Leading with Values in Times of Change
From the opening plenary, it was evident that the summit was not designed to challenge. ESAE President Mohamed Mezghani was explicit: “Our associations are the will of our societies. This is a fact, and we must learn how to build consensus in a fractured world, how to guide communities in the context of geopolitical change and how to lead with values when values are under threat.”
The values thread continued strongly throughout the programme, particularly in the session on Association Leadership and Values. There, speakers echoed the sentiment that values must not be a ‘nice to have’, they must drive strategy. Jean Luc Eiselé from the World Heart Federation said: “You can always adapt, but your values are who you are; that is not negotiable.” This was brought to life with examples ranging from the World Heart Federation’s solid commitment to equity, to Eureka’s push for openness in collaborative innovation despite increasing regulatory pressure.
Conversations also addressed practical implications: whether to host events in politically misaligned countries, how to codify values in board structures, and how to manage stakeholder tensions when consensus is elusive. These honest discussions didn’t bring easy answers, but they clarified that excellence demands courage, coherence, and consistency.
Consensus & Communication in a Polarised World
The plenary on Consensus Building was perhaps the most revealing about the political and societal tensions that now underlie association work. Benedetta Berti of NATO spoke candidly about reconciling 32 nations’ strategic red lines while still finding unified responses to threats. “Consensus isn’t compromise,” she said. “It’s about crafting something stronger than any single viewpoint.”
Alongside her, Erika Staël Von Holstein from Imagine Europe explored the emotions driving today’s conversations – fear about the future, frustration with the present, and longing for the past – and how these shape different perspectives. Her research into “narrative communities” showed how data and empathy can turn polarisation into productive dialogue. She showed that associations, like the societies they represent, need to be flexible enough to handle differences, while still providing a sense of stability.
This focus on emotional intelligence also resonated in the session on Geopolitical Change, where speakers from health, tech, and agriculture sectors stressed the need for association executives to act as emotional barometers for their members, recognising distress, refocusing energy, and maintaining strategic orientation even amid disruption.
The European Association Awards
Capping the day was the ceremony for the European Association Awards, where I had the honour of serving as a judge. The submissions this year showed technical achievement, vision, inclusivity, and social impact.
The four winning initiatives – ESSKA (European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy) for its work on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; EARMA (European Association of Research Managers & Administrators) for Event Innovation; Bioenergy Europe for Digital Communication; and EBI (European Boating Industry) for Impact – demonstrated what “association excellence” means today: responding to real needs, using new tools wisely, and driving positive, lasting change.
Stay tuned on Boardroom’s website to find out more about the winning projects and the associations behind them.
Engaging the Next Generation
One of the standout moments of the day came from the “Coz we’ve always done it like this…” session, focused on the expectations of Generation Z doctors and patient advocates. The message was clear: this generation is not interested in being talked to, but in helping shape the conversation.
They want hands-on, simulation-based learning. They value short, impactful TED-style talks. And they need spaces that support both wellness and connection. More than one association shared their transition from traditional hierarchical structures to inclusive governance that places young members at the core: appointing them to boards, co-designing programmes with them, and even empowering them to lead reverse mentoring initiatives.
As one patient organisation shared, inclusion only works when young people see their goals reflected in the association’s priorities and when they are trusted as contributors, not token voices.
Shifting from Broadcast to Dialogue
Parallel to this was a deep dive into communication strategies. The discussion was practical, grounded, and self-critical. Associations are realising that legacy email campaigns and static brochures are no longer fit for purpose. Instead, what’s emerging is a model rooted in segmentation, experimentation, and dialogue.
We heard how one association exceeded 1,000 registrations for an event in Dublin by combining targeted email marketing with micro-content on LinkedIn and testimonial-driven video. Another spoke of their pivot to humour-based quizzes and Instagram engagement to connect with younger members. What united these examples was not their format but their intent: to treat communication as a two-way channel that reflects the needs of members. ESAE’s own Communities of practice was mentioned to maintain momentum between events, ensuring that learning continues.
At a time when sustainability professionals find themselves navigating an increasingly complex and often contradictory policy environment, the Resilience and Adaptability in Sustainability Strategies session, moderated by Boardroom Chief Editor Remi Deve, offered both a timely reality check and a hopeful path forward. In her opening remarks, Magali Horbert, Sustainability & Strategic Communications Manager at FIDI, acknowledged the sense of fatigue many feel—referencing the Omnibus Simplification Package and shifting U.S. policy—but reframed the moment as a necessary transition. Drawing on the Gartner Hype Cycle, she argued that we are moving through a messy phase toward a more stable “standardisation plateau,” largely driven by EU legislation. Her call to action? That associations use this moment of relative pause to take the lead in defining what sustainability truly means for their sectors, their members, and their missions.
In the end, EAS 2025 offered frameworks, provocations, and a sense of community. As ESAE’s President rightly said, “We must build on the lessons learned during the COVID pandemic, though today’s disruptions are even more complex, because our members, boards, sponsors and partners often face very different realities and hold diverse opinions.”