F.A.S.T. by MCI

F.A.S.T. track your Association to stay relevant, effective and agile

Future-proof. Association. Strategic. Transformation.

Is your Association digitally ready, future-proofed and agile?

In a world that is unpredictable and disruptive, associations need to constantly adapt to stay relevant.

About F.A.S.T.

Our F.A.S.T. consulting program will help you plan for and sustain success at a pace that is right for your association. With over 30 years of knowledge and expertise in providing strategy and management advice to associations across all sectors worldwide, our trusted advisors will guide you through developing a tailored road map for resilience and growth.

This comprehensive 12-week program will deliver your association a Transformational Road map which, once executed, will take your organisation towards a successful future.

Specific outcomes include:

Understand your stakeholders’ changing needs, perceptions and values through our Members, Customers, Industry Partners’ Needs Assessment & Engagement Index.

Review your Financial Resilience and agree Readiness Steps.

Review and assess Trends, Insights, Competencies, Technologies, Opportunities, Ways of Working & Business Models to prioritize innovation, relevance and member value.

Reset measures of success: Direction not Destination.

Co-create your Transformation Roadmap to guide future growth in a digital world.

Focus on Member Engagement & Experience.

Design your short-term Must-Win Battles to drive value creation.

Discover how our tried-and-tested methodology will enable your organization to:

Provide more meaningful engagement and value for your members and stakeholders
Ensure future-proofed and sustainable revenue growth
Maintain relevance for your community: members, partners, customers and sponsors

Find out more about the F.A.S.T. program

Assessment

Is your association future-proofed to remain relevant in the digital age?

Discover your readiness.
Take the assessment.

Case Studies

Learn how we have helped associations with their transformation:

A Dedicated Task Force to Drive Change

An international association representing conference centers was in decline and realized that rapid and radical changes had to be made in order to survive. The support of the Board and leadership - and a clear understanding of opportunities - were the foundation of the successful transformation process. The initial step consisted in understanding members’ and stakeholders’ needs. This was followed by bold structural and organizational change driven by a dedicated task force. To build trust and ensure successful transformation every action and its purpose was shared with the members. A new CEO was appointed, and staff and fixed overhead replaced with the more flexible AMC model, allowing the association to be nimble, move quickly and gain agility.

Demonstrate Trustworthiness Towards the Member Community

A professional association in medical education was already in the process of redesigning and transforming its organization when the COVID-19 crisis started, so it was just an opportunity to go faster. Their strategy focused on four key elements - unleash the power of its 45 member communities, rethink its governance and operations structure, redesign its annual meeting and revise its financial forecast and communication. By sharing every step of the transformation plan the leadership demonstrated trustworthiness towards the member community. The association recently transitioned to an association management company through which it has been quickly able to innovate - supported by experienced professionals, shared knowledge and quality systems.

What our clients say

As part of a five-year strategic visioning and planning process, MPI engaged MCI to lead our organization’s executive leadership through the F.A.S.T. program. The insights gained through the customer and partner survey’s, comprehensive case studies and readings provided by MCI established a strong foundational business awareness and body of knowledge, enabling constructive dialogue and the output of a well-defined transformational roadmap and operational plan.

Paul Van Deventer
President & CEO, Meeting Professionals International (MPI)

I enjoyed the F.A.S.T. process very much. As a volunteer leader it was helpful to learn about the latest best practices in Association Management. The outcomes of the on-line meetings of the Transformation Task Force are now included in the MPI Transformation Roadmap. I am honored to work with my fellow volunteer leaders and the dedicated MPI professional staff to take MPI forward and execute the F.A.S.T. action plan, so MPI can best support our industry and the many individuals who are suffering due to the pandemic.

Stephen Revetria
Chair-Elect, Meeting Professionals International (MPI)

With a view to ensuring that SETAC remains relevant in a quickly changing digital world, we completed the 12-week F.A.S.T. programme and blueprinted our future-proof operational model.
MCI consultants guided SETAC executives and leaders from around the world through a highly interactive and pleasant process that really leveraged insights, knowledge and vision from within the SETAC organisation and form the wider community.
The F.A.S.T. methodology enabled an inclusive and constructive dialogue, really helping SETAC to further unlock its potential.

Bart Bosveld
Global Executive Director, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)

Tons of high compliments about quality of content, your style of delivery and knowledge of the marketplace, plus practical applications. Thanks again for all your efforts put into today’s Board presentation and this global strategy project.

International Professional Society
Healthcare Sector

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Be future ready in 12 weeks

To design your future, submit your details to receive the program information.

FAQS

Questions you may have about F.A.S.T.

What will my Transformation Roadmap look like?

MCI’s F.A.S.T. Transformation Roadmap addresses the 4Es: Engagement, Experience, Enablers and the Engine.  It ensures you deliver an Engaging Experience to your members/customers/stakeholders through the most effective means/delivery/technology (the Enablers) and with the most efficient resources for growth (the Engine). It will also identify your Must-Win Battles, short-term actions essential to being future-proof and delivering relevance and enhanced value to your stakeholders.

Who will be involved?

Core to the F.A.S.T. program is your Transformation Task Force (TTF). The TTF consists of 12 individuals who represent the leadership and diversity of your association, such as: Executive Committee, volunteer leaders, senior staff, industry partners, young & diverse members and thought leaders.

How will my members benefit from F.A.S.T.?

To enhance your value, relevance and engagement it is critical to understand the changing needs of your members/customers/industry partners. That is why Step 1 of F.A.S.T. gathers essential feedback from all these stakeholders to share insights with the TTF and influence the decisions leading to the roadmap.

How will the Transformation Task Force (TTF) work?

During Step 2, MCI’s Consultants will share trends, insights, thought-leadership, white papers and articles from the F.A.S.T. library of aggregated content for pre-reading and consensus building during 4 online sessions. This content will raise awareness and reveal opportunities to guide your future strategy.

What does it take for my organization to be successful in the digital age? 

Digital is all about the use of technology, big data, artificial intelligence and more to drive customization, efficiencies and enhanced member experience. 

Digital means 365 days of the year, no boundaries, no geographic limitations! Engaging your stakeholders is all about online connectivity, collaboration, co-creation.

These are imperatives that the TTF will review to inform your Transformation Roadmap and Must-Win Battles.

What are the key steps for transformational change? 

Step 1, Evaluate. Step 2, Rethink. Step 3, Thrive.
F.A.S.T. is designed to help you understand what is and what is NOT working.  What creates value for your members and other stakeholders and how will you deliver it? How will you ensure relevance, enhanced engagement and growth in the digital age? Identify your weaknesses, take corrective actions and embrace opportunities that will make a long-term difference.