ASAE members head Down Under for Associations Forum conference
American senior association executives exchanged ideas and insights into the international association landscape with their Australian counterparts in Sydney recently as part of a week-long study tour.
Eight American delegates were brought to Australia as members of the American Society of Associations Executives (ASAE), a membership organisation of more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners that represents 10,000 organisations.
The study tour was the first of its kind to be held alongside the Associations Forum National Conference.
Organised by Associations Forum and supported by Business Events Sydney (BESydney), the study tour included an 'Australian Familiarisation' session held at the NSW Trade and Investment office. The guests learned about topics such as history, politics, the economy, culture, sport and the Australian associations sector, with a special address from National Director of the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Charles Blunt.
Associations Forum benefited from the additional expertise the American delegates added to the conference program. In particular, outgoing Chair of ASAE, Peter O'Neil, presented a keynote address on 'Resilience in the age of major association change'.
In addition to attending the two-day conference, ASAE executives engaged in a 'Meeting of the Minds' seminar, where they discussed issues and challenges facing associations with Australian representatives.
American Society of Association Executives, Chief Global Development Officer, Greta Kotler said the seminar highlighted the fact that Australian and US associations are very similar, with just a few legal and regulatory differences.
"On the whole, the issues we are facing in our organisations, such as membership retention, adopting new technologies and revenue generation are very similar," she said.
"We've found that Australians are particularly good at governance, in terms of ongoing training and best practice. Also, many of the American delegates have been able to meet face-to-face with representatives from their Australian counterpart associations, which has been a great opportunity."
Associations Forum General Manager, John Peacock said that the discussions between Australian and ASAE representatives were incredibly valuable.
"We've learned how the various associations are tackling issues such as membership retention and recruitment, effective governance, the CEO/Board relationship, regulatory frameworks, marketing and technology to name a few," he said.
"While many of the issues our two countries are facing are very similar, it is always valuable to hear the US perspective, especially since their population is much greater."
Aside from attending the seminar and the conference, Ms Kotler said the American delegates enjoyed admiring Sydney's famous harbour and visiting its many tourist attractions.
"Some of us experienced the Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb Sydney and went to the Blue Mountains. We've enjoyed spending time near the harbour, walking along Bondi Beach and going to some of the outdoor cafes. We've also eaten a lot of delicious food in Sydney and have enjoyed trying some Australian wines," she said.
"On the whole, visiting Australia has been extremely worth it, even though the distance can seem daunting."
Associations Forum also welcomed guests from New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa to the conference.
Meanwhile, an Australian delegation will head to the ASAE Annual Meeting in Atlanta next week.
Photo: American and Australian association executives at the 'Meeting of the Minds' event.
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