--- title: "Monday Buzz: 2018’s Biggest Tech and Demographic Trends" id: "40568" type: "post" slug: "monday-buzz-2018s-biggest-tech-and-demographic-trends" published_at: "2017-11-20T22:04:46+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T20:48:33+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/11/20/monday-buzz-2018s-biggest-tech-and-demographic-trends/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/11/20/monday-buzz-2018s-biggest-tech-and-demographic-trends.md" excerpt: "Five trends to keep in mind when it comes to improving your organization’s technology and fundraising. Also: the real reasons some association events are struggling." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "attendee engagement" - "book events" - "event planning" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Monday Buzz: 2018’s Biggest Tech and Demographic Trends As we wrap up 2017 and speed toward 2018, it’s a good time to think about your organization’s technology. If you’ve fallen a little behind the curve, catching up with the latest tech best practices is a great New Year’s resolution. The Capterra technology blog [shares several key trends (opens in a new tab)](https://blog.capterra.com/5-nonprofit-trends-to-keep-in-mind-for-2018/) to be aware of to prepare for whatever next year brings. Just as high-profile hackings made the news this year, there’s no reason to believe that web hackers won’t be up to the same cyberattacks next year. To keep all of your valuable data secure, be sure you’re encrypting your website. “It is important to move your website (if you haven’t already) from HTTP to HTTPS, which encrypts your website and all interactions taking place on it,” writes Nick Morpus. Also, make sure you don’t lose out on any donors with antiquated donation methods. As checks become a thing of the past, make sure your mobile and desktop user experiences are seamless and easy to use. “Nearly half of millennials, gen X-ers, and boomers prefer to give solely through an organization’s website,” says Morpus. “This is a huge pool of electronic transactions alone without counting mobile donations from millennials and gen X-ers.” ### Event Challenges > 5. It’s easier to make excuses than to make change [https://t.co/sbYvScYptC (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/sbYvScYptC) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#eventprofs (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/eventprofs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#expochat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/expochat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/l8faiLH4Zz (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/l8faiLH4Zz) > > — 360livemedia (@360LiveMedia) [November 20, 2017 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/360LiveMedia/status/932623325683240961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Why are some association events struggling lately?** *360 Live Media* explored the [reasons behind recent failures (opens in a new tab)](https://360livemedia.com/2016/12/05/five-reasons-association-events-struggle-fail/) using an interrogative technique called the “5 Whys,” and it came up with several root causes for event challenges. One was that many events aren’t keeping up with changing attendee expectations. “We’ve seen disruption in every market sector,” writes Don Neal. “Your association event must at least be current, if not a step ahead of your industry.” ### Other Links of Note **You’re probably already using Facebook and Twitter** as part of your content marketing strategy. *Forbes* shares several reasons why [you shouldn’t disregard LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/11/17/12-ways-linkedin-can-grow-your-brands-content-marketing-strategy/#6b0219484d4d) . **Donors are being generous this time of year.** The Abila blog shares [great ways to say thank you (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.abila.com/showing-thanks-to-your-donors/) . **You may think of Amazon’s Alexa as just a fancy alarm.** But *CMSWire* says there are plenty of Alexa skills that are [helpful for marketers (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/alexa-skills-16-crucial-for-marketers/) . (Vertigo3d/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#attendee engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/attendee-engagement/) [#book events](https://associationsnow.com/tag/book-events/) [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Final Day at the 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 15, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/08/15/asae-tv-daily-recap-final-day-at-the-2024-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 3 of the 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 13, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/08/13/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-3-of-the-2024-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Day 2 from the 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 13, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/08/13/asae-tv-daily-recap-day-2-from-the-2024-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/08/12/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2024-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F11%2F20%2Fmonday-buzz-2018s-biggest-tech-and-demographic-trends%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !