Beyond Swag: Strategic Gifting and Emotional Loyalty for Associations

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Jamie Shibley, Co-Founder & CEO of The Expressory, to talk about how thoughtful appreciation can become a real strategy for retention, sponsorship loyalty, and long-term trust—not just a year-end “nice to have.” Drawing on her roots in her grandfather’s relationship-driven flower shop and years in corporate and e-commerce, Jamie shares how associations can use simple, intentional touchpoints to make members, sponsors, and donors feel genuinely seen. Whether you’re behind on holiday planning, rethinking how you thank sponsors and donors, or looking for new ways to support member renewals in 2026, this conversation will help you move beyond generic swag to meaningful, strategic engagement.

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From Joining to Staying: Rethinking How Associations Engage Gen Z

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, we kick off our May spotlight series on Gen Z and younger professionals in the association space—powered by our partners at Highland. Our guest is David Whited, Principal of Design Research & Strategy at Highland, an innovation consultancy helping mission-driven organizations uncover member needs and build digital solutions that meet them. David shares eye-opening insights from Highland’s Young Professional Membership Index (YPMI)—an annual national survey and benchmarking tool that’s helping associations uncover the real barriers to Gen Z and young professional engagement. 🎧 If you’ve been wondering why younger members aren’t joining—or why they don’t stay—this conversation is for you.

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