Nothing brings out the urge to celebrate quite like an anniversary. The very mention of an upcoming anniversary year at your association can draw excitement and uncharacteristic outspokenness from the meekest board member or previously uninvolved member: How about we celebrate with a giant association birthday cake? And the more significant the anniversary year—such as a 10th, 50th, or 100th anniversary—the more extravagant the partying suggestions will be: How about an event with live bands and a celebrity appearance webcast to all members?

Shaping your anniversary into a meaningful, memorable, financially responsible, and effective celebration is the job of the association communications professional. At midsized or larger associations, it may also involve discussion and coordination with other staff from the meetings, membership, or other departments.

Shaping your anniversary into a meaningful, memorable, financially responsible, and effective celebration is the job of the association communications professional.

So You Want to Celebrate. Now What?

Weighing the intensity of the celebration against the resources available for it is step one. It won't take much research to discover that, for example, celebrity appearances aren't cheap and might be considered an option only in a milestone year in which substantial resources are available or in other extraordinary circumstances (e.g., where the celebrity has a personal connection to the cause or will greatly discount his or her fee). A few choice examples uncovered in your initial research of campaign options will make clear to leadership the natural tension between the intensity of the celebration and the reality of the bottom line, and this will lead to a more grounded discussion of how to celebrate your year.

While injecting financial constraints into an association-wide push for celebration may make you feel like a party pooper, the good news is that, as we at the American Academy of Actuaries learned in the run-up to and planning for our 50th anniversary year in 2015, the elements of an anniversary campaign are scalable. The effectiveness of your campaign will depend on thoughtfully applying the resources according to scale.

Dial Your Campaign Up or Down

Bringing your anniversary campaign down to earth won't be a downer if you're clear with leadership that there are realistic options that will generate excitement. Scale your campaign with elements of

• Branding. The branding that supports your campaign may require one or many new designs or themes, from a special anniversary logo to custom commemorative art, as well as other collateral, ranging from a full anniversary website to social media banners, to webinar or PowerPoint slides, hanging banners, podium signs, table centerpieces, and pens or other tchotchkes.
• External relations. You can scale up or scale down your paid or unpaid outreach or promotion to the public, members of other institutions, and other targeted audiences. These activities may include building or capitalizing on formal or informal alliances, publishing news and social media announcements and ads, or giving interviews and speeches.
• Member engagement. Member engagement can be embedded within your association's current channels or events or expanded to special activities and events, recognition, and publications. The American Academy of Actuaries invited (at no charge) and recognized charter members and past presidents onsite at its Annual Meeting and Public Policy Forum in November 2015 and through a listing of charter members on its website. Other ways to engage members include, but are not limited to, special events like a gala dinner, social media prompts seeking member response, publication of articles authored by members, "thank you" or "congratulations" cards that can be signed, or photo or video message booths for members at events.
• Storytelling. This is probably the most highly variable element of anniversary campaigns in terms of cost. Discuss how the anniversary year presents an opportunity to tell a story about your association—and what the story is. Most likely the story will be tied intimately to your association's mission. The Academy published a 44-page history book (available in both a print and digital version), an online timeline, and a movie highlighting the association's history through a series of interviews of past and current leaders. Storytelling can—but does not have to—be expensive or intensive. You can tell your association's story in speeches or presentations and further reinforce it through publication in your newsletter, website, or social media; incorporate it in meeting scripts; and promote it through news releases or webcasts.

When wild suggestions for your anniversary celebration start pouring in, think of your campaign as creating a party wagon: Don't overload it and don't underload it. Focus on filling it to scale with the right favors and your anniversary year will be a hit.