With dark economic clouds hovering overhead for members and associations themselves, many overlapping trade and professional groups entered into merger discussions in the first quarter of 2009, seeking to band together to weather the storm. In April alone, three separate association merger announcements were made public—in retail, food service, and entertainment technology sectors. And while not quite a full merger, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association announced May 5 their European operations will combine with the London Investment Banking Association to create a single European organization. Coinciding with the merger, SIFMA also announced the… Read More