Associations World Congress 2026

12:00 - 13:00

Registration and badging for the pre-congress session delegates

13:00 - 13:50

Lunch & Networking

14:00 - 17:30

Medical Associations Forum

This dynamic and interactive session explores the evolving landscape impacting medical associations and their events.

The Forum will delve into the contextual forces - from digital transformation to adopting AI in the medical conference context - that are reshaping how associations engage and deliver value through meetings and congresses.

This collaborative session will not only highlight emerging trends but also feature curated case studies that bring real-world innovation from delegates and their challenges to light.

Designed to foster peer-to-peer learning, the Forum will tap into the collective wisdom of attendees, creating a space where experiences, insights, and practical strategies can be shared openly. Whether you're re-imagining your event strategy or seeking inspiration from fellow leaders, you will gain clarity and the connection needed to navigate what's next.

• Welcome & Introductions
• Introduction and setting the scene
• Interactive Discussion & Q&A
• Networking Refreshment break
• Case Studies by invited leaders
• Key takeaways

08:00

Registration and badging desk opens

09:00 - 09:30

Welcome and Introduction to the Congress

• What to expect over the two days
• Key updates to the programme

09:30 - 10:10

Keynote Talk

An inspirational talk with a vision for association's, societies' and federation's role for the future.

10:20 - 11:00

Verified or Vilified? Guarding the Value of Associations as Authentic and Trusted in an AI Era.

The panelists will debate and discuss the issues of how to be authentic and remain trusted with content for its publishing, contributions from members, speaker presentations, video and audio and even in online networking communities.

10:20 - 11:00

AI: The Engine of Your Event Portfolio or an Operational Bolt-on?

The panelists will debate and discuss the issues relating to: Using AI to generate event content, to streamline the admin, to sell the exhibition and sponsorships, to analyse and create large programmes of online seminars or entire multi-stream flagship conferences. Whether AI should change your decision-making process about your portfolio's growth. Is AI just a better set of tools or the ultimate way to provide every member with what they need?

10:20 - 11:00

The Obsolescence Trap: Can Associations Compete with a Personalized AI World?

Is AI going to outperform associations by delivering hyper-personalized education, networking, and vendor matching? Does the association face an existential disintermediation crisis? Can associations survive as high-tech content filters and "tribal" communities, or are they are destined to be replaced by the superior speed and efficiency of a $20-a-month algorithm?

11:00 – 11:40

Refreshments, Networking & Exhibition

14:45 - 17:30

Building Your Capacity for Successful Digital Projects

Each year, most association digital projects succeed with in most of their aims, but a significant number fail completely with huge financial losses on tech spend and reduced revenue, and a larger number don't achieve more than mediocre success.

Success in digital projects depends on more than the choice of a good supplier. This session will examine the factors that make the difference between failure or moderate achievement and success.

You will be provided practical guidance specifically for membership organisations on preparing for successful change in digital projects.

We will examine:

• Project ownership and essential roles
• Ensuring project engagement and alignment
• Planning resourcing and managing capacity
• How to involve teams across the organisation, not just the project group
• Common pitfalls to avoid when preparing for a new digital platform

Session leader:

Ben Sturt

Managing Director, Chrysalis Digital

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14:45 - 17:30

Leveraging your Large Events to Deliver Value across your Association

Your flagship conference isn’t just a date in the diary - it’s your association’s loudest, richest value-delivery channel.  How strategically designed is it to deliver value and outcomes for your association?

In this interactive session we’ll explore the complexities of larger (2k+ attendee events) and how they adopt strategies that up-level outcomes.

We’ll explore strategies that ensure your large events are being maximised to their full advantage, to:

• Strengthen member outcomes year-round
• Showcase your publications and products
• Deliver and building community

Expect sharp prompts and peer sharing anchored by ideas from Sasha’s book on purpose-led event strategy.

• Clarify purpose: what success really looks like
• Map the association offer the event should spotlight
• Design value journeys pre / onsite / post event
• Establish the measurement criteria that deliver successful outcomes

And we’ll ask the biggest questions – how does your flagship event align with your association’s objectives?

These issues and more are explained in the Session Leader's recent book: 'The Chief Event Officer’s Playbook – How to create transformational events' which will be included for all delegates who complete their session input.

