A Season of Transformation
By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment
There’s a moment at the All Access AAMA Annual Meeting when you feel the room shift from “conference” to “community.” This year, standing at the podium for my final address as AAMA president, that feeling hit more than I expected. And yes, before I get to anything else, we’re coming back to Dallas/Ft. Worth for at least one more year. You’re welcome.
Two years ago, when I took the gavel, I had no idea what the next chapter would ask of me personally or professionally. What I did know was that this association had given me a home when I needed one, and I wanted to help it become a home where more people had a seat at the table. Looking back, I believe we’ve done exactly that.
We’ve done great work on committees and communication. Structures that used to run informally now run with real intention, and the volunteers who show up for this all-volunteer organization – staff, teams, committees and the board – have shown a level of selflessness that humbles me. Every ounce of progress belongs to the people who gave their time simply because they believe in this industry.
Now the baton passes to Howard McAuliffe, and I couldn’t be more confident in where this association is headed. Howard has been a huge part of my AAMA experience as a steward of this industry in every sense. Together, we’ll keep pushing the transformation that’s underway, because this isn’t a moment that ends with a change in leadership. It’s a movement just getting started.
As we look to the future, three initiatives are guiding where we go next.
First, member value. We are focused on providing member value in a way that makes being part of this community irresistible.
Second, we’re rebranding. We are so inspired by the legacy of being a manufacturers’ association, and we’ve grown into something bigger. The AAMA of today must be a full industry association that includes distributors, suppliers, professional services and the locations we all serve. We may never be, or want to be, as big as other industry associations. That’s okay. Our intimacy drives real connections and support for one another, and I believe that’s what will make our ecosystem one that people genuinely want to be part of. Bigger isn’t always better. Closer often is.
Third, we’ve engaged a search firm to help us find our next executive director, ideally before IAAPA. Our goal is to hire an association professional with a proven track record of scaling an organization. There is so much good in what we do and how we do it, and we understand there’s a real opportunity to learn from how other successful associations use technology, drive member value and expand membership categories.
If you’d asked me two years ago what I’d be proudest of, I don’t think I would have said this: the chance to expand the diversity of this organization’s leadership. Shelley Fernandez-Katz was elected to the board, and Britannie Betti was re-elected. Sara Paz, our first alternate, stepped into a vacant seat after family priorities dictated a board member step down in May. That brings our female board representation to five of 17. That’s real progress, and a floor, not a ceiling. We’ve also welcomed some younger men into leadership, including our incoming president. It’s a hard-working, energized team, and I expect a metamorphosis ahead.
From a personal point of view, serving as president was hard and it was fun, sometimes in the same hour. The role helped me grow in leadership and many other ways I had not anticipated. Through all of it, I carried a loss that never fully leaves. Losing my husband of more than 40 years changed the shape of my world, and I miss him every single day. What I found, in the middle of that grief, was an industry full of people who showed up for me. That is not a small thing. It may be the whole thing. My hope is, I was able to show up for the people in this association in a way that repays the support I have felt over the last five years.
So here is what I know as I hand off the gavel: We are not the same association we were two years ago, and we are not finished becoming who we’re meant to be. The committees are stronger. The board is more diverse. The vision is clearer. And the next chapter with new leadership, a broader industry embrace, and an executive director who can help us scale, will be even better than the previous.
We may not be saving the world in this industry. But when we create spaces where families laugh, teams celebrate and communities gather, we make memories that last a lifetime. That has always been worth showing up for. I can’t wait to see what we build next together.
Beth is the Chairwoman of TrainerTainment LLC and the GrowthPro Group, a coaching company devoted to the family entertainment and hospitality industries. Beth and her team are focused on helping the companies they serve make more money through sales, service, and leadership. Her company provides books, online products and courses, and onsite, online and ongoing training and business coaching to help teams and businesses grow. Beth is also president of AAMA, a sought-after keynote speaker and the author of People Buy from People. Visit her company’s website at trainertainment.com.