It’s that time of year – your chance to participate in the industry’s most comprehensive study on membership marketing. For the ninth year in a row, Marketing General Incorporated (MGI) is conducting its Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey.
Every year, I look forward to pouring over this report as soon as it comes out. Not only will this report help you benchmark your association’s membership marketing efforts against nearly 1,000 other associations, but you’ll pick up ideas for improving recruitment and retention tactics. To participate in the survey, follow this link.
Here’s a great idea for associations: a Talent Council. I read about NIGP’s “HR arm” in a thread in ASAE Collaborate’s Executive Management Section (see message #13). The council manages leadership recruitment, candidate evaluation, and nominations.
If you want an overview of association eLearning trends, check out Web Courseworks’ eLearning Predictions Hype Curve. We’re entering some fascinating times!
Orbit Media released the results of its 2016 survey of 1000+ bloggers. Find out which blogging tactics produce the strongest results. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Now, onto 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 1/17 at 12 p.m.* – Proactive vs. Reactive Community Management Tactics
Learn about the community lifecycle and how the role of your community manager evolves in each stage. Understand how to differentiate between proactive and reactive tactics, and how both are equally as important – but for different reasons. Take away tips to enhance your member engagement. More info/register.
Host: Grit Marketing
Presenter: Arianna Rehak, community engagement coordinator, Grit Marketing
*All times are Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 1/17 at 12 p.m. – The Epic Advantage: Select, Develop & Retain Top Performing Meeting Professionals
Learn the art and science of choosing and keeping top meeting talent. Hear how to simplify the selection process and eliminate guesswork; activate performance, productivity, and profit; and empower happy, highly engaged employees and reduce turnover. 1 CE credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Presenter: Jerome Wade, CEO, The Epic Advantage
Tue 1/17 at 12:30 p.m. – Why the AMS Platform Supersedes All Else
Innovation today is moving at light speed and to deliver a world-class member experience your association needs to be able to leverage a strong platform to take you there. Learn how to evaluate association management software based on important, often overlooked criteria; avoid hidden costs; and attract next generation thinkers and staff with a strong technology platform. More info/register.
Host: NimbleUser
Presenters:
- Rob Banwar, account executive, NimbleUser
- Sig VanDamme, chief customer officer, NimbleUser
Tue 1/17 at 2 p.m. – Diversity and Inclusion Challenges for Associations (Association Chat)
Watch/participate live or view the recording.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
Tue 1/17 at 2 p.m. – What’s on the Meetings Horizon?
Find out what meeting planners can expect from the industry in 2017. Learn how you can prepare for upcoming trends in meetings and events. More info/register.
Hosts: Smart Meetings, Go Providence, The Westin Riverwalk San Antonio, and The Westin Denver International Airport
Presenter: David Epstein, content marketing manager, Bizzabo
Tue 1/17 at 2 p.m. – The New Volunteer Manager’s Toolkit
Learn about the three Rs of volunteer management: recruitment, retention and recognition. Discuss program components such as interviews, orientations, volunteer handbooks, and more, as well as the importance of managing risk for your program and your organization. More info/register.
Host: VolunteerMatch
Presenter: Jennifer Bennett, senior manager of education & training, VolunteerMatch
Wed 1/18 at 1 p.m. – 3 Strategies to Future-Proof Your Association
Hear about technological breakthroughs in mobile, marketing, data analytics and membership management that help associations transform business and serve members more intelligently and profitably. The panel will share experiences and best practices designed to: create event value (not limited to a specific time or place); be where members are (always on, globally connected); leverage data; personalize; and identify and drive new revenue opportunities. More info/register.
Host: Impexium
Wed 1/18 at 2 p.m. – Why 2017 Is the Year to Re-Evaluate Your Event Tech
Technology that was once bleeding edge has now come of age — seasoned, mature, and ready for you to implement. If you were waiting, 2017 is the time to see how technology can make your events more efficient, engaging, and meaningful for both you and your attendees. Learn what event technology services are available, what technology is coming soon, and how you might implement emerging event tech. More info/register.
