Associations World Congress 2025

12:00 - 13:00

Registration and badging for the pre-congress session delegates

13:00 - 13:50

Lunch & Networking

14:00 - 17:30

Medical Associations Forum

This annual meeting within the congress has proved very popular each year. We examine the top issues raised by medical associations, with setting the scene, discussion threads on the top three issues, case studies from delegates presented to the room and discussed around tables, ending with the summing up.

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Linda Pereira

Executive Director, CPL Meetings & Events

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14:00 - 17:30

Leadership & Governance Forum

Executive leadership in an association means working in an ever-evolving environment where volunteer leadership changes regularly. Defining the role of the executive and ensuring effective governance requires continuous effort, strategic insight, and adaptability.

In this interactive forum, we will explore the unique challenges of working with voluntary leadership and provide practical strategies to enhance collaboration, decision-making, and organizational impact.

Key topics include:

• Navigating leadership transitions – Defining and sustaining the executive’s role in a changing leadership landscape
• Understanding board dynamics – Helping boards embrace their responsibilities and function effectively
• Enhancing decision-making – Ensuring the right people make the right decisions at the right time
• Prioritizing impact – A strategic framework to help your association focus on the programs and services that truly matter

Join us for an engaging discussion designed to equip you with tools and insights to lead effectively in a dynamic governance environment.

Jim Meffert

Principal Consultant, Tecker International

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15:30 - 16:00

Refreshments & Networking

18:30 - 19:30

Welcome Reception & Registration

At the Grand Elysee Hotel

An opportunity to meet your fellow delegates, speakers and association experts and partners, with drinks and canapés.

SPONSOR & HOST:

19:30 - 21:30

Hosted Dinners

A number of dinners are hosted by suppliers at various restaurants.

State your interest in attending one of these when booking your delegate place.

08:00

Registration and badging desk opens

08:30 - 09:00

Welcome and Introduction to the Congress

• What to expect over the two days
• Key updates to the programme
• Introduce the hosts

Damian Hutt FIEM

Executive Director, Association of Association Executives

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09:00 - 09:45

Keynote Talk

To be announced in April.

09:55 - 10:55

What is the Association's Role in a World of Disinformation and 'Alternative' Facts?

Keynote Panel

09:55 - 10:55

How can Associations Justify the Inevitable Environmental Impact of Events?

Keynote Panel

09:55 - 10:55

What is the Successful Membership Model of the Future?

Keynote Panel

09:55 - 10:55

Artificial Intelligence: The Key to Value & Growth or Low-staff Organisations?

Keynote Panel

Refreshments, Networking & Exhibition

11:25 - 12:20

Association Strategy Case Studies

Case studies from association executives of successes in their plans, activites and policies.

11:25 - 12:20

Conference & Events Strategy Case Studies

Case studies from association executives of successes in their plans, activites and policies.

11:25 - 12:20

Membership & Community Strategy Case Studies

Case studies from association executives of successes in their plans, activites and policies.

11:25 - 12:20

AI - Artificial Intelligence Case Studies

Case studies from association executives of successes in applying AI in associations.

Strategic Partner Exchange

Lunch, Networking & Exhibition

14:15 - 15:00

Association Tech Demos

Demonstrations of new and updated technology, most with AI functionality, presented by suppliers and association executives.

14:15 - 15:00

Conference & Events Tech Demos

Demonstrations of new and updated technology, most with AI functionality, presented by suppliers and association executives.

14:15 - 15:00

Membership & Community Tech Demos

Demonstrations of new and updated technology, most with AI functionality, presented by suppliers and association executives.

14:15 - 15:00

AI - Artificial Intelligence Demos

Demonstrations of new and updated technology, most with AI functionality, presented by suppliers and association executives.

15:00 - 18:00

Re-examining Financial & Investment Strategies

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Session Leader: 

Rennie Schafer

Chief Executive Officer, Self Storage Association

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15:00 - 18:00

Creating Events that Members and the Sector Prioritise

This interactive session led by Sasha Frieze, an award-winning events producer, and producer of over 500 association conferences, will examine the essential strategies, models, and approaches to create events that your members and the sector prioritize.

