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Associations NOW Presents: Daily Summaries Delivered
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An original podcast from the American Society of Association Executives where we explore key topics relevant to association professionals, discuss the challenges and opportunities in the field today, and highlight the significant impact associations have on the economy, the U.S., and the world.
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- 1 weeks ago20 min
Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association Playbook
In this episode of Associations NOW Presents, recorded live at ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, host Sharon Pare welcomes Ronald McGrath, owner of High Road, for a conversation about the rapidly evolving technology landscape and what it means for associations. McGrath shares his perspective on the growing importance of artificial intelligence, why associations should embrace experimentation rather than wait for the perfect solution, and how AI can enhance everything from member engagement to everyday operations. Drawing on decades of experience developing technology solutions, he discusses using data to better understand member needs, personalize experiences at scale, and make smarter decisions about products and services. The conversation also explores how associations can connect their existing technology systems, balance automation with human judgment, and leverage emerging tools to work more efficiently while creating greater value for members. Check out the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/CxLFhZVLWro This episode is sponsored by Highroad Solutions. Associations NOW Presents is produced by Association Briefings. Transcript Sharon Pare: [00:00:00] Welcome to this episode of Associations NOW Presents, an original podcast series from the American Society of Association Executives. I'm Sharon Pare, partnerships director at HighRoad Solutions, a HubSpot agency. Today, we're recording from the Super Bowl of association events in Indianapolis, and today, this episode is sponsored by HighRoad Solutions. I am so excited to interview the owner of HighRoad Solutions, somebody I've been working with for five years and have admired in the space in the decade that I've been in the industry, Mr. Ronald McGrath. Thank you so much for joining us today. Ron McGrath: Thank you for having me. Sharon Pare: So Ron, today we're gonna talk about AI and where associations are headed, but I actually wanna start with you. You've spent a lot of your career seeing technology shifts coming, sometimes before the rest of us have seen them ourselves. But before we get into it, I know you've been on the floor for the past few days, Saturday, [00:01:00] Sunday, now we're into Monday, and you've met with a lot of our prospects and our clients. So what are you hearing on the floor right now that you wanna share with our listeners today? Ron McGrath: It's an exciting time. A lot of cool things going on with technology. A lot of people looking at their technology stack and trying to figure out how to upgrade it. Also learned from one of the keynotes that we're bad at lying. Our body tells the truth all the time. And so the O's is how you say his name. That was pretty phenomenal. And that the '80s wouldn't have been anything without Babyface. Sharon Pare: Let's go to Babyface. I know you made it just in time. Yes. You landed just to get to Babyface. What was your favorite performance of his that night? Ron McGrath: So first of all, I was impressed that he's 68 and looks as good, and he can move as well as he can. Sharon Pare: Yep. Ron McGrath: But also, I didn't realize that he was involved with Bobby Brown when he broke off of a new edition with Don't Be Cruel, Every Little Step, and so just touched so many artists. So it was a lot of fun. I know people said it was hot, but that was great. And then the drones. After he [00:02:00] finished and you turn around, and then you see up in the sky, "Welcome ASAE to Indy," that was amazing. Sharon Pare: So speaking of the drones, and before we get into HighRoad, I know you've always been a developer at heart, like getting into that tech stuff. Where does that fascination with building things and figuring out the next techno- technology come from? Where does that come from, that Ron the builder? Ron McGrath: Oh, what is it? Good questions. I used to get... So when I was a kid, I used to have these kits. My mom and dad used to buy me these RadioShack kits. It's like a 50 in one, so you could wire them together, right? Like an FM broadcast tool. So I was always kind of into gadgets. I had these Tinker Toys. And then I actually had computers, like one of the first computers, a Timex Sinclair, a Commodore VIC-20, a Commodore 64, an Amiga. So I always played with things, just always curious. I also- Would take things apart and not always put them back together, so- Yep ... I was a thorn in my dad's side a little bit. But looking back now, that's part of why I'm a tinkerer, and that's kind of what you gotta do. Roll your sleeves up, play with things, not- don't be afraid of [00:03:00] technology. Sharon Pare: So obviously you love innovation, you love
