The weekly list of free educational events for the association community…
What do you think about the new 280 Twitter character limit? I must admit I exceeded 140 characters a few times already but only to add a bit of commentary to articles I shared. I plan to continue being pithy on Twitter—at least in my own mind—and not use more characters just because I can.
If you work in an association, I encourage you to think about content strategy for five minutes because the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Foundation is studying how associations use content strategy. This research will:
- Document which associations are developing and implementing content strategies.
- Identify what these associations are doing and how they are staffing and funding their efforts.
- Analyze emerging challenges and threats to association content strategy models.
The results of the study will help associations be more intentional and successful with their content strategy. The survey will take less than five minutes to complete. If you know of associations practicing content strategy, please forward this information to them and encourage them to also participate.
Contrary to popular belief, the Boomers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The latest research, brought to you by WBT Systems, about the aging workforce, the looming workforce gap, and retirement plans of Boomers is quite surprising. Prepare your association and your educational programs for the retraining needs of our aging workforce.
Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Engagement Officer at ASAE, said in a recent Association Success post:
“…as our communities grow, the possibility of really knowing our members and responding to their needs effectively becomes more elusive. AI has the potential to play a huge role in overcoming this tension. Rather than robots thwarting personal interactions, AI technologies could prove integral to keeping our interactions with members valuable and relevant.”
A rasa.io post picks up the relevancy message. Amith Nagarajan says the real culprit in the inbox overload complaint is email relevance, not frequency.
“Members can find information anywhere. Your promotional and informational emails are no better than anyone else’s unless you give each member what they want. And, unlike other organizations in your member’s world, your association has (and can get) the data to deliver personalized, if not hyper-personalized, content based on their unique wants and needs.”
I took some time off on Tuesday to attend a few sessions of SURGE 2017, a virtual summit for the association community. Although I highly enjoyed the future of learning and AI conversations, I loved loved loved Lisa Campo’s video: 5 Ways to Repel Millennials from Your Association.
That’s it for good reads, now it’s time for this week’s list of free professional development for the association community.
If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Mon 11/13 and Tue 11/14 – AMS Fest (Washington DC)
I’m skipping AMS Fest because I decided not to travel out of state in November, but, wow, what a program. AMS Fest is two loaded days of elbow-to-elbow conversations with association executives, AMS consultants, and AMS vendors around nothing but AMS. My people!
You’ll hear talks related to: the future of AMS, what’s trending, what’s not working and what is working, what’s the most innovative AMS, whether associations or technology vendors should be the guiding force in development, what new systems are out there, CRM vs AMS, how cryptocurrency could affect our systems in the future, preparation for mergers and acquisitions, data privacy laws, and the list goes on… See what I mean? 10 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: ReviewMyAMS
Mon 11/13 at 2 p.m.* – What You Need to Know to Attract & Engage Young Members (Membership Growth Online Summit 2017)
When you look out at your members, do you see a sea of gray hair? If you’re worried your organization is becoming irrelevant to younger generations, learn how many “graying” organizations are rapidly building a younger membership base. Discover the method they use to attract, engage, and retain the young generations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: Amanda Kaiser, Member Engagement Expert, Smooth The Path
*All times are Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 11/14 at 8:30 a.m. – Association Coffee Talk (Reston VA)
As 2017 draws to a close, let’s share what went right this year. Learn from each other and exchange stories of project successes across all departments – marketing, membership, education and technology. Discuss what worked, share lessons learned, and talk about what we’re planning for 2018. 1 CAE credit. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.
Host: Results Direct
Tue 11/14 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. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Tue 11/14 at 12 p.m. – Taming the Lion: How to Train Your Board (Washington DC Idea Swap)
Training your board members sets the tone for the members’ positive board experience and lays the foundation for a smooth working relationship with your association staff. Understand the board’s purpose, know the difference between staff and board roles and responsibilities, learn what to put in your board handbook, know how to talk about the board’s legal and fiduciary responsibilities, understand how to use different distribution channels (podcasts, videos, social media, etc.) to provide board training, and learn how to effectively communicate with the board. 1 CAE credit. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community
Presenter: Eileen M. Johnson, CAE, Partner, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP, and co-chair of the firm’s association practice
Tue 11/14 at 1 p.m. – All in the Family: Conducting a Successful Tech Partner Summit
Without a shared vision of success and deeper understanding of how the pieces fit together, organizations can struggle with even the most basic of IT projects—costing time, money, and effort. Learn about a more practical approach: gathering the right internal and external parties for a discussion of your association’s business goals and objectives as well as the roles and responsibilities of key players in helping to reach them. Get a head start on the subject with this background reading: A Holistic Approach to Vendor Management and Marrying into the Family: Why New Vendor Partners Must Fit In. More info/register.
