By Marybeth Matzek | Photo © Block Portrait Studios

The idea for SheMoves began with a membership survey finding that 74% of Associations North members were women.

“For us, that highlighted the need for a dedicated platform to empower and elevate women within the association committee,” according to Angela Kisskeys, president of Associations North, known as the “association for associations” for Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The conference emerged as the answer for that need, offering an experience designed to foster growth, collaboration and excellence. The inaugural SheMoves was held March 12, 2024, at the Minneapolis Marriott West with the lofty goal of unleashing the potential inside each woman.

While the event was a success — 100% of attendees rated the conference good or excellent — and plans for the 2025 gathering are underway, SheMoves took both time and careful planning to pull it all together.

Associations North empowers and elevates women through a variety of opportunities, including, but not limited to, those focused on leadership, such as serving on the board of directors, leading specific committees or organizing events. The association also encourages and provides professional development, including workshops, seminars and training programs in areas such as negotiation, public speaking and strategic planning.

But the association was ready and willing to push the initiative a bit further this year.

BUILDING A COMMUNITY

To start the conference, organizers connected SheMoves with the community by urging attendees to donate new or slightly used business-appropriate clothing and accessories to Dress for Success. It is an organization that is dedicated to empowering women through employment.

SheMoves serves as a platform for women in the association industry to come together and share their experiences while building networks. Kisskeys says the donation event created a sense of belonging among attendees right away as they connected with like-minded individuals and formed supportive relationships.

Thereafter, the conference featured keynote speakers, panel discussions and workshops led by successful women. In choosing its programming, SheMoves focused on themes and topics designed to provide strategies on leadership, career development and personal empowerment, Kisskeys says.

A planning team comprised of members selected the speakers and themes, which covered women leading associations, navigating a path to authentic leadership, building high-performing teams, association business trends impacting women, personal branding opportunities and challenges, and tools to overcome imposter syndrome.

“The themes addressed the pressing issues and challenges faced by women in the association industry, sparking meaningful conversations and insights among participants,” Kisskeys says. “By delving into these topics, SheMoves provided a platform for attendees to gain valuable knowledge, skills, and perspectives essential for growth.”

The conference further featured a SheOwns Market, which was added to the event to provide a vibrant space for women-owned businesses to showcase their products and services. Kisskeys says the market was a big success with items selling out quickly.

“The marketplace not only celebrated entrepreneurship, but also offered a platform for networking and flourishing within a supportive community environment,” she says.

The event wanted to do more than inspire the women leaders of today. The conference organizers also reached out to the “little leaders of the future” by inviting Girl Scouts to show and share their own entrepreneurial spirit by selling their famous cookies.

Organizers also put together an inspirational Spotify playlist featuring a range of artists from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift to Dolly Parton and Kelly Clarkson. The music was played at the event and then shared to help attendees keep their groove going once the event wrapped up.

A SHORT RUNWAY

Planning for the inaugural SheMoves conference began in earnest in December, only giving organizers a few months to pull everything together. The goal was to hold the event in March, which is when Women’s International Day is held. The condensed planning schedule kept things hopping at Associations North, which relied on its key event partners, including the Minneapolis Marriott West, Event Lab, an event planner in Eden Prairie, Allegra Marketing Print Mail and the planning task force. Organizers chose the location based on its accessibility, parking and different space options.

With the event’s menu, Associations North’s events and marketing manager Alyssa Frank turned to the experts — the catering team at Minneapolis Marriott West. She wanted a flexible menu that allowed people with special dietary needs, whether gluten- or dairy-free, different options. A well-thought-out buffet turned out to be the ideal choice for lunch.

To promote the SheMoves conference, Association North relied heavily not only on organic social media opportunities, but it was also consistently promoted in Associations North’s messages to its membership.

Planning for year two is well underway with the planning committee already meeting and making decisions for the 2025 event, which will be held on March 4, 2025, again at the Minneapolis Marriott West. “They did such a great job, we decided to return,” explains Frank.

MORE THAN AN EVENT

While SheMoves launched with a conference, it is so much more than that, according to Kisskeys. There is a book club and other activities to keep the energy created by the conference going.

The EmpowerHER Book Club is an initiative aimed at helping professionals foster community, development and the continuous advancement of women through lifelong learning.

Kisskeys says SheMoves was such a success that Associations North is looking for even more ways to extend its momentum throughout the year with workshops, webinars or networking events. The association is additionally exploring the thought of partnering with other organizations to reach a broader audience.

Some ideas the organization is considering include mentoring programs pairing experienced women leaders with emerging professionals; leadership development initiatives featuring workshops and resources focused on building essential skills to help women thrive in leadership roles; networking opportunities; and recognition programs celebrating women leaders’ achievements and contributions.

“SheMoves 2024 exceeded our expectations in creating a dynamic and inclusive space for women within Midwest associations to personally grow and professionally gain,” Kisskeys says.

“The overwhelming support and participation from the community solidified SheMoves as a transformative force, inspiring women to make a lasting impact on their industries and communities,” she concludes.

A Closer Look

Name: SheMoves

Type of Event: One-day conference dedicated to unleashing the potential within every female

Location: Minneapolis Marriott West

Number of Attendees: 111

Goal: Help to move female professionals forward while advancing the association profession

Standout Experiences:

  • Asking attendees to bring gently used or new business attire to support Dress for Success.
  • The SheOwns Market where women business owners could sell their products. It was such a big success that more vendors are being added for 2025.
  • Involving Girl Scouts, who demonstrated their own entrepreneurial skills by selling their cookies.
  • Inspiring presentations from Tammy Krings on “The Conversations that Matter,” Tina VanSteenbergen on “The Story Matters” and Dana Weaver of Weaver Solutions LLC.