- Sep 24, 202627 min
Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination Partnerships
In this episode of Associations NOW Presents, recorded live at ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, host Molly Ferns of the American Association of Immunologists welcomes Melissa Cherry and Colleen Phalen of Miles Partnership to explore how destinations can elevate the annual meeting experience. They discuss why associations should move beyond transactional relationships with DMOs and CVBs and embrace more strategic partnerships that enhance attendee engagement, create authentic local experiences, and support attendance goals. The conversation also explores rising meeting costs, the growing appeal of second- and third-tier cities, and how AI is changing destination research while making strong human partnerships more important than ever. Check out the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/kf_FVuOcm8g This episode is sponsored by Miles Partnership. Associations NOW Presents is produced by Association Briefings. Transcript Molly Ferns: [00:00:00] Welcome to this episode of Associations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Series, an original podcast series from the American Society of Association Executives. I'm Molly Ferns, the director of marketing with the American Association of Immunologists, and we're recording here in Indianapolis for ASAE's Annual Meeting and Exposition. This episode is sponsored by Miles Partnership, and I'm really excited for this conversation and our guests today, so I'll pass it over to them to introduce themselves. Melissa Cherry: Thanks, Molly. I'm Melissa Cherry. I'm the senior vice president at Miles Partnership, and I lead our brand advocacy practice. Colleen Phalen: Hi, I'm Colleen Phelan, vice president of meetings and events strategy. Very excited for today. Molly Ferns: Awesome. Brilliant. Yeah, I'm very excited for this conversation. I think as a director of marketing on a very small team that works very closely with our meetings team, who is also very small, we definitely are looking at how to amplify the location, the destination of our annual meeting. So I figured we'd start with an icebreaker, if that sounds [00:01:00] good. Yeah. Sounds good. Great. What's a destination that you completely changed your mind about? Colleen Phalen: So I would have to say, actually, I just went to this destination. We work with them. It's Rogers, Arkansas. Molly Ferns: Oh, okay. Colleen Phalen: And I'd actually never been to Arkansas entirely, and then Rogers specifically. And Rogers just has a really cool story. Yes. It's set in a rural setting, but it's where Walmart is headquartered- Mm ... and JB Hunt, and all of these Fortune 500 companies have made it their home and invested in there. Okay. They have Crystal Bridges. They have a convention center. As we're going in meetings and trying to find new destinations, to me, it just really spoke to that sense of discovery and something different and something you can't find anywhere else, but they still have all these great amenities for your attendees with restaurants and the walkability. We travel all the time, and we live in airports, but I took five pictures in their airport because there was all these cool engagements. They had a Crystal Bridges museum [00:02:00] in the airport. Wow. A really cool robotic barista coffee station. Robotic. Molly Ferns: Robotic. Colleen Phalen: Is that not a word? Molly Ferns: I don't know. Colleen Phalen: Okay. But it's really cool about these destinations that people are looking to discover. Everyone wants something new and something exciting and so I just, hats off to Rogers. That's awesome. Yeah. Very cool. Molly Ferns: And how about you, Melissa? Colleen Phalen: So this is a while ago. I would have to say Paducah, Kentucky. Molly Ferns: Okay. Have you been? I have not been to- Okay. ... either Rogers, Arkansas or Paducah, Kentucky. Now I will definitely add it to my list. Yeah. Yeah. Melissa Cherry: This was a minute ago, but I was there for actually a conference. It was UNESCO was having an event. They're a world heritage s- city, actually. And the reason is that the National Quilt Museum, which is a Smithsonian affiliate, is actually in Paducah. Oh. And so it's really cool. It actually is the center of the universe for quilt making in the United States, and has one of the largest fabric stores that gets orders from all over the world. Oh, wow. So totally random. Would never have think it. Not really a place I would say I would pick. Molly Ferns: Yeah. Melissa Cherry: But it was pretty cool. And while I was [00:03:00] there, there was one Uber driver, and everyone was very concerned- Yeah ... that I was using the
