Featured Speakers
Powerful, thought-provoking sessions
MSAE is pleased to bring together some of our industry's finest thought leaders, subject matter experts, and practitioners to stimulate your thinking and explore the latest issues and trends in association management.
Tuesday AM Tuesday PM Wednesday AM Wednesday PM
Peggy Hoffman, FASAE, CAE Amanda Lea Kaiser Matt Gillett Rob Barnes, MBA, CAE
Igniting Engagement: Empowering Members to Lead
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 - 9:00 - 10:15 AM
We often focus on transactional relationships with our members, overlooking the power of mutual exchange. But what is engagement and what truly drives member engagement? Volunteering is the ultimate form of engagement! While attracting and developing volunteers may seem more difficult than ever, it is doable! Join us to explore strategies for empowering members to contribute, create, and lead. Discover how to shift your focus from transactions to transformative relationships.
Peggy M Hoffman, FASAE, CAE
Peggy Hoffman is president of Mariner Management, an association management company which provides an array of support and training to associations as they engage members and staff in the work of the organization. Peggy draws on her team’s research on volunteerism, member communities and chapters, and association innovation in her training and counsel to dozens of global, national, and local membership associations over the past 30 years. Her team has conducted the association industry’s two key studies on volunteerism for ASAE, the association for associations, as well as research on chapters and member communities. She holds the profession’s certification (CAE) and the designation of Fellow (FASAE). Peggy not only enjoys working with association volunteers but is an active volunteer for her professional association, so she’ll draw from experience on both levels. Read her full bio at MarinerManagement.com and connect with Peggy on LinkedIn. (Back to top.)
Un-Panel: Exciting New Ways to Elevate Engagement
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 - 1:15 - 2:15 PM
We offer so much to our members. But it seems like they only engage sporadically. What if we could turn erratic engagement into sustainable and steady engagement? We can! Engagement is changing, and we will explore how to engage members in this new environment.
Welcome back to one of MSAE’s crowd-favorites! This year’s panel discussion, or should we say un-panel conversation, because everyone who attends is part of the panel, too, will be fast-paced and informative. Yes, we’ll have three super-experienced panelists. There will be a moderator—Amanda Lea Kaiser, author and engagement strategist. And you’ll weigh in on topics like which member segments are most challenging to engage, why engagement is changing, and, most importantly, what to do about it. You’ll be inspired to try new ideas to engage your most difficult-to-engage stakeholders. Oh, and you might just want to try this twist on the panel format at your next event.
Panelists:
Denise Donohue, APR, CAE | County Road Association of Michigan
Bob Doyle | Michigan Association of CPAs
Amanda Lea Kaiser
Amanda Lea Kaiser is a member engagement strategist and author of Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating Thriving Member Communities. She has been studying engagement for over 25 years—first, consumer engagement while managing the beloved Crayola brand and now member engagement for communities. As a researcher, author, and co-creator of the New Member Engagement Study, the Member Engagement Labs, and the Virtual Networking Incubator, she is at the forefront of exploring how member and attendee engagement is rapidly changing. (Back to top.)
Local Flavor: Leadership Lessons from Restaurateur
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Matt Gillett
Award-winning entrepreneur and engaging podcast host, Matt Gillett, is the owner of Saddleback BBQ, Lansing, Michigan’s premier craft BBQ joint. With over half his life spent in the food industry, Matt honed his skills during more than a decade working in fine establishments across the great state of Michigan. His passion for BBQ, initially a hobby, was ignited into a career after being part of winning a Grand Prize at a BBQ competition in Georgia.
Matt’s passion led to the establishment of Saddleback BBQ, renowned for its exceptional smoked meats and commitment to remarkable customer service. Under Matt’s leadership, Saddleback expanded to include two BBQ locations and two wood-fired pizza locations known as Slice by Saddleback in less than a decade.
What’s the recipe for Matt’s success? Dedication to both his craft and his community! During the pandemic, when schools shuttered, Saddleback donated student lunches, paid off school lunch debt in multiple districts, and provided holiday meals to families. Nowadays, Matt also uses his success as a platform to support and promote other local businesses in the Greater Lansing area!
Harnessing Generative AI for Enhanced
Knowledge Management & Member Engagement
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 12:15 - 1:30 PM
In this keynote, we explore the transformative impact of Generative AI on associations, focusing on its potential to revolutionize knowledge management and member engagement. We'll examine the Association Knowledge Cycle and demonstrate how Generative AI tools are enhancing knowledge accessibility, discovery, and insight into member interests. The presentation will showcase practical applications of AI in association contexts, discuss the challenges and opportunities of AI adoption, and provide actionable steps for implementation. From personalized member experiences to automated tasks and data-driven decision-making, we'll uncover how associations can leverage AI to stay ahead of trends and deliver more value to their communities. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of AI's role in shaping the future of associations and leave equipped with strategies to begin their AI journey.
Rob Barnes, MBA, CAE
From the shores of Papua New Guinea to city life of Washington D.C., Rob’s journey has been as diverse as it has been rewarding. At just 19, he embarked on a career in association management with Surf Life Saving Australia. Over the last three decades, his professional path has taken him across three countries, each experience enriching his leadership skills and igniting a lifelong passion for community service and innovation. As CEO and Co-founder of Betty Bot, Rob leads the charge in innovating for associations. (Back to top.)