Naylor Association Solutions thanks everyone who stopped by our booth for a conversation or just joined us for fun in Atlanta for the 2023 ASAE Annual Meeting.

We look forward to seeing all of you next year in Cleveland. (Are you as excited as we are about yesterday's announcement of Keynote Amanda Gorman!) Save the date for the 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting, August 10-13, 2024 at the Huntington Convention Center.

For award-winning journalist and documentarian Soledad O'Brien, her purpose is defined by the values that have been shaped over a lifetime of experiences. The path to finding that purpose is often a zig zag - not a straight line, she told attendees of the closing keynote at the 2023 ASAE Annual Meeting.

O'Brien, who is biracial, grew up with parents whose interracial marriage was illegal for the first years of her life. At times not treated well, including her own memories of being spit on in the streets as a child, her mother told her, "we knew America was better than that." It left her with the understanding that every one of us is responsible for committing to positive change in this world, which O'Brien has committed to through her storytelling over more than 40 years in the news business.

After years working for local TV news stations, NBC News and CNN, O'Brien experienced an "Aha" moment in her own career after spending a month in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. She witnessed and covered the aftermath of the storm that devastated the city, and her purpose of helping people through storytelling became clear.

She found there was also an audience for stories for and about diverse communities. In the 2000s, O'Brien created the documentary news series, Black in America (later followed by Latino in America, Muslims in America and Gay in America). With each series, the myths of who was interested and who would watch were dismantled as the audiences grew across racial lines.

O'Brien's current syndicated show, going into its ninth year, is titled Matter of Fact, and it tells "stories that are as diverse as America." She said the show continues to grow because the focus is on the people who are experiencing an issues, not the issue alone, and there are no talking heads leading the conversation with fear or divisiveness.

O'Brien encouraged the audience to approach their work with a some of the lessons she's learned: lead with honesty and respect, learn to get uncomfortable, rely on data, and be curious.

Association professionals unsure of where to start when it comes to launching a podcast walked away from the 2023 ASAE Annual Meeting with some first steps.

Panelists Linda Guild, CAE, IOM, of The Guild Associates Inc., Bill Thorne of the National Retail Federation, and Stephen George of Twin Flames Studios discussed their experiences launching and building successful podcasts.

The first point of emphasis the panel made was that you have to set realistic expectations when launching a podcast. They are not "build it and they will come" endeavors. Building an audience takes time, and you have to lean on both your organization and your audience for help.

For any podcast to be a success, they said, relevancy is key. NRF's podcast, Retail Gets Real, hosted by Thorne, is successful because it's not just the host interviewing a guest each week. They have conversations and tell stories with people who are interesting and have something to say. There's variety in their guests as well - they're not all from the C-suite of the top retailers (although a few of those have been featured as well when they had a great story).

Future or growing podcasters need to know what success looks like from the outset and how you know when you've reached it, whether it's through analytics like downloads or subscribes, feedback and engagement, or guests reaching out to you wanting to be actively involved. Whatever your goal, a podcast will not grow without intentional marketing, both by the association hosts and their guests.

Finally, the panel discussed monetizing podcasts. They recommended working with sponsors who made sense and were a natural fit with the content of the show. When budgeting for a podcast, an association has to ask, "Am I doing this for the non-dues revenue or for the member value?" That will help drive the sponsorship and advertising efforts.

Associations are generally using the same methods as in previous years to engage with their next generation of association leaders. Volunteer committees increased by 3 percentage points this year, while events geared toward young professionals jumped 2 percentage points, showcasing the value of events for member engagement. A standout increase was seen in mentoring programs, which enhances connections and career growth.

To read more about how associations are customizing their communications for all member stages, including for their next gen members, download the 2023 Association Benchmarking Report today!

Three association leaders joined Naylor President & CEO Christine Shaw for a discussion on the importance of non-dues revenue, using data to improve decision-making, and how innovation is at the heart of providing member value. Wendy W. Kavanagh, CAE of the Georgia Society of Association Executives, Bill Rowan of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, and Evan Sparks of the American Bankers Association shared their valuable insights at the CEO Power Breakfast on Tuesday morning. Thanks to all who participated and attended!

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Naylor is proud to be a strategic partner of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).