What Associations Are Navigating This Year

In Part II of the Boardroom Association Podcast’s 2026 opening episode, host Naomi Smith explores what events are revealing about association leadership this year in places where strategy becomes visible: association events.

Joined by Ariane Brusselmans, Senior Nonprofit Executive and Director of Conferences at the International AIDS Society, and Professor Peter Van Daele, Secretary General of the International Union of Radio Science, the conversation examines:

• Why events are becoming one of the earliest indicators of leadership strength
• What's changing in event design 
• Why impact and legacy are moving from "add-on" to planning criterion

Please select this link to access the podcast from Boardroom.