The Red Chair Awards at the 2026 AH Leadership Forum showcased how leading associations are driving growth through member engagement, data-driven marketing, and innovative programs. This recap highlights Red Chair Award winners and the strategies behind their success, from year-round engagement models and experiential marketing to research-driven advocacy and scalable education programs. Discover how associations are advancing their missions through strong partnership.

Not every association runs its operations the same way. While many rely on in-house staff led by an Executive Director, others partner with an Association Management Company (AMC), a firm that provides the full range of association management services, from executive leadership and financial oversight to meetings, marketing, and membership, under one roof.

Association Headquarters hosted the YourMembership Roadshow for Momentive Software at our Mount Laurel, NJ office. We brought together AH client teams, YourMembership users, and association leaders leveraging association management software (AMS) from the New Jersey and Philadelphia area for a full day of working sessions, peer learning, and direct Q&A with Momentive Software.

Career growth in nonprofits is not defined by a straight path. It is built through continuous learning, shared experiences, and a community that supports you along the way. In celebration of Women's History Month, AH team members share early career advice for women in association management, with insights designed to help the next generation build meaningful, flexible, and impactful careers.

As associations grow, many reach a point where limited staff capacity, increasing operational complexity, and pressure to drive revenue begin to slow progress. Whether the challenge is membership growth, event performance, or building sustainable non-dues revenue, leaders often face the same question: how do we scale an association without overextending the team?

There's no single way to measure a year well spent in association management. You can look at numbers, and this year's numbers are worth celebrating. But the real story of 2025 isn't found in any spreadsheet. It's found in the nurse who earned her certification. The first-time convention attendee who received valuable education or training. The small association that started the year wondering how to sustain itself and ended it with a sold-out event and a waiting list.

On April 27–28 at The Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia, Association Headquarters will bring together association leaders, board members, and executives for two days built around one central question: what does it take to lead well right now, and what will it take tomorrow? The theme this year, blueprints for what's next, isn't just a tagline. It's a real acknowledgment that the associations doing the most meaningful work are the ones thinking a few steps ahead. This forum is designed to help you do exactly that.

On February 4, 2026, Association Headquarters partnered with ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership to present a practical session on Protecting Gated Content, SEO Strategy, and Responsible AI Use for Associations. Led by Jamin Clubb, Director of Client Technology Services at AH, the webinar addressed a growing concern among association leaders: how to safeguard member-only assets while staying visible in an AI-driven search environment.

Associations and nonprofits often struggle with deciding when to redesign a website versus when a more significant website rebuild is required. Understanding the signs your website is outdated can help you make informed decisions, avoid unnecessary technical debt, and improve user experience, SEO, and member engagement.

Part 2 of AH’s 2026 Association Trends series explores how associations are strengthening non-dues revenue and adopting board governance best practices to support sustainable growth. Featuring insights from Jenny Faucher and Paul Hanscom, the post highlights practical strategies for turning opportunity into execution to build resilient revenue models, improve governance discipline, and position associations to adapt and thrive amid increasing complexity.