Governance in practice: what I wish I'd known

Governance is one of the most consistently challenging areas for association professionals at every career stage. New practitioners are often thrown into board support roles without adequate preparation. Experienced managers find themselves navigating board dynamics, conflict, and constitutional complexity with limited peer support. And CEOs regularly manage the tension between board oversight and operational autonomy. This open Q&A session puts members directly in front of an experienced CEO who has seen it all, and is willing to talk about it honestly.

What members can expect
This session is designed to surface the realities; the challenges, grey areas, and lessons that come with experience.

• No slides or presentation, just direct access to hard-earned governance experience
• You can submit questions in advance that will be covered in the session.
• A safe space to explore real issues, from the fundamentals to the more complex or sensitive challenges. 
• All questions welcome, no topic is too basic or too sensitive

Attendees receive 1 CAE credits. 

AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.  

Building your financial resilience: three approaches

Financial sustainability is a strategic priority for almost every association — and the approaches being taken vary widely. Some organisations are diversifying revenue streams, others are cutting costs, and others are renegotiating their partnerships and event models. This fast-paced panel session brings together three members who have each taken a different approach to building financial resilience, giving the audience three distinct perspectives in one hour.

What members can expect
Financial resilience looks different for every association, but learning what others have actually implemented can spark practical ideas you can act on.

• Hear from three association leaders, each sharing insight on one initiative they’ve implemented
• Clear, practical perspectives — what they did, why they chose that approach, and what changed as a result
• A facilitated discussion to unpack the ideas, compare approaches, and explore real-world application
• Practical and honest — this is about practical learning, not perfect case studies

Attendees receive 1 CAE credits. 

 AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.  

Meet our Panel Facilitator

Deanna Varga
Founder & CEO, Mayvin Global

Deanna Varga GAICD, MBA, CICE is Founder and CEO of Mayvin Global, bringing over 25 years’ experience across business events, tourism, government, and the arts. She specialises in sustainable commercial strategy, revenue diversification, and capability building. Deanna is an Adjunct Associate Professor at UTS and serves as an Independent and Non-Executive Director across several organisations, including the Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine and Transport Heritage NSW.

Our Panel

Amelia Hodge
Executive Director
Energy and Resources Law Association

Graeme Janes
Chief Executive Officer
Christian Venues Association

Register today!
The AKP: In Practice webinar series is exclusively available to AuSAE members and digital subscribers. 

Not a member? Join AuSAE or Become a Digital Subscriber today.  

ACE 2026 - Driving Impact
26-28 August 2026 | Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

In a time of constant change, your role has never been more important. Associations shape industries, support communities and drive progress. ACE 2026 is your opportunity to step back, think bigger, and return with the clarity and confidence to drive impact in your organisation and across your profession.

Driving Impact is the theme for ACE 2026 because it sits at the heart of why association professionals do what they do. Every decision you make, every program you deliver, every member you support it all contributes to something bigger. This year we're putting that front and centre: what it means to lead with purpose, measure what matters, and make a genuine difference to the industries and communities your association serves.

Exclusive Special Event: Julius Solaris
For the first time in Australia, global events leader Julius Solaris joins us in Brisbane on Wednesday 26 August for a standalone industry keynote. One of the most influential voices in the global events conversation, Julius brings fresh thinking on how events create real value and lasting impact, followed by the ACE 2026 Welcome Reception.

ACE 2026 is more than a conference. It's where the association sector comes together — by members, for members — to connect purpose to action, and action to impact.

We are Associations.

Register and more information here: ausae.org.au/ace

ACE 2026 Venue Sponsor

What I took away from ACE26 — member reflections

ACE26 brought together association professionals from across Australia and New Zealand for three days of learning, connection, and conversation around the theme of Driving Impact. This session is the bridge between the conference and the broader member community, bringing the best of what was discussed at ACE back to members who couldn't attend, and giving those who did a space to consolidate and share what landed most. Three to four members will each share their biggest takeaway and, importantly, what they are actually doing with it.

What members can expect
The real impact of a conference often happens after the event — when ideas are tested, applied, and shared. This session brings those insights to life.

• Hear from 3–4 association professionals who attended ACE26, each sharing one key insight and one action they’re taking as a result
• Short, focused contributions to share practical takeaways
• Members who didn't attend ACE get the highlights and relevant ideas
• A facilitated discussion that creates space for shared reflection, connection, and collective learning across the community

Attendees receive 1 CAE credits. 

AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.  

Register today!
The AKP: In Practice webinar series is exclusively available to AuSAE members and digital subscribers. 

Not a member? Join AuSAE or Become a Digital Subscriber today.  

The future of association marketing: what’s changing

Association marketing is in a period of genuine disruption. Email open rates are shifting, social platforms are changing their algorithms, content expectations are rising, and AI is beginning to reshape how organisations produce and distribute communications. At the same time, the fundamentals, knowing your audience, telling compelling stories, building trust, matter more than ever. This session is a live, facilitated conversation about what's actually changing in association marketing, what's working right now, and where members are placing their bets for the next 12–18 months.

What members can expect
This session focuses on what’s actually happening on the ground.

• A short 10-minute provocation from the host to frame the key shifts underway in association marketing
• Open, facilitated discussion drawing on experiences from associations of different sizes, sectors, and maturity levels
• An honest conversation about what's not working as well as what is, and why
• Practical, current insights designed to be applied immediately, not theory

Attendees receive 1 CAE credits. 

 AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.  

Register today!
The AKP: In Practice webinar series is exclusively available to AuSAE members and digital subscribers. 

Not a member? Join AuSAE or Become a Digital Subscriber today.  

Membership models that worked five years ago are under pressure across the sector. Flat renewal rates, changing member expectations, the rise of free alternatives, and post-pandemic behaviour shifts are forcing associations to rethink their value proposition from the ground up. In this session, a member association shares their experience of doing exactly that — what prompted the review, what they changed, what they tried that didn't work, and what has made a measurable difference.

What members can expect

Membership is at the heart of every association, but evolving your model can feel high-stakes and complex. This session offers a transparent look at what it really takes to make change stick.

• A candid 25–30 minute presentation from an association CEO who has led a membership model transformation
• Real metrics and outcomes, including renewal rates, acquisition performance, and member engagement trends
• The full story including what didn't work, not just the wins
• A 30 minute interactive Q&A allowing you to explore how these insights could be applied within your own organisation

Revenue beyond membership: what’s actually working

Non-dues revenue has moved from a nice-to-have to a strategic necessity for many associations. But the gap between identifying the opportunity and successfully implementing new revenue streams is significant — and littered with programs that consumed more resource than they generated. This Ask Me Anything session puts members in direct conversation with a CEO who has successfully diversified their association's revenue base, and is willing to talk through the detail of what worked, what failed, and what they would caution others against.

What members can expect

• No slides — just an open Q&A with an experienced association CEO
• A focus on real-world revenue approaches, what’s delivering results, and what’s proving harder than expected
• Questions collected in advance and answered during session. All questions welcome.
• Particularly useful for members actively exploring or reviewing their revenue model
  
  

How we approached strategic planning differently this year

Strategic planning in associations is often done out of obligation rather than genuine strategic intent, a board weekend away, a familiar SWOT analysis, and a document that gets filed until next year. But some associations are doing it very differently: shorter cycles, more member involvement, stronger links between strategy and operational decisions, and real accountability built into the process. In this session, a member CEO shares how they changed their approach to strategic planning and what difference it made, to the quality of the plan, to board engagement, and to execution.

What members can expect

• A brief walkthrough of the shift from a traditional strategic planning process to a redesigned approach
• Specific detail on process: who was involved, how long it took, what tools, frameworks, or methods were used
• An honest reflection on what the board found challenging and how competing priorities and tensions were worked through
• A 30 minute interactive Q&A to explore how this approach could be adapted to your own strategic planning cycle

Year in review: what the sector learned in 2026 

The final session of the year is both a celebration and a forward look. A panel of three to four members, drawn from across different association types, sizes, and career stages, reflects on the big themes that shaped the sector in 2026. What changed? What didn't change as much as expected? What's the one thing they'll carry into 2027? This session closes the year with a sense of community and shared experience, and plants the seeds for what's coming next.

What members can expect
This session brings together practical reflections from across the sector,  highlighting what’s shifted, what’s stuck, and what’s emerging for associations.

• Three to four association leaders share their biggest professional insight or shift from the year
• Reflections drawn on themes emerging across the AKP: In Practice program throughout the year
• A forward-looking close exploring what association professionals are watching as they move into 2027

Attendees receive 1 CAE credits. 

AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.  

Register today!
The AKP: In Practice webinar series is exclusively available to AuSAE members and digital subscribers. 

Not a member? Join AuSAE or Become a Digital Subscriber today.