• Introduction to the key issues
• What constitutes a must-attend programme
• What elements of an event are most desired and by whom
• Break
• Sharing of experiences among delegates
• Examining your competition
• Exercises to create plans for success
• Review and wrap-up

Session leader:

Sasha Frieze

Managing Director, The Business Narrative

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15:00 - 18:00

Redefining Success: Metrics That Matter in a Changing World

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

15:00 - 18:00

AI Strategies for Growth, Value and Efficiency

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Session leader:

Stéphanie Kioutsoukis

CEO & Founder, Fresh Strategies & Solutions

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08:30 - 11:10

Diversified & New Revenue Streams

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Session Leader: 

Damian Hutt FIEM

Executive Director, Association of Association Executives

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08:30 - 11:10

Growing Stakeholder Engagement & Revenue

This interactive deep-dive session led by David Hicks, addresses how you increase and develop your speaker's, sponsor's, exhibitor's and delegate's engagement in your flagship events. 

David has been working in customer relationships and journeys for decades, with some of the world's leading companies. His work on congresses in this area of stake-holder engagement is ground-breaking

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Session leader:

David Hicks

Global Experience Thought Leader; XM Coach Co-Founder & Chairman, XM Coach | TribeCX | TMD

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08:30 - 11:10

Understanding your Membership & Stakeholders

Understanding your membership and your stakeholders, their points of view on issues in the sector, and being able to evaluate and anlyse them is vital to your ability to service their needs and represent them.

In this deepdive session you will examine:

• The challenges to gaining an understanding of your membership & stakeholders on a large scale, how to be up-to-date when the sector evolves rapidly, and how to resolve them
• Various successful methods that have worked for associations
• Example approaches that everyone can learn from
• Mistakes and how to avoid them

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Session leader:

Simon Shelley

Chief Commercial Officer, Hi Impact

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08:30 - 11:10

Creating Valuable and Reliable Content with AI

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Session leaders:

Alan Hunter

Co-Founder, HBM Advisory

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Michael Brunt

Co-Founder, HBM Advisory

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Refreshments, Networking & Exhibition

11:15 - 12:05

Association Strategy Case Studies

Case studies from association executives of successes in their plans, activites and policies.

11:15 - 12:05

Conference & Events Strategy Case Studies

Case studies from association executives of successes in their plans, activites and policies.

11:15 - 12:05

Membership & Community Strategy Case Studies

Case studies from association executives of successes in their plans, activites and policies.

11:15 - 12:05

AI - Artificial Intelligence Case Studies

Case studies from association executives of successes in applying AI in associations.

Strategic Partner Exchange

Lunch, Networking & Exhibition

13:50 - 14:35

Association Tech Demos

Demonstrations of new and updated technology, most with AI functionality, presented by suppliers and association executives.

13:50 - 14:35

Conference & Events Tech Demos

Demonstrations of new and updated technology, most with AI functionality, presented by suppliers and association executives.

13:50 - 14:35

Membership & Community Tech Demos

Demonstrations of new and updated technology, most with AI functionality, presented by suppliers and association executives.

13:50 - 14:35

AI - Artificial Intelligence Demos

Demonstrations of new and updated technology, most with AI functionality, presented by suppliers and association executives.

14:40 - 16:30

Successful Outsourcing & Insourcing: Value, Excellence & Control

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

14:40 - 16:30

Creating Successful Event Portfolios: Local vs International and Online vs In-person

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Session leader:

Rodney Cox

Global Event and Association Specialist, International Gas Union

14:40 - 16:30

Organisational Memberships: Engagement beyond the Main Contact

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

14:40 - 16:30

Owning the AI Space in your Sector

As a leading provider of information in your sector, your community are looking for authoritative guidance and leadership on the use of AI an how it is applied within the sector, best practices and transparency for retention of trust.  

This session will examine what the challenges are to doing this in both Individual Member Organisations and Business Member Organisations. The session leader, who has great experience with this in his organisation will provide guidance and best practices and ideas, as well as examples.

This expert-led deep-dive session is highly interactive and contributive:

• Introduction to the key issues from the Session Leader
• Review of delegates' situation (from the session survey completed by attendees)
• Structured discussion of they issues highlighted by delegates, with multiple threads
• Break
• Experience sharing by delegates either to the room or at round tables
• Break-out into sub-topic issues
• Review and wrap-up

The format may be adjusted to address the needs identified in the session surveys that are completed by delegates a 6-8 weeks before the event.

Session leader:

Robert Millar

Founder & co-CEO, Global AI Leaders Network

16:30

Congress Close

16:00 - 18:00

Check-in at the Grand Elysee Hotel

18:00 - 20:00

Dinner at the Grand Elysée Hotel

08:30 - 10:00

Breakfast & Site Inspection of the Grand Elysée Hotel

10:15 - 11:00

Visit to, and site inspection of Curio Haus