The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
The third wave in education and training is here and it’s different than previous waves in the early 1900s and the 1960s. “The third wave is likely to be marked by continual training throughout a person’s lifetime,” says The Atlantic. Two- and four-year colleges are already developing programs to meet this need. Associations, if you haven’t already, it’s past time to step up your game, especially with the youngins.
Are you, someone on your education staff, or one of your members an “accidental” instructional designer? You’re not really qualified but you’ve learned enough to get the job done? You might want to take a look at this post from LMS provider WBT Systems about the benefits of outsourcing instructional design.
Anna Ruth Williams explains why thought leadership content works—and she has eight statistics to back up her argument. I know this is a self-serving share, but, seriously, thought leadership content is all about being a valuable resource, establishing authority and trust, and developing relationships with your target audience.
What’s more important: the size of your email list or the quality of engagement you have with the people on your email list? I think we all know the answer but if you (or your boss) aren’t completely convinced, Matt Harris will set you straight.
Is your IT department still trying to do it all? Why? Your association will come out way ahead if you outsource some of your IT tasks to a Managed Service Provider (MSP). DelCor shares ten reasons why that’s such a smart idea.
Some quick hits before we get to the list of free webinars:
- For crying out loud, don’t give away details of your personal history in online quizzes. (Krebs on Security)
- Social media metrics that matter. (Sprout Social)
- Blockchain is the future, so they say, but it’s confusing, so here’s an explanation in plain English. Quiz next week. (Inc.)
Way off-topic: Check out my Grabbing the Gusto blog for the list of recipes I’ve made this week or plan to make in the coming week, and my list of recommended fiction and non-fiction ebooks (including cookbooks) on sale right now.
Now, the main event: free professional development events for the association community. If your organization has a free webinar or event coming up, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not product-centric.
Tue 4/24 at 8:30 a.m.* – Measure What Matters Workshop (Alexandria VA)
Google Analytics offers a wealth of website data, but which data are relevant to advancing your organization’s mission? How do you avoid the pitfall of just looking for large numbers? Join this Coffee Talk to share strategies to leverage Google Analytics to meaningfully measure success, generate revenue, and improve your users’ experiences. 1 CAE credit. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.
Host: Results Direct
*All times are Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 4/24 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Washington DC
Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Tue 4/24 at 12 p.m. – Solving the Marketing Puzzle
Successful marketing is like a puzzle with lots of moving pieces, and it gets more complex every day. Learn the fundamentals of creating a solid strategy to solve the marketing puzzle, including the importance of having a marketing plan, steps you can take to develop a smart marketing plan, and maximizing your marketing ROI. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Marketing Section Council
Presenter: Scott Oser, president, Scott Oser Associates
Tue 4/24 at 12:30 p.m. – Branching Scenarios: From Root to Leaf
Find out why branching scenarios are an important eLearning tool, which learning problems are a good fit for this tool, the general process for creating one yourself, and how users’ experiences in the scenario may be able to predict workplace performance. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Web Courseworks
Presenter: Jenny Saucerman, instructional designer, Web Courseworks
Tue 4/24 at 2 p.m. – Keys to Driving Webinar Registration and Attendance
Learn how to optimize your email invitations, use videos to drive registration, more effectively leverage social media, and build a long-term audience. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenter: Mark Bornstein, VP Content Marketing, ON24, Inc.
Tue 4/24 at 2 p.m. – 7 Ways to Increase Member Engagement in a Distracted World
Learn about the art and science behind the engagement strategies used by top organizations to drive membership growth. Find out why many well-meaning attempts to engage members fail, the seven engagement types every membership manager needs to know, and where to focus your engagement energy for the strongest intended results. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: Ben Bisbee, Founder, Rhinocorn Consulting
Tue 4/24 at 2:30 p.m. – Be What Millennials Want: a Content Curator
Associations are one source members can trust to eliminate the fluff and unproven research floating around online and recommend the best content to help members get ahead. Learn how to help Millennials cut through all the junk and get to the good stuff in terms of professional development. More info/register.
Host: Upability
Wed 4/25 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Alexandria VA
Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Wed 4/25 at 1 p.m. – 3 Strategies to Future-Proof Your Association
Join association executives and technologists to discuss technological breakthroughs in mobile, eMarketing, data analytics and membership management that help associations transform their business and serve members more intelligently and profitably. Hear experiences and best practices designed to create unlimited event value, be where your members are, measure and optimize, analyze and visualize, make it personal, and identify and drive new revenue opportunities. Bring your ideas and experiences and be ready to contribute to this engaging discussion on how to future-proof your association. More info/register.
Host: Impexium
Wed 4/25 at 1 p.m. – Site Selection and Inspection: Hidden in Plain Sight
“Hidden in plain sight” are areas we all either take for granted—like the front desk will be in the same place as when we looked at the property—or we don’t consider, such as whether “ADA compliant” really means accessible. Learn how to ask more fully developed questions when writing RFPs or site inspection checklists, inspect a site when you can’t physically go to see it, verify information on a venue’s website, and confirm what you see as part of a contract. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Presenter: veteran planner Joan Eisenstodt, author of Meetings Today’s Friday With Joan monthly newsletter
Wed 4/25 at 1 p.m. – 5 Things Every Sponsor Wishes Event Professionals Knew
Learn the foundation of relationship sales and how to find and approach sponsors; best practices in the sponsorship sales approach and how to use negotiation to maximize your revenue; what benefits are valuable to sponsors and how to deliver them at low cost; creative sponsorship activations – before, onsite and post-event; and how to give your sponsors what they need to justify coming back next year. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Event Manager Blog
Presenter: Heather Sharpe, Event Producer, Sherpa Group Events Inc.
