What Bad Bunny Can Teach Association Leaders

By Abigail Bayer, CAE

Last month, Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny announced his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour with 57 shows in 19 different countries…except the United States.

This announcement came in the middle of his 31-show residency in Puerto Rico, which generated $200 million for the island's economy. So why would one of the most popular recording artists of all time choose not to tour in his home country at the peak of his fame?

It's simple: he chose people over profit.

"There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times," Bad Bunny shared in an interview with i-D. "But there was the issue of—like, f***ing ICE could be outside [my concert]."

With ICE activity increasing across the U.S., there's a real sense of immigration raids creating an environment of fear. And with a majority of Bad Bunny's fans being fellow Latinos, it's not surprising he's concerned his shows could be targeted. So he prioritized the safety and well-being of his fans, boldly and deliberately choosing long-term community trust over short-term financial gain.

Bad Bunny's decision is a powerful, high-stakes example for association leaders facing increasingly difficult choices about how to best serve and protect their members in a volatile political climate.

Your Members son tus Fans

This isn't just a celebrity story–it's a case study for how association leaders can navigate through an increasingly polarized landscape. Many of us may already see ourselves in this exact situation:

• Bad Bunny = Your Association

• His Fans = Your Members

• Tour Revenue = Your Non-Dues Revenue

• The Threat of Immigration Raids = Any external threat that makes members feel unsafe, unwelcome, or targeted.

This isn't a future problem. The current political, legal, and safety threats directly impacting our members are affecting their decision to attend events, and they're watching to see how we, as their association leaders, react.

Preocupaciones y Consecuencias: This is Already Happening in Our Industry

Some organizations have already been forced to make difficult choices–postponing, relocating, or cancelling their events altogether:

• Earlier this year, the American Hospital Association postponed their Accelerating Health Equity conference to 2026 "in light of recent Executive Orders and the uncertain legal environment."

• The International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA) relocated its 2026 biennial meeting from New Jersey to Canada after many of their members "expressed concerns about hostility toward international people visiting the U.S."

• After this year's meeting in New Mexico, the International Conference on Comparative Cognition is hosting its 2026 meeting in Canada, which is the first time the event will take place outside of the U.S. Though this year's event had no issues, "many expressed hesitation about crossing the border."

• Tampa Pride, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Florida, announced in August they cancelled their 2026 events and would not be renewing their president's contract due to "the current political and economic climate…and the discontinuation of DEI programs."

• The International Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy also cancelled its 2025 conference taking place in Nashville, explaining visa uncertainty, federal funding cuts, and concerns about U.S. policy as reasons for the cancellation.

"The future is grim for conferences in the U.S.," said Brad Bushman, professor of communication at The Ohio State University, and ISRA’s executive secretary. "Scientists work together to solve problems and will not meet in places where they feel excluded."

Bad Bunny recognized the potential impact to revenue by excluding the U.S. from his tour, and he still chose to do so. Instead, he hosted a residency in a location that still allowed American fans to attend. Now, association members are voicing their concerns and outright refusing to travel to locations that conflict with their values. Addressing member safety and values is not just a moral imperative: it's a critical financial strategy, and ignoring it not only has a tangible economic impact, it can have a negative impact on your members' opinion of your organization.

Taking una Página from Benito's Playbook: The New Reality of Risk Management

Event planning has evolved from standard logistical concerns to planning for civil unrest and political volatility. But do association leaders truly understand the unique pressures and anxieties of our diverse member segments, or do we offer one-size-fits-all solutions that ignore their individual realities?

In response to Bad Bunny's concerns about ICE conducting raids outside of his concerts, Department of Homeland Security secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed Bad Bunny is "seriously misinformed about ICE operations," and noted, "If Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae are going on tour, so can he."

Comparing Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, and their fans to Bad Bunny and his fanbase is misinformed and shows a lack of audience understanding. The threats we're facing as a result of this volatile climate are not the same for every demographic.

Association leaders must update their risk management playbooks to account for these new, complex threats to our members' physical and psychological safety. This means going beyond performative, surface-level DEI initiatives and instead practicing protective DEI, which sometimes requires making difficult decisions.

Hay un Paso Nuevo que Quiero Enseñarte

("There's a new step I want to teach you." Lyric from BAILE INoLVIDABLE, song by Bad Bunny)

This year's North American Society for the Sociology of Sports (NASSS) annual meeting was set for early November in Seattle. But about 40% of their members are Canadian, and many didn't want to attend a conference in the U.S. due to current administrative policies. So they came up with a unique solution: a three-part event format. The NASSS plans to host two in-person events, one in the original Seattle location and the other in Canada, and a third virtual option–all three happening simultaneously.

The NASSS heard their members' concerns and not only came up with a solution, they added a third option for those unwilling or unable to travel to an in-person event (they even have childcare options for the Canada event, creating additional accessibility and inclusion for attendees). True member-centricity in this era requires the courage to make difficult decisions that protect the safety and sense of belonging of all members.

This also means asking difficult questions:

• Go beyond simple surveys. Ask diverse member groups what makes them feel unsafe or unwelcome at your association's events, or in the industry as a whole.

• Who are you silently excluding with your choice of event locations?

• Do your risk management plans include scenarios of civil unrest and political volatility?

• Is your leadership prioritizing a signed contract over the wellbeing of a segment of your membership?

• Are you measuring success by the revenue from one conference, or by the long-term trust and loyalty of your members?

From Performative to Protective

The choice facing associations today isn't just about logistics: it's about the very soul of our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Many associations have stayed at the surface level, focusing on actions that are more performative than protective.

• Surface-Level DEI (Performative): Posting "Happy ____ Day/Month!" on social media, using diverse stock photos, hosting a single DEI panel at a conference, or creating a DEI committee that only drafts a DEI statement.

These actions, while well-intentioned, are not enough. True commitment requires taking a deeper, more courageous level of action.

• Deep DEI (Protective): Canceling an event in a hostile location, vetting a host city's policies, auditing events for hidden barriers, and empowering DEI committees with a real budget and veto power over decisions that could harm members.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, let's move beyond celebration and commit to protection. Bad Bunny didn't just post a statement on social media–he showed us it's about what you're willing to risk to protect your people. We, as association leaders, have the opportunity to build organizations where our members can thrive, not despite the world around them, but because we choose to build a safe harbor for them.