©Papaioannou Kostas /Unsplash Membership used to be pretty straightforward. People joined an association because it gave them access to information, professional networks, education, influence or a community of their peers. Those things still matter, of course, but I believe something else is becoming increasingly important: whether people genuinely feel that they belong.
Societies are becoming more divided, but professional communities have an opportunity to bring people together across borders, cultures and perspectives. Associations are uniquely equipped to do this because they start with something powerful: a shared profession, discipline or purpose. But bringing people together is only the beginning; what matters is whether members feel their voices are heard, their contributions valued and their participation meaningful.
As association leaders, we need to look beyond who is present and consider who feels comfortable participating, whose perspectives shape the conversation and who has the opportunity to influence the organisation’s direction. This means asking some difficult but necessary questions: who feels represented; who can participate easily; whose perspectives are reflected in our programmes; and what does membership feel like for someone who does not fit the traditional profile of an association? These are not simply questions about diversity; they go to the heart of what makes a professional community relevant and valuable.
In the real world
Some associations are already finding practical ways to address these questions, integrating inclusion into their programmes and operations rather than treating it as a separate initiative.
The American Library Association (ALA), for example, has made equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility part of the wider professional conversation. At its 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago, the programme addresses issues including access, identity, Indigenous history and representation, while creating opportunities for attendees to engage with minority- and women-owned businesses in the host city.
What I find particularly valuable about this approach is the connection between the meeting and the association’s purpose. Libraries serve communities with different histories, needs and experiences; these conversations are therefore not simply about making an annual conference more inclusive, but about how the profession itself can better serve the communities it exists for. That is a principle every association can learn from: the experience we create for members should reflect the purpose we exist to serve.
Representation on stage is important, but it is only the starting point. An association can have a diverse speaker line-up and still leave people feeling disconnected from the community; what matters is whether members can see a meaningful connection between their own experiences, the organisation’s purpose and the conversations taking place around them.
Sometimes, the most effective changes are much more practical. At the Cognitive Computational Neuroscience conference, organisers introduced caregiver awards to help attendees with children offset childcare costs; they also created an informal annual lunch for community discussion and made talks publicly available online. These measures acknowledge something we can easily overlook when planning meetings: people do not leave the rest of their lives at the conference registration desk. Family responsibilities, personal circumstances and practical barriers all influence whether someone can participate fully. If we want members to engage, we must consider what makes that engagement possible in the first place.
Accessibility offers another important lesson. The American Epilepsy Society has been involved in work highlighted by the ASAE Foundation and MPI Foundation on creating more neuroinclusive association communities, including quiet spaces, clearer accommodation pathways, inclusive facilitation and mechanisms for ongoing feedback. These measures demonstrate that inclusion requires more than removing physical barriers; it also means considering how people experience an event and whether they feel comfortable contributing once they arrive.
Belonging as a leadership responsibility
There is a difference between making it possible for somebody to attend and making them feel that the event was designed with them in mind – the first is accessibility, while the second is belonging. Both matter, but achieving the latter requires organisers to consider the entire experience, from the first communication to the conversations that continue after the event.
At ICCA, we explored similar questions during the 2025 ICCA Congress in Porto, where a session led by Porto Pride invited participants to examine what belonging means in the events sector. Rather than keeping the discussion at the level of principles, participants explored microaggressions and considered practical ways to improve event design, from badges and networking formats to speaker invitations. For me, this is where the conversation becomes meaningful: when we move beyond what we say we value and examine what people actually experience.
People might not remember an organisation’s statement on inclusion, but they will remember whether they could join the conversation, whether their needs were understood and whether their contribution was valued.
People might not remember an organisation’s statement on inclusion, but they will remember whether they could join the conversation, whether their needs were understood and whether their contribution was valued. These experiences are shaped by the language we use, the way we facilitate discussions, the opportunities we create for members to connect and how we respond to feedback. Every decision sends a message about whose participation matters.
That’s why I see belonging as a leadership responsibility, not simply an issue for membership or events teams. It requires us to listen to our communities, question established practices and be prepared to change when something is not working. It cannot be achieved through a single initiative or annual conference; it must be reflected in the culture and everyday decisions of an organisation.
For associations, this is not just a responsibility; it’s also an opportunity to strengthen the very thing that makes associations valuable. We have something many organisations struggle to create: communities that are built around shared purpose. These communities can connect people who might otherwise never meet, giving them a reason to listen to different perspectives and work towards common goals, even when they don’t agree on everything.
This is important for international associations, where members bring different cultural backgrounds, experiences and expectations. We should not expect everyone to think alike, nor should we try to remove difference from communities; rather, we should create environments where people can contribute, learn from others and recognise that differences strengthen a shared purpose.
The future of membership
I believe the future of membership depends on more than the information, services and benefits an association provides. It depends on whether people have a place in the community, whether their perspectives have value and whether they have the opportunity to shape the future.
Belonging is not an extra benefit we offer members; it’s part of what makes membership meaningful in the first place. When people feel connected to a community and believe their contribution matters, they have a stronger reason to participate, share their experience and invest in building the future.
That is the science of belonging. For associations, I think it’s also a leadership challenge that will help determine how relevant, resilient and valuable our communities are in the coming years.
More about ICCA and how your association can benefit from being a member: www.iccaworld.org