Host: eTouches
Presenter: Brandt Krueger, host of Gather Geeks Podcast & event tech guru
Thu 1/19 at 12 p.m. – Spark Your Innovation Engine
Hear unique perspectives on the role of innovation in associations today. Understand the continuum of innovation and how to leverage your spot on that continuum. Learn about the unique relationship between culture and process. Hear how the National Business Aviation Association embraced innovation as an organizational strategy. More info/register.
Host: NimbleUser
Presenters:
- Jo Damato, director, educational development & strategy, National Business Aviation Association
- Amanda Kaiser, chief path finder, Kaiser Insights LLC
- Sig VanDamme, chief customer officer, NimbleUser
Thu 1/19 at 1 p.m. – LMS Selection: Mastering the Process, Avoiding the Pitfalls
Great content is only part of the equation for successful online education—organizations also need a way to effectively deliver the content, track participation, and manage credit and certificates. The right technology can mean the difference between success and headaches, but the selection process can be daunting. Hear about a time-tested process for selecting a learning management system and pitfalls to avoid. More info/register.
Host: YourMembership
Presenters: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, cofounders, Tagoras
Thu 1/19 at 1 p.m. – Battle of the #Eventprofs (Revisited)
Hear a panel of event profs providing insight and discussion around the ILEA Core Curriculum and the innovative delivery method of “BOTEventProfs” at TSE 2017. Topics include event planning, entertainment, speaker/content management, decor, creative services, rentals, tenting, food and beverage, technical production, and venue. More info/register.
Host: International Live Events Association Canadian Affiliate (ILEA Canada)
Presenters:
- Corinne Kessel, CSEP, Greenscape Design and Décor
- Dustin Westling, CSEP, OneWest Events
- Anthony Vade (moderator), FMAV
Thu 1/19 at 2 p.m. – The Tech Effect: Discover the Simple Solution that 1000s of Organizations Are Using to Grow Membership in Today’s World
Learn about The Tech Effect, the hidden threat that makes it harder to grow membership. Hear the story of one membership manager’s challenges, and ultimate triumph—a story that’s inspired thousands to grow their memberships faster than ever. Get five proven strategies to address The Tech Effect and attract new members right away. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenters:
- Donald Cowper, membership growth specialist, Wild Apricot
- Terry Ibele, content manager, Wild Apricot
Thu 1/19 at 2 p.m. – Creating a Comprehensive and Engaging Volunteer Training Program
Learn how to determine what information you should be sharing with volunteers and how to create a curriculum by presenting this information via different delivery methods that appeal to adult learners. Find out how to assess what your volunteers have learned, and how to create ongoing training and professional development training for them. More info/register.
Host: VolunteerMatch
Presenter: Jennifer Bennett, senior manager of education & training, VolunteerMatch
Thu 1/19 at 3 p.m. – Mobile Event Apps (Montgomery County MD Idea Swap)
Find out when it makes sense to use an event app, how to compare app providers, and why pricing all over the map. Learn about app preparation, adoption and usefulness, trends such as activity feeds and gamification, issues like security and registration integration, sponsorships and advertising, and ROI metrics. Location: Rockville MD. More info/register.
Host: Association Networking Group (ANEX)
Presenter: Phil Rappoport, vice president, sales and marketing, AgendaPop
Thu 1/19 at 4 p.m. – New Year’s Resolutions Roundtable
A panel will share their New Year’s Resolutions on nonprofit technology pain points in security, technology management, the cloud, infrastructure, and more. Learn why your technology resolutions should include implementing two-step authentication on any login of value, testing your ability to restore from backup regularly, and never investing in new technology without first justifying the time and expense with a business case analysis. More info/register.
Host: Community IT Innovators
Fri 1/20 at 1 p.m. – Stand Out: Turning Your Continuing Education into a Competitive Advantage
Learn about a model for enhancing the quality and relevance of your education that will elevate your association from program provider to learning leader. Hear about three cases drawn from real-world challenges and gain insights for next steps. Bring your team an audit tool that stimulates conversation about your association’s education strengths, gaps, and where you may want to consider prioritizing resources. More info/register.
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Presenter: Tracy King, chief learning strategist & founder, InspirEd
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 David Pilbrow.>
Association Brain Food 