THE GIFT - ACCE HORIZON INITIATIVE

From the ACCE Board Chair, Carlos Phillips, CCE

You may have heard of “The Logo,” Los Angeles Laker great Jerry West’s silhouette as the NBA logo, or “The Catch,” Major League Baseball legend Willie Mays’ spectacular over-the-shoulder grab in the 1954 World Series. The logo and the catch are images indelibly etched in sports fans' memories, and in 2014, ACCE launched what I’d like to call “The Gift” – the Horizon Initiative.

A task force was formed to tap into the collective chamber wisdom and predict what life would be like for chambers in 2025. The group sought to identify the key influences that would have a major impact on chambers and communities of all shapes and sizes. The task force’s work resulted in the groundbreaking report, the Horizon Initiative, aka “The Gift,” whose findings have influenced the reinvention of chamber leaders, the transformation of chamber organizations and the acceleration of community economies across the United States and Canada.

The original report highlighted eight factors that would influence chambers over the next decade: Belonging and Gathering, Communication and Technology, Scarcity and Abundance, Global Impacts, Population Shift, Political and Social Fragmentation, Resource Alignment, and Catalytic Leadership. The original Horizon Initiative was so flexible and adaptable that a ninth factor, Engaging the Public Sector, was added in 2020 upon recognizing the importance of chamber professionals being directly involved with their elected officials in cultivating relationships and developing and implementing strategies.

It's safe to say that the Horizon Initiative nailed it. It did not prescribe solutions, but it accurately identified imminent challenges that chambers would face. It is certainly the gift that keeps on giving and, quite possibly, the most important development for our profession. It is now time for another windshield view into the next decade to portend the factors that will influence the further impact of chambers and our profession.

A group of chamber leaders has been tasked with peering into the crystal ball and some interesting trends have emerged, including balancing artificial intelligence and workforce impacts, navigating political polarization – the role of chambers as a unifier, providing visionary leadership for community success, ensuring community and organizational relevance and upskilling at the speed of business to name a few.

Feedback will be solicited from annual convention attendees in Dallas, where Rebecca Ryan will deliver a keynote presentation on Wednesday, July 17 that will share the research that’s been conducted thus far and discuss the trends that will shape our communities, organizations and society in the next decade.

Following the keynote, convention attendees will have an opportunity to share additional feedback in The Circuit (the expo hall) where chamber professionals will participate in an activity to inform the initiative and help prioritize the identified trends.

For those unable to attend the convention, ACCE will share Rebecca’s recorded presentation, and chamber professionals from across the United States and Canada will be asked to provide input on the trends identified via an “All Our Ideas” survey. As you can see, this will be a very inclusive process that harnesses the perspectives of all willing chamber professionals! The new Horizon Initiative report will be released later this fall.

So, what factors do you think will influence our work over the next decade? I hope that you will take the opportunity to share your thoughts and contribute to the Horizon Initiative - the gift that continues giving to our profession and our communities!

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