What are the top 10 trends for the next ten years? Download the report here.
Get Your Board Aligned on the Future.
In Two Hours.
The Quick Sort is a facilitated tabletop session that helps your chamber board and staff rapidly assess how ready you are for the 11 forces shaping your community's future — and walk away knowing exactly what to do next.
Is the Quick Sort Right for You?
The Quick Sort was designed for chamber leaders who are done with meetings that generate discussion but not direction.
Executive Directors
who want their board focused on the future, not just the present.
Board Chairs
looking for a high-impact, low-friction way to build strategic alignment before a retreat.
Senior Staff
who know change is coming and need their leadership team to see it — and own it — together.
If your chamber has read Horizon 2035 but hasn't turned it into action yet, this is your next step.
Trusted by chamber leaders across the country.
What Is the Quick Sort?
Most executives spend fewer than five minutes a day thinking about the future — even though 95% say strategy is part of their job. The result? Chambers that are planning without foresight. Reacting instead of leading.
The Quick Sort changes that in a single session.
It's an engaging, expertly facilitated tabletop card game built around the 11 future forces identified in ACCE's Horizon 2035 — the forces most likely to reshape your community and your chamber's operating environment in the years ahead.
In two hours, your team will move from vague awareness of these trends to a clear, shared point of view on which ones demand your attention now. You'll leave with strategic alignment that would otherwise take months to build — and the confidence to act on it.
What You Walk Away With:
Clarity on which Horizon 2035 forces matter most for your specific community
An honest assessment of your strategic strengths and gaps
Board and staff alignment on future priorities — in the room, before you leave
Actionable insights you can plug into your work plan immediately
Three Questions.
Two Hours.
Total Clarity.
One of our experienced chamber executives facilitates your team through a structured tabletop activity. For each of the 11 Horizon 2035 forces, your group answers three questions:
1. Certainty
How confident are we that this force will impact our community?
2. Impact
If it does, how significantly will it affect us?
3. Readiness
How prepared are we to respond?
Your answers create an instant, honest picture of where your chamber stands. From there, your facilitator guides your team through a conversation about adjusting priorities, reallocating attention, and identifying your most urgent strategic moves.
No pre-work required. No complicated software. Just your team, the cards, and two hours that will change how you see the future.
The Details
Format:
In-person, facilitated tabletop session
Length:
2 hours
Best For:
Board strategy retreats, senior staff planning meetings, leadership off-sites
Group Size:
Works well for boards and staff teams of any size
Location:
We come to you
Investment:
$4,000 + travel
Your Quick Sort Facilitators
David G. Brown
David G. Brown spent two decades leading the Greater Omaha Chamber, winning Chamber of the Year and earning the 2025 ACCE Life Member Award. As a past Chair of ACCE and the driving force behind ACCE's Horizon efforts, David brings unmatched depth of knowledge about the forces shaping chambers and the communities they serve. His ability to create shared visions that entire communities rally behind — like Omaha 2040 — is exactly what he brings to every Quick Sort session.
Bryan Derreberry
Bryan Derreberry spent 39 years leading chambers in Ohio, Kansas, North Carolina, and South Carolina — including Charleston Metro's 2018 Chamber of the Year. Every Quick Sort session with Bryan feels like getting a strategic pep talk from the coach you always wished you had: direct, energizing, and completely focused on your chamber's success. He's facilitated this work across the country and knows exactly how to help boards move from conversation to commitment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Who should be in the room for a Quick Sort session?
The Quick Sort works best with a mix of board members and senior staff. The goal is alignment across your leadership, so the more decision-makers in the room, the more durable the outcomes. We typically recommend 8–20 participants. - Do we need to have read Horizon 2035 before the session?
Nope. Your facilitator will provide enough context on each of the 11 forces that participants can engage meaningfully regardless of their familiarity with the report. That said, if your CEO or a few board members have read it, that only adds to the conversation. - How is this different from a regular board retreat?
Most retreats are long on discussion and short on outcomes. The Quick Sort is structured specifically to produce a concrete, shared point of view in a compressed amount of time — and your facilitator keeps the group moving. You'll have something tangible to act on before you leave the room. - Can we combine the Quick Sort with other programming at our retreat?
Absolutely. The Quick Sort is designed to fit within a half-day or full-day retreat agenda. David or Bryan can advise on how to sequence it for maximum impact. - What happens after the session?
You'll leave with clear priorities and a shared strategic lens. Many chambers use the Quick Sort as a launching pad for deeper work — like a Wind Tunnel Test of their strategic plan or a longer-term strategic foresight engagement. Your facilitator can walk you through those options. - How far in advance do we need to book?
We recommend reaching out at least 6 weeks before your target date, especially if you're planning around a board retreat. Contact David or Bryan to check availability.
STOP REACTING.
START LEADING.
Your board is ready to talk about the future. Give them the framework to do it.
