In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, we kick off our July series on sponsorships, partnerships, and non-dues revenue with a powerful conversation featuring Edessa Polzin, PCM, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the American Marketing Association (AMA).
Host Meghan Henning sits down with Edessa to explore how AMA is transforming partnerships from transactional to transformational. With a background in B2B growth strategy and partner-led innovation, Edessa shares a bold, mission-centered approach to corporate engagement—one that prioritizes impact, alignment, and long-term value over one-off logos and short-term dollars.
🎧 Whether you're rethinking your sponsor packages or looking to deepen your existing partner relationships, this episode offers practical frameworks and fresh inspiration.
Key Highlights:
Beyond the Booth – Why AMA moved away from transactional sponsorships—and how mission alignment led to deeper value for members and partners alike.
Bigger, Better, Faster – Edessa’s go-to framework for evaluating partnerships—and how associations can apply it to scale smarter and move faster.
The Enterprise Shift – How AMA is designing bundled, multi-touchpoint partnerships that deliver year-round engagement and sustained revenue.
Breaking the Silos – Why cross-functional collaboration has been critical to AMA’s success—and how one biweekly meeting changed everything.
Stretching the Mission – A real-world case study in partnering outside your traditional audience to expand impact (and build a future pipeline).
Saying No with Strategy – What Edessa looks for before saying yes—and why “dollars without depth” isn’t worth the trade.
Testing, Quietly – How a “start small and validate” approach has helped AMA experiment, learn, and grow without institutional friction.
🎧 This episode is a must-listen for associations looking to elevate their partner strategy, build meaningful relationships, and drive non-dues revenue that actually advances the mission.
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Coming Soon: This July, we’re spotlighting how associations are innovating in sponsorships, partnerships, and non-dues revenue—from bold new models to tactical lessons that will help you get unstuck. Tune in weekly for fresh insights and real-world stories from leaders making it work.
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