Membership World

Rethinking the ROI of Learning: The True Cost of Strategic vs. Budget Decision-Making
2026-03-04 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London) | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8863498137
In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, learning is no longer just a cost—it’s a strategic lever that can drive engagement, growth, and long-term value. But understanding the true ROI of learning requires careful planning, alignment with organisational strategy, and a focus on measurable impact.
This executive roundtable, kindly sponsored by D2L, will explore how associations and member organisations are rethinking their approach to learning—shifting from viewing education as a cost centre to leveraging it as a growth engine. Join Sasha El-Halwani, Senior Revenue Marketing Manager at D2L, for an interactive session designed to deliver practical insights, peer-driven examples, and actionable strategies for maximising the impact of learning initiatives.
Discussion Themes:
Strategic vs. Budget Decision-Making
Explore how leading organisations balance strategic investment with budget constraints—and why this distinction matters when measuring learning ROI.
Learning as a Growth Lever
Discover how a well-designed learning strategy can drive organisational growth, boost engagement, and increase member value.
Impact of Partnerships
Learn how strategic collaborations and investments in learning infrastructure strengthen operations, create financial stability, and build long-term relevance.
Peer Insights & Use Cases
Hear real-world examples from similar organisations that have successfully measured the tangible impact of their learning investments.
What You’ll Take Away:
You’ll leave with frameworks, examples, and practical takeaways to help you quantify the ROI of learning in your organisation—while creating a more engaging, impactful, and strategically aligned learning environment.
Featured Speaker:
Sasha El-Halwani, Senior Revenue Marketing Manager at D2L, is a strategic brand builder with extensive experience in marketing, sales, and revenue growth across the EMEA region. Passionate, proactive, and commercially focused, she elevates organisations by leveraging data-driven insights and customer-centric strategies. Outside of work, Sasha loves F1, exploring new cuisines, and spending time with her dog—often dreaming of the perfect weekend race abroad.

Stop Starting Over: Creating Ongoing Learning Through Community
2026-03-18 16:00 - 17:00
In today’s membership landscape, education alone isn’t enough. When engagement ends with a course or webinar, organisations are forced to “start over” again and again. The real opportunity lies in integrating learning and community to create continuous member experiences that drive retention, advocacy, and long-term growth.
This practical webinar will explore how associations can unify learning and community to build ongoing engagement that compounds over time. Join Terri Herrmann, Chief Marketing Officer at Forj, and Francisco Opazo, Vice President of Growth & Community at Membership World, for an interactive session designed to deliver practical frameworks, meaningful engagement metrics, and actionable strategies to turn learning into sustained connection—without overhauling everything at once.
Discussion Themes:
From One-Time Events to Continuous ExperienceExplore how to design intentional peer-to-peer connection points that extend learning beyond courses and webinars.
Assessing Your MaturityIdentify where learning and community integration will drive the greatest impact within your organisation.
Measuring What MattersLearn how to track practical community health metrics that signal true engagement—rather than relying on vanity data.
Aligning for Retention & AdvocacyDiscover how to unify internal teams so community initiatives directly support renewals, revenue, and long-term member value.
Building the Business CaseConnect engagement strategies to tangible outcomes, creating a compelling case for sustainable, community-led growth.
What You’ll Take Away:
You’ll leave with a practical framework to evaluate your current approach, clear engagement metrics to guide decision-making, and step-by-step actions to turn content into connection—strengthening retention, advocacy, and revenue in the process.
Featured Speakers:
Terri HerrmannChief Marketing Officer at Forj, Terri is a SaaS marketing leader and community-led growth advocate who helps organisations scale both revenue and relationships. She believes authentic leadership and genuine connection are the foundation of sustainable growth.
Francisco OpazoVice President of Growth & Community at Membership World, Francisco is a growth strategist and community industry advocate with more than 14 years of experience helping tech brands scale through online communities and digital demand generation. He is also the Founder of Led by Community and Community Week, global platforms connecting and advancing community professionals.
