DigitalNow: Association Leadership in the Digital Age

Registration Now Open!

DigitalNow always has been and always will be about you. Delivering you the precise information you need, precisely when you need it has always been the mission of DigitalNow. In the spirit of that mission, this year we have again conducted a survey of 1500 association executives. Based on analysis of the results, we have identified that the key issue for association leaders is segmentation. How do you identify, deliver value to, and engage the growing number of membership segments? Supporting this key issue are these top three trends:

Proliferation of data

How can associations:

• gather the right data from members, and then mine that data in support of organizational strategies?
• present information to members effectively and personally when we are so segmented?
• retain and grow relevance and trust with members when there are so many information sources available on the Internet?

Shifting member demographic

Current membership is growing older, and the segment of potential new members has an entirely different set of needs, communication styles, and methods of engagement than we have traditionally supported. How can we provide value to these divergent groups and remain vital to them?

Technology, technology, technology

Emerging tools and processes are enabling new ways to communicate, deliver segmented service, and create revenue. What do those new business models look like, and what do we need to put into place in order to take advantage of them both in the short term and as we look to the future of our associations?

As we did with Jim Collins, Polly LaBarre, and Susan Scott, it has been a DigitalNow practice to bring you face-to-face with the most relevant and knowledgeable speakers in the industry. We are excited to present to you the following cutting-edge experts:

Chris Anderson

Chris Anderson is the consummate expert on segmentation and its implications to current and future business models. Chris is an author and Editor-in-Chief of Wired magazine. His book, The Long Tail, has been awarded the 2007 Gerald Loeb Award for Best Business Book of the Year and was selected as one of the best books of the year by BusinessWeek, Amazon.com, and The Times of London.The Long Tail examines a powerful new force in our economy: the rise of the niche. As the cost of reaching members drops dramatically, our markets are shifting from a one-size-fits-all model of mass appeal to one of unlimited variety for unique tastes. The ability to offer vast choice is changing everything, and causing us to rethink where our members lie and how to get to them. Unlimited selection is revealing truths about what members want and how they want to get it.

Chris Anderson’s works reveals an entirely new economic model for business, one that is just beginning to show its power.

Jeremy Gutsche

You told us that dealing with the various segments of your membership, knowing what trends will be affecting them, and prioritizing them are critical issues facing associations today. Jeremy Gutsche is an innovation expert and the founder of TrendHunter.com – the world’s largest community dedicated to trend spotting. He will present a process for anticipating trends effecting your segments, prioritizing which to attack, and using them to develop breakthrough ideas and gain strategic advantage.

Jeremy holds an MBA from Queen’s University, is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a former Management Consultant. Today, Jeremy publishes over a dozen online magazines, speaks about innovation around the world, and is Capital One Canada’s Director of Innovation.

Jeneanne Rae

Your Senior Leadership team’s role in meeting segments needs is more than creativity and innovation alone. It takes a process. As with the rest of the world, associations are about providing services to their members. Jeneanne has codified a process for service delivery and has worked with associations such as AARP.

In the tradition of Jim Collins, Jeneanne is not only a recognized Business Week columnist and a nationally recognized thought leader but her presentation has as its foundation a research base that includes interviews with more than 800 service innovators during the past four years. Jeneanne is known for her unique ability to help business leaders grasp lofty philosophical concepts and translate them into practical programs and measurable business results. Jeneanne is a graduate of Harvard Business School, and is an adjunct professor in the MBA program at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.

Dan Heath

How do we make the strategies and ideas we bring back from DigitalNow stick? Dan is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Why do we recall Aesop’s Fables after 2,500 years but fail to remember anything from the PowerPoint presentation we saw yesterday? Why is it that marketers can spend millions trying in vain to create word of mouth, while ridiculous urban legends seem to spread effortlessly? Dan answers these questions by revealing the six principles that explain why some ideas succeed and others fail. And, most importantly, he’ll show you how you can use these principles to make your own ideas stick.

These experts – together with others we will be announcing soon – follow in the DigitalNow tradition of delivering you the latest and most relevant information in an engaging format, with key practical and actionable take-aways.

DigitalNow 2008: Setting the bar for bringing you the most relevant information on the topics that matter most.

Learn more about DigitalNow 2008 speakers.

Register now!

The DigitalNow 2007 Opening video, "Are You Ready?" has been named "Best of Show" by the 2007 Aurora Awards, an International Festival for film and video excellence. Watch it here.