- Sep 10, 202620 min
All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination Experience
In this episode of Associations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Edition, recorded live at ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, host Sharon Pare of High Road Solutions welcomes Kristen Reynolds, president and CEO of Choose Chicago, for a conversation about the changing meetings and tourism landscape and what makes Chicago a compelling destination for associations. Reynolds shares her path to Chicago and discusses the city’s tourism momentum, from record-breaking convention attendance to major developments including the Obama Presidential Center, a revitalized Magnificent Mile, a new O’Hare terminal and new sports and entertainment projects. She also highlights Chicago’s accessibility, hospitality community and McCormick Place, as well as how Choose Chicago works with associations to create memorable experiences that extend beyond the convention center. The conversation explores the role of authentic storytelling in destination marketing, including the “Never Done, Never Outdone” campaign and the resident-driven “All for the Love of Chicago” initiative, which gives Chicagoans a platform to share their own stories about the city. Check out the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/Qo5DGBRhMuo This episode is sponsored by Choose Chicago. Associations NOW Presents is produced by Association Briefings. Transcript Sharon Pare: [00:00:00] Welcome to this episode of Associations NOW Presents: Industry Partners Series, an original podcast series from the American Society of Association Executives. I'm Sharon Pare, Partnerships Director at High Road Solutions, a HubSpot agency. We're recording live here from Indianapolis today for ASAE's Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Super Bowl of all association meetings. Today's episode is sponsored by Choose Chicago, and today we are excited to welcome Ms. Kristin Reynolds. She's the CEO and president of Choose Chicago, so I want to welcome you in. Kristen Reynolds: Thank you so much. It's exciting to be here. This is my first ASAE Annual Convention, and it's awesome. Sharon Pare: So now that it's your first time being here, how do you feel? What's the energy like? What are you hearing on the floor? Kristen Reynolds: Well, we're very excited, and we're mostly excited because Chicago is actually hosting in 2028. Yep. So we're here soaking up all the information, what's working, what people [00:01:00] love, what we can bring more of, how we can wow them when they come to Chicago. But really, there's a lot of excitement. There's a lot of energy on the show floor, but it's a state of transition. Right. There's a lot of change in our industry and in the world, and, and that can be difficult sometimes, but it's exciting. Sharon Pare: It's exciting, and talking about some of that change, is there something on the floor that maybe gives you a little bit of concern? Is there anything you're worried about? Kristen Reynolds: Well, I think everything gives... When you're a CEO, everything gives you concern. I live in a constant state of fear, and I think that's how you stay sharp, actually. But yes, there's a lot of things, technology, how it's advancing. You don't know how that's gonna change. Right. Newer generations coming into the workforce, especially in association memberships with are they getting what we used to get from being part of associations? Are they feeling that community? And how do we continue to bring in younger generations? There- there's a lot of those conversations going on right now, but really [00:02:00] mostly positive. This is a resilient business. Nonprofits are resilient organizations. Yes, they are. And I feel good about it at Choose Chicago because I always say, "The best people to navigate times of disruption are disruptors." Sharon Pare: That's Kristen Reynolds: right. And that's what we're all about. Sharon Pare: One thing I wanted to do before we really dig into everything is I know you've built your career in different states all around the United States. I know you started in Arizona maybe. That's right. That's right. And then at one point you were in- Kristen Reynolds: New York ... Sharon Pare: Long Island. Kristen Reynolds: Yes. Sharon Pare: And w- I don't know if you say Long Island or- Long Island ... how do you say it? Long Kristen Reynolds: Island. Sharon Pare: And then- Kristen Reynolds: And now Sharon Pare: Chicago. You chose Chicago. So tell us a little bit about Chi-Town ... Why did you choose Chicago? Kristen Reynolds: Why did I choose Chicago? I grew up pretty much in Arizona. I went to Arizona State. Both my daughters are Sun Devils, and so my family lives there
