PLUS CEO Update: A Year of Extraordinary Growth, Connection, and Member Value

As we close out 2025, PLUS remains strong and vibrant, built through record engagement, expanding educational access, and the powerful contributions of our volunteers and members around the world. I’d like to take a few moments to reflect on the milestones that have shaped the organization’s momentum this year and the people who continue to drive our mission forward.

Opening Our Doors Wider Than Ever

A few years ago, PLUS made a bold decision to eliminate membership fees—removing barriers to entry and expanding access to education, networking, and professional development. The impact has been extraordinary.

• 18,000+ new members have joined since the transition.
• Nearly 49,000 members worldwide make up the PLUS community.
• Member involvement is rising across every PLUS channel—events, chapters, webinars, and curriculum.

This growth isn’t just in numbers—it’s in overall PLUS. In 2025, more people showed up, contributed, and invested in their professional development than in any year ever before.

Record-Setting Engagement Across Events and Education

Here’s a look at the data behind PLUS’s momentum:

• Live event participation of 13,000 attendees across all PLUS events in 2025.
• National events (the PLUS Symposium Series and PLUS Conference) hosted nearly 3,500 participants, the second highest in PLUS history.
• Throughout 2025, PLUS implemented changes and enhancements to the chapter system, and through these changes and the work of our volunteers, with fewer events but higher-than-ever attendance, PLUS had nearly 4,500 chapter participants this year.
• Webinars continue to surge, with nearly 4,000 live attendees, and thousands more accessing on-demand content through the PLUS blog and podcast

PLUS has the industry’s leading, gold standard educational curriculum and designation programs. By investing in our proprietary curriculum program, PLUS has made these professional development opportunities and content even more accessible and valuable. Remote learning options and self-study formats have fueled an over threefold increase in module purchases over the past decade, with nearly 8,000 modules sold this year alone. And the momentum carries into designations, with PLUS on track for a record combined total of 650 new RPLU, RPLU+, CPLP, and ExecPLP designees in 2025, up from a total of 144 in 2015.

The numbers tell a compelling story: accessibility works, and the industry is hungry for opportunities to learn, grow, and connect, and they trust PLUS to provide those opportunities.

The People Make PLUS Exceptional

But numbers, of course, only tell part of the story. Behind every committee meeting, webinar, chapter event, symposium, and designation course is a thriving team of volunteers who power the PLUS mission. From the elected trustees to those who contribute thoughtful industry-changing content, and everyone in between, our community’s leadership exemplifies the impact volunteers have across the organization. There are hundreds of volunteers who bring PLUS’s mission to life each year, and it’s their work that is the backbone of an organization built on collaboration and shared purpose.

Looking Ahead with Momentum

It’s very clear that what makes PLUS special is the people. From first-year attendees to seasoned volunteers, from young professionals in the Future PLUS Leadership and Development (LEAD) Program to global leaders shaping their organizations, every member contributes to the strength and direction of PLUS.

With the PLUS Symposium Series returning to NYC in March 2026 and next year’s PLUS Conference heading to San Diego, the path ahead is filled with opportunity, and PLUS is more energized than ever to meet it.

As we celebrate the year behind us, we extend deep gratitude to all the members, volunteers, partners, and leaders who helped shape PLUS’s remarkable 2025. We can’t wait to see what we achieve together next.

Thank  you,

Robbie Thompson
CEO
PLUS