Top Takeaways for Associations from ASAE MMC + Tech 2025

Jake Toohey
10 July 2025

Our team recently attended ASAE’s Membership, Marketing, Communications, and Technology Conference (MMC+Tech)—one of our favorite events of the year for staying ahead of trends in association strategy and digital transformation. Across sessions on AI, member engagement, content strategy, and vendor partnerships, we heard a consistent message: associations have a unique opportunity to adapt how they support members in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Here are a few of the key takeaways we’re bringing back to enhance our work for our clients, straight from the sessions that captivated us most.

 
Jake Toohey, Director, Association Practice:

At “Talk Your Way to Better Tech,” I had the unique pleasure of learning from two of my favorite people in the association space—Gretchen Steenstra, my co-host on The Association Podcast, and Wes Trochlil, one of my all-time favorite guests. This session hit home for anyone who’s ever been on either side of a vendor/client relationship. The core message was clear: communication isn’t just important, it’s the foundation of successful technology partnerships. I loved the breakdown of “tripwire” words that often derail these conversations—those buzzwords that sound strategic but actually create confusion. At Adage, we put a huge emphasis on aligning technical solutions to real organizational goals, and this session gave me even more language and tactics to help guide clients through vendor selection with confidence and clarity. 

I also caught “Grounded in Knowledge: Making Generative AI Reliable” and Dray McFarlane from Tasio never fails to blow my mind. The guy is brilliant, and every time I hear him talk about AI, I walk away with a dozen ideas and a deep sense of inspiration of the AI space. His explanation of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) made it crystal clear why associations are uniquely positioned to benefit from this approach. With access to rich, structured knowledge, associations can implement RAG to ensure their generative AI tools don’t just sound smart—they are smart, accurate, and purpose-built. As we explore ways to help our clients responsibly adopt AI, this framework is going to be invaluable. I left inspired and ready to push the conversation further with our team and with the associations we serve.

Molly Lee, Director of Strategy:

I attended some fantastic sessions that really sparked new thinking about how we can help our association clients strengthen member engagement. 

The first was “Mastering Member Engagement: Unlock the Power of End-to-End Journey Mapping.” One key takeaway for me was how important it is to view membership as a dynamic, evolving journey, not a static transaction. Understanding the five stages of membership and mapping the full member experience gives associations a powerful lens to identify pain points and opportunities for deeper connection. This aligns so well with what we strive for at Adage—helping clients translate these journey insights into smart digital strategies that foster engagement and drive renewals. I’m excited to incorporate this more intentionally into our discovery and strategy work. 

The second session, “Disruptive Engagement: Redefining Member Value in the Digital Age,” reinforced just how rapidly member expectations are changing. Social platforms and niche communities are redefining what members value, and associations need to keep pace. One insight that really resonated was the importance of continually evaluating whether your offerings match what members now expect in terms of community, value, and personalization. At Adage, this is at the heart of our approach: helping associations evolve their digital presence and engagement strategies so they remain essential to their members year-round. I left both sessions energized and with new tools to help our clients future-proof their member experiences. 

I also sat in on “AEO: The Future of SEO in an AI World,” which offered a fascinating look at how search behavior is evolving with AI. The shift from traditional SEO to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is something associations need to pay attention to—especially as members expect quick, direct answers across platforms. Jake and I dive deeper into this topic in a separate blog post you can read here, including practical steps associations can take to prepare their content strategy for this new answers-first world. 

Jess DiChiacchio, Senior Client Consultant: 

At the ASAE Membership, Marketing, Communications, and Technology Conference, I attended a couple of sessions that really reinforced some key themes we think about every day at Adage. 

In the session “Redefining Membership,” I was overwhelmed by how much the conversation around membership strategy has evolved in the 4 years since I began attending. One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of using data to create tailored experiences for different segments of members—helping them feel a true sense of belonging, not just the same transaction as everyone else. It really reinforced something we talk about a lot at Adage: personalization can’t just live on the homepage. As we help associations design and build their custom digital experiences, we need to think about how every part of that experience—from content to community to self-service—can deepen engagement and deliver real value to members over time. It’s a mindset I’ll be carrying into my conversations with our clients. 

I also attended the session “Tips to Safely Use A.I. for Events and Member Support / Engagement,” which provided a great reality check on both the promise and the risks of AI. One key point that stuck with me is that not all AI is created equal—understanding the difference between curated and generative AI is critical, especially when you’re dealing with sensitive member data. This is something we think about constantly at Adage as we explore how to responsibly integrate AI tools into the websites and digital platforms we build for associations. At Adage, we want to ensure we are using the newest technology in the smartest way – enhancing member value while protecting trust and reputation. I walked away from this session with some great questions to start asking as we vet AI opportunities and tools with our clients. 

Want to explore how these insights could shape your digital strategy? We’re here to help you turn your ideas into real, practical next steps. Contact us, and let’s make it happen together! 

Jake Toohey



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