- Aug 27, 202622 min
Exploring New Frontiers: Leadership, Resilience and the Future of Spaceflight
In this episode of Associations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Edition, recorded live at ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, guest host Joanna Pineda of the Associations Thrive podcast welcomes Dr. Shawna Pandya, Canada’s first named commercial female astronaut, who is preparing to fly with Virgin Galactic. Dr. Pandya explores how commercial human spaceflight is creating new pathways to space and shares how her background as a physician informs her work in space medicine, focused on keeping people healthy and performing at their best in extreme environments. She also discusses her experiences as an aquanaut on NEPTUNE saturation missions in the Florida Keys and how underwater environments can help researchers study crew dynamics and test technologies for space. Dr. Pandya highlights research priorities ranging from neuroscience and women’s health to health technology and physical sciences, reflects on the role of leadership and resilience throughout her career, and looks ahead to the next generation of commercial spaceflight. Check out the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/32Zx7varMag This episode is sponsored by Destination Canada. Associations NOW Presents is produced by Association Briefings. Transcript Joanna Pineda: [00:00:00] Welcome to this episode of Associations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Series, an original podcast series from the American Society of Association Executives. I'm Joanna Pineda, CEO and chief troublemaker at Matrix Group International, and we're recording here in Indianapolis during ASAE's Annual Meeting & Exposition. This episode is sponsored by Destination Canada. And today, we are so excited to welcome Dr. Shawna Pandya, Canada's first named commercial female astronaut. Dr. Pandya, welcome to the show. Dr. Shawna Pandya: Thank you so much for having me here. It's just wonderful to be here. Joanna Pineda: Dr. Pandya, what does it mean to be a, I wanna make sure I get this right, a named commercial female astronaut? Dr. Shawna Pandya: Yeah, that's a great question. So once upon a time, the only path to get to space was to be an agency astronaut, so being a Canadian Space [00:01:00] Agency astronaut, being a NASA astronaut. And now I often like to say that this is the best possible time to be alive in human space flight because there are multiple paths to space. So you can be a commercial astronaut. You can be an agency astronaut. You can be an agency astronaut who retires and works with a commercial company as one of their astronauts. So when we talk about commercial astronauts, we mean an astronaut who's going to space with a company like SpaceX–in my case Virgin Galactic–Blue Origin, Axiom, Vast. And so the path of how to get to space and who gets to go to space is changing. So in Canada, we've had a number of commercial astronauts, including William Shatner, probably the most famous one. Makes sense. But there've been no females so far. So for women astronauts, we've had Dr.Roberta Bondar and Julie Payette, who have flown with the Canadian Space Agency, Jenni Sidey-Gibbons, who will soon fly with the Canadian Space Agency, and on the commercial side, I have the honor and privilege of being the first named commercial female astronaut. Joanna Pineda: That is just amazing. [00:02:00] Congratulations. Dr. Shawna Pandya: Thank you. It still feels like I'm processing the information. Joanna Pineda: Yeah. I'm curious, when you were a little girl, what did you want to be? Dr. Shawna Pandya: I definitely wanted to be an astronaut, and so I think this is where the story of where representation matters. It does. I was a kid growing up in the '90s, and I got to watch Canada's first female astronaut go to space. I heard of Dr. Roberta Bondar and her space flight, and I thought, "Canadian women can do that. I want to do that. I'm a Canadian woman, so if I want to do that, I should just follow Dr. Bondar's path." And so she's a neuroscientist, a physician, and an astronaut, so I thought, "Okay, that's what I'll do. There's no question about it. I'll go study neuroscience, medicine, and then go be an astronaut." Joanna Pineda: Oh, so you were trying to follow her path. Dr. Shawna Pandya: From the very start, like when I was 15, I knew that I was going go do a neuroscience degree. There was no- nothing else I was gonna apply to, and so that became the blueprint for me, and then I took a few detours along the way. I did my master's degree in space studies at the International Space [00:03:00] University, and that's where I learned that space medicine is this whole field dedicated to keeping astronauts alive and healthy in space, and this was prior to my getting into med
- Jul 30, 202623 min
More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic Communications
