What We Heard at AMMC 2026: Three Membership Lessons to Plan Around in 2027

Written by Tiago D'Auria: Senior Growth & Partnerships Representative

Year after year, Cuseum is always excited to attend and sponsor AMMC, the American Museum Membership Conference. This year's conference took place in sunny Los Angeles, California, from October 26 to 29. This convening brought together hundreds of leaders in the world of museum membership and I was thrilled to be able to connect with the community, learn about new strategies, and watch how our field is evolving.

The common thread across the keynotes and sessions I attended was this: organizations are rebuilding membership around engagement, not only access. Some are doing it with more gatherings and in-person events. Others are doing it with digital tools and digital membership solutions that add channels and benefits. Most are doing both.

Here are the three lessons that I think are most useful if you are setting membership goals for 2027, plus what membership teams asked us at the Cuseum booth.

Treat Membership as a Relationship, Not an Annual Transaction

The conference opened with Rebecca Davis and Pete Davis, the co-directors of the documentary Join or Die, which follows the long decline of clubs and community groups in America. Their keynote pointed to the Social Connection in America 2025 Survey Report: 57% of U.S. adults do not belong to any club or organization, and only 11% went to 12 or more club meetings in the past year.

A keynote session at AMMC 2026 in Los Angeles.

For membership teams, the answer was to keep members engaged all year. That means bringing them to your location for events, gatherings, new exhibitions and workshops, or inviting them to help out around the organization.

Several speakers encouraged teams to "clubify" membership, which means adding more activities and gatherings so members feel part of something rather than holders of a card. The logic is simple. Members who feel connected are more likely to renew, and more likely to move up a level.

Start by listing everything a member hears from you between joining and their renewal notice. If the list is short, that is the gap to close in 2027.

Pro tip: Looking for another channel that gives you a direct line to your member's phone between visits? A digital membership card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet can assist you.

Build a Ladder of Benefits So Members Have a Next Step

One session I attended, A Strategic, Data-Driven Approach to Reinventing Your Membership Program, was presented by Space Center Houston and Sherman Group Consulting. The presenters made the case for a loyal base: it brings reliable earned revenue when attendance goes up and down. They also encouraged teams to treat every visitor as a potential donor.

Their model was a ladder of engagement:

• Entry levels: admission, discounts, preview access, programs, an online magazine and a calendar.
• Mid levels: guest privileges, reciprocal free admission, special exhibition tickets and parking benefits.
• Giving societies and circles: leadership access, expert content, a role in advancing the mission, and recognition.

The presenters showed one member's journey through five upgrades over four years, which added up to more than $18,000 in giving. For me, the point was not the number. It was that each step up gave the member a reason to get more involved.

Upgrades tend to follow engagement. Guest passes, vouchers, reciprocal programs, special access and exclusive online content all give a member something new to say yes to. Write down what your next level up offers that the one below it does not. If you cannot say it in one sentence, members will not see it either.

Give Members Who Live Far Away Something to Do Online

I also attended Unraveling the Case for Virtual Membership Programming, which looked at how digital benefits can raise engagement and serve members who live out of state or far from the building. The panel stressed that digital benefits should keep evolving, so members keep finding value online.

Two of the museums on that panel shared what they learned from asking members. A study by The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum found that connection comes almost equally from digital content and video tours (61.9%) and from in-person programs and events (61.2%), followed by educational programs (47%). The International Spy Museum asked members what it does well, and almost 50% of respondents named its virtual programs. Most members said they wanted educational lectures and workshops. Because 45% of the Spy Museum's members live outside the DC area, it reshaped its online benefits around what they asked for.

Ask your own members what they would attend, and check how many live outside your area. The answer may change which benefits you build next.

What Membership Teams Asked Us at the Cuseum Booth

Most of the questions I heard at the Cuseum booth were about what else a digital membership program can do once the card is on a member's phone. Three topics came up:

• Reminders and alerts. Teams wanted to know how a card can carry renewal reminders and timely updates, including an alert when a member is near the building.
• Card sharing. Teams asked how to keep a digital card with the member it belongs to.
• Text messages. Teams asked about reaching members by SMS as well.

All three points come back to the first lesson. Members renew when they keep hearing from you, so decide what you want them to hear between visits and which channel each message belongs on.

Me at the Cuseum booth at AMMC 2026.

Design Membership as a Relationship You Keep Building

If one idea came home with me from Los Angeles, it was this.

Membership is an ongoing relationship with proactive engagement, not a yearly purchase.

Keep introducing new benefits. Create reasons to connect, in person and online. Show members what the next level offers. Organizations that do this are better placed to retain members, reach new audiences, encourage upgrades and add revenue.

Ready to Keep Members Engaged Between Visits?

Cuseum helps museums and cultural organizations stay close to members between visits with digital membership cards for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, automated renewal reminders, and integrations with the CRM, membership, fundraising and ticketing platforms your team already uses.

Missed us at AMMC? Book time with me for a 20-minute call, or request a demo to see how it works.