However, structuring and setting policies for the efficient running of large organizations under difficult circumstances has helped. The Emergent Industrialists Development Association, a women's manufacturing association, has developed a membership marketing campaign which it will implement as part of an upcoming trade show. The National Stokvel Association's representative reports the process reminded him to focus more on dues income than international donors. With its emphasis on staff development, CIPE strives to provide networking opportunities for those receiving training. To this end, CIPE training normally takes place in a residential setting, where participants attend training sessions during the day and are lodged in the evening.
Evenings become opportunities to deepen knowledge of other business associations' operations.
While business association members are afforded the opportunity to network at committee meetings, seminars, special events and annual general meetings, paid, full-time staffers have fewer chances to get together to discuss their trade. In fact, some new or weak business associations function without staff and are managed by volunteers from the executive committee. CIPE considers their participation important because the acquisition of sound association management skills will allow them to recognize the virtue of delegating daily operations responsibilities to staff, allowing executives to focus on policy and long-term organizational strategy. Business association leaders sometimes ask how they can justify the costs of training association staff to their members. By developing a professional staff, the association is telling its members that it values their membership and is committed to serving their needs.