Exempla Management & Consulting

Experiences are valued far more than content. So, if your event value is content driven you want the educational programme to be part of the experience, not the thing people “have” to sit through before the fun starts…   If you’re looking for ideas for more engaging conference programmes in 2025, this interview can get you started. https://lnkd.in/dZ63v7rE It was great to chat with Sébastien Braun at idloom about a topic we are both passionate about.   Let me know what you think are the best ways to spice up conference sessions and feel free to connect if you’d like to discuss any of this further. #eventprofs #eventdesign #learningisfun #associationevents #associationconferences

At BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (BIAF) on Monday I was asked to facilitate the closing discussion where we had a collective look ahead at what 2025 would hold for associations – a few takeaways:   2024 vs 2025 -       2024 was a good year for the majority of participants -       However, confidence was lower that 2025 would be as good or better -       Principal reasons for that were uncertainty due to the geopolitical and financial outlook with its knock-on impact on decision making and investments   Despite the uncertainty, the room was still quick to identify a variety of opportunities ahead: -       AI tools and more clarity on the use cases that will actually add value -       New engagement opportunities with online audiences -       Leadership willingness to improvement governance models -       More advanced and impactful work on sustainability initiatives and event legacy -       Advocacy opportunities arising as a result of global instability   My reflections? -       The association community is pretty amazing when it comes to resourcefulness and resilience! -       There are core topics that need constant attention (positioning, governance, engagement) and even if they aren’t the “shiny new thing” neglect them at your peril… -       Plan your rest and downtime before the new year kicks off because we’re going to need plenty of energy for 2025!   Thanks to ASSOCIATIONWORLD . and Kai Troll for the invitation and to Jane Cunningham and Sina Bünte, CMP, DES, TMEP, HVED for the great onsite experience!

Are Associations adopting AI too quickly? "AI to the Rescue" was the topic of last week’s panel at the IBTM World Association Leaders Forum, organised by ESAE - European Society of Association Executives. I had the chance to contribute alongside Dianna Steinbach, MBA, CAE, Angela Guillemet, Connie Lau and Sven Bossu – it was a lively discussion which gave plenty to reflect on!   Here I’m sharing my personal thoughts and reflections on the topic – this not a summary of the panel itself and I’m not speaking on behalf of the other panellists (we had some healthy debate :-)):   1.     Associations are often criticised for being slow to embrace innovation – well on the AI topic this is absolutely NOT the case – my feeling is that “everyone” is testing things already 2.     There are a wide range of applications from reducing admin to advanced, qualitative uses for communications or stakeholder engagement 3.    Most dialogue focuses on efficiency gains through process automation or rapid content generation 4.    Little focus so far on strategic questions of what encouraging AI generated content means for association communities, their purpose and cultures 5.   Back to point 1. I worry we could see associations moving too fast (yes, it is possible!) and undermining their own value propositions     Some questions to consider on whether associations will benefit from distributing AI generated content:   a)     Do we want members sharing “their” AI generated ideas or sharing “AI enhanced” opinions? Or do we want authentic human to human exchange? b)     Can we distinguish using AI to help communicate ones own ideas in a different language (fixing grammar etc.)  vs. using prompts like “write me an insightful 50-word post on *association topic of the day*” - or - worse “politely disagree with *Julie’s* post in a way that discredits their ideas whilst showcasing my credentials”? c)     Will our systems be able to make such distinctions so we know what (who) we’re really reading? d)    Do we need new codes of conduct for authors and speakers? e)    Will everyone need to get their own AI to shift through the ton of other people’s AI generated content and entrust the algorithms to tell us what is worth paying attention to? Does that sound like "good future" to you? f)     What does all this mean for our associations being positioned as “trusted” sources of information?   Before finishing I want to be clear that this is not an “Anti-AI” post - but I do want to call on us to consider carefully what may happen if we actively promote the use of AI generated content as association leaders and staff.   We may (unconsciously but potentially rapidly) shift organisations away from being very personal human to human communities to being bot to bot networks – and then what would be the point?   [No AI was used in the writing of this post]   Thoughts?   Feel free to use an AI to respond in the comments but if you, do please tag it!

This Halloween is AI the scariest thing on association leaders minds? Join us for a very timely conversation on how associations can benefit from the rise of technology at the IBTM World Association Leaders Forum in partnership with ESAE - European Society of Association Executives in Barcelona on 19 November. Looking forward to the discussion with Dianna Steinbach, MBA, CAE, Angela Guillemet, Connie Lau and Sven Bossu Find out more at https://lnkd.in/e5ZuqyNe and hope to see you there! IBTM Events #IBTMWorld

Inspiring event management for an inspiring association and industry! #IGITechConf2024 Thanks so much for your inspiration and being part of your team Géraldine de Limelette and Angela Geelen! #DigitalWallcoverings #DigitalWallpaper

Are you interested in the strategic planning process for a truly global scientific society? We recently published a case study about our work with the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) focused on helping them to consolidate growth and maintain momentum for their diverse community. We collaborated closely with the ISN headquarters team and volunteer leaders over several months so this comment from Sophie Dupuis, Grants & Education Director means a lot to us: "We appreciated how Exempla invested time to really understand the context of the association and tailored the strategic planning process accordingly. They were also comfortable working across the diverse cultures and time zones that come with such a global organisation as the ISN." Read more at: https://lnkd.in/eCNTbRkw

*New Case Study* Interested in the strategic planning process for a truly global scientific society? Our work with the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) focused on helping them to consolidate growth and maintain momentum for their diverse community. We collaborated closely with the ISN headquarters team and volunteer leaders over several months so were delighted to get this comment from Sophie Dupuis, Grants & Education Director: "We appreciated how Exempla invested time to really understand the context of the association and tailored the strategic planning process accordingly. They were also comfortable working across the diverse cultures and time zones that come with such a global organisation as the ISN." Read more at: https://lnkd.in/eYbXbC8D

Having had a couple of days to digest and reflect on so much content and so many conversations in Cleveland last week, here are my takeaways from ASAE 2024. #ASAE24

What can associations learn from McDonalds’ global franchise model? A full house for our session this afternoon on the role of components in a global value proposition. This first collaboration between the International Association Advisory Council and the Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council was a resounding success. Many thanks to Amy Biedenharn, CAE, Jessica Lombardo and Donald Paul Whittle. It was great working with you! #ASAE24 📸 Christine Murphy Peck, CAE

At this year's ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership Annual Meeting, the International Associations Advisory Council and the Component Relations and Volunteer Management Professionals Advisory Council are joining forces to explore the vital role of components in a globally relevant value proposition. When developing a global value proposition, the role of components is often overlooked. Chapters, affiliates regions, councils, and communities are closest to the members and therefore form a vital part of the value proposition and the member experience. Yet, the experience and value often differ greatly across components because they tend to be volunteer led, have few resources, and varying levels of maturity. So how does this affect the brand of your association? Is it possible to create a baseline quality level across components? How do you successfully integrate components into your global value proposition to create a consistent member experience? How do you balance this with the need maintain flexibility to cater to local needs and culture? Join this interactive session to explore these important questions and more on 11 August at 2.30-3.30pm with: Jessica Lombardo, VP, Membership and Volunteer Engagement, ASIS International  Michiel Gen, Partner - Stakeholder Management, Exempla Management & Consulting  Amy Biedenharn, CAE, Director, Customer Experience, Innovatis Group  Don Whittle, Membership Director, International Coaching Federation