What I took away from ACE26 — member reflections

ACE26 brought together association professionals from across Australia and New Zealand for three days of learning, connection, and conversation around the theme of Driving Impact. This session is the bridge between the conference and the broader member community, bringing the best of what was discussed at ACE back to members who couldn't attend, and giving those who did a space to consolidate and share what landed most. Members will each share their biggest takeaway and, importantly, what they are actually doing with it.

Meet our panellists:

• Kirsten Jongsma – Bus Industry Confederation
• Matt Kealley, CAE – Canegrowers
• Joanne Phillips, CAE - Australian Compliance Institute
• Jonathan Seller, CAE - Illawarra Academy Of Sport
• Amy Walduck – Australian Library and Information Association

Whether you joined us in Brisbane or couldn’t make it to ACE, this is a great opportunity to catch up on the highlights, share ideas and keep the momentum going

What members can expect
The real impact of a conference often happens after the event — when ideas are tested, applied, and shared. This session brings those insights to life.

• Hear from association professionals who attended ACE26, each sharing one key insight and one action they’re taking as a result
• Short, focused contributions to share practical takeaways
• Members who didn't attend ACE get the highlights and relevant ideas
• A facilitated discussion that creates space for shared reflection, connection, and collective learning across the community

Attendees receive 1 CAE credits. 

AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.  

Register today!
The AKP: In Practice webinar series is exclusively available to AuSAE members and digital subscribers. 

Not a member? Join AuSAE or Become a Digital Subscriber today.  

Ready to Become a Certified Association Executive? Join Our CAE Info Session!

If you're aiming to earn your Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, this is your chance to learn more! 

Join our upcoming Q&A session to get answers to all your questions about eligibility, requirements, and the benefits of the CAE credential. We'll provide a detailed overview of the program and how it can help you take the next step in your association management career.

Bring your questions and discover how the CAE can elevate your professional journey.

Some associations seem to have their act together - confident decisions, engaged members, a team that isn't stretched to breaking point. Others are working just as hard and still feel like they're constantly playing catch-up. What's the real difference?

Drawing on conversations with 30+ association executives over the past two months, this session unpacks the practical, everyday behaviours we consistently see behind that difference. You'll discover how the strongest associations build a level of trust in their own data that lets them make bold decisions with confidence, free their staff to focus on members instead of admin and give their members an experience so seamless that people simply love being part of the association.

Walk away with a clear, practical picture of what's actually possible, and the confidence to start closing the gap between where your association is today and where the highest performers already are.

Key Takeaways

• Discover what high performance actually looks like day to day
• Trust your data to make confident decisions
• Find out how associations doing this well free up staff for members, not admin
• Discover what makes member experience simple enough for people to love
• Leave with a clear next step for closing your own gap

Meet Our Presenter

Paul Ramsbottom
Managing Director - ASI Asia-Pacific

Over the last 30+ years Paul has worked with more professional bodies, industry associations, charities and fundraisers than most people would gather in several lifetimes. He is passionate about helping Not-For-Profits and Associations reach their goals, through adopting new and innovative solutions to help them run more efficiently. He is Managing Director of ASI Asia-Pacific which has more than 600 Not-For-Profit clients in the region. Paul enjoys working everyday with great staff and great clients and is rewarded by seeing great things ASI clients do in and around the community and knowing that ASI is able to contribute to that.

CAE Exam between 1 - 14 December 2026 This course is for the December 2026 examination *Please note that the exam registration through ASAE is separate and is the delegates responsibility. AuSAE is here to help

Course cost - AuSAE Member $750 

Non member / Business partner  $950 includes  

• Course material ( Professional Practices in Association Management, 4th Edition)

• Cliff notes with practice exam questions for each domain

• Study group learnings and exam questions

• Practice exam exam

The Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential is an International marker of a committed association professional who has demonstrated the wide range of knowledge essential to manage an association in today’s challenging environment.

Have you got what it takes to go to the next level, AuSAE is here to help you!!
Applications close with ASAE 25 September  2026 for the exam

Program Starting Friday 18 September 2026

Week 1 - 18 September : CAE Orientation session and Systems thinking

Week’s 2 - 9: Covering the eight domains 1 hour each week (Friday)

• 25 September: Domain 1 Governance
• 2 October: Domain 2 Executive Leadership
• 9 October: Domain 3 Organisational Strategy
• 16 October: Domain 4 Operations
• 23 October: Domain 5 Business development
• 30 October: Domain 6 Member and Stakeholder Engagement and Management
• 6 November: Domain 7 Advocacy
• 13 November: Domain 8 Marketing and Communications

Week 10: Wednesday 18 November Practice exam in exam conditions (100 questions) 2 hours
Friday 20 November Open forum (1hour 30 mins)

• CAE Exam fee is separate and paid through ASAE when applying for the exam. Member cost $500 USD

The future of association marketing: what’s changing

Association marketing is in a period of genuine disruption. Email open rates are shifting, social platforms are changing their algorithms, content expectations are rising, and AI is beginning to reshape how organisations produce and distribute communications. At the same time, the fundamentals, knowing your audience, telling compelling stories, building trust, matter more than ever. This session is a live, facilitated conversation about what's actually changing in association marketing, what's working right now, and where members are placing their bets for the next 12–18 months.

What members can expect
This session focuses on what’s actually happening on the ground.

• A short 10-minute provocation from the host to frame the key shifts underway in association marketing
• Open, facilitated discussion drawing on experiences from associations of different sizes, sectors, and maturity levels
• An honest conversation about what's not working as well as what is, and why
• Practical, current insights designed to be applied immediately, not theory

Attendees receive 1 CAE credits. 

 AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.  

Register today!
The AKP: In Practice webinar series is exclusively available to AuSAE members and digital subscribers. 

Not a member? Join AuSAE or Become a Digital Subscriber today.  

Membership models that worked five years ago are under pressure across the sector. Flat renewal rates, changing member expectations, the rise of free alternatives, and post-pandemic behaviour shifts are forcing associations to rethink their value proposition from the ground up. In this session, a member association shares their experience of doing exactly that — what prompted the review, what they changed, what they tried that didn't work, and what has made a measurable difference.

What members can expect

Membership is at the heart of every association, but evolving your model can feel high-stakes and complex. This session offers a transparent look at what it really takes to make change stick.

• A candid 25–30 minute presentation from an association CEO who has led a membership model transformation
• Real metrics and outcomes, including renewal rates, acquisition performance, and member engagement trends
• The full story including what didn't work, not just the wins
• A 30 minute interactive Q&A allowing you to explore how these insights could be applied within your own organisation

Revenue beyond membership: what’s actually working

Non-dues revenue has moved from a nice-to-have to a strategic necessity for many associations. But the gap between identifying the opportunity and successfully implementing new revenue streams is significant — and littered with programs that consumed more resource than they generated. This Ask Me Anything session puts members in direct conversation with a CEO who has successfully diversified their association's revenue base, and is willing to talk through the detail of what worked, what failed, and what they would caution others against.

What members can expect

• No slides — just an open Q&A with an experienced association CEO
• A focus on real-world revenue approaches, what’s delivering results, and what’s proving harder than expected
• Questions collected in advance and answered during session. All questions welcome.
• Particularly useful for members actively exploring or reviewing their revenue model
  
  

How we approached strategic planning differently this year

Strategic planning in associations is often done out of obligation rather than genuine strategic intent, a board weekend away, a familiar SWOT analysis, and a document that gets filed until next year. But some associations are doing it very differently: shorter cycles, more member involvement, stronger links between strategy and operational decisions, and real accountability built into the process. In this session, a member CEO shares how they changed their approach to strategic planning and what difference it made, to the quality of the plan, to board engagement, and to execution.

What members can expect

• A brief walkthrough of the shift from a traditional strategic planning process to a redesigned approach
• Specific detail on process: who was involved, how long it took, what tools, frameworks, or methods were used
• An honest reflection on what the board found challenging and how competing priorities and tensions were worked through
• A 30 minute interactive Q&A to explore how this approach could be adapted to your own strategic planning cycle

Year in review: what the sector learned in 2026 

The final session of the year is both a celebration and a forward look. A panel of three to four members, drawn from across different association types, sizes, and career stages, reflects on the big themes that shaped the sector in 2026. What changed? What didn't change as much as expected? What's the one thing they'll carry into 2027? This session closes the year with a sense of community and shared experience, and plants the seeds for what's coming next.

What members can expect
This session brings together practical reflections from across the sector,  highlighting what’s shifted, what’s stuck, and what’s emerging for associations.

• Three to four association leaders share their biggest professional insight or shift from the year
• Reflections drawn on themes emerging across the AKP: In Practice program throughout the year
• A forward-looking close exploring what association professionals are watching as they move into 2027

Attendees receive 1 CAE credits. 

AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.  

Register today!
The AKP: In Practice webinar series is exclusively available to AuSAE members and digital subscribers. 

Not a member? Join AuSAE or Become a Digital Subscriber today.