Perspective is critical. I have been reminded of this several times recently.
The most recent was at the Asia Pacific Great Ideas in Association Management conference in Korea where one of the US speakers talked about his near-death experience. While dying (multiple times) on his hospital bed he quizzed the nurse if she belonged to the Nurses Association and when the stunned nurse replied “No”, he told her to go away and send someone who did. I applaud his unwavering commitment to receiving the best possible health case and commend his support of the Association sector. His message to the attendees in Korea was that associations matter! That associations can mean the difference between life and death. That we should all be incredibly proud of the work we do each and every day to serve our associations and the industries or sectors they represent.
I was privileged to attend the conference and honoured to co-present one session titled from ‘Start Up to Sustainable – Negotiating the S Curve’ and assist in the conference closing session by presenting a 5 minute Ignite session on volunteering.
Two of the key themes from the conference for me were around engagement and diversity.
A former VP of Kodak, Don Strickland, emphasised the lack of diversity on the staff, management and board which lead to the downfall of the photographic giant. It raised the question of what we are doing to ensure diversity of thinking, experiences and knowledge within our organisations to forecast disruption, assess opportunities and stay relevant.
Another presenter, entrepreneur So-Young Kang, a USA Korean woman living in Singapore (now there’s some diversity) talked about mechanisms and tools for engaging with members and clients. From gamification to instant feedback on-line, she showcased innovative options for associations to consider like Gnowbe.
If you want more information from the APGI conference just let me know. An remember early bird registrations for ACE close on Friday 7 April. Register now for what will be an amazing conference!
