RevUP 2024: The Future of Association Revenue
Famed strategist Roger Martin poses a critical question for any organization setting its future strategy: What would have to be true?
At the 2024 RevUP Summit, association professionals will gather to answer that question as they consider the future of association revenue. A distinguished panel of association executives will lead the conversation, working alongside attendees to explore what must be true for associations to thrive. Together, they will identify the key components necessary to build a culture where business and revenue generation are strategically valued and prioritized.
Moderated by Robb Lee, Senior VP of Integrated Strategy for Yes&, the panel will feature industry and association leaders including John Bacon (ASAE), Lynda B. Patterson, FASAE, CAE (AMPED Association Management), Erin Pressley, CAE (NRECA), and Richard Yep, CAE, FASAE (Vetted Solutions).
“Organizations are focused on engaging members, stakeholders and driving sustainable outcomes – but it’s complicated,” Lee says. “Multiple departments and multiple initiatives sometimes misalign or maybe unintentionally have competing efforts. Our group of association executives will workshop ‘what must be true’ to realize our goals.”
Shifting the Mindset: What Must Be True?
Roger Martin’s question—"what would have to be true?"—challenges conventional thinking. Instead of focusing on the limitations and constraints of the present, it encourages organizations to envision a future where their goals are fully realized. For associations, this means shifting away from common refrains like “this is how we’ve always done things” or “our board would never approve,” and instead imagining a future where association revenue is strategically prioritized and seamlessly integrated into the organization’s operations.
For many association professionals, thinking about the future may be daunting after spending much of the decade adapting to immediate challenges. But Yep says that resiliency is exactly why associations are ready to envision the elements of a successful future.
“They have to see what strength they had as part of their core principles and what they were able to do,” he says. “Now, how do you harness that for where we want to be next?”
A crucial part of that future is creating an intentional culture where association revenue is recognized and valued.
“It can be like swimming upstream if you don’t have a strong culture that embraces revenue generation and discusses it in the right way,” Pressley says.
What must be true to create a culture of accountability, mutual aspirations, and cross-departmental alignment? What resources do associations need to support their work of the future? How can associations best staff and structure teams for effective outcomes? These and other critical questions will be at the heart of the discussion, providing attendees with an opportunity to share and envision a future together.
Following the panel discussion, author and culture strategist Jamie Notter will take the main stage to continue the conversation as he presents, A Better Blueprint: Creating a Culture Where Business is Valued. Notter will identify the specific elements of culture that interfere with revenue growth and give attendees concrete strategies for changing those troublesome elements of culture in ways that are both fast and enduring.
Join the Association Revenue Conversation at RevUP 2024
If you are responsible for shaping the future of association revenue, the RevUP Summit is a can’t-miss event. With insights from leading association executives, attendees will leave with actionable strategies to help their organizations turn ideas into outcomes. The conversation at RevUP is not just about surviving in today’s landscape—it’s about envisioning and building a sustainable future where association revenue is a central pillar of success.
