Association management company

An association management company, or AMC, provides management and specialized administrative services to non-profit trade associations and professional associations using a for-profit approach.[1] Many AMCs serve as an organization's headquarters, managing day-to-day operations and becoming the public face of the organization.[2]

Services may include executive, administrative and financial management; strategic planning; membership development; public affairs and lobbying; education and professional development; statistical research; meetings management; and marketing and communication services.[3] Orienting board members is common; AMCs lay out expectations for fiduciary oversight and point out conflicts of interest.[4]

Fernley & Fernley, Inc., based in Philadelphia and founded in 1886, was the first association management company in the United States.[5] More than 600 AMCs worldwide now collectively manage associations ranging in budget size from $50,000 to $16 million and representing more than 3 million members.[6] AMCs can be found in most major U.S. cities.[7]

The Alexandria, Va.-based AMC Institute accredits AMCs under the guidance of the American National Standards Institute.[8] Current employees of AMCs are eligible to apply to become a Certified Association Executive.[9]

Chicago-based SmithBucklin is the world's largest AMC,[10] although Geneva, Switzerland-based MCI Group, a professional conference organiser that offers AMC services, has more employees: 1,900 as of 2016.[11]