Behind every great idea is a pilot, a pivot, and a lesson learned.
The Innovation Showcase is a live, immersive experience at ASAE’s Great Ideas Conference, where five finalist associations share the real story behind a pilot: the challenge that prompted it, what they tried, what they learned, the impact they’re seeing, and where the idea could go next. These aren’t polished success stories—they’re honest looks at experimentation, course corrections, and ideas other association leaders can put to work.
Drawing on the ASAE Research Foundation’s Association Innovation Impact Study, we define innovation as addressing a meaningful problem in a meaningfully different way—and measure it by the real difference it makes for members, stakeholders, the organization, or the profession.
Each finalist takes the stage to share their Innovation Story and respond to questions from a panel of judges. The Showcase brings judges and the audience into the experience, culminating in the selection of the Excellence in Innovation Award recipient.
The Innovation Showcase 2026
October 19, 2026 • ASAE Great Ideas Conference
Five associations. Five real-world innovations. See the pilots selected for The Innovation Showcase 2026.
Meet the 2026 Finalists
Five associations have been selected to bring their Innovation Stories to the Great Ideas stage. Their pilots address challenges and opportunities across professional development, community engagement, workforce development, special education, and industry standards.
California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO)
Million-Dollar Micro-Credentials to Advance the Profession of School Business
Tracy L. Petrillo, EdD, CAE • Chief Learning Officer
CASBO is testing short, competency-based credentials that provide school business professionals with more flexible, role-specific pathways for developing their skills. The pilot has reached more than 1,100 learners, achieved approximately 90% completion, and generated more than $1 million in gross revenue while creating a scalable model for professional and workforce development.
Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM)
Rethinking Association Community: From Passive Forums to Facilitated, AI-Enabled Cohorts
Tori Miller Liu, CAE • President and CEO
AIIM is testing a different approach to association community: facilitated cohorts designed to help members build meaningful relationships and contribute around shared interests and challenges. AI supports matching and conversation, while members and trained facilitators remain at the center of the experience.
PositiveAge, the LeadingAge Virginia Foundation
Developing Tomorrow’s Long-Term Care Leaders: Inside Virginia’s Innovative Virtual AIT Model
Dana Parsons • Vice President & Legislative Counsel
PositiveAge created a virtual cohort program to address barriers facing aspiring long-term care administrators across Virginia. By bringing emerging leaders together with experienced administrators, regulators, and peers, the pilot is expanding access to professional development while strengthening competency, community, and the long-term care leadership pipeline.
Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education (MAASE)
Paraeducator Bootcamp: A Statewide Workforce Stabilization & Quality Initiative
Cheryl-Marie Manson • Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives
Responding to more than 500 documented paraeducator vacancies, MAASE developed a statewide professional learning model to strengthen how paraeducators are prepared and supported. What began with a Bootcamp has expanded into multiple learning pathways designed to support a stronger, more consistent paraeducator workforce across Michigan.
Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)
From Static Standards to Dynamic Data: CSI Dynamic Standards + MasterProduct Pilot
Mark N. Dorsey, FASAE, CAE • Chief Executive Officer
CSI is transforming its long-standing construction standards from static publications into dynamic, searchable, version-aware resources. Through CSI Dynamic Standards and MasterProduct, the organization is testing how trusted industry information can evolve to meet changing technology and user needs while creating a more sustainable model for the future.
Excellence in Innovation Award
One finalist will receive the Excellence in Innovation Award and a $1,000 Innovation Scale-Up Grant to support the continued development of their pilot.
The recipient is selected through a combination of judges’ scoring and live audience vote at the Innovation Showcase.
About the Selection Process
The Innovation Showcase is built around real pilots with real results. Finalists are selected from association pilots that introduce a new or significantly reimagined approach and demonstrate measurable outcomes or clear indicators of success.
What We Look For
Strong Innovation Showcase pilots:
- Address a clearly defined and meaningful challenge or opportunity
- Take a new or meaningfully different approach
- Demonstrate measurable success supported by data or other evidence
- Generate learning that can inform continued development
- Show promise for scale or broader application
- Have organizational and leadership support
Pilots may be complete or nearing completion but should not yet be fully scaled or embedded.
Who Can Participate
The Innovation Showcase is open to:
- Trade and professional associations
- Association teams or departments
- Collaborative pilots led by associations
Looking Ahead
The application period for the 2026 Innovation Showcase is now closed. Information about future opportunities to participate in The Innovation Showcase will be shared through the ASAE Research Foundation.
Resources and Support
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Innovation Showcase?
The Innovation Showcase is a live, interactive event that highlights how associations test new ideas, learn from data, and adapt in real time. It focuses on pilots—not polished programs—and emphasizes learning over perfection.
What qualifies as a “pilot”?
A pilot is a time-bound test of a new or significantly reimagined idea. Pilots may be in planning, active testing, or post-pilot analysis stages, as long as they are generating learning and insights.
Do pilots need to be successful to be considered?
Yes. The Innovation Showcase is focused on pilots that have demonstrated measurable success. Submissions should include data or clear indicators that the pilot achieved its intended outcomes or delivered meaningful value.
What qualifies as “successful”?
Success may be demonstrated through outcomes such as improved engagement, efficiency gains, revenue impact, satisfaction scores, adoption rates, or other clearly defined metrics aligned to the pilot’s goals.
Are pilots that are still in progress eligible?
Pilots may be in progress or recently completed, provided they can demonstrate early or interim success supported by data or documented results.
Are pilots that did not meet their goals eligible?
No. Pilots that did not achieve their intended outcomes are not eligible for Innovation Showcase, even if they generated useful lessons.
Is there still room to discuss challenges or missteps?
Yes. The Innovation Showcase values transparency. Presentations may include early challenges, course corrections, or missteps that ultimately contributed to a successful outcome.
Who can submit a pilot concept?
Trade and professional associations, association teams or departments, and collaborative pilots led by associations are eligible to apply.
How many pilots will be selected?
A limited number of standout pilots (anticipated 3 to 5) will be selected for live presentation at The Innovation Showcase.
Do selected pilots have to present live?
Yes. Pilots selected for The Innovation Showcase are expected to present live at the 2026 Great Ideas Conference.
When does the Call for Pilot Concepts open?
The Call for Pilot Concepts opens in January 2027, with Innovation Showcase Finalists announced in May 2027.
What is Fail Fest if pilots are successful?
Fail Fest features curated stories about early failures, pivots, or false starts that informed decision-making and strengthened a pilot that ultimately succeeded.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Andrea Wieters, Director, Strategic and Future Focused Research, awieters@asaecenter.org.