For years, Europe has been an important destination for many U.S. associations interested in expanding their global reach with membership, events, and advocacy. Europe has often been considered a safe choice because of the perception of a familiar culture and proximity to the U.S. Some associations have been successful, while others found Europe challenging. Here is an example of one association with many recent and long-term successes.

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), a professional association serving attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations, and other private-sector organizations worldwide, developed a sophisticated global model more than 10 years ago. ACC not only has some 60 chapters and interest groups in countries and regions like Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Middle East and North Africa, Singapore, and Europe, but it has also set up offices in Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong with full-time staff. In Europe, they have offices in London and Brussels.

You have to apply a European lens to make your information relevant to the local cultures, customs, and business environments throughout Europe.

Robin Grossfeld, senior vice president of global initiatives at ACC, leads the group’s global strategy for the Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. In her role, she played an integral part in developing and implementing ACC’s strategic plan, which focused on building and strengthening a global footprint.

“At the start of our strategic planning process, we surveyed our members, and they told us quite strongly that ACC needed to expand beyond the U.S., and Europe was number one on the list,” said Grossfeld. “We have invested significantly to bring our products and services to market that meet the needs of members and supported our local chapters to increase their visibility, increasing membership and advocacy initiatives. As a result of this balanced and sustained approached, we have seen continued growth in the region.” 

Elements of Success

ACC’s strategy has been successful for several reasons. Among them:

Understand the local perspectives. “You have to listen first to understand what matters the most to international constituents, then come back with a very strong offer,” said Grossfeld, who has been based in ACC’s London office for the past two years.

“I moved to London right before the COVID-19 pandemic, so my in-person interactions have been limited, but just being part of the culture has given us a much better sense of how our organization has to adapt its strategies to stay relevant in the eyes of our international members and prospects.” This strategy has worked well in other regions too, as ACC has since then expanded into the APAC region.

Adopt a European lens. While many associations seek to build on their existing U.S. successes and mimic them in international markets, even the slightest difference can make or break the way your association is being positioned internationally.

“You have to apply a European lens to make your information relevant to the local cultures, customs, and business environments throughout Europe,” said Grossfeld. “While our members may face similar challenges as those in other regions, their approach given their business, their customs, and their culture may be different.” 

The resources and programs ACC provide reflect the European perspective and their local chapters are the face of ACC, providing local programming and networking opportunities. In addition, regular adjustments are made to ensure high quality and that European members’ voices are heard.

While some regions welcome U.S. associations with open arms, the European market is much more challenging because of an existing vibrant association sector that might see your association as a competitor. ACC has worked very hard to move away from being viewed as a U.S. association to a truly global one by ensuring our offerings are geared to members in their respective regions who practice cross-border.  Currently, more than 25 percent of its membership reside outside the U.S.

“It is important that you don’t wear your ‘American hat’ while working in Europe (or dare I say anywhere outside the U.S.). If you do, you will have a more challenging time connecting with your members and prospects,” said Grossfeld. “This starts with how you present yourself, to how you communicate in meetings, to how events are executed and branded.”

Always be aware of cultural differences and respect them. Identify partners and find a way to embrace existing frameworks and relationships. ACC has been fortunate to already have a strong European chapter in place that offers a wide variety of programs and networking opportunities. In addition, the chapter has a representative structure of volunteer members in each of the key countries who coordinate programming and networking within their own country.

“This structure has been so important to the growth of ACC. Our board and country representatives can share their career journey and how ACC has helped them in their professional development,” Grossfeld said. “ACC staff are here to support their efforts and work with them to increase ACC visibility in the region. We have built a strong and productive collaboration with our chapters, consistently working to provide the right balance between tailored local content and connections, while also offering opportunities to tap into a global network. This nuanced approach, which we consistently reevaluate, has also made it easier to introduce ACC as a true global association.” 

As ACC’s example shows, global success requires commitment from your organization to expand to international markets, a clear strategy on what you want to accomplish and how, and an understanding of cultural nuances and existing relationships to help open doors.