Schedule

2:00 – 5:00 pm

Registration: Curiosity Check-In

Location: Mill City Foyer

5:00 – 7:00 pm

Launch Pad: Connections, Conversations & Discovery

Rooms: Hennepin, 1st Ave, LaSalle & Marquette Ave (14th Floor)
Sponsored by Naylor Association Solutions

Kick off the conference by building connections, engaging in meaningful conversations, and beginning a learning experience designed to showcase creativity and innovation at every turn. After the facilitated activities, enjoy connecting with peers during the reception portion of the event.

6:30 – 7:00 am

Wake & Activate – Meditation

Rooms: Hennepin, 1st Ave & LaSalle (14th Floor)

Recharge, refocus, and prepare for a day of learning, collaboration, and inspiration.

7:00 am – 5:00 pm

Registration: Curiosity Check-In

Location: Mill City Foyer

7:30 – 8:30 am

Breakfast: Fuel Up!

Room: Mill City Ballroom

Start the day connecting with peers over breakfast while preparing for a day of innovation and discovery.

8:30 – 9:00 am

Ready, Set, Innovate!

Room: Mill City Ballroom

Innovation starts with curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to learn. This energizing opening session sets the tone for the conference by exploring why failure is not the opposite of innovation, but a critical part of the journey.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the conference themes and learning journey.
• Recognize the role of experimentation and failure in driving innovation.
• Adopt a mindset of curiosity, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Prepare to engage fully in collaborative discussions and interactive experiences throughout the conference.

9:00 am – Noon

The Innovation Showcase

Showcase and Panel Discussion

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Sponsored by Atlanta

Real Data. Real Lessons. Real Innovation. The Innovation Showcase is a live, immersive experience featuring pitches by 5 associations and the crowd favorite, Fail Fest.

Showcase Finalists: 5 Innovation Stories. Five finalist associations share the real story behind a pilot: the challenge that prompted it, what they tried, what they learned, the impact they’re seeing, and where the idea could go next. These aren’t polished success stories — they’re honest looks at experimentation, course corrections, and ideas other association leaders can put to work.

Fail Fest: Failing Forward. Innovation isn’t only about what works. After the finalist presentations, The Showcase turns to a candid panel discussion on failing — the lessons that come from ideas that fail, evolve, or produce unexpected results. It’s an honest conversation about innovation, resilience, and continuous improvement, and about creating a culture that makes experimentation possible.

Noon – 1:00 pm

Luncheon: Food for Thought

Room: Dome & Nicollet Ballroom (14th Floor)

Refuel, reflect, and continue the conversation.

12:10 – 12:50 pm

Update from Technology Leaders Mini-Lab: AI Challenges, Opportunities, and Priorities for Associations

Room: Marquette Ave (14th Floor)

Moderators: Reggie Henry and Marc Anderson

Grab lunch and join us for an interactive follow up discussion from ASAE’s very first Tech Leaders Mini-Lab on October 7, where you and your peers can help design or discover the next AI solution for the association industry.

1:00 – 2:15 pm

Courage to Fail: Creating a Culture of Innovation

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Speakers: Ashley Armstrong, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx; Shelley Buck, Owámniyomni Okhódayapi; David Nguyen, PhD, University of Minnesota
Moderator: Deanna Singh, Flying Elephant

Innovation thrives when people feel empowered to experiment, take smart risks, and learn from setbacks.

In this panel discussion, leaders share how their organizations foster cultures of innovation, create psychological safety, involve diverse voices in decision-making, and approach failure as an opportunity for learning and growth. Through real-world examples, participants will gain practical insights into building environments where creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement can flourish.

Learning Objectives

• Identify organizational practices and leadership behaviors that foster a culture of innovation and experimentation.
• Recognize common barriers that prevent staff, volunteers, and leaders from taking calculated risks.
• Examine how successful organizations balance innovation, accountability, and mission-focused decision-making.
• Develop approaches for encouraging curiosity, creativity, and responsible risk-taking within their own organizations.

2:15 – 3:00 pm

Innovation NOW: From Setbacks to Strategic Advantage

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Speaker: Jayshree Seth, PhD, 3M

Innovation is rarely a straight path. In this inspiring session, Jayshree Seth, PhD shares lessons from her remarkable career as an inventor, scientist, and innovation leader. Through personal stories, professional experiences, and candid reflections on challenges and setbacks, she will explore how obstacles can become stepping stones to growth, creativity, and long-term success.

