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20 leading membership bodies.
One dinner.
Five sector-defining themes.

While every membership organisation faces unique challenges, several consistent themes emerged throughout the discussion. This report explores the opportunities, tensions and priorities leaders believe will shape success over the coming years.

  • Member expectations
    are redefining value

    Members increasingly judge value through outcomes, not access.

  • AI is moving from experimentation to practical application

    The shift from curiosity to creating measurable value.

  • Organisational sustainability
    is a strategic imperative

    Long-term resilience is becoming the measure of success.

  • Learning is becoming
    a strategic growth lever

    Learning is increasingly connected to engagement, impact and resilience.

  • Connected experiences remain the biggest operational challenge

    Digital transformation has happened. Digital cohesion has not.

A snapshot of the findings

What membership leaders told us:

#1

influence on strategy 

is member needs and expectations.

100%

of participants ranked demonstrable member value as the most important factor influencing future success.

Biggest
operational challenge

is creating connected member experiences across fragmented systems and teams.

Created from real conversations with membership leaders 

The report is based on discussions and live polling conducted during D2L’s annual executive dinner for UK&I membership organisations.

Attendees included senior leaders from associations, professional bodies and membership organisations who shared perspectives on the future of member engagement, learning, sustainability and digital transformation.

The benchmark isn’t other associations anymore. The reality is that we’re being compared to every other digital experience they have every day—especially by younger members.

Anonymous
An Evening with D2L and Friends, 2026

What you’ll take away

Built for membership leaders navigating change

  • Understand changing member expectations

    Discover how organisations are responding to growing demands for relevance, personalisation and measurable value.

  • Benchmark your strategic priorities

    See which challenges senior leaders identified as having the greatest influence on organisational success and sustainability.

  • Explore the growing role of learning

    Learn how organisations are connecting learning to engagement, retention, professional relevance and long-term growth.

Get your copy

Access the executive report to explore the themes shaping association strategy in 2026.