Recorded live at ASAE's Marketing, Membership, Communications + Tech Conference, guest host Nikki Golden, CAE, of Association Laboratory, welcomes Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP, editor-in-chief and director of content at the American Academy of Actuaries, for a conversation on the evolving role of association communications and marketing. Together, they explore how the two disciplines work hand in hand to build trust, engage members, and advance organizational goals. They also discuss the growing influence of AI, the importance of strategic storytelling, and why communications professionals must continue developing the skills needed to lead in an increasingly complex and technology-driven environment. Check out the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/7UaKw4Ycgqo Associations NOW Presents is produced by Association Briefings. Transcript Nikki Golden, CAE: [00:00:00] Welcome to this month's episode of Association NOW Presents, an original podcast series from the American Society of Association Executives. I'm Nikki Golden, CAE, managing director and strategist at Association Laboratory. I'm also incoming vice chair of the Communications Professionals Council of ASAE. We're recording today from ASAE's MM&C Conference in Washington, DC, where association professionals from across the country and industry are gathering to share ideas, build connections, and explore what's next for the community. Today, I'm talking to Preeti, who is one of my fellow council members, and so we're excited to be here with you. Preeti, do you wanna introduce yourself? Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: Yeah, sure, Nikki, I'm so excited to be chatting with you. I am Preeti Vasishtha, and I am the editor-in-chief at the American Academy of Actuaries, and I'm also the director of content. I've had various roles in [00:01:00] communications throughout my career at associations in Washington, DC, so I'm really excited to be here. Nikki Golden, CAE: Great, and since we are at MM&CC+Tech, I'm wondering, what do you think is so valuable about this conference for the communications community? Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: Yeah. First off, this is my first MM&C+Tech. Oh, great. Yeah. I've been to ASAE's, but this time I was like, "I have to go to MM&C+Tech." So I think one of the things that when I was doing the research for my... I was planning my schedule, looking at all the sessions, and one thing that struck me, I was like, "Wow, I can go to this. I can go for this. This really speaks to me. This session really speaks to me." And when I was doing that, I realized this conference, this event is really built around our jobs of marketing and communications, right? Nikki Golden, CAE: And membership. Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: Yeah, and I'll get to that. Nikki Golden, CAE: Yeah. You're right, and tech. Like, the three, like, let's- Yeah ... like the pillars of a, a stool. Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: Yeah. And when I was looking at the sessions, I wasn't even looking whether [00:02:00] it's marketing, whether it's tech, whether it's branding. I was just going, "Yeah, I can go to all of these." Yeah. So I think that's the power of this conference. I also feel the name represents all the four tools of an organization, right? We are the main characters here. Nikki Golden, CAE: Yeah. Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: Right? This is about us. Nikki Golden, CAE: Yeah. Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: So I wasn't struggling to find meaningful, sort of, sessions. Say, "Ah, I don't know which ssession I should go to at this spot." So I think that was really great, and I know, Nikki, you've talked about this previously, but really, you can look at it as three or four distinct areas. Yeah. But none of us really is sticking to our lane. It's also interconnected. Nikki Golden, CAE: Yeah, very much so. Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: I think MMC and tech gets that complexity of our lives, and it just showcases the reality of what we are doing in our daily lives. Nikki Golden, CAE: And it creates that commonality among these four different groups that really need to work [00:03:00] together in order to have- Agreed ... a solid engagement from your members. So I agree with that. Exactly. Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: So coming to our favorite question, we've talked about this a lot. Nikki Golden, CAE: Yeah. Preeti Vasishtha, AAiP: And we can go on talking about this a lot. We talk of marketing and communications, so how would you, Nikki, what do you see as the differences between the two? Nikki Golden, CAE: I really think of marketing as really driving that brand awareness. There's a lot of product sales that are involved in it. And communications, I think, really manages that narrative and t
