The Association Question: Governology Brings Europe’s Leaders Together in Antwerp

What does it take to keep associations relevant, resilient and connected when the sectors they represent are themselves being reshaped? Governology will put that question at the heart of its inaugural European conference in Antwerp on 1–2 September.

National associations and pan-European peak bodies occupy a distinctive place in Europe’s professional and economic landscape. They connect industries, professions, communities and causes across countries, cultures and regulatory environments, but maintaining that connection requires much more than a strong membership base. Governance, leadership, Board relationships, member expectations, financial resilience, technology, strategic planning and societal impact are all becoming part of the same conversation.

It is this practical side of association leadership that Associations Conference Europe will explore when it brings association CEOs, senior management, Board members and governance professionals together at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Antwerp City Centre, on 1–2 September 2026. Organised by Governology, the two-day event marks the organisation’s inaugural European conference, following association-focused events delivered by Governology and its colleague organisations in the UK, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. The event is aimed at all levels of management and Boards within European associations, with a programme built around practical issues and real-world experience.

Beyond the boardroom

The breadth of the programme is revealing. Governance and leadership sit alongside membership retention and growth, member services, engagement, strategic planning, staffing, technology and AI, finances, revenue growth, advocacy and events. In other words, the conference is not approaching association management as a single discipline. It is looking at the interconnected decisions that determine whether an association can continue to represent its sector effectively.

That begins with one of the most fundamental relationships inside any association: the relationship between its elected leadership and its executive management.
 

Healthy Association Board and CEO Relationships

Jesse van Sas, Secretary-General of FIDI Global Alliance, will address ‘Healthy Association Board and CEO Relationships’. Van Sas has served as FIDI Secretary-General since December 2015, having previously held senior roles in the relocation sector and volunteered as a FIDI Academy trainer and leader of the Belgian FIDI association. His association experience also includes overseeing the development of FIDI's FAIM Quality Programmes, expansion into the DSP industry and the launch of financial netting.

The question of organisational continuity then moves into the lessons that can be drawn from experience.

Learnings from a Decade of Association Management

Marie Tahmazian (on the right), Operations Director at the International Seed Federation, will present ‘Learnings from a Decade of Association Management’. Tahmazian joined ISF in 2013 as an accountant, after an earlier career in chemistry and a subsequent accountancy qualification. Her role at the federation has progressively expanded to include engagement with national seed associations and seed companies, providing a perspective that combines operational management with member relationships.

Strengthening Governance – A Case Study from UIMLA

Governance will return through ‘Strengthening Governance – A Case Study from UIMLA’, with Ian Spare, President of the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations, sharing the experience of an international federation that has undergone significant expansion.

During Spare’s tenure, UIMLA has more than doubled its member associations, expanded beyond its traditional Alpine European base to countries including Japan and Nepal, and supported new foundations in the Balkans. His work focuses on inclusive governance, professional standards and building sustainable structures for a diverse international federation.

Building communities, not just memberships

For associations, growth in membership figures is only one part of the equation. The more difficult challenge can be turning a collection of members spread across countries and organisations into a functioning community. That question will be explored in ‘Challenges and Solutions in Building a Global Membership Community’, with Prof. Angele Kedaitiene, Founder, Secretary General and Director of EU Relations at the Foundation for Sustainability Initiatives – Club Climate Europe. Kedaitiene brings more than 35 years of professional experience across academia, national and EU-level civil service, consulting and the non-profit sector.

The membership conversation continues later in the programme with ‘A Different Member Proposition through Collaboration’, presented by Torbjörn Johansson (on the left), Chief Executive Officer of the Club Management Association of Europe. Johansson leads CMAE’s strategic direction, education programmes and international network across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. His experience includes leadership positions with the Swedish Golf Club Management Association, Swedish Rugby Federation and Swedish Volleyball Association, with a particular focus on professional development, leadership and collaboration.

