Guiding Associations
Acumen Blog
We’re Not Selling! We’re Building Valuable Relationships – Rethinking Sponsor & Exhibitor Development
By Kerry O’Brien, IOM, CAE, Executive Director and Cassie Wesener, Membership & Programs Manager We may be tempted to approach sponsorship the same way that produced decent results in the past. We built a prospectus listing what's for sale, distributed it to...
What Equestrian Sport Teaches Us About Association Leadership
By Karen A. Hurley, MA, CAE The winning horse trainer of the 2026 Kentucky Derby made history as the first female trainer to win the event. Cherie DeVaux trained the longshot, three-year-old thoroughbred, Golden Tempo, to victory in the 152nd Run for the Roses at...
Enhancing Online Learning Programs: Moving Beyond Content Delivery to Learner Engagement
By Edith Chavez, Communications, Marketing & Meetings Manager & Matt Close, Membership & Communications Manager As online learning continues to evolve, organizations face a common challenge: keeping learners engaged. While technology has made educational...
When Everyone Agrees and No One Wants To: Groupthink and the Abilene Paradox in the Boardroom
By Kerry O’Brien, CAE, IOM, Executive Director In college, my business communications class was called on to assist the engineering school with crafting business pitches that would close the deal at a business expo with actual customers for products the student...
Knowing When to Let Go of Ineffective Programs
Making difficult choices is never easy. But if you have a program or service that consistently doesn’t deliver the desired outcomes, leaders may have to make that choice. Maybe it’s a newsletter that no one ever reads or a long-cherished program that members used to...
Association Case Study: Protecting Your Organization When Disaster Strikes
Background Hurricane Helene and then Hurricane Milton hit near Clearwater, Florida right before a major convention of one of Association Acumen’s clients. The Executive Director, leaders, and staff closely monitored the approach of the first storm, then the other....
Association Case Study: Hotel Construction Woes
Background Like most organizations in 2020, our association client successfully navigated the challenges from COVID in several meaningful ways, including rolling over its 2020 conference hotel contract to October 2023. Little did leadership and staff know that another...
Association Case Study: Creating a New Podcast from Scratch
Background Like so many other groups and individuals these days, two association clients wanted to start a podcast as an additional educational benefit for their members. So, where should staff start? Challenge: Determining Demand Were the members and the broader...
Association Case Study: Increased Financial Transparency and Reporting for New Client Board
Background Prior to joining Association Acumen, this association’s board was not receiving clear, transparent, timely financial services from their association management company (AMC). Without timely, accurate financial statements, they did not understand the...
Leading Without Authority: The Skills That Matter Most
By Suzanne Fedie, CAE, Executive Director and Dana J. Murn, CAE, Executive Director In the association world, staff members who earn trust from colleagues and clients can often influence outcomes more than when coming from a position of hierarchy. Leading without...
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