- Jul 16, 202627 min
Helping Associations Thrive in the Age of AI
In this episode of Associations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Edition, recorded live at ASAE's Marketing, Membership, Communications + Tech Conference, guest host Sharon Pare of HighRoad Solutions welcomes Erica Salm Rench, chief marketing officer at Sidecar, for a conversation about helping associations navigate the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence. Erica shares why AI presents a unique opportunity for associations to compete more effectively, discusses the importance of educating staff and aligning AI initiatives with organizational strategy, and offers practical guidance on building AI literacy, selecting the right tools, and adapting to the growing influence of AI-powered search. Check out the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/3tyPPP_4yXU Associations NOW Presents is produced by Association Briefings. Transcript Sharon Pare: [00:00:00] Welcome to this episode of Associations NOW Presents: Industry Partners Series, an original podcast series from the American Society of Association Executives. I'm Sharon Pare, partnerships director at High Road Solutions, a HubSpot agency, co-host of Rethink podcast, and your host of this series throughout the year. This episode today is sponsored by Sidecar. We're recording today from ASAE's MMCT conference in Washington, DC, where association professionals from across the industry are gathering to share ideas, build connections, and explore what's next for the community. I've got the perfect expert with me today, Erica Salm Rench. She's really leading the association industry in all things AI. A lot of you might have heard of AAIP, their certification program. They're part of the Blue Cypress family. But before we kick all of that off [00:01:00] and get into all of those details, I know you're celebrating a special day today. I know we're here at MMCT. We'll get to that in a minute, but you're celebrating your 15-year wedding anniversary today. Erica Salm Rench: I am. Oh, yeah, that was a fun fact- Yeah ... that we shared right before. Yeah. So I will see my husband later this evening, which is great. He'll get some time with me. It seems like a fair trade-off, though, to be at MMCT. This is so fun. Sharon Pare: Yes. And then I have another thing. You were talking to me a little bit about your hotel. You know how when you travel a lot, I know for work. And everyone has their ritual when they get back to the hotel and what they do. Is there any things that you need to do? I'll give you an example. So for me, when I'm traveling alone in a hotel room, I always have to sleep with Friends on. Do you have something like that you do? Erica Salm Rench: You and I are two peas in a pod. I usually have Friends on in the background, or I always make sure I have snacks with me in my purse, because I feel like a lot of times the hotel snacks, they're not as healthy or nutritious as you [00:02:00] want them. Yeah. So I always have nuts packed or protein bars in my purse, and then I lay out my snacks so that I have something in the morning to wake up to. Sharon Pare: Okay. Yeah. I love it. Okay, so I wanna talk about MMCT, but before we get into it, you did win an award this year with AWTC, the Technology Leadership Award. Tell me a little bit about that and what that award meant for you. I was there. I was really excited to see you win that. Erica gives a great speech, by the way. She's a great speaker. Erica Salm Rench: Thank you. I was so humbled by it. It was so exciting. I was just overwhelmed by the award, and Rebecca and Carrie and Jill, and the amazing women at AWTC. They do such a good job of bringing women together and empowering them, and they truly filled a gap in the association space. It is [00:03:00] so cool to be a part of that movement, and I think it was just really emphasized last night at the AWTC Happy Hour. Sharon Pare: I was just going to ask- Erica Salm Rench: Oh my ... Sharon Pare: What did you think about that? Erica Salm Rench: You literally could barely move in that room, because everyone is so supportive of what they're doing, and women in technology need to be celebrated. I think about my daughter, and I mentioned her too in my award acceptance speech because- She wants to be a rocket scientist. She wants to send my little one to the moon. She wants to be an astronaut. Sharon Pare: I am all about that. Erica Salm Rench: And has there ever been a better time to be a rocket scientist for a lady, right? Come on, let's elevate these women who wanna be in STEM. Sharon Pare: That's amazing. Erica Salm Rench: So I just, it just was all that together, all of those feelings together, and it was an amazing moment. I was, aga
- Jul 9, 202632 min
Sponsorships That Deliver Real Value
