services firm Smithbucklin has acquired McKinley Advisors, an award-winning association consultancy. The combination, further supported by Smithbucklin’s event-focused agency 360 Live Media, creates a unique solution in the marketplace to accelerate association growth, innovation and mission impact.

The acquisition of McKinley Advisors, a firm with deep roots and an exceptional track record in the association industry, brings Smithbucklin expertise in research, strategy, governance and business transformation to further expand its portfolio.

“Contemporary associations increasingly need high-capability partners to help them successfully navigate new challenges and opportunities,” said Matt Sanderson, President and CEO of Smithbucklin. “McKinley is a highly respected, trusted advisor to the world’s leading associations and a natural extension of our current capabilities. We are excited to bring their talent and expertise into the fold and tap our collective knowledge for insights that can strengthen associations.”

The combined organization of nearly 650 employees connects McKinley’s broad portfolio of research-based, strategic advisory services with Smithbucklin’s 75-year track record of association management, education and event strategy, design and execution. McKinley Advisors will continue serving clients with its current leadership team, staff and proven methodologies while leveraging new opportunities to collaborate across the Smithbucklin enterprise.

“From our initial conversations, we saw incredibly strong alignment on the most important things – mission, vision and values,” said Jay Younger, President of McKinley Advisors. “Both firms share a deep, fundamental commitment to helping associations advance mission-driven work for the benefit of humanity. Given that starting point, I'm confident that we will unlock a host of impactful new solutions for our clients that wouldn’t have been possible independently.”

McKinley Advisors will retain its name and brand and will be led by President Jay Younger and its senior leadership team.

About Smithbucklin
Smithbucklin is a professional services company that helps associations modernize, strengthen and advance to deliver better results for their members and missions. For more than 75 years, Smithbucklin has provided association management and capabilities in meetings and events, sponsorship and exhibit sales, education, marketing and technology. With nearly 650 employees in Chicago and Washington, D.C., Smithbucklin companies include 360 Live Media, The France Foundation, SDI Meetings and Incentives and now McKinley Advisors. Learn more about Smithbucklin at www.smithbucklin.com.

About McKinley Advisors
McKinley Advisors is an award-winning consulting firm dedicated to accelerating associations’ positive impact on the world. McKinley works in partnership with association executives and volunteer leaders to identify and address their most significant challenges and opportunities. McKinley provides services through four practice areas: Strategy and Innovation, Organizational Excellence, Business Transformation and Research and Insights. Learn more about McKinley Advisors at www.mckinley-advisors.com.

Media contact:
David DuVal
Director, Marketing and Business Development | McKinley Advisors
[email protected] | 202.856.7870

CHICAGO, IL –Bostrom, a leading association management company known for its Agile Association Management™ approach and people-centric culture, announced today the promotion of three Senior Strategic Directors to Vice President roles. These leadership advancements reflect Bostrom’s continued investment in accountability, innovation, and delivering exceptional value to clients while strengthening industry relationships and service excellence.

Effective immediately:

CHICAGO, IL –Bostrom proudly announces that Kellie Braband, CAE, and Sara Dethloff, CAE, have earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation, the highest professional credential in the association industry.

The CAE credential, awarded by ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, recognizes professionals who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in association management and mastery of the knowledge essential to lead mission-driven organizations.

Now is the moment to shine a spotlight on the people and organizations who elevate the AMC community every day. From rising leaders and culture‑builders to teams who deliver exceptional client impact, the Awards of Excellence celebrate those who make our industry stronger.