--- title: "Advance Reading for ASAE’s MMC + Tech Conference" id: "56425" type: "post" slug: "advance-reading-for-asaes-mmc-tech-conference" published_at: "2025-04-25T16:52:36+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T18:20:30+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/25/advance-reading-for-asaes-mmc-tech-conference/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/25/advance-reading-for-asaes-mmc-tech-conference.md" excerpt: "This year’s conference covers personas, surveys, AI, and more—a provides a reminder of the importance of silo-busting." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Learning and Development" - "Marketing" - "Meetings" - "Membership" - "Onsite Experience" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Advance Reading for ASAE’s MMC + Tech Conference *Different parts of our organization aren’t talking to each other*. It’s a common lament in associations, especially since what used to be distinct parts of the organization are now closely braided together. Your event marketing can’t succeed without a robust tech platform that allows for personalization, chatbots, and registration pages that delivers a clean UX. Your members want a website that gives them meaningful information about everything from CEUs to volunteer activities, while a weak website can impact member retention. So one of the strongest elements of [ASAE’s MMC + Tech Conference (opens in a new tab)](https://mmct.asaecenter.org/) , which takes place May 12-13 in Washington, D.C., is its holistic take on membership, marketing, communications, and technology. Its education lineup is focused on satisfying the needs of every department, but it’s a good idea for a marketing professional to poke their head into a tech session, and vice versa. Below are a few highlights for attendees to consider, along with some links to relevant content to get you up to speed on some trends. **For the Marcom Pros:** Developing personas for your key member demographics is essential to serving them, but defining a persona involves more than identifying job roles and career levels. In her session, “[Beyond Demographics (opens in a new tab)](https://mmct.asaecenter.org/profile.cfm?profile_name=session&master_key=5FC64355-ACF3-EF11-8101-8147A53E1DD0&page_key=6D827F7F-9EF8-FD30-655D-528B5DD1F102&xtemplate&bShowHandout=0&userLGNKEY=0) ,” digital strategist Chrissie Koeppen explores personas through a Jobs-to-Be-Done framework, exploring the specific member needs that allow associations to develop customized products and services. You can learn more about Jobs-to-Be-Done in consultant Urko Wood’s article, “[Effective Ways to Reduce Innovation Risk (opens in a new tab)](https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2022/06-june/effective-ways-to-reduce-innovation-risk) .” **For the Membership Department:** Associations are constantly encouraged to be more data-driven. But the go-to method for gathering data—conduct a member survey—can get overused, leading to disengagement and inaccurate data. In her session “[Actions Speak Louder Than Surveys (opens in a new tab)](https://mmct.asaecenter.org/profile.cfm?profile_name=session&master_key=3EC64355-ACF3-EF11-8101-8147A53E1DD0&page_key=6D827F7F-9EF8-FD30-655D-528B5DD1F102&xtemplate&bShowHandout=0&userLGNKEY=0) ,” Association Analytics’ Rachel Mace shares a variety of strategies that membership pros can use to get insights about members without prompting them to fill out yet another form. [In 2021, Associations Now noted that](https://associationsnow.com/2021/11/prevent-burnout-with-professional-development/) paying attention to social media activity is one way to glean thoughts about where members are leaning. And in a 2022 piece, Jennifer L. Blanck explained how a [listening tour (opens in a new tab)](https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2022/03-march/how-a-listening-tour-improved-deliverables-and-communication) helped the American Association of Medical Colleges rethink its member survey. > The go-to method for gathering data—conduct a member survey—can get overused. **For the Tech Side:** Chatbots are easy and abundant. Gleaning effective insights and member trust from them is harder. At the session “[AI in Action (opens in a new tab)](https://mmct.asaecenter.org/profile.cfm?profile_name=session&master_key=8BC64355-ACF3-EF11-8101-8147A53E1DD0&page_key=6D827F7F-9EF8-FD30-655D-528B5DD1F102&xtemplate&bShowHandout=0&userLGNKEY=0) ,” representatives from the National Asphalt Pavement Association will share how it developed its AI assistant, Hey NAPA, to respond to members from various points of view. In 2023, we covered how [NAPA developed internal speed](https://associationsnow.com/2023/04/how-to-set-a-vision-fast/) to move products along faster, and we’ve covered how AI-driven tools have served members at the [International Society of Automation](https://associationsnow.com/2024/07/automation-group-launches-llm-tool/) and the [Equipment Leasing and Finance Association](https://associationsnow.com/2025/03/association-launches-members-only-ai-tool/) . [Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Tags: [#Learning and Development](https://associationsnow.com/tag/learning-and-development/) [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) [#Onsite Experience](https://associationsnow.com/tag/onsite-experience/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoDaily Recap: Day 1 from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/daily-recap-day-1-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoThe Future is Yours to Create. Attend MMC+T 2025!April 2, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/02/the-future-is-yours-to-create-attend-mmct-2025/) - [ArticleThree Takeaways From #ASAE26August 21, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/21/three-takeaways-from-asae26/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2025%2F04%2F25%2Fadvance-reading-for-asaes-mmc-tech-conference%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !