Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)

Modernizing a Multi-Site Digital Ecosystem for AEM.

Project Brief.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is North America’s leading trade association representing equipment manufacturers across the construction, agriculture, utility, and paving industries. 

In addition to its association website, AEM operates several of the industry’s largest trade show websites—including CONEXPO-CON/AGG, The Utility Expo, World of Asphalt, and AGG1—which serve as year-round destinations for exhibitors, attendees, members, and industry professionals.  

Photo of AEM.org homepage, as seen on a mobile cell phone

Client Details.

  • Organization: Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
  • Industry: Manufacturing
  • URL: https://aem.org/

Services Provided.

  • Strategic Planning
  • Experience Design

Project Solution.

Since 2018, Ascedia has partnered with AEM to modernize and support its enterprise digital ecosystem. Our work has included Kentico platform upgrades, multi-site architecture, custom application development, systems integration, analytics implementation, Google Tag Manager support, ongoing enhancements, and long-term strategic consulting. We have also collaborated with AEM and its creative partners to implement design enhancements and bring new user experiences to life within Kentico. Today, Ascedia continues to guide AEM’s evolution as it transitions to Xperience by Kentico, ensuring its websites remain secure, scalable, and supported for future growth.

AEM manages multiple enterprise websites that serve different audiences, brands, and business objectives. The organization needed a modern CMS architecture that could support evolving user experiences, simplify content management, integrate with marketing platforms, and provide a scalable foundation for future growth.
The organization needed a modern digital platform that could:

  • Replace legacy Kentico WebForms implementations with a modern architecture
  • Support multiple trade show websites with shared functionality and unique branding
  • Simplify content management across the organization
  • Reduce ongoing development effort through reusable components
  • Integrate with marketing, event management, and content publishing platforms
  • Provide a scalable foundation for future personalization, marketing automation, and continued platform upgrades

Ascedia re developed an enterprise CMS platform that balances consistency, flexibility, and long-term maintainability across AEM’s digital ecosystem.

Enterprise Multi-Site Architecture

  • Designed and developed a scalable Kentico architecture supporting AEM’s association website and multiple trade show websites
  • Built reusable widgets, page templates, content types, and shared functionality
  • Implemented new page designs and layouts provided by AEM and its creative partners within the Kentico platform
  • Standardized the content editing experience across websites while preserving each brand’s unique identity
  • Established development patterns that simplify future enhancements and platform upgrades

Modern Kentico Development

  • Modernized legacy Kentico implementations using Kentico 13 MVC/.NET Core architecture
  • Implemented responsive page templates and reusable content components based on approved creative designs
  • Simplified staging, publishing, and deployment workflows
  • Reduced technical debt while preparing the platform for future migration to Xperience by Kentico

Third-Party Integrations

  • Developed integrations that connect AEM’s websites with the organization’s broader marketing and operational ecosystem, including:
  • Act-On marketing automation
  • Divvy content publishing
  • Google Tag Manager and analytics
  • Custom forms and lead routing
  • Contact management and marketing workflows
     

These integrations allow AEM to publish content efficiently across multiple websites while streamlining lead generation and marketing operations.  

Content Management & Training

Ascedia emphasized usability alongside technical implementation by creating a consistent editing experience across every website.

  • Standardized content editing using reusable widgets and structured content
  • Delivered CMS training and documentation for AEM’s internal teams
  • Enabled multiple staff members to confidently manage content without developer assistance
  • Reduced long-term maintenance needs through intuitive editorial workflows  

Ongoing Partnership

Beyond implementation, Ascedia continues to support AEM through:

  • Kentico platform upgrades
  • Performance optimization
  • Analytics and Google Tag Manager support
  • Feature enhancements
  • Technical consulting
  • Strategic planning for future CMS modernization

The platform modernization established a scalable digital foundation supporting AEM’s association website and major trade show properties.

Key outcomes include:

  • Created a reusable enterprise CMS architecture supporting multiple websites and brands
  • Successfully implemented new user experiences and design enhancements within Kentico while collaborating with AEM and external creative partners
  • Standardized the content editing experience across all properties
  • Reduced development effort by reusing components, widgets, and content structures
  • Modernized legacy Kentico implementations, positioning the organization for continued platform upgrades and long-term support
  • Supports trade show websites that collectively attract more than 30,000 monthly visits, with traffic increasing significantly during event registration and event cycles
  • Enabled AEM’s internal team to independently manage content across multiple websites using a consistent editorial experience
Screenshot of AEM.org homepage
Screenshot of AEM.org homepage content

Project Outcomes.

More than seven years into the partnership, Ascedia continues to serve as AEM’s trusted digital partner.

Our work has evolved from platform modernization to ongoing strategic consulting, analytics support, enterprise CMS planning, and continuous enhancement. The reusable architecture established during the initial implementation continues to reduce development effort, simplify content management, and provide a sustainable foundation for AEM’s growing digital ecosystem.