‘Raising value’ will be the focus of a meeting of international association executives this summer.

More than 400 not-for-profit managers are expected at the first International & European Associations Congress, which is taking place at the ACC Liverpool, 15-17 July.

The three-day congress will include seminars, workshops, case-studies and the 4th Association Leadership Summit which will explore the ‘commercial value of services and products’.

Damian Hutt, executive director of the International & European Associations Congress, said the new format congress will give delegates greater value through more relevant content.

“The congress has expanded from three to five concurrent streams by adding a Marketing stream and a Commercial development stream, plus extending Membership to two full days.

“Technology aspects are addressed throughout the programme and in a specific Apps session where we look at the most popular ones that associations use.”

He added: "In many of the sessions where we would have included two talks, we now have three or four more concentrated ones and a Q&A panel with consultants, and occasionally suppliers to respond to more technical issues. This will provide a wider selection of case studies addressing all the different types of member organisations in the audience."

Last year the organisers of the annual Associations Congress, which was held in London, decided to split the event in two to better cater for the needs of national and international associations.

Pictured: Damian Hutt