Giuliani Addresses 2020 & Beyond Conference

Rudy Giuliani says compromise is the key to success.

Rudy Giuliani, the 107th mayor of New York City; Jeffrey Hayzlett, primetime TV and radio host and best-selling author; and leaders from national associations across North America, gathered June 10 at the newly renovated InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel in New York City for the third annual Associations: 2020 & Beyond conference to discuss politics, branding and board relationships and their impact on not-for-profit organizations.

Giuliani kicked off the conference with a keynote speech addressing the current political landscape, stressing the importance of compromise in a leadership role — whether you’re the president of the United States or president of a not-for-profit.
“Politics is the art of bargaining,” said Giuliani. “Deals and compromise are the oil — the grease — that make the engine work.”

During his luncheon keynote speech, Hayzlett encouraged attendees to take risks when managing their organizations by thinking big and acting bigger. “Our job [as leaders] should be to bring everyone from the center of the stage, to the edge,” said Hayzlett. “Be irrational. You have to be irrational in order to help push people in the direction you want [the organization] to go.”

The conference also featured an executive panel discussion, which included association leaders Barbara Byrd Keenan, CEO of the Endocrine Society; Scott Frisch, executive vice president and COO of AARP; Lynne Thomas Gordon, CEO of the American Health Information Management Association, and Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association.

“We (AARP) have been around for 55 years. We have to think differently,” said Frisch. “Instead of doing what we think our members want, we’re conducting focus groups to see what they actually want, and we’re seeing an increase in membership.” While giving board members what they want is essential to the success of an organization, Gordon added that keeping them focused is equally important.

The conference also included two breakout sessions, “Building a Board That Works for You” and “How To Maintain Authenticity Through Your Brand Identity,” where attendees could have their specific questions answered in an intimate setting.

For more information about Associations: 2020 & Beyond, visit www.kellenconference.com.