​Influence 2026 – Washington

​An exclusive leadership forum for the association & membership sector
📍 Hosted at Higher Logic Conference Theatre, Washington
$99 for half-day or $160 for full day.
📅 7th  October 2026

​Event Positioning

​A two-part experience:

• ​Morning: Strategic leadership exchange (closed-door, peer-driven)

• ​Afternoon: Hands-on AI hackathon (practical, applied innovation)

​AGENDA

​08:30 – 09:00 | Arrival & Networking Breakfast

• ​Private welcome for senior leaders

• ​Informal networking with curated attendee list

​09:00 – 09:10 | Opening Remarks

• ​Hosts and partners welcome (All partners 1 min each)

• ​Scene-setting: The future of membership organisations in an AI-driven world

​09:10 – 09:30 | Keynote 1

​Gordon Glenister – Founder, Membership World & Influencer Strategists

​“The Influence Economy: How Membership Organisations Stay Relevant in a Changing World”

• ​The evolution of member value

• ​Trust, community, and influence

• ​What high-performing organisations are doing differently

​09:30 – 10:15 | Group Discussion 

​“The Next Era of Membership Growth”

​Facilitator: Gordon Glenister

• ​Retention vs acquisition strategies

• ​Member value beyond content

• ​Pricing, tiers, and engagement models

• ​The role of partnerships and ecosystems

• ​Change management

​10:15 – 10:45 | Curated Roundtables (Session 1)

​Small-group discussions (facilitated)

​Example topics:

• ​Redefining member value propositions

• ​Monetisation beyond subscriptions

• ​Building year-round engagement

• ​Data-driven decision making

• ​Community vs content-led models

• ​Corporate vs individual membership balance

​10:45 – 11:00 | Coffee Break

​11:00 – 11:40 | Keynote 2

​Speaker - Henry Stoever, CEO and Founder Windsor Strategy

​Speaker - Autumn Arnett, Executive Director of Editorial Freelancers Association

​“Leading Through Disruption: The Modern Association CEO”

• ​Leadership challenges in 2026

• ​Organisational transformation

• ​Culture, skills, and digital readiness

​11:40 – 12:15 | Panel Discussion 2

​Moderator - Gordon Gleniser, CEO of Membership World

​Speaker- Greg Lavell, CEO of Etellect

​Speaker- Devin Timbrook, Sales Enablement Manager, Higher Logic

​Speaker - Monica Pemberton, CIO of American Council on Education

​

​“AI, Data & the Member Experience”

• ​Personalisation at scale

• ​AI in member engagement and support

• ​Ethical considerations

• ​Practical use cases already delivering ROI

​12:15 – 12:45 | Curated Roundtables (Session 2)

​Deeper peer exchange

​Example topics:

• ​AI use cases already working in associations

• ​Member journey mapping

• ​Reducing churn with predictive insights

• ​Content strategy in an AI world

• ​Staff capability and training

​12:45 – 13:30 | Networking Lunch

• ​Transition from leadership forum to innovation session

• ​Additional guests may join for afternoon session

​PART 2: AI HACKATHON EXPERIENCE

​13:30 – 13:45 | Hackathon Kick-Off

​Host: Gordon Glenister

• ​Introduction to format, tools, prompt formulas,and goals

• ​Overview of challenges

• ​Formation of working groups

​13:45 – 15:15 | AI Hackathon Sprint

​Participants work in small teams on real-world challenges

​Example Challenges:

• ​Build an AI-powered member onboarding journey

• ​Design a retention prediction workflow

• ​Create a personalised member communications engine

• ​Develop a member benefits recommendation tool

• ​Automate event engagement before, during, after

​Support:

• ​Facilitators from Higher Logic + AI partners

• ​Pre-built workflow templates

• ​Live guidance and troubleshooting

​15:15 – 15:30 | Break

​15:30 – 16:30 | Hackathon Presentations

• ​Each group presents:

  • ​Problem

  • ​Approach

  • ​Workflow / solution

  • ​Expected impact

​16:30 – 16:50 | Judges Panel & Awards

• ​Best Practical Solution

• ​Most Innovative Use of AI

• ​Highest Member Impact

​16:50 – 17:00 | Closing Remarks

• ​Key takeaways

• ​Next steps for participants

• ​Invitation to future Membership World events