‘Tis the season for ASAE Tech exhibitor emails. If you’re going to the ASAE Technology Conference, like me, and agreed during registration to receive emails from exhibitors, then you’re probably getting several of them a day. Most of these exhibitors are blowing their one chance to deliver something of value to their target audience’s inbox. Instead, they’re sending the same ol’ can’t-tell-one-from-another promotional schtick. Yawn. If you want to stand out and make a positive impression, read my advice about sending emails to ASAE conference attendees.
13 association management experts (including yours truly) make some predictions for 2017 in a new e-book from Aptify. Few of us cover the same ground so it makes for an interesting read.
If you plan to buy yourself a Windows touchscreen device for Christmas, check out what three DelCorians have to say about the pros and cons and much more of touchscreen laptops, convertible (hybrid) laptops and Microsoft Surfaces. What do you think, will they agree?
Want to read more? Shane Parrish of Farnam Street has some simple advice that’s surprisingly easy to follow.
My heart is aching for the people of Gatlinburg and the loss of lives, homes, businesses and beautiful forests. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must be to experience a wildfire but this video gives me a slight sense. It feels somehow wrong to watch the most frightening moment of someone’s life but since they filmed it, they must want us to understand what they experienced. Don’t plan on doing anything for a bit after watching this, it wiped me out.
Ok, on to the list of this week’s free webinars and learning events. If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the next few weeks, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Tue 12/6 at 11 a.m.* – Website Design: Extreme Makeover Edition
Learn how modern website design elements can increase member engagement. Hear about strategies that help turn prospects into new members and ways to customize your website to fit the needs of your members. More info/register.
Host: YourMembership
Presenter: Quinn Brady, vice president, customer success, YourMembership
*All times are Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 12/6 at 1 p.m. – Out of the Mouth of Millennials
Millennials are the largest generation in U.S. history, so while they may not be a large portion of your membership today—they will be. What do Millennials think about being put under the microscope? And do they agree with the conclusions? Rather than talking about them, let’s talk with them in this panel discussion consisting entirely of Millennials. More info/register.
Host: AssociationSuccess.org
Moderator: Jamie Notter, co-founder, WorkXO
Tue 12/6 at 1 p.m. – Personalization through Integration
Leverage your AMS data to customize your members’ experience online, ensuring they log in more often, read your content and register for that next big event. Learn about website personalization: why it’s so important for associations today, how to create and implement a personalization strategy, and how to know when you’ve gone too far with personalization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ACGI Software
Presenter: Chris Bonney, vice president of client experience, Vanguard Technology
Tue 12/6 at 1 p.m. – Membership Recruitment and Renewal Strategies
Hear about strategies to improve your membership recruitment efforts and increase your renewals through segmenting your audience, marketing channels, messaging, testing and tracking. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Marketing General, Inc.
Presenter: Tony Rossell, senior vice president, Marketing General, Inc.
Tue 12/6 at 2 p.m. – Leadership Lessons for Association Professionals (Association Chat)
This week’s chat dives into these questions: What does it take to be a leader today? Do you need to sacrifice your health, family and well-being? Is it all about the hustle? What are the most important things you need to know to fast-track yourself as a leader in your chosen industry? Watch/participate live or view the recording.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
Guest: JP Moery, president and founder, The Moery Company
Tue 12/6 at 3 p.m. – Professional Development (PD) Book Club
Join a discussion of Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Tool Kit for Managers by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Professional Development Section
Wed 12/7 at 12 p.m. – 10 Tips to Measure Event Sponsorship
Learn how to increase event revenue by understanding what “hot buttons” brands are looking for when deciding to sponsor events. Find out how not to leave money on the table – the art of sponsorship event segmentation. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: EventMB
Presenter: Todd Uglow, assistant professor, UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration
Wed 12/7 at 2 p.m. – Inbound Marketing: Why it Matters for Your Association
Are you struggling to capture the attention of your members? Do you feel like you’re constantly spamming your members with email after email? The single biggest problem with association marketing today is that it’s based on yesterday’s playbook. Consumer behaviors have changed—prospects and members are ignoring our traditional marketing tactics. Learn how to use inbound marketing techniques to drive non-dues revenue. More info/register.