In this episode of Associations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Edition, guest host Sharon Pare of HighRoad Solutions welcomes Brandt Krueger, director of industry relations and partnerships at EventMobi, to discuss the evolving world of event sponsorships and association partnerships. Brandt shares why many sponsorship models have remained unchanged for years and offers practical strategies for creating more meaningful, results-driven opportunities. The conversation explores the importance of understanding sponsor goals, moving beyond traditional sponsorship tiers, embracing thoughtful innovation, and designing event experiences that deliver greater value for both associations and their partners. Check out the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/NgdE7JR8lOc Associations NOW Presents is produced by Association Briefings. Transcript Sharon Pare: Welcome to this episode of Association NOW Presents: Industry Partners Series, an original podcast series from the American Society of Association Executives. I'm Sharon Pare, partnerships director of High Road, a HubSpot agency, co-host of Rethink Association, and your host of this series throughout the year. This episode is sponsored by EventMobi. Today, I'm joined by Brandt Krueger, and before we dig into sponsorships and partnerships, I know it wasn't exactly a straight line getting into associations for you. And what I would like to know first, and how I wanna get started is, I think you started in theater, and I wanna find out how you stumbled into the association space, and then we'll dig into all the other important stuff we wanna talk about today. Brandt Krueger: We could probably do a whole podcast on just that, but it's 'cause like so many of us, nobody comes in a straight line, right? It's always falling in, falling out. So yeah, came out of college with a theater degree in technical light; so lighting, so technical theater, so lighting, audio, building sets and props, and things like that. And was working for a theatrical lighting house, and was asked to resign at some point due to things we don't need to get into. But I took one name out of the Rolodex, and he was this kind of crazy, old hippie guy with long hair who did audio for these events. So I guess there's these events that people need audio and video for, and wound up working with him doing small events, and then got hoovered up by one of his major clients, who is one of the largest meeting and event production companies here in Minneapolis. So I wound up working for them for about 18 years doing lights and sound, and mostly audiovisual and production technology. But a sizable portion of their clients were associations. So already starting to get to know them in that context, in that space. Left them, went out on my own, did about 10 years of event technology consulting for a company I created called Event Technology Consulting, because I'm not very creative. So that consisted of a lot of trying to get people the right technology for them, a lot of asking questions, "What are you trying to actually do with it?" And then have worked my way around back into production again, working for another production company here. And then now, most recently, have worked my way into being the director of industry relations and partnerships for EventMobi. EventMobi is on the software side, so we're providing the mobile event app and the event management software that comes around it. But it all links together, right? This association through working with different types, different sizes of organizations, and then culminating in this new position with EventMobi where, when you and I were talking in the pre-show, I was saying I think 40% of our customer base is associations. And since then, I actually looked it up, and it's al- it's almost 50% of our business is actually with associations. So definitely have been stewing in this association world for quite some time. Sharon Pare: You absolutely have, and it sounds like you've worked in production, AV, event technology, your own consulting thing. Now you're on the partnership side and industry relations, too. So just given your experience and working with a lot of these type of member orgs o- over all this time, what has changed the most since you've started? Brandt Krueger: That's the funny thing about this industry, right, is it's a lot of the more things change, the more things stay the same. And so looking back over that career, obviously it's a very different environment, and we're doing things very differently, but it's always been very incremental. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just the nature of this beast that you only get one shot at it. Other than the very lucky folks who are doing a road show or something like
- Jun 25, 202635 min
Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement
