Year-end planning often starts with next year’s priorities. But can your association’s people, processes, and systems support what you want to accomplish?

In a recent webinar available through ASAE, AH’s Kristy Cohen, AAiP, and Monica Evans-Lombe, CAE, Senior Vice Presidents of Client Services, explored four areas association leaders can assess before finalizing their plans for 2027. The session covered organizational health, decision-making, member value, and technology, with worksheets to help staff and boards put the discussion into practice.

by Ashton Hald, SVP of Meetings and Industry Relations, Association Headquarters

"Industry relations." People hear the title and assume sales. It's not. It's not just that. I lead our Industry Relations department here at AH, and I want to set the record straight on what the work really looks like, why it matters more than most association leaders realize, and where I think it’s headed next.

Every fall brings a fresh wave of benchmarking reports, and this year's crop on membership growth tells three different stories depending on which one lands in your inbox first. Read one, and you'd think 2026 was a strong year for associations. Read another, and you'd think growth just hit a wall. Then a third is somewhere in the middle, cautiously optimistic but seeing real strain.

ASAE’s annual conference is always a snapshot of what’s buzzing in the world of associations and the industry overall. This year in Indianapolis, we had multiple AH staff members at our booth talking to attendees, attending packed sessions, and sharing their expertise on stage.

Here’s what they heard, what surprised them, and what’s still the same:

An association technology strategy includes a structured technology procurement process that guides how systems are selected, evaluated, and implemented.

Rather than reacting to vendor demos or internal preferences, leading associations use procurement as a disciplined process that ensures every technology decision strengthens their ecosystem.

This approach enables associations to:

The mission hasn't changed. Everyone is working harder than ever. So why has growth stalled? For a membership association, a plateau can show up as flat member numbers. For a credentialing body, it looks like flat certificant numbers, slipping recertification rates, or a credential that no longer feels like the standard.