Strategic leadership, sustainability and meeting design are just a few of the topics that will be covered at this year’s edition of Association Focus at IMEX Frankfurt.

Sponsored by Amsterdam Convention Bureau with AV provided by Encore, the dedicated education program will take place on Monday, May 19, at Kap Europa Convention Center.

Highlights of the 2025 program include:

• AI to thrive: Futurist Henry Coutinho-Mason claims he’s “obsessed with new perspectives on the biggest question in business – what will people want next?” His interactive plenary session – Thriving in the AI era: Non-obvious ways to design a people-first AI strategy – will lift the lid on how associations are using artificial intelligence to create authentic, lasting value for their members. Coutinho-Mason says: “The future for the event community is a bright one – but only if you remember that AI needs to be a tool, not a goal itself.”
• Association leaders: Designed by ASAE (the American Society of Association Executives), this dedicated track for association leaders covers the critical skills leaders need to foster resilience as well as the business impact of sustainability. One of last year’s attendees, explains how this remains an issue: Evelyn Mansutti, European Association of Nuclear Medicine, says: “Sustainability is a challenge. Each year we introduce new initiatives and have begun measuring CO2 emissions, but we need new ideas on how to make our events more sustainable.”
• In a separate panel session, ASAE will draw on their ForesightWorks research to give an overview of the key drivers of change shaping the association landscape. From economic trends, workforce changes, technological advancements, and evolving member expectations, ASAE will demonstrate that associations need to not only adapt, but also proactively position themselves for success in a rapidly evolving world.
• Association planners: A track curated by Martin Sirk, owner of Sirk Serendipity, will explore how to capture and maximize value from content—the so-called “Crown Jewels” of association events.
• In a session on meeting design and delegate experience, attendees will be challenged to “flip the format” and reveal elements of their own association’s meeting design that they’d like to change – expect open discussion and practical advice from an expert panel.
• Finally, associations from around the world will share the inside scoop on their innovations and experiments to boost attendance, revenue and long-term impact. This series of rapid-fire case study sessions is fast-paced, insightful and open to all.

IMEX Frankfurt 2025 will take place May 20-22 at Messe Frankfurt.  Register HERE to attend the show.