The programme then moves from membership to the deeper question of engagement in ‘Beyond Membership: From Participation to Meaningful Engagement’. Inês Nunes de Freitas, Senior Membership and Projects Officer at the European Social Network, and Timothy Brohee, Membership and Operations Officer at the European Social Network, will examine that shift. Brohee’s work includes membership development, stakeholder engagement, European events and activities, as well as digital tools and CRM systems designed to strengthen member engagement, organisational processes and community development.

Future-proofing the association

The conference also recognises that associations are not insulated from wider changes in how people work. Ana Díaz, Events Manager at World Employment Conference, will address ‘The Future of Work and Implications for Associations’, while Nele Devolder, Senior Vice President at Kellen, will explore ‘Strategic Advice for Future-Proofing Associations’.

Devolder combines more than 25 years of experience with a particularly relevant dual perspective: she advises European and international trade associations through Kellen while also serving as Secretary General of two European trade associations. Her work covers governance, strategy, organisational development and building associations capable of delivering lasting value to members. Technology is also explicitly part of the wider agenda identified by Governology, with the conference framing databases and AI alongside the more traditional association questions of staffing, finances, communications and member services.

When conferences become part of the mission

One of the programme’s most pertinent sessions for the wider business events community will ask ‘How International Conferences can Drive Lasting Societal Impact’. The session brings together Colm Clarke, Director European Projects at ASIS International, and Jill Meirte, Treasurer and Executive Board Member of the European Burns Association, with Milo Vergucht, International Association Expert at Flanders Convention Bureau, as chair.

Its inclusion reflects a broader question running through the conference: whether associations should view their events simply as activities to be delivered, or as tools through which their wider missions can be advanced. That question also resonates with the event’s Antwerp and Flanders partners. FLANDERS Convention Bureau, one of the conference’s three supporting partners, describes its role as helping international associations develop congresses that create lasting societal impact, offering expertise in bid development, venue selection, stakeholder engagement, local partnerships, and impact and legacy planning.
 

Antwerp as part of the proposition

The choice of Antwerp is also integral to the event’s positioning. The city is approximately 30 minutes from Brussels, two hours from Amsterdam and 3.5 hours from Paris, while the conference venue is located beside Antwerp Central Station. Governology highlights the combination of a classic European city and contemporary conference facilities at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Antwerp City Centre.

The Antwerp Convention Bureau is reconverting the city through the proposition ‘The City Is Your Venue’, emphasising its walkable scale, heritage venues, museums, restaurants, portside innovation and sectors including life sciences, sustainable chemistry, port and logistics. The Radisson Blu Hotel, Antwerp City Centre provides the central meeting point for the conference, with contemporary meeting spaces and direct access to Antwerp’s attractions, cultural landmarks and business districts. Delegates also receive a 15% discount on their hotel stay through the event partnership, with booking details supplied after registration.

A forum designed for practical exchange

The conference will be facilitated by our regular expert partner John Peacock AM, Director of Governology, an international association adviser and thought leader who has worked with hundreds of associations and charities since 2000. His areas of specialisation include governance, mergers, strategic planning, Board effectiveness, operations, restructuring and financial issues, and he has presented to associations in 17 nations.

Governology’s approach is deliberately practical. Rather than positioning the conference as a high-level examination of the future of associations, its programme is built around the problems association professionals are already dealing with and the experience of people who have dealt with them themselves.

That makes the event particularly relevant at a time when European associations are being asked to do more than represent their sectors. They are expected to build communities, demonstrate value, adapt to new technologies and working models, maintain effective governance, generate sustainable revenues and increasingly demonstrate their contribution to wider society.

Associations Conference Europe will provide two days in which those questions can be examined collectively.
 

Associations Conference Europe takes place on 1–2 September 2026 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Antwerp City Centre, Belgium. Registration is €250 including VAT. The event is supported by Antwerp Convention Bureau, Radisson Blu Hotel, Antwerp City Centre and FLANDERS Convention Bureau.
 

View the full programme and register for Associations Conference Europe here
 

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