04/14/2025

How to Build a Global Presence

Expanding internationally examines how people want to belong

Too often, association conversations around going global begin around uncertainty. The economic picture is cloudy; the market is untested; it requires investment. But in that regard, going global isn't much different than any other innovation effort you might undertake. So, perhaps it's worth framing internationalization in a different way—it's about the community you've created, and how you might bring more people into it.

That is the main theme of "Crossing Borders," an article I wrote for the most recent batch of Associations Now Deep Dives. There, the experts I spoke with noted that associations might do well to worry less about membership than they do about creating a sense of belonging.

"Belonging to a group is still a very popular value to people who are based in other countries. There may be a handful of countries that are very popular for associations where membership does not translate—China and a handful of other ones," said As Jakub Konysz, MBA, IOM, CAE, founder and CEO of the consulting firm Global Navigators. "But in general, people want to affiliate. They want to be a part of something bigger, something greater."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.