10 Reasons to Attend CEX: the Association Component Exchange

CEX is by CRPs for CRPs. Throughout the day you’ll hear success stories and lessons learned from component relations professionals like you. We know good ideas don’t only come from the front of the room—that’s why we’re designing a learning event that doesn’t follow the usual rules. You’ll have the opportunity to gain insight and inspiration from CRPs sitting around you during one of our:

• Discussions
• Roundtables
• Interactive activities
• CRPs lounge events
• Happy hour

At our Chapter Roundtables, you’ve told us about issues that need to be at the forefront of any CRP conversation: component models, structures, and trends. At CEX, you’ll benefit from the collective wisdom found only within your CRP community.

We’ve built opportunities into the CEX program for you to network with your peers. You’ll have time to work out problems, share ideas, and build relationships with other CRPs. You’ll finally have the chance to bust out of your lonely cone of silence and find people who want to talk shop with you.

Think of all the technology that can help you deliver value to members, for example, an online community, marketing automation, AMS, LMS, CMS… SOS! How are you supposed to know what’s worth considering? How can you even keep up? Find out how other CRPs are leveraging technology to improve their relationship with chapters. Hear what’s making life easier for them and for chapter staff and volunteer leaders.

Chapter/National alignment is a top concern for 35 percent of component-based associations, according to the 2016 Chapter Benchmarking Study from Mariner. At CEX, you’ll get practical ideas on how you can turn your relationship with chapters into a true partnership.

Come for the content, go home with a community. At CEX, you’ll meet a community of professionals who confront the same challenges and daily pressures, and possess similar aspirations and drive to succeed as you. The purpose of CEX is to:

• band together as a community
• close the gap in CRP education
• empower associations and their chapters
• make a bigger difference in members’ lives

Did we mention you’ll receive up to eight CAE credits for attending? We’re big fans of the CAE credential. Studying for the CAE is a great way to broaden and deepen your association management knowledge. And if you plan to follow the example of other CRPs who have ended up in the C-suite, having the CAE credential behind your name certainly doesn’t hurt.

CEX will be held at the Hyatt Centric in Arlington, Virginia just outside Washington, D.C., the national hub for associations. If you’re from the DC metropolitan area, you won’t have to spend any of your professional development budget on travel and hotel expenses.

If you’re from outside the DC area, compared to other industry conferences, CEX is a much more affordable option for your budget—only $149 for early bird registration before June 1st and $199 after.

Where and when can you walk into a meeting room where everyone does the same thing as you? Who deal with the same issues? Who have the same goals? Up until now, nowhere and never! At other association management conferences the people sitting next to you come from all kinds of association departments. And less than 20% of the sessions are dedicated to components. Not at CEX! CEX is 100% dedicated to components. You’ll be surrounded by people who get what you do and why you do it.