2026 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report:

Membership growth is shifting again. Renewals are under pressure. Member expectations continue to evolve. And associations everywhere are asking the same question: What’s actually working right now?
 
Join Jana Darling, President of MGI, and Michelle Peterson, VP of Client Strategy, for an inside look at the newest findings from the 2026 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report and what the data reveals about recruitment, engagement, retention, generational shifts, AI adoption, and member growth strategies across associations today.
 
This session goes beyond trends and headlines. You’ll see where associations are gaining momentum, where organizations are struggling, and what high-performing teams are doing differently to attract, engage, and retain members in a changing environment.
 
You’ll leave with practical ideas and benchmarking insights you can immediately apply to your own membership, marketing, and engagement strategies.
 
Topics include:
 
    •    Membership growth and renewal trends
    •    What’s driving member acquisition and retention
    •    How associations are using AI and personalization in membership marketing
    •    Shifting expectations from younger member generations
    •    Strategies high-growth associations are using across the full member journey
 
Whether you lead membership, marketing, communications, or strategy, this session will help you better understand where the industry is headed — and how your organization can respond.
 
MGI is a valued 2026 Mission Partner of Associations North. Their partnership helps make learning opportunities like this available to our community at no cost to attendees.
 

Who This Session Is For

• Membership and marketing professionals
• CEOs, executive directors, and senior leaders
• Teams focused on growth, engagement, and retention
• Professionals looking to benchmark strategies against peers
• This session is exclusively for members of Associations North brought to you by MGI

Session Format

• A 90-minute virtual session focused on practical strategies, benchmarking insights, and real-world ideas you can implement immediately.

About the Presenters

Jana Darling, President, is a results-oriented, data-driven strategist with nearly 20 years of experience in association marketing, including over a decade of dedicated service at MGI. With a proven record of success, Jana has guided the member journey for a diverse portfolio of clients, specializing in the strategic management and execution of integrated marketing campaigns. Her extensive background spans both the association and agency sides, enabling her to build collaborative, relationship-focused marketing programs that have added over 150,000 new members and generated millions in dues and non-dues revenue. Jana’s high-impact leadership and commitment to data-driven strategies have positioned MGI and its clients for sustained growth and success.

Michelle Peterson, Vice President of Client Strategy, has over 20 years of experience as a strategic marketing executive with an unstoppable drive for results. She gained much of her marketing experience with the world’s largest aviation association, where she oversaw membership, products and services, and convention marketing. Michelle has a unique understanding of membership challenges and readily shares her expertise to help other organizations exceed their membership and certification goals. Michelle has developed and executed multiple lead generation, acquisition, retention, and diversity campaigns since joining MGI.

Learn more about MGI.