A Finance Leader’s Guide to digitalNow 2025

From November 2 to 5, association leaders will gather at the Loews Hotel Chicago for digitalNow.  For CFOs and senior finance executives, the program offers a strong mix of AI strategy, operating model design, and practical sessions that translate technology into measurable outcomes.

SoundPost is a sponsor and will have a table on site.  To help finance leaders plan their time at the conference, this guide highlights sessions focused on accelerating operational execution, strengthening governance, and implementing technology that empowers finance teams.

Strategic Sessions for Financial Decision-Makers

Unlocking the Agents: The New Frontier of Collective Intelligence

Date and Time: Monday, Nov 3 | 8:30–9:15 AM
Speaker: Amith Nagarajan
Why it matters: Clear framing for how agentic AI shifts work design, staffing models, and the economics of process automation.

Own the Conversation: How Associations Win Trust in the Digital Age

Date and Time: Monday, Nov 3 | 9:20–10:05 AM
Speaker: Marcus Sheridan
Why it matters: Practical playbook for trust-building content and member acquisition. Helpful for aligning marketing spend with revenue and retention goals.

The Megatrend We Are Missing in the Rush to Embrace AI

Date and Time: Monday, Nov 3 | 10:45–11:20 AM
Speaker: Bryan Kelly
Why it matters: The longevity economy is reshaping member experience. Useful context for product mix, pricing, and accessibility decisions.

Fixing the Broken Pipeline: AI Adoption, the Future of Work, and Why Education Matters

Date and Time: Monday, Nov 3 | 11:20 AM–12:10 PM
Speakers: Conor and Finn Grennan
Why it matters: Culture and capability building drive AI ROI. Apply lessons to training plans and change budgets.

Learning from the Fortune 500: What Corporate AI Winners Know

Date and Time: Tuesday, Nov 4 | 10:45–11:30 AM
Speaker: John Huisman
Why it matters: Enterprise lessons translated into association execution. Expect actionable guidance on prioritization, measurement, and scaling pilots.

Navigating the Future: Strategic AI Trends for Association Leaders

Date and Time: Tuesday, Nov 4 | 8:50–9:35 AM
Speaker: Ian Andrews, Groq
Why it matters: Infrastructure and inference economics inform your business case for AI features and automation.

What Are Animals Talking About

Date and Time: Tuesday, Nov 4 | 11:35 AM–12:20 PM
Speaker: Dr. Denise Herzing
Why it matters: Research methods and model design thinking that generalize to pattern detection across content, support, and community data.

Breakouts and Deep Dives that Translate to Outcomes

Building the AI-Ready Content Foundation

Date and Time: Monday, Nov 3 | 2:00–2:45 PM | Sullivan B
Presenters: Accella and NVAR
Takeaway: Taxonomy, metadata, and ingestion pipelines that make LLMs useful. This is the groundwork for reliable search, recommendations, and staff productivity.

From Friction to Flow: ICBA’s Ecommerce-Inspired Testing

Date and Time: Monday, Nov 3 | 2:00–2:45 PM | Sullivan C
Presenters: ICBA with Americaneagle and Liferay
Takeaway: Conversion analysis and A/B testing methods that lift event sales, learning enrollment, and form completion.

Beyond the Bot: Building Innovation Cultures

Date and Time: Monday, Nov 3 | 3:15–4:00 PM | Wright Ballroom
Panel: AANA, AACSB, MDRT
Takeaway: Governance, safe-to-try environments, and repeatable evaluation processes that move AI from pilots to production.

AI with Purpose: Agentic Experiences at AAP

Date and Time: Tuesday, Nov 4 | 2:30–3:15 PM | Sullivan B
Presenters: American Academy of Pediatrics and Adage Technologies
Takeaway: Use case selection, outcome metrics, and an agent-first approach for measurable member value.

Innovation Showcase Workshop: Predictive Modeling Across the Member Journey

Date and Time: Wednesday, Nov 5 | 9:00–10:00 AM | Wright Ballroom
Leads: CDS Global and Sequence Consulting
Takeaway: Practical roadmap to apply churn, propensity, and recommendation models to retention, upsell, and engagement.

Deploying AI and NLP for Business Impact

Date and Time: Wednesday, Nov 5 | 10:00–10:45 AM | Wright Ballroom
Speaker: Thad Lurie, AGU
Takeaway: Case-based review of deployed applications with business outcomes that finance leaders can benchmark.

Beyond the Breakouts: Community, Recognition, and Networking

• AAiP Pinning Ceremony
  Monday | 10:05–10:15 AM | Wright Ballroom
  Recognizing industry peers at the forefront of AI education.

• Innovation Awards
  Tuesday | 8:30–8:50 AM
  Honoring association professionals for their leadership in AI and digital initiatives.

• Happy Hour
  Monday | 5:00–6:00 PM | Wright Ballroom Foyer
  Relaxed time to compare notes with technology and finance leaders.

• The Download at Lucky Strike
  Tuesday | 6:30–8:30 PM
  Informal networking with sponsors and executive peers.

Visit SoundPost at Our Sponsor Table

Closing Notes

digitalNow offers CFOs and senior finance leaders a clear view of how AI and disciplined execution can raise the standard of financial operations.  Prioritize sessions that connect strategy to outcomes.  Make time for the deep dives where you can exchange ideas with practitioners.  Build in networking blocks to compare governance models and operating practices with your peers.

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago.