In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Jamie Shibley, Co-Founder & CEO of The Expressory, to talk about how thoughtful appreciation can become a real strategy for retention, sponsorship loyalty, and long-term trust—not just a year-end “nice to have.” Drawing on her roots in her grandfather’s relationship-driven flower shop and years in corporate and e-commerce, Jamie shares how associations can use simple, intentional touchpoints to make members, sponsors, and donors feel genuinely seen.

🎧 Whether you’re behind on holiday planning, rethinking how you thank sponsors and donors, or looking for new ways to support member renewals in 2026, this conversation will help you move beyond generic swag to meaningful, strategic engagement.

Key Highlights

Holiday Triage Without the Panic: Why it’s not “too late” in late November—and how to use New Year’s or other moments as powerful appreciation windows.

Donors & Sponsors as Long-Term Partners: Ideas for gifts and messages that reflect their impact and values, instead of one-off branded items.

Member Renewal with Heart: How to use mailed touchpoints, stories of impact, and small gestures to support renewal and year-round engagement.

Personalization at Scale: Ways to make appreciation feel personal using shared challenges, goals, and themes—without custom gifting for thousands.

Measuring the ROI of Appreciation: Practical ways to track retention, referrals, and conversations sparked by strategic gifting.

🎧 Tune in for a practical, encouraging roadmap to investing in relationships—not just technology—in the year ahead letting you turn appreciation into a strategic lever for member, sponsor, and donor loyalty—all year long.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: In December, we’re launching our Big Ideas & Trends Series, sitting down with association CEOs and senior leaders to explore the shifts, strategies, and bold bets that will shape associations heading into 2026. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning takes listeners to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a powerful conversation with Ed Silver, Vice President of Business Development at Explore Asheville. With more than 25 years in travel and hospitality—from Flight Centre and American Express Travel to GBTA and Lodging.com—Ed brings a unique blend of tech, business development, and destination strategy to his role.

From supporting Asheville’s recovery after Hurricane Helene to rethinking how DMOs show up as true partners for associations, Ed shares how Explore Asheville is aligning events, community needs, and long-term impact.

🎧 Whether you’re scouting future host cities or rethinking how you choose destinations altogether, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how to move from “room blocks and contracts” to mission-aligned, high-impact meetings.

Key Highlights:

From Shareholder Value to Community Value: Ed shares why he shifted from global travel tech roles to destination leadership in Asheville—and how he’s now channeling his private-sector experience into building economic opportunity and resilience for his local community.

DMOs as Strategic Partners, Not Just Vendors: Explore Asheville doesn’t start with a list of hotels—it starts with your goals. Ed breaks down how his team co-designs the attendee experience, matches association missions to Asheville’s creative energy, and helps shape events from concept through execution.

Beyond Room Nights: Measuring Real Economic Impact: Visitor spending in Asheville reaches nearly $3 billion annually, and Explore Asheville looks well beyond heads-in-beds. Ed explains how his team models direct spend and broader economic impact, times meetings for “shoulder seasons,” and helps planners understand how their events support local restaurants, small businesses, and year-round jobs.

Sustainability, Inclusivity, and Balance as Core Pillars: Sustainability isn’t a side project—it’s one of Explore Asheville’s strategic imperatives. Ed shares how they:

• Invest in projects that serve both residents and visitors (like restored sports complexes)

• Encourage safe, responsible travel

• Promote local suppliers, creatives, and small businesses

• Welcome values-aligned associations looking for destinations that reflect their commitments

Data + Storytelling: The Next Chapter for Destination Marketing: Drawing on his technology background, Ed talks about how Explore Asheville is leaning into data, personalization, and marketing automation to deepen relationships with planners—while keeping the human, relationship-driven side of the meetings business front and center.

Why You Should Call the DMO First, Not Last: Ed’s biggest advice for association professionals: involve the DMO early. From incentive funding and venue matchmaking to bringing local leaders into your program and designing community engagement, DMOs can dramatically multiply the impact of your event—if they’re at the table from day one.

🎧 Tune in for a candid, future-focused conversation on what it really means to choose a destination partner in 2026 and beyond—and how places like Asheville are redefining what meetings can do for both attendees and communities.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association executives, destination leaders, and industry innovators to explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how to build events and strategies that truly move your mission forward. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Denny Lengkong, President of IntelliData, for a candid, jargon-free conversation about turning association data into decisions. From “Dashboarding 101” to building a culture that breaks down silos, Denny shares practical ways teams of any size can start small, prove value, and scale their analytics—without blowing the budget or waiting on IT.

🎧 Whether you’re leading a lean staff or modernizing a large association, you’ll get clear steps to move from scattered reports to a repeatable, data-driven rhythm.

Key Highlights

Start Simple → Scale Smart

Stop waiting for the perfect stack. Denny’s “cup-of-noodles to pizza oven” analogy shows how to begin with an Excel table and a basic chart—then evolve into multi-source dashboards as your literacy and needs grow.

Three Questions Before You Build Anything

Reverse-engineer your dashboard:

1. What problem or goal are we answering?

2. Who’s the audience (peers, execs, board, members)?

3. Do we actually have the data—and is it clean and complete?

These answers shape the visuals, the data model, and your collection plan.

What “Data-Driven” Really Means

It’s not a buzzword: it’s making routine adjustments based on what the numbers say—mid-campaign, mid-year, and not just at year-end. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Kill the Silos, Create a Single Source of Truth

Membership says 5,000; events team says 5,500? You’ve got silos. Denny outlines how successful associations share data, align definitions, and anchor reporting to one trusted source.

You Need a Champion (and Ideally, a Small Data Team)

Lasting change needs ownership. The most effective associations appoint a cross-functional lead or lightweight data team to set standards, prioritize asks, and coach the organization.

Cost, Time, and Bandwidth (The Honest Answer)

You can DIY and learn—start small for near-zero cost—or bring in help when bandwidth, speed, or complexity outgrows your team. Either way, show quick wins to build momentum and buy-in.

Share Early, Win Early

Publish simple visuals, gather feedback, iterate. Early exposure sparks better questions, better data collection, and stronger internal demand for insights.

A Case Study with Dual Impact

Certification programs + learning products: by connecting exam outcomes with course and resource usage, one association identified what helped candidates pass—then proactively guided non-passers to the right prep. Members succeeded faster; the association grew non-dues revenue. Win-win.

🎧 Tune in for practical steps, real examples, and a playbook for moving from “we have data” to “we use data” across your association.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association leaders, builders, and problem-solvers to unpack what’s working, what’s changing, and how to lead with clarity in 2026 and beyond. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Suzanne Struglinski, seasoned communications and PR practitioner, to talk about what it really takes to plan a successful event when it’s not your full-time job.

From coordinating the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) conference to helping with the all-volunteer Women of the Year Awards with Washington Women in Public Relations, Suzanne brings candid, field-tested insights for association and nonprofit professionals who are balancing event planning on top of everything else.

🎧 Whether you’re a one-person department, a comms pro doubling as an event lead, or part of a volunteer-driven organization, this episode is packed with practical tips, real-world examples, and smart shortcuts for pulling off high-impact events on lean resources.

Key Highlights

Start with Realism, Not Perfection: When your team is small (or just you), it’s critical to set realistic goals, delegate, and identify what’s truly achievable. Suzanne shares why you can’t—and shouldn’t—try to do it all alone.

Budget Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind): From food and beverage minimums to unexpected AV and Wi-Fi costs, Suzanne walks through how to prioritize spending, read contracts carefully, and get creative about where to save without compromising attendee experience.

Decisive Leadership Under Pressure: Event planning demands quick calls. Suzanne explains how to make smart, timely decisions—like cutting concurrent sessions to save thousands—and why trusting your judgment matters more than perfection.

Designing a Great Guest Experience: A stellar event starts with empathy. Hear Suzanne’s “door-to-door” approach to building a seamless attendee experience, plus how to balance tradition and innovation to keep programming fresh and engaging.

Showcasing ROI Beyond Attendance: Attendance is just one metric. Suzanne shares how to use events to capture year-round value—like generating new visuals, creating evergreen content, and building member loyalty that lasts far beyond the closing session.

Media and Messaging Tips for Events: As a veteran PR pro, Suzanne breaks down when and how to invite media, what makes something newsworthy, and why events can double as powerful relationship-building opportunities—even if they don’t generate headlines.

Tools, Timelines, and Teamwork: For volunteer-led teams, timelines are everything. Suzanne shares her go-to milestone approach (12 months out, 9 months, 6, 3, and 1) and why communication and clarity are key to keeping everyone aligned.

Staying Grounded (and Sane): Her best advice? Be realistic, remember your event’s true purpose, and know that you’ll never please everyone—and that’s okay. Success is about delivering value, not perfection.