Host: Personify
Presenters: Tobin Conley, CAE, Strategic Consultant, and David DeLorenzo, CAE, CIO, DelCor Technology Solutions
Tue 11/14 at 2 p.m. – Tech Takeover: Are You Ready? (Association Chat)
According to the ASAE Foundation study on information technology (IT) maturity levels at associations, only 9% of associations were found to be truly innovative. Why aren’t associations more innovative when it comes to tech maturity? What’s holding us back? How do more innovative associations overcome this challenge? Could the key lie in a stronger relationship between the CIO and CEO be the solution, or is there a deeper issue at hand? Watch/participate live or view the recording.
Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
- Tim Hopkins, Assistant Director, Digital Center, International Association of Fire Chiefs
- Bill Bruce, MBA, CAE, Executive Director, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Tue 11/14 at 2 p.m. – The Digital Education Tools That Keep Your Members Coming Back For More (Membership Growth Online Summit 2017)
The way people are learning—and how they want to learn—is changing. Your members want to be part of an online community and have access to on-demand learning opportunities. Hear about the strategies and tools top nonprofits are using to drastically increase member engagement these days. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: Rebecca Peterson, Director, NonprofitReady.org
Tue 11/14 at 2 p.m. – Get Strategic or Get Left Behind
Understand and appreciate the difference between an event planner and an event strategist. Develop the confidence and gain the vocabulary to articulate why events are essential for the health of your organization’s marketing and sales strategy. Leave motivated and able to position yourself and the industry as a whole as the skilled profession it is. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: Christy Lamagna, CMP, CMM, CTSM, founder, Strategic Meetings & Events
Tue 11/14 at 2 p.m. – What’s Hot and What’s Not: 4 Event Trends Set to Take Over 2018
Uncover new tips, tricks, and advanced tactics to create unique and memorable experiences for your participants, including how to create lasting and meaningful impressions on your attendees; crafting digital content experiences that break through the busyness of an event; developing collaborative environments inside and outside of the workplace; and the importance of event technology. More info/register.
Host: BizBash
Presenters:
- Pierre Metrailler, CEO, SpotMe
- Mitra Sorrells, technology editor and Orlando bureau chief, BizBash
Wed 11/15 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. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Wed 11/15 at 1 p.m. – Smarter Than LMS: How AI Measurably Improves Learning Experience and Impact
Find out how AI can help you provide learning that’s more personal, memorable and valuable for participants, as well as your organization. Learn how AI is transforming organizational learning; what you can do to create a ‘smarter’ learning experience; the role AI plays in complementing (not replacing) learning platforms; how to predict and measure AI’s impact in the learning experience; and real-world examples of successful AI-enhanced learning initiatives. More info/register.
Hosts/Presenters:
- John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst,Talented Learning
- Ryan Bertrand, Vice President of Enterprise Solutions, EdCast
Wed 11/15 at 1 p.m. – World Usability Summit (Silver Spring MD)
Learn how to step up your website’s user experience (UX) game to provide your constituents with an even better web experience. Duration: 3 hours. 2 CAE credits. Location: Silver Spring, MD. More info/register.
Hosts: Brightfind & Discovery Education
Presenters:
- Kim Flaherty, Nielsen Norman Group
- Geoff Robertson, UX Research Lead, Discovery Education
- Nina Amato and Nazhin Beiramee, UX Designers, Brightfind
Wed 11/15 at 1 p.m. – Distributed Commerce: The Future of Event Marketing?
