Newly appointed Consultant Editor, Mark Boleat, founder of the Trade Association Forum, is welcomed in the latest issue of Association Management International which is published under consultation with Major Media Sales. With 25 years experience in major national, European and international trade associations and trade association consultancy work Mark will bring a depth of valuable insight and experience to the publication.   In the Spring Issue Mark comments: ‘A rapidly changing environment is generally a catalyst for the best getting better and the worst going out of business.  No association has a divine right to exist and every association needs to remember that it is there to help its members, not the other way round.  Associations need constantly to evaluate what they do and how they do it. And they need to be able to demonstrate that they are serving their members best long term interests, even when the members are not certain what these are.’   ‘At a time of rapid change there is much that associations can learn from each other. As a consultant much of what I do is facilitating precisely that – the issues facing associations of different types and sizes tend to be much the same.  Association Management aims to do the same. Every association should see it as a resource – to give some ideas that are worth pursuing and occasionally to head off what could otherwise be expensive and abortive work.’     With articles looking at problems faced in undertaking IT projects, organising trade shows, effective minute taking and using empathy to ensure that your events deliver more to your membership the issue is full of value for those in association management roles. For more information visit: www.associationmanagement.co.uk