Gaining Trust, Redefining Value: A Bostrom Success Case Study
The Challenge
The Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), representing more than 550 faculty shaping the careers of 15,000 future interior designers, faced financial strain in the wake of the pandemic. Membership and sponsorship revenues were under pressure, governance documents were outdated, and event expenses were unsustainable. IDEC needed a partner to stabilize operations and position the organization for long-term growth.
Solution for Success
When IDEC selected Bostrom as its management partner, the team implemented a three-phase plan:
- Administration: Ensure business continuity by maintaining programming, honoring financial commitments, and practicing duty of care.
- Operations: Conduct a full review of policies and procedures. Within 15 months, every committee updated its policies, resulting in a new governance manual published online.
- Governance: Modernize bylaws in tandem with P&P revisions. A member-approved update is on track within 24 months.
Through Bostrom’s Agile Association Management© approach, staff embraced IDEC’s mission and engaged deeply with members, sponsors, and industry partners. Centralized sponsorship sales created consistent outreach, while a new event strategy reduced costs and enhanced the member experience.
The Outcomes
- Financial Turnaround: Reversed a negative net revenue trend within 18 months.
- Sponsorship Growth: Centralized sales increased revenue by 300%.
- Operational Efficiency: Launched a new event strategy that cut conference expenses by 30%.
- Governance Modernization: Published a new board and committee policy and procedures manual, while aligning bylaws with member feedback.
The Impact
IDEC’s revitalized operations and governance have reestablished trust with members and sponsors alike. As Alex Morales shared:
“Bostrom employees readily embrace a mission, we listen to who our clients are, and we really are all-in. IDEC’s website says it all: The Future of Design Begins Here.”