Brussels remains one of the world’s most important hubs for trade associations. These organisations play a unique role in the democratic process of policy-making: they bring industries together, help structure collective interests and connect business priorities with European policymaking. But the environment around them is changing quickly. The policy landscape is becoming more political, complex and demanding, while members demand more value for their membership contribution. Are trade associations adapting fast enough to remain effective, credible and relevant?
That question led Kellen Europe to launch the Benchmarking Study on European trade associations. Rather than rely on assumptions or individual impressions, we wanted to build a more data-driven picture of how associations are operating today and evolving to be future-proof. Based on direct interviews with 54 European trade associations from sectors including food and drink, agriculture, automotive, energy, metals, chemicals, maritime and services, the study explores 12 key pillars, from governance and strategy to membership, advocacy, communications, operations and AI. It is intended as the first milestone in a broader benchmarking initiative that we plan to continue and expand.What makes this exercise particularly valuable is not only the breadth of the topics covered, but also the quality of the conversations behind it. By speaking directly with association leaders, we were able to capture structures and processes, but also the pressures they are facing and the choices they are making in response. The result is a cross-sector snapshot of a community that is, overall, experienced and resilient, while increasingly challenged to prove its value and evolve its ways of working.
One of the clearest insights that emerged is that trade associations are becoming more strategic, but not always more measurable. Strategic planning is now widely adopted, with the overwhelming majority of associations reporting that they have a defined multi-year strategy in place. Yet far fewer have formal KPIs to track progress and demonstrate outcomes in a structured way. In today’s environment, this matters. Members are asking harder questions about impact, differentiation and return on engagement. Having a strategy is no longer enough; being able to show evidence of delivery is becoming part of the value proposition itself.
A second important signal concerns agility. Associations remain well governed, and that is a strength. But the study also suggests that governance alone is no longer sufficient in a fast-moving environment. Many organisations have introduced faster decision-making mechanisms to respond to urgent issues. At the same time, communications and advocacy are becoming more strategic, digital and exposed to reputational risks. This creates a new expectation: not only to react well, but to position effectively, communicate with clarity and operate with greater readiness when the external environment changes quickly.
These are only some of the trends highlighted by the study. There is much more beneath the surface: from membership stability that masks underlying turnover, to growing interest in AI that has not yet translated into full strategic integration. What the benchmark shows most clearly is that trade associations are not standing still. But they are entering a phase in which resilience alone will not be enough. The ability to measure, prioritise, adapt and communicate will increasingly define which organisations remain influential in the years ahead.
For Kellen Europe, this report is not a one-off publication. It is the beginning of a longer-term effort to build a stronger benchmarking base for the association community. We are now preparing a second edition of the study and expanding the pool of interviewees in order to deepen the analysis and enrich the comparison.
If you are a Secretary General, Executive Director or senior association professional and would like to contribute to the next edition, I would be very pleased to hear from you. Please contact mtscardigli@kellencompany.com to express your interest in being interviewed, which will take not more than 1h of your time.
The conversation on the future of trade associations is only just beginning, and the broader the participation, the more valuable the insights will be for the whole community.
Maria Teresa Scardigli is Managing Director Kellen Europe