Attendees will gain practical insights on cultivating resilience, embracing curiosity, and transforming unexpected challenges into opportunities for innovation. Whether you are leading change, developing new ideas, or navigating uncertainty, this session will provide inspiration and actionable strategies to help turn setbacks into strategic advantage.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize how setbacks and challenges can serve as catalysts for innovation and personal growth.
• Identify ways to leverage curiosity, creativity, and persistence to uncover new opportunities and drive innovation.
• Translate lessons learned from personal and professional experiences into actionable approaches for leading through change and uncertainty.

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Break – Refresh & Recharge

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Sponsored by Austin

Innovation doesn’t stop when sessions end. Take a break and connect with peers before the next session begins.

3:30 – 5:00 pm

Turning Failure Into an Opportunity

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Speaker: Deanna Singh, Flying Elephant

Every organization experiences setbacks, but the most resilient and innovative ones know how to turn those moments into opportunities for growth. In this interactive panel and facilitated discussion, leaders from local organizations share lessons learned from initiatives that fell short of expectations and how those experiences ultimately informed stronger strategies, better decisions, and new opportunities.

Attendees will be invited to contribute their own experiences, creating an honest conversation about failure, resilience, and the value of learning in real time. Together, participants will explore how associations can embrace transparency, adapt to challenges, and transform setbacks into catalysts for innovation and future success.

Learning Objectives

• Reframe setbacks and unsuccessful initiatives as opportunities for learning and growth.
• Identify techniques for evaluating failed projects and extracting actionable insights.
• Explore ways leaders can openly discuss failure to strengthen trust, resilience, and innovation.
• Apply lessons learned from unsuccessful initiatives to improve future decision-making and program design.
• Develop practical strategies for moving teams from disappointment and uncertainty to renewed action and momentum.

5:30 – 8:00 pm

Meet Minneapolis Reception & Dinner

Location: Minneapolis Convention Center – Hall E
Sponsored by Meet Minneapolis

A dining experience that pairs award-winning Twin Cities cuisine with the kind of conversation that never quite happens in a conference room. Trade session notes, swap failure stories and let the city’s food scene do some of the talking.

6:30 – 7:00 am

Wake & Activate – Meditation

Rooms: Hennepin, 1st Ave & LaSalle (14th Floor)

Start the day with purpose, movement, and mindfulness.

7:00 am – 3:00 pm

Registration: Curiosity Check-In

Location: Mill City Foyer

7:30 – 8:30 am

Breakfast, Brainstorm & Breakthroughs

Room: Mill City Ballroom

Gather with colleagues and new connections for a morning of energizing conversation and fresh perspectives.

8:30 – 9:45 am

Ready for What’s Next: Turning Constraints Into Innovation and Growth

Keynote Session

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Speaker: Simone Ahuja, Blood Orange
Sponsored by Momentive

Association leaders are being asked to build what’s next while navigating real constraints: pressure on traditional revenue models, evolving member expectations, rapid advances in AI and technology, and teams that are already stretched. But constraints don’t have to limit innovation — they can help unlock it. In this interactive keynote, innovation strategist and bestselling author Dr. Simone Ahuja shares a practical approach to resourceful leadership, grounded in her research and work in the trenches with organizations of all sizes, including associations.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize how constraints can serve as catalysts for innovation and organizational growth rather than barriers to success.
• Apply principles of resourceful leadership to maximize existing assets, talent, and organizational capacity.
• Identify assumptions, processes, and activities that no longer create sufficient value and explore opportunities to rethink them.
• Use experimentation and rapid testing techniques to evaluate new ideas with reduced risk and greater learning.
• Develop strategies for generating meaningful member value and sustainable growth in an environment of evolving expectations and limited resources.

In a world of constant change, the advantage isn’t having unlimited resources. It’s becoming more resourceful with the ones you already have.

9:45 – 10:15 am

Break – Refresh & Recharge

Location: Mill City Foyer
Sponsored by Austin

Connect with colleagues, exchange insights, and leave inspired to put innovation into action.

