Association Focus is set to take place on May 13, 2024, one day ahead of IMEX Frankfurt, with its focus on the theme of adapting to change, which stands as the top priority for association planners in the current landscape.
This forum is organised in collaboration with ICCA, AC Forum, and ASAE, with the Amsterdam Convention Bureau as sponsor.
“While global recovery is progressing, there are still significant economic, political and environmental challenges on the horizon,” noted Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group.
“Our international roster of speakers is set to share their take on the skills needed for the journey ahead, namely: adaptability, innovation, resilience and a collaborative spirit. Our dedicated day of learning and connections for association professionals is a surefire way to create a solid base for future business success.”
The programme includes speakers such as disabled adventurer and explorer, Darren Edwards, whose life was altered after a rock-climbing accident. Now an acclaimed speaker and expert in mental toughness and teamwork, Edwards will be sharing some of his life lessons in his plenary session: The Adaptive Mindset: Five Pillars to Overcome Adversity.
With upskilling and reskilling being a top concern now, Meredith Ellison from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence will lead the discussion in The race to reskill: Building a future workforce.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fuelling current discussions around changing roles and responsibilities, and is a technology that nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of associations and not-for-profits are already engaging with. Veemal Gungadin, founder and CEO of Gevme, will lead the discussion around how associations can make AI work for them in AI: Artificial Intelligence Meets Association Impact.
Designing events with long-lasting impact sits at the heart of a session by Pigalle Tavakkoli, founder of the School of Experience Design.
The speaker roster also includes Guy Bigwood, managing director of the GDS-Index, who will head an energising session covering best practice examples in sustainability and the strategies needed to build the ripple of sustainability at events.
