COO Insights: Driving Association Growth at RevUP 2025

At the 2025 RevUP Summit, association leaders will dive deep into the strategies and skills that make Chief Operating Officers (COOs) essential to growth. While CEOs set the vision, COOs ensure that vision becomes reality by turning strategy into action, aligning teams, and driving measurable results.

From mastering change leadership to leveraging technology and bridging boardroom decisions with operational execution, this year’s Summit provides COOs with actionable insights, practical tools, and peer connections to elevate their organization’s performance. Whether you oversee programs, partnerships, or membership growth, the lessons shared at RevUP will equip you to lead smarter, faster, and more effectively.

Why the COO Role Matters More Than Ever

While the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) focuses mainly on outward-facing operations, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) is vital to optimizing the internal workings of an association. With business uncertainties constantly challenging association teams, this role is increasingly critical.

Technology is reshaping how members learn and connect. Corporations are seeking more meaningful partnerships. Members are demanding more value. And competition—both from other associations and from the broader marketplace—is fierce.

In this environment, the COO is not just a second-in-command. They are a vital piece to the association’s business approach. The COO role requires a deep understanding of how strategy connects to people and processes, and how to ensure new ideas are implemented in ways that actually drive results.

At the RevUP Summit, COOs will benefit not only from educational sessions geared toward the C-Suite but also by deepening relationships with the association community. Here’s a look at specific sessions COOs won’t want to miss at the RevUP Summit, November 4–6, 2025, in Annapolis, Maryland.

1. Change Leadership Is Operational Leadership

Rhonda Payne’s keynote, “Lead Like It Pays,” underscores that revenue doesn’t rise on ideas and strategy alone—it rises on an organization’s ability to adapt, anticipate, and accelerate change. COOs responsible for growth, programs, development, or strategy are constantly in the business of change leadership, whether they realize it or not. This session explores why more than half of association change initiatives fail and highlights what most growth leaders overlook.

Attendees will pregame with a brief self-assessment to identify their personal change leader style, then learn how to leverage that style—and complement others’—to lead targeted change initiatives that stick. Payne walks through real strategies for launching new offerings, entering new markets, optimizing portfolios, and shifting organizational behaviors. By the end, COOs will leave with practical tools to activate networks of change leaders across departments and volunteer leadership, ensuring initiatives gain traction rather than stall.

2. Disrupt the Status Quo: Unlocking Buyer Decisions

Paul George helps sales teams succeed by facilitating workshops and coaching that focus on strategic message creation, sales skills development, and deal-specific opportunity coaching. His RevUP session will address one of the most overlooked barriers to growth: prospects’ preference for inaction. Even when associations present compelling solutions, many deals are lost simply because prospects choose to maintain the status quo.

Through behavioral science research, George demonstrates how COOs can help their teams identify “unconsidered needs” and craft compelling narratives around why change is necessary. Participants will learn how to align their association’s unique value with these hidden challenges, motivating stakeholders to take action. The session emphasizes practical strategies for creating urgency, positioning offerings effectively, and driving decisions in a way that moves beyond competition.

3. Boards Need Operational Bridges

In “Boardroom to Bottom Line: Building Stronger Alignment,” Tara Puckey and Lindsay Currie highlight how boards can be either the greatest strategic asset or a significant barrier to growth. COOs serve as the operational bridge, connecting board vision with executable plans that drive measurable results.

Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, participants will learn how to align board direction with budgets, timelines, and performance metrics. The session equips COOs to foster a revenue-minded culture at the top, navigate complex board dynamics, and ensure governance decisions translate into actionable outcomes.

COOs will learn how to turn board vision into tangible organizational results, strengthen board-staff collaboration to advance initiative efficiently, and engage the board as proactive partners in revenue growth.

4. Technology as an Enabler, Not a Distraction

Amy Michalski’s session, “AI-Powered Sponsorship Sales,” presents a five-step process for boosting revenue while cutting administrative workload in half. COOs will gain hands-on insights into identifying ideal sponsors, crafting personalized outreach, capturing meeting insights, and generating proposals in minutes.

By integrating AI into daily operations, participants learn to maintain the human element of relationship-building while streamlining workflow. Real examples and prompts demonstrate how AI can be applied across sponsorship types, making technology a practical enabler rather than a distraction. Attendees leave with a ready-to-use framework that can be immediately applied, regardless of prior AI experience.

5. Cross-Functional Leadership Builds Organizational Strength

The session “Who Are We? Why Should They Care?” from Ron Zywicki of the Davis James Group emphasizes that successful operational leadership begins with clarity around organizational identity and value. Before launching membership campaigns, products, or events, COOs must answer key questions: Who are we? What makes us valuable? Why should our audience care?

This session walks attendees through a strategic process for discovery, messaging, and brand positioning. Using case studies from higher education and global standards organizations, participants will see how clear, aligned messaging strengthens outreach and drives engagement. By integrating insights across departments, COOs can ensure consistent communication and strategic cohesion, maximizing impact across the organization.

Why COOs Should Be at RevUP Summit

For COOs considering their next step, the RevUP Summit offers:

• Actionable insights on strengthening alignment between boards and staff.
• Peer connections with other executives facing similar operational challenges.
• Association tools and approaches for applying AI and data in meaningful ways.
• Inspiration from leaders who demonstrate how operations can drive innovation.

The RevUP Summit will present learning opportunities and connections that underscore a new association reality: COOs are no longer behind-the-scenes managers—they are the engine of growth, ensuring associations align people, processes, and priorities to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.