10:15 am – Noon

Association Innovation Studio: From Challenge to Change

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Speaker: Simone Ahuja, Blood Orange
Sponsored by Momentive

In this highly interactive Innovation Studio, Simone Ahuja will be joined by a few ASAE Fellows who will guide participants through a fun, hands-on experience that uses the space around you as part of the learning.

Together, you’ll tackle real challenges facing associations today including finding new paths to growth, reimagining member engagement and value, and making smarter use of AI and technology. You’ll use simple, practical tools to get underneath what members really need, decide which opportunities are worth pursuing, and make better use of resources and capabilities you already have.

You’ll leave with a promising solution, a practical way to test it, and a clear next step for making it happen.

Learning Objectives

• Apply practical innovation and problem-solving frameworks to address complex challenges facing associations today.
• Challenge longstanding assumptions and evaluate problems from new perspectives to uncover innovative solutions.
• Collaborate with peers to generate creative and actionable approaches to common association challenges.
• Assess opportunities related to AI, technology, and evolving member expectations to determine where they can create the greatest impact.
• Transform promising concepts into small, low-risk experiments that can be tested and refined before scaling.

Noon – 1:00 pm

Luncheon: Nourish & Flourish

Room: Dome & Nicollet Ballroom
Sponsored by Meet Minneapolis

Enjoy lunch while reflecting on key takeaways from the workshop and keynote experiences.

1:00 – 1:45 pm

Stories that Shape Tomorrow

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Speaker: Ka Vang, Meet Minneapolis
Sponsored by Momentive

A dynamic storytelling workshop led by an experienced playwright, storyteller, and journalist. Participants will gain practical storytelling tools and techniques that help transform information into inspiration, enabling them to communicate their organization’s impact more effectively and connect with audiences in meaningful and memorable ways.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the power of storytelling as a tool for building connection, inspiring action, and communicating purpose.
• Identify the key elements of compelling stories and narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Apply storytelling frameworks to communicate the value of their organization, programs, and mission more effectively.
• Craft authentic personal and professional narratives that strengthen leadership presence and influence.
• Explore how stories can be used to build culture, drive engagement, and support organizational change.

1:45 – 2:30 pm

The Final Spark: Igniting What’s Possible

Room: Mill City Ballroom
Speaker: Deanna Singh, Flying Elephant

As the conference comes to a close, this session brings together the insights, ideas, and inspiration generated throughout the ASAE Great Ideas Conference. Attendees reflect on key takeaways, identifying the practices and perspectives that resonated most with them.

Through facilitated discussion and guided reflection, participants will translate learning into action by identifying specific steps they will take within their organizations. Attendees will leave with personal commitments, new ideas to test, and a clearer vision for how they can foster innovation, experimentation, and growth in their associations.

The session concludes with an introduction to the Paisley Park Experience, setting the stage for the conference’s final learning journey. More than a tour, Paisley Park offers a powerful lesson in creativity, vision, and challenging convention.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the innovation practices, strategies, and perspectives that have the greatest potential impact within their organizations.
• Develop a personal action plan that translates conference learning into specific, measurable next steps.
• Recognize the value of reflection, curiosity, and calculated risk-taking as drivers of organizational growth and innovation.
• Build confidence in leading change and advancing new ideas within their organizations, even in the face of uncertainty and constraints.
• Draw inspiration from the creative legacy of Prince and explore how bold thinking, experimentation, and challenging convention can inspire innovation in their own work.

3:00 – 4:00 pm

Transportation to Paisley Park

Sponsored by Meet Minneapolis

Meet Minneapolis will provide shuttles to Paisley Park for an evening of innovation and inspiration. The journey will be entertaining and educational.

4:00 – 6:30 pm

The Creative Legacy of Prince: Paisley Park Tour & Reception

Location: Paisley Park
Sponsored by Meet Minneapolis

A master class in creative risk-taking, this experience features a tour and reception at the home and recording studio of the legendary musician, Prince.

Explore the creative sanctuary where Prince recorded, produced, and performed. Tours include access to the main floor, studios, wardrobes, awards, instruments, artwork, vehicles, rare recordings, Soundstage, NPG Music Club, Retail Shop & more!

Following the tour, enjoy a reception with peers surrounded by artistic innovation and creativity.

6:30 – 7:00 pm

Final Destination: Transportation to the Hotel

Sponsored by Meet Minneapolis

Full of ideas and inspiration, we head back to the hotel ready to part ways and set the ideas into action!