Session leader:

Sasha Frieze

Managing Director, The Business Narrative, Author, The Chief Event Officer’s Playbook

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14:45 - 17:30

Making Membership Matter - The IMPACT Framework for Growth, Retention & Engagement

In today’s competitive environment, Associations can no longer afford to take a piecemeal approach to membership. To truly create IMPACT, associations must rethink how they communicate, collaborate, and deliver value. This session will unpack the essential ingredients for achieving meaningful growth, retention, and engagement.

We will examine:

• Language that resonates – how the words we use shape perceptions, value, and trust
• The membership experience – mapping moments that matter to foster belonging.
• Getting the benefits offer right – aligning value with members’ evolving needs.
• Harnessing data, automation, and AI – making smarter, more efficient decisions.
• Collaboration over silos – why internal teamwork is the engine of external success.

Drawing on insights from our recent membership survey into the direction of travel for associations, we’ll highlight trends, opportunities, and practical steps to ensure your organisation is ready to thrive in 2026 and beyond. Participants will leave with actionable strategies & an action plan to create a culture of impact that resonates across their membership journey.

Session leader:

Lisa Collins

Managing Director, Dovetail Creative

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14:45 - 17:30

Conference & Events Operations Session

Details to be announced.

09:00 - 12:45

Association Leadership & Governance

This session will address critical timely issues faced by the Executive Heads of associations, societies and federations, in Leadership and the Governance aspects of their role.

Details will be announced for this session in early March.

09:00 - 12:45

Creating Transformational Association Events

Geopolitics is on fast forward. Budgets are tight. Association events are a significant slice of the global $1.2 trillion event market (2024). 78% of event professionals consider in-person events the most impactful way to deliver information and knowledge. Next Gen Event Goers – Millennials and Gen Z – will form 75% of the workforce by 2030.

Are your events designed to respond to this fast-changing world?  Now is the time to re-examine your association events, your event portfolio and ensure your event strategy is going to deliver.

This session is not a how-to, it’s a why-to.  We’ll examine critical concepts and approaches of the Event Transformation Blueprint – which lies at the core of the Session Leader's bestselling book The Chief Event Officer’s Playbook – how to create transformational events:  How to create events that are:

• Purpose-led
• Outcome-driven
• Aligned to your association’s goals

Sharing frameworks and tools, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to work with you team. 

Session leader:

Sasha Frieze

Managing Director, The Business Narrative, Author, The Chief Event Officer’s Playbook

Find out more

09:00 - 12:45

AI Readiness - From Awareness to Action for Membership Organisations

This practical session will guide you to lead your membership organisations to move forward with AI confidently and responsibly.

AI is already influencing how members expect to engage and how teams operate, yet many membership organisations remain unsure where to start or how to take action without increasing risk. This session focuses on helping leaders take the right first steps, avoiding rushed adoption while ensuring progress doesn’t stall.

Led by Lisa Collins and Ben Sturt, two experienced membership industry consultants, the session cuts through the hype to focus on what AI readiness really means in a membership context. Participants will assess where their organisation is today, explore realistic use cases across the member journey, and understand the people, process, and governance considerations needed to support safe and effective adoption.

The session also introduces the Membership AI Hub, a new resource designed to support membership organisations beyond the session itself. The Hub brings together practical education, trusted resources, and an impartial, “TripAdvisor-style” view of AI providers, helping organisations navigate the AI landscape with clarity and confidence.

Attendees will leave with clear priorities, practical next steps, and access to ongoing guidance to support informed decision-making and meaningful progress.

Session leaders:

Ben Sturt

Managing Director, Chrysalis Digital

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Lisa Collins

Managing Director, Dovetail Creative

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09:00 - 12:45

Conference & Events Operations Session

Details to be announced.

Lunch, Networking & Exhibition

14:15 - 16:50

Authentic Content Creation with AI: Challenges and Opportunities for Associations

Three years on from the first launch of ChatGPT, this session will examine the state of the art in AI in 2025, drawing on the latest research and industry experience. Reflecting real world feedback and questions from associations on trust and authenticity, it will outline the opportunities and challenges of using AI as part of your content workflow. 

With a pragmatic focus on how to mitigate risks, and a mixture of presentation and discussion, the session will explore the role of AI in content strategy, and how the combination of human judgement and artificial intelligence can increase productivity, save costs and deliver more relevant content to your members.

Session leader:

George Walkley

Independent Strategy Consultant

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14:15 - 16:50

Conference & Events Strategy Session

Details to be announced.

14:15 - 16:50

Membership Strategy Session

Details to be announced.

14:15 - 16:50

Conference & Events Operations Session

Details to be announced.