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
  
  

CAE Exam between 1 - 14 December 2026 This course is for the December 2026 examination *Please note that the exam registration through ASAE is separate and is the delegates responsibility. AuSAE is here to help

Course cost - AuSAE Member $750 

Non member / Business partner  $950 includes  

• Course material ( Professional Practices in Association Management, 4th Edition)

• Cliff notes with practice exam questions for each domain

• Study group learnings and exam questions

• Practice exam exam

The Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential is an International marker of a committed association professional who has demonstrated the wide range of knowledge essential to manage an association in today’s challenging environment.

Have you got what it takes to go to the next level, AuSAE is here to help you!!
Applications close with ASAE 25 September  2026 for the exam

Program Starting Friday 18 September 2026

Week 1 - 25 September : CAE Orientation session and Systems thinking

Week’s 2 - 9: Covering the eight domains 1 hour each week (Friday)

• 2 October: Domain 1 Governance
• 9 October: Domain 2 Executive Leadership
• 16 October: Domain 3 Organisational Strategy
• 23 October: Domain 4 Operations
• 30 October: Domain 5 Business development
• 6 November: Domain 6 Member and Stakeholder Engagement and Management
• 13 November: Domain 7 Advocacy
• 20 November: Domain 8 Marketing and Communications

Week 10: Wednesday 25 November Practice exam in exam conditions (100 questions) 2 hours
Friday 27 November Open forum (1hour 30 mins)

• CAE Exam fee is separate and paid through ASAE when applying for the exam. Member cost $500 USD

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

Ready to flex your marketing muscles and harness your association’s power?

Welcome to the Marketing Bootcamp, a high-energy session designed to simplify membership marketing and deliver engagement strategies that work. While we won’t ask for burpees, we will push your marketing mindset to new heights.

Association marketers often feel like they’re on a never-ending treadmill, juggling tight budgets, small teams, and high expectations. Unlike traditional marketing, where the goal is a financial transaction, membership marketing begins after that first transaction, focusing on long-term engagement, community building, and active member involvement.

This session introduces a membership marketing framework tailored for associations to build relationships with current members, attract and recruit new ones, optimise MarTech and operations, and foster inclusive environments that value diverse perspectives. Packed with actionable insights and real-world examples, you’ll leave equipped with a framework to apply immediately, transforming challenges into strengths — no sweat required!

Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will apply a membership marketing framework to analyse their marketing and engagement strategies, identifying specific opportunities for improvement in member recruitment and retention.
• Participants will be able to design customised and actionable plans to optimise their marketing processes and leverage MarTech tools for enhanced efficiency and member engagement.
• Participants will analyse real-world case studies to identify strategies that address diverse member perspectives and create pathways for meaningful participation across different member segments.

Meet Our Presenter 

Olena Lima, CAE
Founder and Principal Consultant

Olena Lima, CAE, is the driving force behind the marketing agency MemberBoat and the online educational platform Membership Marketing School, both dedicated to helping membership organisations embrace emerging marketing trends. With over 15 years of experience in the association sector, she has guided hundreds associations through digital transformation and member engagement initiatives. Host of the Association Hub Podcast and a regular speaker at industry events, including ASAE, AuSAE, ESAE, PCAAE, UIA and many others, Olena is always up for sharing insights and sparking ideas to equip association peers with the tools and strategies to stay ahead in a fast-changing digital world.

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.  

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

Cost Centre or Growth Engine? Why communications is now an association’s strategic advantage

For many associations, communications is still seen as the team that “gets the newsletter out”, manages social media, updates the website or makes things look polished. But in a tougher, faster, noisier environment, communications is no longer a support function, it is one of the most powerful levers an association has to prove value, build trust, influence decision-makers, retain members and drive commercial outcomes.

Key learnings:

• How to help your board understand communications as a strategic asset, not an operational expense.
• How to connect communications directly to member value, advocacy, revenue and reputation.
• How to shift from “sending more stuff” to creating clarity, influence and action.

Meet Our Presenter 

Felicity Zadro
Founder & Managing Director, Zadro

Felicity Zadro is a strategic communications leader, and founder of multi-award-winning agency Zadro, now celebrating 19 years in business. Since launching the agency Felicity and team have helped more than 500 organisations — from ASX-listed companies to ambitious start-ups — sharpen their message, build their brand and communicate with impact across Australia, Southeast Asia and Europe.

With expertise in sociology and anthropology, training in change management and leadership, and a strong commercial lens, Felicity brings a broader perspective than most to communications strategy. Her work helps CEOs and leadership teams clarify their positioning, navigate complexity and connect meaningfully with the audiences that matter.

Zadro’s strategic communications planning tool COMM*BAT™ has supported more than 150 businesses and organisations to articulate their offering and put their communications on the road to success.

Felicity sits on Boards, supports CEOs in their leadership journeys, has written widely on communication and business, and is a keynote speaker at conferences in Australia and internationally. Felicity has authored two books: one with the Zadro team, A Brand is Not a Logo, and privately, a book about her grandfather’s life and philosophy.

For more information, visit zadroagency.com.au

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.