Recorded live at ASAE’s Marketing, Membership, Communications + Tech Conference, guest host Brittany Lancor of PropFuel sits down with best-selling author and MarketingProfs CCO Ann Handley to discuss the power of “strategic patience” in a culture obsessed with speed. Handley challenges associations to focus on meaningful engagement over vanity metrics, communicate in members’ own language, and prioritize authentic, human-centered messaging. She also shares practical advice on creating more effective email communications and explains why AI is best used to uncover insights and support strategy—not to replace the human connection that drives engagement. Check out the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/nKZs2BI23bQ Associations NOW Presents is produced by Association Briefings. Transcript Brittany Lancor: [00:00:00] Hello, everyone. Welcome to this month's episode of Associations NOW Presents, an original podcast series from the American Society of Association Executives. I am Brittany Lancor, senior marketing manager of PropFuel. We are recording today from ASAE's MM&C conference here in Washington, DC, where association professionals from across the industry are gathering to share ideas, build connections, and explore what's next for the community. Today, we are so excited to welcome Ann Handley, the world's first chief content officer, best-selling author, and CCO of MarketingProfs. She just delivered the keynote address on the first day of this conference, so we are going to ask some questions. The first question I have for you is where did you get your suit? This is amazing. If you are watching from home, you have to look at this suit. It's wonderful. Ann Handley: So you're asking who am I wearing? Brittany Lancor: Yes. Ann Handley: Is that the question? Yes. Yeah, first of all, [00:01:00] thanks for having me. I'm really excited to be here with all of you, be here with you. So who am I wearing? Today I am wearing Alice + Olivia, and I'll tell you, my biggest stress today was not even the keynote, it was, do I include the bow? Brittany Lancor: I love it. Ann Handley: Or do I leave it off? It's detachable. Brittany Lancor: The bow was the great choice. Ann Handley: So I don't know, I went for it, and I like the way it kinda waves around on stage a little bit, Brittany Lancor: like- Yeah ... I'm prancing around and doing whatever. Yes. It looked great. Yeah. Okay, next question. Oh, yeah, I guess the questions now. Who are you? Help us, like give a quick introduction of who you are, help the audience understand who we're talking with today. Ann Handley: So yeah, obviously Ann Handley, chief content officer of MarketingProfs. I've been in marketing for a million years, a million dog years. That was like a million plus years. I founded a company called ClickZ ages ago, which is one of the first sources of digital marketing at a time when digital marketing was a sort of brand-new thing, and from there founded MarketingProfs, and I've written a few books about marketing and content, particularly Everybody Writes, which is a [00:02:00] Wall Street Journal bestseller. It's been translated into 19 different languages. The whole ethos of that is really helping marketers, not just content marketers, but all marketers and all businesses really figure out, how do we communicate in a way that's authentic and real, and uniquely us? And honestly, that's a message that we need more than ever now- Yeah in the age of AI. So yeah, author, entrepreneur. Speaker, obviously, and yeah, just friend of Brittany. Brittany Lancor: Yeah? Yeah. And did I see you're also a dog mom? Ann Handley: Oh, yeah. Most important thing. Yeah. Yeah, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, his name is Augie. He is a stage five clinger. I love him so much, and he loves me just even more. Because love is just that. Do you have a dog? Brittany Lancor: I have two. Ann Handley: Oh, you do? Brittany Lancor: Yes. Ann Handley: What kind? Brittany Lancor: They're mutts. One's a terrier, blue heeler mix. Ann Handley: Oh, wow. Brittany Lancor: And the other is a pit bull terrier mix. Ann Handley: What are their names? Brittany Lancor: Archie and Pepper. Ann Handley: Okay. Yeah. This is the information that you're here for, people. This is. Archie, Pepper, and Augie. Just- Brittany Lancor: Yes ... Ann Handley: remember that. Brittany Lancor: Keep that in mind. Yeah. Okay, [00:03:00] so I am actually so excited to talk with you about all of the things related to the keynote. Ann Handley: Yeah. Brittany Lancor: So MM&C is Membership Marketing and Communications. And we als
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An original podcast from the American Society of Association Executives where we explore key topics relevant to association professionals, discuss the challenges and opportunities in the field today, and highlight the significant impact associations have on the economy, the U.S., and the world.
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