AENC Celebrates 70th Anniversary This Summer in Raleigh

Raleigh, N.C. -- Association Executives of North Carolina, the membership organization and leading voice for the state's association professionals, celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, culminating in the 2025 Annual Meeting at the Raleigh Convention Center, July 20-22, highlighted by a gala celebration on Monday, July 21.

AENC Board President Kathryn Atkinson, CMP, will preside over the conference, which will feature educational sessions, the election of officers and directors, the presentation of awards, a silent auction, and AENC’s annual golf tournament.

“On behalf of AENC, I’m excited to celebrate this milestone anniversary in Raleigh, where the association has its headquarters,” Atkinson said. “We expect a great turnout from our membership and plan to honor our past while looking forward to our future.”

Founded in Raleigh in 1955, AENC provides high quality professional development and networking opportunities for its more than 930 members, including CEOs and staff of trade and professional associations, as well as representatives of business services and the hospitality industry. Members live in over 90 cities and towns across North Carolina from the Great Smoky Mountains to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

AENC’s mission is simple: “To help our members succeed”

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Association Fast Facts

• AENC was founded in 1955 for association executive directors to have a more prominent voice with the North Carolina General Assembly.
• Today there are over 930 individual AENC members, representing approximately 230 different associations.  Members also represent hotels, convention & visitors bureaus, and other organizations that host events or provide services to associations.
• According to the nonprofit data site Cause IQ, North Carolina business and industry associations collectively employ 3,940 people, earn more than $1 billion in revenue each year, and have assets of $3 billion.
• North Carolina is home to 1,472 associations and other entities designated as 501(c )(6) tax exempt organizations. They represent a wide variety of professions from landscapers to homebuilders, teachers, doctors, lawyers, realtors, law enforcement officers and many others. Most businesses and professions in North Carolina, across the U.S., and worldwide are represented by an association.
• Associations are also known for informing public discourse and shaping policy decisions through advocacy and grassroots lobbying. AENC supports its members’ public policy initiatives by providing networking opportunities at its annual Legislative Reception.
• A study by the American Society of Association Executives, found that associations support one million jobs and provide $71.4 billion in wages across all 50 states. The ASAE study also reported that associations inject significant revenue into state and local economies through more than 272,000 events, which attract nearly 52 million participants, directly support 342,000 jobs, and generate $42 billion in spending in communities nationwide every year.
• According to data released in April 2025 by the N.C. Department of Commerce, visitor spending continued to break records for North Carolina in 2023. Travel spending statewide rose 6.9 percent to $35.6 billion in 2023.  Direct tourism employment, at 227,000 employees, reflects a 4.8% increase.

Join us in celebrating AENC’s milestone anniversary and recognizing the outstanding contributions of North Carolina’s associations, along with their dedicated employees and members, who serve our great state with purpose and passion.