Welcome & General Session

Bodyworking: Listening with Your Eyes

Networking can feel overwhelming, from starting conversations to exiting them gracefully. This high-energy, interactive session focuses on the nonverbal side of networking. Participants will learn to recognize cues for when to engage or move on, helping them build stronger, more confident professional connections and navigate interactions with greater ease and awareness.

 Mitch Isaacs (Executive Director, Shafer Leadership Academy)

Sponsored by Hamilton County Tourism

Lunch

Sponsored by Visit Indy

Breakout Sessions

From Content Chaos to Calendar Clarity

Association marketers often face inconsistent content pipelines, last-minute requests, and reliance on volunteer submissions. This session provides a practical framework for sustainable content strategy using editorial calendars, idea banks, and AI-assisted tools. Participants will build a 90-day plan, align content with goals, and explore repurposing tactics and ethical AI use.

 Rachel Daeger, CAE, IOM (Director of Communications, Raybourn Group International)

 Emily Huff, CAE (Director of Marketing and Communications, Raybourn Group International)

Digging for Truth: Uncovering the Drivers of Membership & Retention

This session explores the enduring questions of why members join and why they stay. Combining peer insights, academic perspectives, and practical tools, participants will learn effective research methods and budget-friendly strategies to understand member motivations. Attendees will gain knowledge to make data-driven decisions that strengthen recruitment and retention efforts.

 Pete Zimek, CAE (CEO, Novi AMS)

Click to Convention Floor: Association Research Insights on Event Attendance

Research from 750+ association professionals shows members want to attend events but face barriers like workload, travel approvals, and limited budgets. This candid, data-driven session reveals what truly drives attendance. Participants will learn to reshape value messaging, create ROI tools, and identify obstacles that prevent members from participating.

 Rich Vallaster, CEM, QAS, AAiP (Senior Director of Industry Strategy, Momentive Software) 

Breakout Sessions

How to Build Association Revenue and Member Career Pathways with Micro-Credentials

This session explores how micro-credentials can generate revenue, support career advancement, and complement existing certifications. Through a practical case study, participants will learn how to design, price, deliver, and market stackable credentials while addressing risks like profitability and cannibalization. Attendees will discover flexible strategies that meet member and organizational goals.

 Dave Stevens (Managing Partner, Stevens & Stevens LLC)

 Christian Stevens (Operations Manager, Stevens & Stevens LLC)

Ignite Change Through the Power of Better Questions

This session introduces Appreciative Inquiry as a strengths-based approach to organizational change. Focusing on the Discovery phase, participants will practice meaningful interviews, uncover patterns of success, and compare traditional problem-solving with affirmative approaches. Attendees will leave with practical tools and inspiration to improve culture, engagement, performance, and strategic momentum.

 Crystal Stone, M. Ed., CAE, PMP (Chief Operating Officer, Christ Church Cathedral)

Quick Talks

This 60-minute session features fast-paced, informative, engaging presentations on specific topics, featuring three key speakers.

Welcome Reception

Sponsored by Destination: Muncie and Horizon Convention Center

  TUESDAY, JUNE 23 - Eastern Time

Breakfast

Executive Exchange (Invitation Only)

This invitation-only event is the third session of ISAE’s Executive Exchange cohort. Only those currently registered for the Executive Exchange program are able to attend.

Peer Roundtables

This session features two rounds of small group conversations. The first round connects you with peers in similar functional roles, including membership, meetings and events, marketing and communications, and supplier partners. The second round brings together professionals based on career stage, from early career through senior leadership.

Networking in the Exhibit Hall

Lunch

Sponsored by Visit Bloomington

General Session

Strategy as a Practice: Building Frameworks That Drive Continuous Impact

This session explores shifting from static strategic plans to dynamic frameworks that guide decisions, align efforts, and adapt over time. Participants will learn to define a clear strategic core, connect strategy to operations and governance, and embed strategy into daily work. Practical tools support long-term mission impact and organizational relevance.

 Lowell Aplebaum, EdD, FASAE, CAE, CPF (CEO, Vista Cova)

Sponsored by Explore Evansville

Breakout Sessions

Your Career, Your Way: Building a Personal PD Plan as a Young Professional

Professional development is not one-size-fits-all or limited to webinars and workshops. This session explores diverse growth opportunities, including industry events, mentoring, self-directed learning, and peer networks. Participants will gain strategies to advocate with employers and begin creating a personalized professional development plan aligned with their goals and career aspirations.

 Emily Wrinkle, CMP, DES (Meetings Manager, Raybourn Group International)

Middle-Out Leadership: Influence and Impact at Every Level of the Organization

Leadership is a mindset, not a job title. This session helps participants lead from any role by thinking strategically, building strong relationships, and communicating with confidence. Attendees will learn how to shape culture, expand influence, contribute to organizational success, and positively impact decisions regardless of position or career stage.

 Caitlin Kinser, MS, CAE (Senior Director of Marketing Strategy, American College of Sports Medicine)

 Stuart Kushner, CAE (President, Kushner Consulting)

Ethics

Ethical decision-making is vital to nonprofit leadership, influencing trust, transparency, and long-term impact. This course explores real-world dilemmas involving culture, donor relations, privacy, conflicts of interest, and resource fairness. Through discussion and practical frameworks, participants will gain tools to strengthen accountability, uphold integrity, and build resilient, values-driven teams.

 Holly Davis, CAE (Principal Consultant, Gauge Strategy)

Breakout Sessions

AI Workflows for Smarter Sponsor Research

Artificial intelligence is becoming a powerful business development tool for associations. This session focuses on practical, accessible ways to use AI for sponsorship growth, including prospect research, personalized outreach, benchmarking, and proposal development. Participants will gain prompts, templates, and ethical guardrails to improve efficiency, diversify revenue, and strengthen sponsor relationships.

 Paige Zick, PMP (Director of Strategic Initiatives, Sigma Nursing)

 Thomas Shaffer (Director of Information Technology, Sigma Nursing)

Couples Counseling: What Everyday Partner Arguments Teach Us About Associations

Using relatable relationship frustrations, this fast-paced and lighthearted session explores key lessons for associations about communication, member experience, volunteer engagement, and trust. Participants will examine feedback, mixed signals, change management, and emotional attachments, discovering how organizations can avoid taking members, sponsors, and volunteers for granted while strengthening important relationships.

 Tara Puckey, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CMP (President & CEO, Radio Television Digital News Association)

 Michael Sanserino, CAE (Executive Director, Radio Television Digital News Association)

CAE/CEO Reception (Invitation Only)

Sponsored by Explore Evansville

Member Meet-Up

ICON Bash

Sponsored by Visit Hendricks County