From Oct. 29-31, the American Society of Association Executives’ Association Leadership Forum, Asia Pacific, saw more than 150 association executives descend upon Singapore for the annual educational forum held at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. This event connected association executives and experts from the meeting industry through engaging sessions, intensive networking and a knowledge-sharing program.
This year’s forum attracted the participation of local, national and international associations from 16 countries and 53 cities across the Asia Pacific region, as well as Europe, the Middle East and the U.S. The three-day event was opened by ASAE President & CEO John H. Graham IV, FASAE, CAE. ASAE. Chair Sal Martino, FASAE, CAE, CEO, executive director at the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, also led a delegation of U.S. association executives to the Forum and served as master of ceremonies. Arlene A. Pietranton, Ph.D., CAE, CEO of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Forum’s provocateur, facilitated purposeful inquiry and conversation throughout the event.
There were multiple table discussions led by the Asia Pacific Task Force around current association management issues and practical strategies to support associations. From the Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences to the International Association for the Study of Pain, the presence of various associations across different academic disciplines enriched the professional exchange at the event, while creating an experience to stimulate and foster the associations’ development in the long-term. (Pictured right, faculty speakers at the event).
Beyond the extensive line-up of keynote addresses and discussions, the Forum also provided a platform for ICCA members to showcase their destination and products to the association executives. This has opened the possibility for forging personal business links with the senior-level association executives and paved the way for possible collaboration. The experience included high-level content with opportunities for multiple small table group discussions on various issues. This highly-interactive format proved to be an excellent way to focus content on specific issues and encouraging the sharing of experiences among attendees. “The Power of A Awards” was also introduced to highlight the overall contribution that associations make to their respective societies.
“ICCA is proud to be one of the key partners in marketing and bringing our expert members to the Forum,” says ICCA Regional Director Asia Pacific and member of the Founding Advisory Board Noor Ahmad Hamid. “We have been working closely with ASAE for several years now, and through this global educational program, we hope to leverage ASAE’s expertise in association management to advance the association community in the Asia Pacific region, that is also in line with the ICCA’s strategic goals. In this regard, we would like to thank ASAE for staging the event and working with us.”
ASAE’s Association Leadership Forum, Asia Pacific is now in its fourth year. According to Greta Kotler, CAE, chief global development officer, ASAE, “The event was developed by an Advisory Task Force, which is a group of association professionals from the Asia Pacific region. Based on feedback from the Advisory Task Force and attendees, this year the focus of the Forum was shifted to the current issue of leadership in associations during a period of disruption and transition. We are very aware of how associations continue to be challenged in a rapidly changing environment and are looking for new and better ways to capture the diverse needs of the association community.”
ASAE is a membership organization of more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 9,300 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the U.S. and in nearly 50 countries around the world. With support of the ASAE Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession, and provides resources, education, ideas and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. For more info, visit www.asaecenter.org
ASAE’s Association Leadership Forum, Asia Pacific is an association-powered program that aims to further professionalize association governance and management in the Asia Pacific region. Since 2015, this annual event has been held in Hong Kong, Seoul and now Singapore. In conjunction with the event, ICCA has also actively taken part in meeting with the Asia Pacific Federation of Association Organizations, whose primary role is to foster and promote the professional development of associations, as well as encourage destinations within the region to establish their own association for association executives, a model which is similar to that of the ASAE in the U.S.
