in different ways. That prompted us to think maybe we should share this more broadly so people can get our perspective on it, and it was not intended to go any further than that one conversation. What we discovered was that we opened a space for other people to have conversations, so we kept it going. Now we’re almost two years in, and so long as we’re providing value, we’re going to keep it going. JL Are black people represented properly in the association world? IW Great question. I don’t know the percentage, but, anecdotally, I’d say we are underrepresented…. JL You’ve been ONA executive director for five years. What do you still want to achieve? IW This issue of trust in journalism is something that weighs heavily on me. Every bit of mistrust we have in journalism really does hurt democracy, so I think that’s a bigger vision overall. I don’t think any organisation can solve that problem alone, however, but I think that’s something I can play a part in with ONA.
JL Is anyone making any money out of online journalism yet? IW The answer is yes and no. Interestingly, a lot of the newer innovative models in journalism right now are association business models. So, you hear a lot of media organisations talk about membership. You hear a lot about community. You hear a lot about events. And you hear about subscription models. There’s even a growing non- profit journalism movement now. So that’s the yes part because we’re seeing promising opportunities from all those different ways of doing business. The no part is you’re seeing fewer players get a larger share of some of those revenue models, and so the struggle now is how does that trickle down to some of the local news organisations? JL You recently started a podcast interviewing black CEOs. What inspired you? IW It started from being mad. It was the summer of 2020,myself and three ofmyblackCEOfriendswere texting about how we were handling the great Black Lives Matter reckoning – and we were handling it
EVENT PREVIEW IMEX ASSOCIATION FOCUS
POST-PANDEMIC CHALLENGES FOCUS OF IMEX ASSOCIATION PROGRAMME A
ssociation Focus – the conference for not-for- profit executives that
community leadership in over 25 countries, explaining what makes teams gel and associations thrive. Michelle Mason, president & CEO of ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) will moderate a panel on the economic impact of the pandemic for associations and share advice on how to evolve the business model. Elsewhere the meaning of DEI will be explored by a panel of association leaders, including Tracy Bury, Deputy CEO of World Physiotherapy, and Mike Morrissey, CEO of the European Cancer Organisation, and Senthil Gopinath CEO of ICCA. Carola van der Hoeff, president of AC Forum and COO & Congress
Director of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), said: “The association representatives I’ve spoken with have all shared the same sentiment – they’re looking forward to returning to IMEX in Frankfurt and meeting face to face again. “They’re looking forward to meeting their suppliers and partners, venues and CVBs in particular, doing business and reinforcing those partnerships. The associations
precedes the IMEX tradeshow in Frankfurt – will address the challenges of a post-pandemic world. The programme, a collaborative effort with input from industry associations ASAE, ESAE, AC Forum, and ICCA, will be split into two streams: leadership and event planning. Wide-ranging topics include diversity, equity and inclusion, what makes teams ‘tick’, the workplace of the future, and the future of year- round learning. Shane Feldman, founder of the largest youth-led organisation in the world, Count Me In, will share the results of his research into
are also excited about the sheer joy of seeing each other – colleagues, members, partners – face to face after a long hiatus.”
Association Focus takes place at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center on Monday, May 30 – the day before IMEX in Frankfurt, held May 31 – June 2.
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