Designing membership that attracts, retains and builds belonging

The Membership by Design Symposium is a one-day, practical forum for association and membership professionals who want to take a more intentional approach to the member experience.

Built around the full membership lifecycle — Attract, Onboard, Retain and Belong — the day provides a clear, applied framework you can use back at work, regardless of your organisation’s size or maturity.

Rather than generic marketing theory, this Symposium focuses on the real challenges associations face every day: finding the right members, creating a strong first experience, sustaining value over time, and building genuine engagement and belonging.

Each lifecycle stage is explored through:

• short, focused insights grounded in association practice

• facilitated peer exchange with others facing similar challenges

• practical tools, templates and takeaways you can apply immediately

You’ll work alongside peers from across the sector, sharing what works (and what doesn’t), and leave with fresh thinking, tested ideas, and four tangible tools to strengthen your membership approach.

You’ll leave with:

• a clear, end-to-end view of the membership lifecycle

• practical tools for attraction, onboarding, retention and belonging

• insights drawn from New Zealand associations and real-world experience

• renewed confidence in where to focus your time and effort

This is a NZSAE signature membership event — practical, sector-relevant, and designed to save you months of trial and error by getting intentional about membership design.