How Intentional Engagement Shaped AIA Philadelphia’s 2026 Annual Meeting

Last month, AIA Philadelphia welcomed more than 100 architects, students, emerging professionals, and industry partners to our 2026 Annual Meeting + Committee Open House hosted at Ballinger. More than a yearly gathering, the evening was designed as an opportunity to strengthen relationships, encourage participation, and create meaningful connections across our community.

Inspired by engagement strategies from Elevating Engagement by Amanda Lea Kaiser, this year’s event focused intentionally on how people experience connection the moment they arrive.

To create a more welcoming and inclusive environment, we implemented a layered greeting strategy with board members and staff stationed both at the building entrance and throughout Ballinger’s office. These intentional points of welcome helped attendees feel acknowledged, oriented, and invited into conversation from the very beginning of the evening.

Attendees also received color-coded stickers identifying how many Annual Meetings they had attended:

• Green = 1st Annual Meeting
• Orange = 2–5 Annual Meetings
• Pink = 5+ Annual Meetings

This simple visual cue encouraged connection and helped leadership identify and engage with first-time attendees throughout the night. We were especially excited to welcome a strong number of students and first-time participants.

To further encourage conversation, attendees were invited to write topics they love discussing directly on their name badges. The result was a room filled with organic dialogue, shared interests, and new professional relationships forming in real time.

During the Annual Meeting presentation, Catherine (Katie) Broh and Rebecca Johnson reflected on the organization’s 2025 progress across mission impact, programming, advocacy, and financial health. They also shared exciting momentum surrounding AIA Philadelphia’s upcoming move to the Village of Industry and Art, a transition that represents new opportunities for collaboration, interdisciplinary partnership, and expanded community engagement.

The evening reinforced something central to both the profession and the organization’s mission: architecture is built on relationships. Strong careers, stronger communities, and stronger cities all begin with meaningful connection.

As AIA Philadelphia continues looking toward the future, events like the Annual Meeting demonstrate the value of intentional engagement and the power of creating spaces where everyone, especially new members and emerging professionals, feels welcomed into the conversation.