Gain a clear understanding of distributed commerce and why it’s important to the future of event marketing. Discover how to build greater attendance by applying distributed commerce methods. Learn how they can use distributed commerce to build brand loyalty. Understand how distributed commerce concepts can help sponsors get more value. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Event Manager Blog
Presenter: Shawna Suckow, CMP, founder, Senior Professionals Industry Network
Wed 11/15 at 2 p.m. – How to Turn Your Events into a Growth Engine for your Organization (Membership Growth Online Summit 2017)
If you want to drive growth through your events, hear about a new approach to marketing and running your events. Learn how to create an experience for your attendees that turns them into evangelists for your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: Jeff Hurt, Event Design Expert, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting
Wed 11/15 at 3 p.m. – Digital Marketing Office Hours
Bring your specific digital marketing challenges, questions or current work to get expert feedback and guidance. Topics can include: tools you can use for your problem; email marketing; social media marketing; website design and function; user experience; interpreting analytics; digital advertising; search engine optimization; and marketing automation. More info/register.
Host: HighRoad Solution
Wed 11/15 at 4 p.m. – Small Association Forum for Executives (Northern Virginia)
Join an executive peer roundtable for executives of small staff associations with ten or fewer employees—a free-flowing discussion around pressing issues on a variety of topics. Duration: 1.5 hours. Location: Washington DC or virtual. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Executive Management Section
Facilitator: Shira Harrington, Chief Engagement Officer, Purposeful Hire, Inc.
Thu 11/16 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. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Thu 11/16 at 12 p.m. – Leveraging Data for Engagement, Value and Growth
Learn how to leverage your organization’s data to make smarter, faster decisions that encourage member engagement, value, and growth. Gain deeper insights and eliminate the guesswork, design powerful engagement strategies, and cut inefficiencies. More info/register.
Host: Icimo
Thu 11/16 at 1 p.m. – Building a Sponsorship Proposal That Works
Learn what every sponsorship package must have and what you should never include; how to replace Gold, Silver, Bronze packages; how to use audience data to attract sponsors; how to engage your leadership and board of directors and get internal buy-in; how to use sponsor feedback to build a sponsorship package and set up the sale; and short cuts and time saving techniques for implementation. More info/register.
Host: Charity Village
Presenter: Chris Baylis, President and CEO, The Sponsorship Collective
Thu 11/16 at 2 p.m. – Automating Member Engagement
Learn how you can advance your mission and drive membership goals with the power of automation. Find out how to leverage technology to increase meaningful member interactions, integrate data to gain a 360 degree view of your members, and personalize member engagement to drive retention, renewal, and education. More info/register.
Host: Informz
Presenters:
- Tom Lehman, Founder & CEO, Lehman Associates
- Andy Steggles, President and Co-Founder, Higher Logic
Thu 11/16 at 2 p.m. – Navigating Nonprofit Marketing (Membership Growth Online Summit 2017)
With limited resources it can be hard for nonprofits to market effectively. Get the blueprints you need to build a solid marketing plan for your organization… even with limited resources. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: David Mundy, Director of Marketing, Guidestar
Thu 11/16 at 2 p.m. – “Tame the Tiger” – The Art of Negotiation
Learn how some key negotiation strategies are used in Chinese communication. Find out how to react when these negotiation strategies are used on you. Understand how to apply a new way of thinking about negotiation which you can use for negotiating in your own cultural environment. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: Leonie McKeon, an Australian China-educated strategist
Thu 11/16 at 3 p.m. – Research Campaigns
Learn the fundamentals of inbound marketing and dive deeper into using personalization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: HighRoad Solutions
Fri 11/17 at 1 p.m. – Professional Learning in the Era of Amazon and Netflix
Hear about the dramatic evolution of online learning. Learn about the critical role engagement and personalization play in learning, along with the relationship this has with membership recruitment and retention, and the generation of non-dues revenue. More info/register.
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Presenter: Ryan Graham, Senior Sales Director, Blue Sky eLearn
Fri 11/17 at 2 p.m. – How to Use Tech Tools to Attract Lots and Lots of New Members (Membership Growth Online Summit 2017)
Learn how some nonprofit professionals are able to double or triple their membership each year with minimal effort, simply by using the right tools. Find out exactly which tools they are using, so you can put them to use right away in your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: Terry Ibele, Nonprofit Tech Expert, Wild Apricot
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 photo by vision webagency on Unsplash
Association Brain Food 