The 2026 Gold Circle Award winners will be recognized during ASAE’s Marketing, Membership, Communications + Tech Conference, taking place May 28-29, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The Gold Circle Awards are sponsored by ASAE Business Solutions,  a portfolio of essential enterprise solutions designed to help associations grow and prosper.

“The Gold Circle Awards shine a light on the amazing work that associations do for the professions and communities they serve,” said Joe Rominiecki, CAE, chair of the ASAE Gold Circle Awards Committee. “Each winning project showcases the creativity and ingenuity that is abundant in marketing, membership, and communications in the association community. We are thrilled to have received so many great submissions, and we are eager to celebrate the winners next month."

 

The 2026 Gold Circle Award winners are:

 

Overall Excellence Award Winner

To Be Announced May 29 at MMC+Tech

 

Advocacy Campaign

American Nurses Association

Nursing is a Professional Degree

Project Description: American Nurses Association (ANA) launched a targeted, multi-channel advocacy campaign to ensure that advanced practice nursing was recognized in the “professional degree” category in Department of Education rulemaking, resulting in an editorial reach of more than 5.94 billion, 1,940+ mentions, and 264,000+ actions taken by nurses and their supporters.

 

Convention/Meetings Marketing Campaign

Center to Advance Palliative Care

Build and Connect: Reintroducing the CAPC National Seminar After a Five-Year Hiatus

Project Description: After a five-year hiatus, the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) reintroduced its National Seminar through a multi-channel campaign emphasizing connection, inclusion, and intentional engagement. The conference sold out, exceeded revenue goals for the first time, and delivered exceptional satisfaction, reestablishing it as a must-attend convening for palliative care leaders.

 

E-Newsletter

The American Institute of Architects

AIA Access Member Newsletter

Project Description: AIA Access earned an ASAE Gold Circle Award for transforming a traditional member newsletter into a high-performing, member-first engagement platform. Its success came from clear, accessible design, personalized and actionable content, and sustained results that far exceeded industry benchmarks while deepening awareness of AIA benefits and strengthening member connection year-round.

 

Media/Public Relations Campaign

College of American Pathologists

Infectious Disease and Laboratory Readiness Media Briefings

Project Description: The College of American Pathologists (CAP) developed a proactive media relations campaign featuring a series of expert-led briefings on seasonal and emerging infectious disease threats and laboratory readiness. This initiative provided timely, pathology-led context to reporters nationwide, strengthening accurate coverage of public health risks and positioning CAP experts as trusted sources.

 

Membership Recruitment Campaign

Center to Advance Palliative Care

CAPC 2025 Membership Recruitment: Expanding Access to Improve Care

Program Description: The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) launched an integrated membership campaign that combined data-driven outreach with equity-focused strategies. The campaign exceeded growth and revenue goals, expanded participation among safety-net and rural hospitals, and strengthened CAPC’s national network, advancing access to high-quality palliative care.

 

Membership Retention Campaign

Finseca

Finseca Retention Strategy

Project Description: Finseca’s 2025 Member Retention Campaign transformed renewals into a scalable, enterprise-aligned growth engine by restructuring dues, embedding membership into firm operations, and deploying data-driven, lifecycle engagement—achieving an 87% renewal rate, exceeding revenue goals, and advancing conscious inclusion across a rapidly growing, diverse membership.

 

Member/Volunteer Engagement Campaign

American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology

Diversity Anesthesia Pathways Tour

Project Description: As a way for undergraduate nursing students to explore the profession of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), also known as nurse anesthesiologists, the AANA launched the Diversity Anesthesia Pathways (DAP) Tour. CRNAs and nurse anesthesia residents hit the road and educated students about anesthesia and the benefits of becoming a CRNA.

 

Mobile App

Northern Virginia Association of Realtors®

Meeting Members Where They “R”: The NVAR Mobile App

Project Description: The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® App was launched to transform how the Association’s 13,000 real estate professionals access the tools, benefits, and support to help them succeed — wherever they are and whenever they need it.  It simplifies the business of being a Realtor®, while reinforcing the value of membership.

 

New Product/Service Launch

American Society for Nondestructive Testing

ASNT's Freemium Membership Model

Project Description: ASNT redefined membership by launching a Freemium model that removed financial barriers and introduced flexible tiers for every member persona. The result was 21% membership growth, 80% new member acquisition, and increased diversity, proving that access-driven innovation can expand reach, engagement, and long-term sustainability.

 

Podcast

American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology

Grade 1 View Resident Podcast

Project Description: Grade 1 View is a biweekly audio podcast BY future CRNAs, FOR future CRNAs. Hosted by a team of current residents, Grade 1 View explores a variety of issues relevant to aspiring CRNAs / nurse anesthesiologists, from work-life balance to exam prep in a conversational and interview style format.

 

Publications

Missouri State Teachers Association

School & Community Digital Magazine

Project Description: School & Community is the Missouri State Teachers Association’s centuries-old magazine featuring member stories and association resources. Since going digital in late 2024, MSTA has been able to continue the legacy publication while enhancing storytelling abilities, saving thousands of dollars in printing costs, and gaining valuable readership insights.

 

Rebranding Campaign

California Association for Leading Innovation in Education

From CUE to CALIE

Project Description: After 45 years as CUE (Computer Using Educators), we recognized our name no longer reflected the educators we serve. Our goal was to remove barriers created by tool-centric language and create a brand that felt accessible, welcoming, and relevant. The transition to CALIE helped us reach more educators, grow membership, and better reflect the leadership and impact happening in schools and classrooms every day.

 

Sponsorship/Exhibits/Advertising Promotion

American Society of Landscape Architects

ASLA 2025 Conference on Landscape Architecture: Integrated Industry Partner Growth Campaign

Project Description: ASLA's 2025 Conference Industry Partner Growth Campaign reimagined exhibitor and sponsor engagement by a continued shift from transactional sales to genuine partnership. Through a redesigned prospectus, targeted outreach, and a transparency-first approach, the campaign achieved record non-dues revenue, attracted 60 first-time exhibitors, and increased small-firm participation by 38%.

Video

 

California Association for Leading Innovation in Education

CALIE, THE NEXT FRONTIER

Project Description: When CALIE (formerly CUE) rebranded after 44 years, the biggest risk was losing the community that built it. Our launch video used archival imagery and motion graphics to frame the change as evolution, not replacement. Within four months, CALIE added 1,300 new members, a 65% increase, and doubled its link click target in five weeks.

 

Website

American College of Radiology®

acr.org Website Optimization

Project Description: The American College of Radiology® website represented a national medical association with a complex ecosystem and multiple stakeholder groups requiring a full-scale digital overhaul. By modernizing technology while removing organizational silos, ACR:

• Increased call-to-action responses +44%.
• Increased mobile transactions +61%.
• Reduced 6,500+ pages and 85+ navigation categories to a focused, member-centric 1,600 pages.

 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Vest, CAE, 202-626-2798, cvest@asaecenter.org

 

About ASAE

ASAE is a membership organization of more than 50,000 association executives and industry partners. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at Welcome to ASAE — American Society of Association Executives (asaecenter.org)