🎧 Tune in for a refreshingly honest and highly practical conversation on how to manage events that feel big and look professional—even when your team is small and your plate is full.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with association leaders, communicators, and change-makers for candid conversations about what’s working, what’s changing, and how they’re leading their organizations forward. Stay tuned!

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Julie McDowell, Director of Strategic Communications & Digital Content, and Becca Battisfore, Senior Content Strategist, at the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for an in-depth look at how a legacy association is modernizing its approach to content, data, and digital engagement.

From managing messaging across member and customer audiences to aligning analytics with KPIs, Julie and Becca share how the CAP’s digital team of five supports 18,000 members and countless laboratories worldwide—all while driving measurable impact.

🎧 Whether you’re leading a large communications department or a lean digital team, this episode offers real-world insights on prioritization, collaboration, and content strategy that actually works.

Key Highlights

From Skepticism to Strategy: Julie reflects on launching the CAP’s social media presence more than a decade ago—and how the team turned early doubts into a thriving online community for physicians and laboratory professionals.

Audience First, Always: The CAP’s content strategy starts with a single question: who is this for? Learn how the team balances the needs of two overlapping but distinct audiences—members and customers—through smart segmentation, email strategy, and channel selection.

Metrics That Matter: Becca breaks down how she approaches analytics—from what metrics are truly meaningful to how data drives decision-making. She explains why open rates are outdated and how she connects clickthroughs, behavior, and conversions for a complete picture.

When to Stop Doing What’s Not Working: Julie shares one of the most liberating lessons for association communicators: give yourself permission to stop doing the things that aren’t driving results. Focusing on what works energizes teams and delivers greater impact.

Collaboration as a Core Strategy: From internal “road shows” to sharing data across departments, Julie and Becca explain how transparency, shared KPIs, and storytelling have helped build buy-in and alignment across CAP’s 600-person staff.

Storytelling Through Sound: As the voices behind the CAP’s long-running CapCast podcast, the pair discuss how audio storytelling has evolved from quick Q&As to powerful narratives that humanize members and spark connection—from personal wellness journeys to myth-busting forensic science.

🎧 Tune in for a thoughtful, data-driven, and refreshingly candid conversation about what it takes to build smarter content strategies in associations today—and how to lead with both heart and analytics.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re continuing to sit down with top association leaders and communication strategists to uncover what’s working, what’s changing, and how they’re leading their teams—and their missions—forward. Stay tuned!

In this episode of the Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher continues the Member Value Reimagined series with an energizing and candid conversation with Julie Davis, Director of Marketing and Membership, and Ben H. Rome, Director of Communications and Brand, at the American Bus Association (ABA).

From strategic tech upgrades to authentic storytelling, Julie and Ben share how ABA is reimagining member value in ways that are both deeply personal and forward-looking. You’ll hear how they’re modernizing systems, listening with intent, and building a sense of belonging for one of the most passionate communities in travel and transportation.

Key Highlights

Why Marketplace is Just the Beginning: ABA’s flagship event is a major driver of member satisfaction—but Julie and Ben are on a mission to make sure the other year-round value is just as visible, accessible, and appreciated.

Bringing the Member Experience into the Future: From exploring a new member app to investing in data systems and automation, Julie shares how ABA is embracing a fan-first mindset to modernize the member journey—especially for digital-native generations.

Authentic Storytelling that Builds Community: Ben reveals how member-driven storytelling has become a powerful differentiator for ABA—creating emotional connections and elevating the association’s brand far beyond traditional marketing.

The Power of Listening (and What Happens Next): It’s not just about hearing members—it’s about engaging with them through councils, conversations, and curiosity. Julie and Ben explain how their team uses real-time feedback to surface insights, validate new ideas, and build programs that matter.

Advice for Associations in Transition: Whether you’re building a tech roadmap, expanding your member base, or navigating cultural change, Julie and Ben offer grounded, practical advice for association professionals rethinking value, engagement, and growth.

🎧 Tune in for a warm, thoughtful, and actionable conversation on how to modernize member value while staying grounded in what matters most—your people.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: We’re sitting down with more association leaders to unpack bold strategies, fresh thinking, and member engagement that actually works. Stay tuned for episodes that challenge assumptions—and deliver results.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher continues the Member Value Reimagined series with a conversation that’s both timely and inspiring. Her guest, MJ Shoer, Chief Community Officer at the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), shares how his organization—formerly the CompTIA Community—is redefining member engagement and impact across the global IT channel.

