Most association staff spend their careers on one side of the volunteer relationship. Shelly Joines, Client Account Administrator at Partners in Association Management, has spent 18 years on both, splitting her time between staff-side account work and volunteer leadership roles of her own. That dual vantage point has shaped how she operates. Sitting on “the […]
On the final morning of the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting, association CEOs and executive directors gathered for the CEO Power Breakfast, hosted by Naylor Association Solutions and moderated by Naylor CEO & President Christine Shaw. The panel brought together leaders from four very different corners of the association world—golf course ownership, chamber of commerce management, ready-mixed concrete manufacturing, and real estate […]
Without a doubt, there is a communication hiccup happening in how we talk and think about value, and that is a problem. Information asymmetry is gone, and many of us in the association industry don’t want to see it. By information asymmetry, I mean that one side has more information. Today, your association members can see […]
The first rule of workforce development is that everyone is already talking about your workforce development—you’re just not always in the room. Like the narrator in the movie Fight Club who doesn’t realize Tyler Durden is running his life, your association already has a talent-development brand shaping how the market sees your profession. Every credential you issue and every skill gap you […]
Every year, our Association Benchmarking Report offers association leaders a clear view of what’s happening across the sector. The 2026 Association Benchmarking Report, now in its 15th year, is officially available for download, and this year’s data tells a noticeably different story than last year’s. We heard from 665 association professionals this year—our largest response […]
The American Association of Immunologists had anecdotal evidence about what members wanted but didn’t have integrated data that could be used for future planning. Member information sat in a siloed, outdated AMS, and while the organization had surveyed members ahead of its first strategic framework in 2023, there was no clarity on whether member needs were being […]
The careers of association professionals rarely follow a straight, predictable path. Many move from member services to education or events, then into operations or leadership, often without a clear roadmap for how to advance in their career. By proactively developing new expertise, seeking diverse experiences, and making intentional connections, association professionals can build the skills, visibility, credibility, and confidence needed to move […]
Associations have leaned on a familiar rhythm for member value: an annual conference, maybe a quarterly magazine, and a lot of quiet in between. That rhythm no longer matches how members expect to engage, according to speakers at a recent webinar co-hosted by Naylor Association Solutions and TaleWind Digital, “Digital Destinations: The New Model for Member Engagement and Association […]
When most of your members operate inside large organizations, an individual self-paid enrollment model will only take you so far. Finseca, the professional association for financial security professionals, recognized that gap and rebuilt its membership structure around how its members actually operate. The redesign centered on firm-level billing and operationally embedded renewals—structures that removed friction […]
Features Value, Verified: Inside the 2026 Association Adviser Magazine The 2026 Association Adviser magazine is live, and this year’s content is built around a theme: the shift… Robin Lamerson • August 10, 2026 Features Value, Verified: Inside the 2026 Association Adviser Magazine The 2026 Association Adviser magazine is live, and this year’s content is built […]
Naylor Association Solutions, a leading provider of integrated marketing, communications, media, and management solutions for professional and trade associations, has announced that KiKi L’Italien has been appointed as Vice President of Marketing. L’Italien reports directly to Chief Executive Officer Christine Shaw and will lead Naylor’s brand strategy and go-to-market efforts across the company’s full portfolio of association solutions.
In October of 2023, I was laid off from my job as a VP of Revenue Enablement at a big tech company. Rather than find another job in tech, I decided to take my fate in my own hands and build my keynote speaking business. Then, in the summer of 2024, I resigned from the board of the Revenue Enablement Society. “I’m […]
“Think outside the box” has long been the rallying cry of brainstorming sessions, but Sheri Jacobs challenged that assumption head-on during her event-closing keynote at ASAE’s 2026 MMC+Tech Conference. The founder of Avenue M Group, a specialty marketing, consulting, and research firm, Jacobs argued that the problem facing associations is a lack of clarity around where to focus and not a lack of freedom. “In […]
Many associations looking to increase revenue focus on pricing, sponsorships, or new offerings. But according to Sheri Jacobs, they should first look at their capacity for risk. In today’s conversation, host Christine Shaw speaks with Sheri Jacobs, the CEO of Avenue M Group and a four-time bestselling author, whose latest book is The Unexpected […]
There’s a particular energy at annual conferences that’s hard to replicate. The crowd is buzzing, sessions are exciting and informative, connections are made, and you walk away inspired and ready to incorporate what you’ve learned into your everyday work life. But what happens after the event is over? After months of planning and significant financial investment, attention quickly shifts. Some information presented at the conference may […]