Wed 4/25 at 2 p.m. – GDPR and Your Organization
Learn about the implications of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for your organization, including the basics of GDPR, who is impacted, how the regulation will be enforced, and what the regulation means for the daily operations of your association or business. More info/register.
Host: rasa.io
Wed 4/25 at 2 p.m. – How Much Does an AMS Really Cost?
Learn what goes into AMS pricing, how to make the case for new membership software, and other critical factors to consider when purchasing new membership software. More info/register.
Host: Your Membership
Presenters: Tirrah Switzer, Product Marketing Manager, and Mike Lazzara, Solutions Engineer, Community Brands
Wed 4/25 at 2 p.m. – Using Disruptive Innovation for Association Sustainability
Learn how to identify the essential leadership competencies and organizational plan to navigate change; establish a fluid plan of attack that includes placing the right people, in the right places to develop a plan for organizational and personal achievement; and engage the membership-at-large in transforming the organization’s future direction. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: MaryAnne Bobrow, CAE, CMP, CMM, President, Bobrow Associates, Inc.
Wed 4/25 at 2 p.m. – Why You Should Be Eavesdropping on Your Members
Most organizations today have a social media presence, but are you “hearing” what your members are really saying? Learn about available social media monitoring tools and how the analytics collected can help better drive your organization’s mission. More info/register.
Host: Altai Systems
Thu 4/26 at 8:30 a.m. – Measure What Matters Workshop (Reston VA)
Google Analytics offers a wealth of website data, but which data are relevant to advancing your organization’s mission? How do you avoid the pitfall of just looking for large numbers? Join this Coffee Talk to share strategies to leverage Google Analytics to meaningfully measure success, generate revenue, and improve your users’ experiences. 1 CAE credit. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.
Host: Results Direct
Thu 4/26 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Reston VA
Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Thu 4/26 at 1 p.m. – Finding a Blue Ocean for Your Learning Business
Strategy is the backbone of the success of any business, but, given the volatile, hypercompetitive world we live in, strategic thinking is arguably more essential than ever. Learn about the Strategy Canvas, the Four Actions Framework, and the Six Paths Framework from Blue Ocean Strategy—which focuses on creating uncontested market spaces where competitors are irrelevant (blue oceans) rather than fighting with competitors for dominance of existing market space (bloody, red oceans)—in the specific context of organizations providing professional development. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: CommPartners
Presenters: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders, Tagoras
Thu 4/26 at 1 p.m. – The Future of Voice Technology
Alexa, Cortana, Google Home, and Siri – names that are rapidly becoming a part of how we run our daily lives. For organizations, intelligent services that leverage voice will require a shift in mindset and a strategy on how to engage key audiences. Learn how voice search will impact your organization in 2018 and beyond. More info/register.
Host: Unleashed Technologies
Presenters: Chris Forhan and Colin O’Dell, Unleashed Technologies
Thu 4/26 at 1 p.m. – Financial Statements Presentation for Nonprofits: Implementation Perspective
Learn about the new requirements related to the presentation of NFP financial statements, the ASU and the operational and technical requirements facing NFPs as you look at adopting these requirements, key transition issues and the effective dates of the ASUs, and key implementation issues that may affect a nonprofit organization. More info/register.
Host: BDO, LLP
Presenters:
- Lee Klumpp, National Assurance Partner, Nonprofit & Education Practice, BDO USA, LLP
- Carla DeMartini, Assurance Director, Nonprofit & Education Practice, BDO USA, LLP
Thu 4/26 at 2 p.m. – Medical Meetings: Your Road Map to Navigating State Laws
Learn about some of the state laws applicable to life sciences meetings that were enacted in 2017 and early 2018, as well as the legislative landscape for 2018 and beyond. Identify some of the ways life science meeting managers are navigating these changes. Discover best practices to help you keep current on the latest in the fast-moving field. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Net
Presenters:
- Laura Konwinski, Director of Compliance, BCD Meetings & Events’ Life Science Community
- Sue Pelletier (moderator), Content Director, MeetingsNet
Tue 5/1 at 2 p.m. – Flipping the Script (Association Chat)
Lowell Aplebaum interviews Association chat host KiKi L’Italien. More info/register.
Wed 5/2 at 12 p.m. CST – Chapter Roundtable in Chicago IL
Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Wed 5/2-Fri 5/4 from 12 to 4 p.m. – SURGE Spring 2018
SURGE Spring is a free interactive virtual summit based on the belief that transformation is a team effort. Assembling thousands of association professionals under one virtual roof, SURGE Spring is about harnessing collective knowledge to transform the association space together. Attendees have exclusive access to 12 pre-recorded, expert-led sessions, each focused on the innovative potential of our industry. During the sessions, speakers and attendees can engage with these topics through a simultaneously running chat, so resources can be shared and questions can be answered in real time. Up to CAE and a CMP credits. More info/register.
Host: Associations Success
Thu 5/3 at 3 p.m. – We Want You Back: Tools to Re-engage Lapsed Members
It is your association’s goal to provide meaningful experiences so that your members stay engaged, but what happens when for some reason or another they choose not to renew? More importantly, what can you do to bring these former members back into the fold? Get the strategies and tools you need to re-engage and win-back your lapsed members for life. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community
Presenter: Scott D. Oser of Scott Oser Associates
Still with me? 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.
Creative Commons licensed photo by Anton Darius on Unsplash.
Association Brain Food 