Many business people are reevaluating every expenditure to ensure that every dollar produces value.
This reevaluation includes memberships in associations and other business groups.
Shira Levine wrote a good reminder on six ways to get value from joining an association: A Good Business Move: Joining Associations
Her main theme is that it takes more than just paying an association's membership dues in order to get the most value from the membership -- it takes an investment of time.