The Future of Engagement: How AI + Video Are Reshaping Association Workflows

Whether your association is ready or not, AI is already part of your daily operations.

It’s powering your members’ search engines. It’s suggesting email replies. It might even be helping your staff draft meeting agendas or pull reports faster.

At the same time, video has become the language of digital trust.

It’s how your members consume content, tell their stories, and connect on a human level.

The future of engagement isn’t about chasing shiny tools. It’s about aligning the tech your team already uses like AI, automation, and video to streamline operations, deepen connections, and deliver real value.

At Armstrong, we call that AI Orchestration. And it’s not a luxury for some far-off future. It’s how forward-thinking associations are working right now.

The Engagement Gap Is Real and Growing

Let’s get honest for a moment: many associations are still working harder than they should.

You’ve got data in five places.

Workarounds for outdated processes.

Staff manually copying and pasting info between systems.

And maybe a marketing team that’s frustrated they can’t send a timely thank-you or welcome message without asking IT for help.

At the same time, your members expect more. They want interactions that feel personal. Emails that are relevant. Events that are easy to join. And answers that come quickly and sometimes before they even ask.

This disconnect between what your members expect and what your internal systems allow? That’s the engagement gap. And the longer it goes unaddressed, the more it costs in time, trust, and opportunity.

AI + Automation: The Hidden Workforce Behind the Scenes

What if your systems could talk to each other? What if tasks that used to take hours could happen instantly…without anyone touching a keyboard?

That’s what AI-powered automation makes possible.

Using Zapier for iMIS, Armstrong has helped associations turn disconnected processes into smart, seamless workflows. And the best part? You don’t need to overhaul your AMS. You just need to connect it intelligently.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

When a new member joins, their info is automatically added to your email platform and instantly tagged, segmented, and ready for outreach.
When someone registers for an event, their record is updated in iMIS, their confirmation is triggered, and your team is notified via Slack or email.
When a staffer submits a form, a task is created in your project management tool, pre-filled with all the data you need.

No code. No complexity. Just connections that work.

This is AI orchestration where technology does the behind-the-scenes lifting, so your team can focus on strategy, not admin.

Video Is the New Handshake

Automation solves the efficiency problem. But what about the human side of the equation?

That’s where video comes in.

In a digital world flooded with text, video is what breaks through. It feels real. It builds trust. And thanks to tools like VideoRequest.io, it’s easier than ever for associations to harness that power.

Use cases we’re seeing in the wild:

Welcome new members with short, personalized videos from staff or board members.
Collect testimonials from attendees after your annual conference. Just send a link and they can record from their phone.
Celebrate renewals or milestones with quick thank-you messages that actually feel heartfelt.

And here’s where it gets even better: you can plug these into your automations, too.

Like this:

A new member joins → They get a welcome email with a video from your Executive Director.
That same email includes a personalized link asking them to record their own short intro video.
Their video is instantly routed to your content library for social, newsletters, or community features.

That’s personalization at scale. And it doesn’t just feel like engagement, it is engagement.

Putting It All Together: A Workflow Worth Repeating

The real magic happens when AI and video come together as part of a connected experience. Let’s walk through an example:

Scenario: A new member signs up online.

Zapier for iMIS automatically updates their record, tags them appropriately, and kicks off a workflow.
A welcome email is triggered and is complete with a personal video from your Member Services team.
The email includes a VideoRequest.io link, inviting the member to record a 30-second video about why they joined.
That video is uploaded, auto-tagged, and added to a gallery for board review or member stories.

In a few short minutes, your association has:

Collected new data.
Delivered a human touch.
Created marketing content.
Logged everything cleanly in your AMS.

All without your staff lifting a finger.

This is what we mean when we talk about Better iMIS. Not just a cleaner database, but smarter workflows and deeper engagement, powered by tools that actually work together.

This Isn’t About “More Tech.” It’s About Using It Better.

If your tech stack already feels like a lot, we get it.

Most associations didn’t build their systems overnight. They evolved over years: one product here, one patch there. And the thought of adding more tools probably feels overwhelming.

That’s why we’re not saying “buy more.”

We’re saying use what you have more strategically. Connect it, orchestrate it, and unlock its full potential.

AI and video aren’t just nice-to-haves anymore. They’re essential ingredients for how associations operate in today’s landscape:

Your members expect speed and personalization.
Your staff needs to do more with less.
And your systems need to work together, not in silos.

The future of engagement is already here. The only question is how you’ll put it to work.

Want to See It in Action? Join Our Free Webinar on Wednesday, October 22 at Noon ET.

We’re hosting a one-hour, high-impact session called:

The Future of Engagement: How AI + Video Are Reshaping Association Workflows

You’ll learn how associations are:

Using Zapier for iMIS to automate everyday tasks and save hours each week
Leveraging VideoRequest.io to deliver face-to-face engagement without adding to staff workload
Building smarter workflows that do more, say more, and connect more
Turning their AMS into the center of engagement instead of just a database

👉 Register now and see what Better iMIS really looks like in 2025.

Final Thought

Your members aren’t comparing your tech to other associations. They’re comparing it to Amazon, YouTube, and the last great digital experience they had.

It’s time to meet those expectations with systems that serve your mission, not slow it down.

With smart AI, connected automation, and the right touch of video, you can.

Let’s talk Better iMIS.