🎧 From steering a major rebrand and organizational split to expanding GTIA’s global footprint and strengthening cybersecurity readiness, MJ offers an insider’s look at what it means to deliver real, evolving member value in a rapidly changing industry.

Key Highlights

From CompTIA to GTIA: A Bold Transition Built on Trust

MJ walks through how the 42-year-old association successfully separated from CompTIA’s certification business in record time—building new systems, a new brand, and a new future for members in just 65 days.

A Member’s Perspective at the Helm

Having started as a GTIA member, board chair, and now Chief Community Officer, MJ brings a rare 360-degree view of the member experience—and shares how that empathy drives everything from programming to communication.

Global Growth with Purpose

With communities now spanning North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, GTIA is leaning into its “G” for global. MJ shares how the association connects members from Birmingham to Brisbane, exchanging best practices and insights across borders to help businesses thrive.

Events That Drive Connection and Impact

From flagship conferences to regional meetups, GTIA’s events have become engines for connection and collaboration. MJ explains how their level playing field approach—where every exhibitor has equal footing—creates authentic engagement across the ecosystem.

Cybersecurity as Core Member Value

GTIA’s cybersecurity programming, including the ISAO and Cybersecurity Trustmark, is helping members protect their businesses while elevating industry standards. MJ discusses how the organization fosters a culture of shared learning, collaboration, and resilience in an era of accelerating threats.

Listening, Storytelling, and Scaling Value

MJ underscores the importance of listening to members, telling their stories, and communicating value clearly and confidently—so more people understand the impact of association membership and the power of community.

🎧 Tune in for a candid, forward-looking conversation about how GTIA is redefining what membership means in the global technology space—and how associations everywhere can build trust, relevance, and impact for the future.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: Our Member Value Reimagined series continues with more association leaders rethinking benefits, access, and engagement in bold new ways. Stay tuned for fresh ideas that challenge assumptions—and deliver results.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, we're continuing our Member Value Reimagined series with an eye-opening conversation about one of the most overlooked engagement tools in the association toolkit: audio.

Host Meghan Henning sits down with Kevin C. Mitchell, Esq., CEO of Modio Information Group, to explore how narrated content and branded audio platforms are helping associations transform their member experience, extend the life of their publications, and even open up powerful new revenue streams.

🎧 Whether you’ve already launched a podcast or are just starting to explore audio strategy, this episode will reshape how you think about access, content delivery, and engagement.

Key Highlights:

Turning Publications into 268 Extra Hours of Engagement: Modio works with associations like the American Bar Association, the American Chemical Society, and the American Academy of Family Physicians to convert their top written content into human-narrated, on-demand audio experiences. Kevin breaks down why audio unlocks hundreds of hours of listening time annually—without competing with your members’ core work responsibilities.

Why Podcast Traction Falls Flat—and How to Fix It: If your association’s podcast isn’t gaining momentum, it might be the delivery, not the content. Kevin explains why desktop players and Spotify links won’t cut it—and why mobile-first, branded audio apps are critical to success.

Case Study: AAFP’s App as a Member Magnet: Learn how the American Academy of Family Physicians launched AAFP Audio, growing new audience segments, boosting listens to its publications, and securing sponsorship support—all through a custom-branded audio platform.

Member-Only Access, Monetization, and Data Control: Don’t send members to Spotify and lose the data. Kevin shares how branded apps allow associations to retain control, gate premium content, gather engagement insights, and monetize on their own terms.

Why Human Narration Still Wins: Spoiler: Modio doesn’t use AI-generated voices. Instead, they tap into students from the field to narrate content—improving pronunciation, comprehension, and community connection.

The Real Non-Dues Opportunity: Digital audio advertising now surpasses video and social media in time spent. Associations that invest in branded audio can finally tap into this $7B+ market—while gathering first-party data that powers future monetization.

Future-Proofing Your Member Value Strategy: As AI and search engines continue to reshape how members find and consume content, audio is emerging as a key strategy to preserve attention, revenue, and direct relationships.

🎧 Tune in for real-world examples of how audio platforms drive member value, a compelling case for audio as a core part of your engagement strategy, and practical advice for getting started or scaling up—without overwhelming your team.

Stay Connected:Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.

Coming Soon: Our Member Value Reimagined series continues throughout October, with fresh ideas from associations rethinking what benefits, access, and engagement really look like. Stay tuned for more interviews that challenge assumptions—and deliver results.