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Serving members when they need us most: IABC continued to gain financial and membership strength, putting the association in good stead to weather the economic downturn.

Article Excerpt
I always feel some disconnect when I write my portion of the annual report. The IABC fiscal year closes on 31 December, and I write my report in April, to be published in the July-August issue of CW. This year, it's not only that months have passed since the end of December--it feels the world has changed in that time. Yet, despite the challenges of 2009, let me report some of the association's unprecedented accomplishments in 2008.

By the end of the year, membership had grown to 16,189, a 7 percent increase over 2007, with 275 corporate packages continuing to fuel growth. Strong membership was a major reason that IABC once again ended the year with a positive net of revenues over expenses.

The IABC International Conference in New York City was among our biggest ever, attracting nearly 1,800 participants. The innovative program set a new standard for the profession. Professional development also included highly rated small conferences in research and measurement, financial communication and business writing, as well as the popular web seminars, teleseminars and our online certificate program with Ithaca College.

The IABC Knowledge Centre added new resources on employee communication, communication planning, ROI and multidisciplinary best practices.

The Gold Quill Awards program showcased 1,043...