Relevance, revenue and retention were among some of the challenges cited by global association professionals at last year's Association Focus. The dedicated day returns to IMEX Frankfurt this year, designed to address current issues head on as well as help association professionals harness the significant positive impact of their events. Strategic leadership, sustainability and meeting design are all on the agenda.
Association Focus, sponsored by Amsterdam Convention Bureau, takes place on Monday May 19, the day before IMEX Frankfurt, at Kap Europa Convention Center.
Highlights include:
AI to thrive: Futurist Henry Coutinho-Mason claims he’s “obsessed with new perspectives on the biggest question in business - what will people want next?" His interactive plenary session—Thriving in the AI era: Non-obvious ways to design a people-first AI strategy—will lift the lid on how associations are using AI to create authentic, lasting value for their members. Henry says: “The future for the event community is a bright one—but only if you remember that AI needs to be a tool, not a goal itself.”
Association leaders: A dedicated track for association leaders, designed by ASAE (the American Society of Association Executives), covers the critical skills leaders need to foster resilience as well as the business impact of sustainability. One of last year’s attendees, explains how this remains an issue: Evelyn Mansutti, European Association of Nuclear Medicine, says: “Sustainability is a challenge. Each year we introduce new initiatives and have begun measuring CO2 emissions, but we need new ideas on how to make our events more sustainable.”
In a separate panel session, ASAE will draw on their ForesightWorks research to give an overview of the key drivers of change shaping the association landscape. From economic trends, workforce changes, technological advancements, and evolving member expectations, ASAE will demonstrate that associations need to not only adapt, but also proactively position themselves for success in a rapidly evolving world.
Association planners: A track curated by Martin Sirk, owner of Sirk Serendipity, will explore how to capture and maximize value from content—the so-called “Crown Jewels” of association events.
In a session on meeting design and delegate experience, attendees will be challenged to "flip the format" and reveal elements of their own association’s meeting design that they’d like to change – expect open discussion and practical advice from an expert panel.
Finally, associations from around the world will share the inside scoop on their innovations and experiments to boost attendance, revenue and long-term impact. This series of rapid-fire case study sessions is fast-paced, insightful and open to all.
Association Focus is sponsored by Amsterdam Convention Bureau with AV provided by Encore. It takes place on Monday May 19 at Kap Europa Convention Center and is part of IMEX Frankfurt taking place May 20-22. Register here to attend the show.
