Sydney Leadership Circle: Europe Edition

In May, ahead of IMEX Frankfurt, association executives, congress organisers and industry leaders gathered in Brussels for the Sydney Leadership Circle: Europe Edition, an invitation-only workshop hosted by Business Events Sydney (BESydney) and the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney). HQ joined discussions on technological change, membership expectations, organisational governance, event risk, long-term impact and financial sustainability. 

Association leaders from medical, scientific, education, cultural, technology and professional bodies across Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom joined the workshop. Bringing organisations with different missions and membership models into the same room created an opportunity to examine challenges increasingly shared across the association sector.

 

The programme opened with AI and the Future of Associations: From Experimentation to Strategic Capability, a session led by Avinash Chandarana, Chief Learning Officer at MCI Group. Patrick Delaney, Co-Founder of SoolNua, moderated the exchange with Chandarana and later facilitated the workshop groups on artificial intelligence, member engagement, legacy and impact, and organisational resilience.

AI and the Future of Associations

Chandarana’s keynote focused on a challenge many organisations are currently confronting: moving beyond experimentation and determining where AI can create practical value.

 

“The reality is that most associations are still experimenting with AI rather than embedding it strategically,” said Chandarana. “Many people are using it for content, emails or marketing, but that is only the starting point. The bigger question is how AI can support the organisation’s future direction, improve member value and reduce internal friction.”

 

Investment decisions, governance frameworks and organisational readiness featured prominently in the discussion. Participants also pointed to data quality, technology procurement and the pace of board decision-making as barriers to implementation.

 

Chandarana encouraged associations to avoid viewing AI as an isolated initiative. “Associations should not start with the idea of AI transformation,” he said. “They should start by asking how their organisation needs to transform for the future, and then decide where AI can support that journey. AI should serve the strategy, not become the strategy.”

 

AI could also support learning, personalisation and knowledge sharing. One recurring theme concerned the vast amount of content generated at conferences that often remains underused after delegates return home.

“A great deal of knowledge is shared in sessions, but much of it is lost once people leave the room,” Chandarana noted. “AI can help associations capture, summarise and repurpose that knowledge, extending the value of an event well beyond the day itself.”

 

  

Membership Relevance and Knowledge Value

Changing consumption habits, personalised digital experiences and growing competition for attention are forcing associations to reassess how they create value for members. Access to information alone is no longer a differentiator when digital tools can provide answers in seconds.

 

“Associations cannot compete with large language models on content alone,” said Chandarana. “The differentiator for associations is context, trust, professional relevance and the ability to turn knowledge into meaningful value for members.”

 

Workshop discussions examined how organisations can maintain engagement between annual meetings, create stronger learning pathways and involve members more actively in decision-making. Several participants highlighted the challenge of attracting younger professionals while maintaining value for long-standing members.

 

Membership discussions frequently centred on retention, participation and revenue, including how associations communicate value, demonstrate impact and maintain engagement over time.

 

Amanda Lampe, Chief Executive Officer of BESydney, identified member engagement as one of the most significant organisational challenges associations currently face.

 

“Attracting the next generation while continuing to deliver value for existing members requires calls for open, strategic conversations,” she told HQ.

Legacy, Impact and Destination Partnerships

Associations examined how impact can be measured, what destinations contribute beyond event delivery and how congresses can generate outcomes that continue after delegates return home.

 

For many organisations, legacy encompasses policy change, research collaboration, professional development, community engagement and long-term sector advancement. However, measuring those outcomes remains a challenge for many organisations.

 

Lampe believes destinations have an important role to play in helping associations define and achieve those objectives.

 

“When it comes to events, leaders are also looking closely at destinations,” she said. “They are asking whether a destination is attractive to delegates, whether it aligns with the purpose of the association, and what kind of ecosystem it can create around the event.”

Universities, research institutions, government stakeholders and professional communities were identified as important partners in delivering legacy objectives. Conversations focused on how those connections can support outcomes that extend beyond the event itself.

 

“The question is not only where the event takes place, but what it can achieve,” Lampe said. “That includes the legacy for the association itself and the legacy it can leave in the host city or country.”

 

Drawing on Sydney’s experience, Lampe pointed to the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC Sydney) 2026 as an example of how legacy programmes can be integrated into education, community engagement and research activities when planning begins early enough. The event welcomed more than 7,500 delegates from 99 countries and attracted more than 19,500 registrations for its public Space Day programme.

Organisational Resilience and Event Risk

Rising costs, travel disruption and changing participation patterns continue to affect event performance and organisational finances. For associations that rely heavily on congress revenue, fluctuations in attendance and sponsorship can have significant consequences.

 

Diversifying income streams and strengthening organisational resilience featured prominently in the discussions. Convention bureaux were frequently cited as important partners in managing disruption, alongside venues, hotels and local stakeholders. Early communication and a shared understanding of risk emerged as recurring priorities.

 

For BESydney and ICC Sydney, creating space for those conversations reflects a shared commitment to engaging with the association sector beyond the traditional bid process.

 

“We want Sydney to be recognised as a place where ideas, leadership, research and academia come together naturally,” said Lampe.

 

Discussions continued during the networking session, where participants compared experiences and exchanged practical examples from their own organisations, reinforcing the value many attendees placed on exchanging perspectives with peers facing similar challenges across different sectors and markets.

For more information, visit www.besydney.com.au