The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Jessica Klein at Fast Company reviews the latest research on freelancing. Did you know that 35% of the U.S. workforce is now freelancing? Only 45% of the freelancers participating in the study do “skilled services”—like programming, business consulting, marketing and, ahem, writing. But, still, we’re a growing sector. Is the freelance sector in your association’s market growing as well? If so, how are you meeting the unique needs of freelancers?
WBT Systems continues its series on project management basics for accidental project managers—otherwise known as the education, membership, communications or marketing directors who get saddled with overseeing LMS, AMS or other technology implementations. If only I knew now what I should’ve known back then, sigh.
Like everyone else, members do not have time to engage with your association. Amanda Kaiser of Smooth The Path says you should keep this in mind from the very beginning of a member’s journey. “If the first three emails new members receive, link them to long-form content and day(s)-long events, a member may assume that the only way to extract any value is to trade in a good chunk of their time.” Thinks small wins.
Lisa Murton Beets at the Content Marketing Institute shares five takeaways from their B2B research that will improve your content marketing program.
Quick hits before we get to next week’s free webinars:
- Always use the double opt-in for email introductions. An excellent and considerate idea. (Anand Sanwal, CB Insights)
- Want your project to succeed? Get team buy-in. (Gerald Leonard, PM World 360 Magazine)
- An eye doctor explains how to keep screens from ruining your vision. I wish I would follow his advice. I blame flow. (Phillip Yuhas, Fast Company)
Good eats:
- October has been full of fun travel so I’m not cooking as much as I’d like, but I planned ahead so when we came home Sunday, I had all the fixings for this excellent creamy chickpea pasta with spinach and rosemary from the New York Times. I added sausage and onion, and increased the Aleppo pepper. In addition to a little spinach, I used kale, radish, and kohlrabi greens. I didn’t reserve any of the ingredients for a garnish, but kept them all in the mix instead.
Here are the educational events scheduled for next week. If you have any free webinars or events coming up, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not product-centric.
Mon 10/28 at 1 p.m.* – Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia
Check out this 15-minute web series covering hot topics and issues related to 501c organization management. A new episode is posted every Monday by 1 p.m., or subscribe for updates. More info.
Host: Rogue Tulips LLC
Presenters:
- Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman
- Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 10/29 from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Live Review
Live Review is a two-day, entirely online event that allows you to efficiently, effectively and affordably get targeted demos of learning platforms from 14 vendors focused on learning businesses and committed to serving organizations that market and sell lifelong learning, continuing education and professional development. More info/register.
Host: ReviewMyLMS (Tagoras)
Tue 10/29 at 12:30 p.m. – The Power of Interactivity in eLearning: Short Sims as Micro-Learning
Online learning needs more “case study” like short simulations (sims) that force the learner to think and make decisions. The branched scenario with multiple decision points takes online learning to another level. If they are kept short they can fulfill the promise of micro learning. Learn the ten best practices of designing and developing short sims, and tips on the pit falls to avoid when building short sims. More info/register.
Host: Web Courseworks
Presenter: Clark Aldrich, game and simulation expert
Tue 10/29 at 1 p.m. – Leading Member Engagement from the Outside-In
Learn a new definition of engagement, and hear specific stories of organizations that have positioned themselves for success by becoming value-generating partners for their members. Learn how refocusing engagement efforts on what matters most to your stakeholders will allow you to generate real value for your audiences while also advancing your chapters’ goals. Find out how to shift your perspective on engagement from seeing it as an activity that is siloed in the membership department to understanding its role at the heart of business strategy. More info/register.
Host: Engage
Presenter: Elizabeth Engel, CAE, CEO and Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting
Tue 10/29 at 1 p.m. – Diving into the Volunteering Driver
At the 2019 ASAE Annual Meeting, Volunteering was debuted as a Foresight Works driver. Many of us rely on volunteers to carry out our mission and provide the member voice to our organizations. How will this new research impact volunteering as we know it? Learn more about the research and forecasts, and hear from association staff who have changed their volunteer model to begin preparing for the future. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Organizer: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council
Presenters:
- Jennifer Nelson, ASAE
- Jessica McConnell, Regulatory Affairs Professional Society
Tue 10/29 at 1 p.m. – 6 Ways to Make Your Nonprofit’s WordPress Site Secure from Getting Hacked
Learn why strong security is important for WordPress, what can happen when your nonprofit’s website gets hacked, six practical steps you can take to keep your site protected, and bonus tips and security recommendations, More info/register.
Host: Nonprofit Tech for Good
Presenter: Chuck Spidell of ILLUSIO
Tue 10/29 at 2 p.m. – Value Ahead of Membership (Association Chat on Twitter)
The original #assnchat Twitter chat is back. Join an online tweet chat with fellow association professionals by following the #assnchat hashtag on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. More info.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
Guest moderator: Levi Wardell (@AssociationSeo)
Tue 10/29 at 2 p.m. – 8 Super Easy Tips to Skyrocket Your Email List to Grow Your Membership
Learn how to use landing pages and lead magnets as tools to quickly convert strangers into followers; export the emails of your LinkedIn contacts, board members, staff (and how to connect with them); and use all your relationships to share high-performing landing page links and supercharge your list’s growth…at no cost. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: nonprofit communications expert Sean Kosofsky
Tue 10/29 at 2 p.m. – The 11 Essential Legal Issues That Every Board Director Should Know
The actions and decisions of the members of the board of directors are governed by specific laws and regulations—some defined on the federal level, and many defined by the state regulations for not-for-profit organizations where an organization maintains offices and conducts direct business. Learn the specifics of the laws governing boards and their individual members and leave with a clear and specific “guide” that you can share as a training tool with new and returning board members. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Virtual, Inc.
Presenters:
- Jerry Panaro, Counsel, Howe & Hutton, Ltd.
- Elissa Matulis Myers, Senior Director, Virtual, Inc.; CEO, Academy of Eating Disorders
- Don Kaiser (moderator), Executive Vice President, Client Services, Virtual, Inc.
Tue 10/29 at 2 p.m. – The Who, What, Where and Why of Post-Event Reporting
Post-event reporting is an integral part of your digital event production. Knowing what data to collect and who to share that information with is crucial to evaluating your digital event’s performance. Learn to identify essential reports when producing digital events, decipher what levels of leadership receive which reports, and develop a summary template for organization-wide post-digital event reporting. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenters:
- Leslie Bailey, DES, Education Manager, PCMA
- Brian Zambotti, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Digitall, Inc.
Tue 10/29 at 2:30 p.m. – The State of Association Sales
What does the data behind the Moery Company’s record breaking sales operation tell us about what is going on in the association sales marketplace. Hear about some of the most important topics for associations to consider in their business development: the latest Moery Company sales data and the interpretation of our sales numbers, and what’s next for association sales and some considerations to adapt. Join an in-depth Q&A session about association sales and marketing. More info/register.
Host: The Moery Company
Presenter: J.P. Moery, The Moery Company
Wed 10/30 from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Live Review
Live Review is a two-day, entirely online event that allows you to efficiently, effectively and affordably get targeted demos of learning platforms from 14 vendors focused on learning businesses and committed to serving organizations that market and sell lifelong learning, continuing education and professional development. More info/register.
Host: ReviewMyLMS (Tagoras)
Wed 10/30 at 1 p.m. – Engage Me: Tips, Tricks and Trends to Motivate Attendees to Get Involved at Events
Learn how competition and collaboration work—and competition with collaboration as a solution; how to plan with a purpose, with open communication, and how to use your own thinking process to develop your own processes for your programs and events; how to know your audience through demographics and interests (including pre-planning and registration sites); how to develop new ideas for engaging with your audience, and the do’s and don’ts of engagement. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Presenters: Extraordinary Events’ Flo Miniscloux, director of production services, and Rick Turner, regional director of business development
Wed 10/30 at 1 p.m. – Event Technology in 2020: Trends and Tools
Hear about the recent findings of our latest research involving 1500 event professionals on the use of event technology. Learn about the event technology tools event professionals are using, the trends affecting event technology in 2020, and how to select event technology that matters. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Event MB
Presenters:
- Joe Schwinger, Co-Founder and CEO of MeetingPlay
- Julius Solaris, Founder and Editor in Chief, EventMB.com
Wed 10/30 at 2 p.m. – AMS Implementation Horror Stories
We’ll try not to spook you too much, but it’s that time of the year and we have a few scary stories to tell you about how you can avoid implementation nightmares. Don’t worry, all names have been changed to protect the innocent. It would be ghoulish of us not to provide a treat, so we’ll be focusing on how to avoid these pitfalls so you can survive to tell your own story. More info/register.
Hosts: ReviewMyAMS and Cobalt
Presenters:
- Chris Capistran, President of Cobalt
- Teri Carden (moderator), CEO of ReviewMyAMS
Wed 10/30 at 2 p.m. – Tactics for Better Sponsorship Engagement
Learn simple, effective methods to increase your sales while creating value for both your sponsors and your association. Find out how to craft a compelling value statement, develop the right techniques for connecting
with prospects, and ensure your website and collateral supports success. More info/register.
Host: Dynamic Benchmarking
Presenter: Carrie McIntyre of The Wyman Company
Wed 10/30 at 2 p.m. – Dissecting Data Security and Privacy Laws: How it Affects You and Your Events
With severe compliance laws such as the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act, it is vital to understand legislation surrounding data protection to minimize risk. But you’re not alone, most event organizers are unprepared. Learn what you really need to know about these laws as well as practical implementation steps for organizations of any size or maturity, ensuring compliance, building trust, and protecting your brand. More info/register.
Host: BizBash
Presenter: Maria Shelton, CEO and Founder of PVITL and Ardian Group
Thu 10/31 at 2 p.m. – How Apps Are Changing the Association Landscape
We’re moving to mobile in every aspect of our lives—why should associations be any different? Learn about what a mobile-first approach can offer members both at events and in year-round engagement. There is a significant amount of value and convenience to take advantage of through native apps. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Protech Associates
Presenter: Clowder COO Brad LaTour
Wed 11/6, Thu 11/7 and Fri 11/8, sessions on the hour from 12 to 4 p.m. – SURGE Growth
SURGE is a free virtual conference where association professionals assemble from all corners of the world for productive conversations around innovation and change. During each session, a chat runs simultaneously, allowing attendees to contribute thoughts and talk with each other, as well as with speakers. The subject of sustainable growth is multi-faceted, and the industry can truly benefit from these conversations by carefully examining potential areas for expansion. SURGE Growth is about maximizing each of the major factors that influence sustainable development and doing so with the right professionals to maximize your takeaways and, ultimately, your associations’ progression. CAE/CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Success
That’s it for now. 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 free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter before Thursday afternoon.
Creative Commons image by Hide Obara via Unsplash
Association Brain Food 