12:30 - 4:00pm | Treasure Island Resort & Casino
Optional Pre-Conference Activities
Arrive Sunday and make the most of it. Whether you want to dig into a focused working session before the conference begins or let the Mississippi River bluffs do the work, there's a good way to spend the day.
Pre-Conference Deep Dives | 12:30 – 4:00 PM
Two back-to-back sessions for leaders who want to hit the ground running.
Pre-conference registration includes both sessions.
12:30 – 2:00 PM | The Art + Science of Facilitation
Lowell Aplebaum, EdD, FASAE, CAE, CPF, CEO of Vista Cova
Aaron Wolowiec, FASAE, CAE, CMP Fellow, Founder & President, Event Garde
The highest-stakes conversations in your organization don't fail because of bad strategy. They fail because no one designed the room. The board retreat that circled the same issues. The planning session that built consensus in the moment and resistance six months later. The difficult conversation that never got to the real thing.
Skilled facilitation is what separates those moments from ones that actually move your organization forward. And for most CEOs, it's the last thing on the list until it's the only thing that matters.
Aaron Wolowiec and Lowell Applebaum explore what great facilitation demands at the executive level, how to recognize when you need it, and how to decide whether to lead it or get out of the way.
2:30 – 4:00 PM | What's your Ice Cream Machine?
Identifying & Fixing the 'Always Broken' Clogs in Your Association
Russ Webb, CAE, Executive Director, Bay Area Apartment Association
Your members are frustrated. Your staff is exhausted. And somewhere in your organization, there’s a broken machine everyone has quietly accepted as just… the way things are.
What’s Your Ice Cream Machine? is a hands-on leadership session that helps association executives identify the “always broken” clogs in their organizations — and fix them without a new budget, a new platform, or a board vote.
Through real case studies, a Shark Tank-style workshop, and a 30-day action plan, you’ll leave with a specific fix, a pitch that works, and a colleague to hold you accountable.
No consultants. No complexity. Just a wrench and the willingness to use it.
Or Set Your Own Pace & Explore the Area
This part of Minnesota does not ask much of you. Highway 61 hugs the river the whole way down, the bluffs are peak color in late September, and Treasure Island sits right on the Mississippi. Arrive early and let the setting work.
Recharge Onsite at Treasure Island
Wave Spa offers massages, facials, nail services, and a full salon. Book in advance — Sunday appointments go fast. Reserve at ticasino.com or call 1-888-867-7829. Plus, don't miss the lagoon!
Get Out on the Course
Mount Frontenac Golf Course — 18 holes carved into the bluffs. Book at mountfrontenac.com or call 1-800-488-5826. Mississippi National Golf Links — 36 holes in Red Wing. Book at golfredwing.com or call 651-388-1874.
Make the Drive Part of It
Cannon River Winery is a great spot for a wine tasting or tour! Red Wing — riverfront walk, historic downtown, and Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop for something worth the detour.