Across the Association Management industry, a concerning trend has been gaining traction: vendors are increasingly being asked to fund management company events, perks, or “marketing opportunities” that have little to do with actual marketing.
What’s being framed as partnership is often something very different.
👉 Common examples we’re seeing:
• Covering food, drinks, or entertainment at a management company’s holiday party
• Requests for specific gift cards or monetary contributions
• Paying for logo placement at internal company events that don’t generate real business exposure
These aren’t marketing strategies. They’re pay‑to‑play—wrapped in holiday spirit or disguised as “relationship building.”
🎯 Why This Matters for Our Industry
What once felt like goodwill has quietly shifted into expectation. Vendors now feel pressured to contribute financially, worried that declining could impact their ability to work with certain management companies.
That’s not partnership. It’s pressure. And it undermines the ethical foundation our industry depends on.
🛑 The Risks to Our Industry
If pay‑to‑play continues unchecked, we risk:
• Damaging vendor–manager relationships built on professionalism and mutual respect
• Creating inequity for vendors who can’t afford to “buy” access
• Normalizing entitlement instead of ethical, transparent business practices
• Undermining the credibility of management companies who do operate with integrity
This isn’t just a vendor issue—it’s an industry culture issue.
💡 A Better Standard for Association Management
Holiday events and company celebrations should reflect a management company’s own investment in its team—not a monetized expectation placed on vendors. Visibility should be earned through performance, service, and trust—not purchased through pressure.
As an industry, we can choose:
• Transparency over hidden expectations
• Respect over obligation
• Equity over pay‑to‑play
• Integrity over shortcuts
🔥 Ethical leadership isn’t just good practice—it’s the foundation of a healthy Association Management industry.