Host: Grit Marketing
Presenter: Dave Martin, chief marketing officer, Aptify
Wed 12/7 at 2 p.m. – Best Practices for Content Migration Readiness
It’s critical to have a strategic long-term plan for your online video content. How will the content, CEUs and user information be stored? What’s your organization’s readiness to migrate to a new platform as technology and content needs evolve over time? The American Baseball Coaches Association shares their migration pain points and advice for preparing your organization for success. 1 CE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: PCMA and Calgary Telus Convention Centre
Presenters:
- Jon Litchfield, communications & business coordinator, American Baseball Coaches Association
- Brian Zambotti, director of client relations, Digitell, Inc.
Wed 12/7 at 2 p.m. – Music Licensing for Meetings & Events – Are You Playing Their Song?
Music is an integral part of conventions and meetings, whether incorporated during general sessions, in breakouts, at networking events or simply as background. Using music in a meeting setting will likely require a license fee. Learn why need to be licensed to play music, what your license covers, what happens if music is used without permission, and alternatives to music licensing. 1 CE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: PCMA and PSAV
Presenter: Michael Owen, managing partner, EventGenuity, LLC
Thu 12/8 at 1 p.m. – 2016 Learning Trends, 2017 Learning Forecast
As the year draws to a close, look back at key trends and developments that impacted learning in 2016 and look ahead to what you should be prepared for in 2017. Learn what implications these trends and developments have for your organization’s education offerings. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Tagoras and YourMembership
Presenters:
- Celisa Steele and Jeff Cobb, co-founders, Tagoras
- Tamer Ali, Stephen German, and Louise Platiel of YourMembership
Thu 12/8 at 1 p.m. – Tech Tools for Managing Virtual Teams
Find out how to keep up with staff working in different places and different time zones to make sure they’re getting the support they need and getting the job done; how to collaborate and build on each other’s ideas; and how to maintain a sense of shared vision and togetherness. More info/register.
Hosts: Idealware
Presenters:
- Karen Graham, executive director, Idealware
- Heather Martin, chief operating officer, Interfaith Family
Thu 12/8 at 2 p.m. – Secrets to Hybrid Conference Success: How to Pay For, Produce, and Promote an Online Conference
Hear about the business and production aspects of EMDR International Association’s successful hybrid annual conference, including how they funded the conference, what hidden challenges they faced, and what marketing tactics worked the best. More info/register.
Host: iCohere
Presenters:
- Sara Sturtevant, EMDR International Association
- Alex White, iCohere
Thu 12/8 at 2 p.m. – 2017 Hospitality Trends
From popular ingredients to the latest design features to hot technology for saving time and money, Andrew Freeman & Co.’s annual trend report covers what’s coming in the year to come. Hear about the report’s predictions for 2017, ideas for how meetings and events planners can bring these trends to life, and how they can translate to top line revenue increases. More info/register.
Host: Smart Meetings and Visit San Jose California
Presenter: Andrew Freeman, president, Andrew Freeman & Co.
Thu 12/8 at 2:30 p.m. – Member Data Collection – Surveys, Feedback & More
Whether you need to know more about members’ needs and expectations, assess educational programs, or identify the latest trends on compensation and benefits in your industry, an online survey can get you the information you need. Learn how to create effective and simple surveys that gather helpful information from your members. More info/register.
Host: Engage Software
Presenters:
- Jeff Asadi, founder, Perception Solutions
- Jason Stone, vice president of sales and marketing, Engage
Fri 12/9 at 1 p.m. – One and (not) Done: Getting More from Your Webinar
Learn how and why associations can become central to the learning habits of their members (and increase member value and engagement) by repurposing webinar content. More info/register.
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Presenter: Julie Stelter, chief creative officer, Walden Group
That’s it for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.
Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.
<Creative Commons licensed image by Edmund Garman>
Association Brain Food 