The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Kaiser Insights and Dynamic Benchmarking invite your association to participate in the 2019 New Member Engagement Study. This is a must-read report for me as the results and insights shared in the first study were both interesting and illuminating. Help make this year’s study even better—it only takes 15 minutes to participate.
If you are a mentor or run a mentoring program for your association, take a moment to read this Harvard Business Review article by Rick Woolworth. He advises focusing on the whole person (mentee), not just their career, and shares some practices for doing that well.
Design your learning program first and then figure out how you’ll handle learner assessment, right? Wrong, says WBT Systems—and many instructional design experts agree. WBT explains why “assessment-first” should be your program design mantra.
Do you think you know your association’s membership value proposition? Don’t be so sure. MemberSuite says your value proposition is what members believe, not what your association says. They provide four steps to help you define your association’s real value proposition.
If you’re in the learning business, you probably know of John Leh, CEO and lead analyst at Talented Learning. He recently spoke with WBT Systems about LMS selection and implementation, and the different opportunities he sees for association learning programs.
The Yoga Alliance is going through all kinds of change, including an update to its yoga teaching standards. Tim Ebner at Associations Now describes four member engagement strategies they used to get feedback and buy-in, and deepen trust while navigating change.
Quick hits before we get to next week’s free webinars:
- How to handle staff who fall for phishing emails—and put your association at risk. (Dan Lautman, DelCor)
- According to a new poll, 22 percent of millennials say they have “no friends” at all. Maybe associations can help millennials in your industry make friends. (Edith Zimmerman, The Cut)
- Why you should have a Chief Value Officer instead of a Chief Marketing Officer. (Vince Jeffs, CustomerThink)
- Welcome to housing Twitter, the shoutiest debate on the internet. As a former home building association staffer, I find this debate fascinating to listen in on, but participating would have been challenging/risky if it was going on back then. Is there a Twitter debate going on in your association’s industry? (Eillie Anzilotti, Fast Company)
Good eats:
- Only one this week but it’s as good as it gets: shrimp and grits. Trust me when I say this is the best shrimp and grits you’ll ever have. I can’t take credit, this dish was created and made famous by Bill Smith, former chef at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, NC. I make one change: shrimp broth instead of chicken broth. I’m sure Chef Smith would approve.
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.
First, a free on-demand, online course from Tracy King at InspirEd, Designing Impactful Learning, in which she shares the fundamentals of learning design and tools to enhance your learning design chops.
Mon 8/26 around 1 p.m.* – Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia
In their 20th episode, Agnes and Cecilia look at some of the topics covered so far and hear from members of the Rogue Tulips Consultants Network. This 15-minute web series covers hot topics and issues related to 501c organization management. Check for new episodes on Mondays around 1 p.m., or subscribe for updates. More info.
Hosts:
- 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 8/27 at 11 a.m. – How to Read People Like an FBI Hostage Negotiator
Learn how to read people like an FBI agent—an invaluable skill in today’s competitive business environment. Find out how to pick up on hidden cues from body language, tone of voice and micro-expressions. More info/register.
Host: When + How
Presenters:
- Chip Massey, former FBI agent and hostage negotiator
- Adele Cehrs, CEO, When + How
Tue 8/27 at 12:30 p.m. – Considerations When Restructuring Dues
Take a close look at the questions that must be answered when considering a change in dues structure along with an 8-step plan to properly prepare for such a significant endeavor. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: The Next Steps LLC
Tue 8/27 at 1 p.m. – Membership Growth: Beyond the Numbers
People are more likely to join, renew, and be your organization’s advocate if they feel a personal connection and can see a unique path to their success laid out for them. So how do you accomplish that? Hear proven strategies and tactics for building not only membership numbers, but also member loyalty. Learn the long-term benefits of personalized messaging and interaction, action strategies to engage your members and potential members, and how to measure the impact of your efforts. More info/register.
Host: MCI Group
Presenter: Mike Rosenberg, Director of Member Engagement, MCI Group
Tue 8/27 at 2 p.m. – 8 Super Easy Tech Tools to Grow Your Membership and Motivate Your Volunteers
Technology can be a useful tool to automate tasks, simplify communications and free up more time to focus on attracting new members. Learn how you can use tech tools and automation to make more time in your day and to find and reach out to more people in your audience. More info/register.
Host: Wild Apricot
Presenter: Amy Neumann, founder, Free Tech for Nonprofits, and CEO of the social enterprise consultancy Good Plus Tech
Tue 8/27 at 2 p.m. – Year-Round vs. Event-Only Apps
Associations are often well versed in event-only apps as they’re continually used for meetings, conferences and conventions. But what happens when an event is over? Well, 99% of the time, these single-use apps are deleted. Explore the benefits of taking a year-round approach to mobile and what it means to extend mobile member engagement beyond events. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Clowder
Tue 8/27 at 2 p.m. – Raise More Money by Automating the Right Message at the Right Time
Supporter actions and other data can tell you the best time to ask a donor to upgrade to become a monthly giver, join a mid-level program, or just make the next gift. When this is combined with automation, you can raise more money with less effort. Hear case studies that show how data, careful segmentation, and automation combine to deliver the right message, to the right supporter, at the right time. See how this results in greater revenue for the organization. More info/register.
Host: TechSoup
Presenter: Michael Stein, Senior Director of Partnerships, EveryAction
Wed 8/28 at 11:30 a.m. – Common Audit Pitfalls and Implementing the New Standards
Learn the importance of avoiding common audit pitfalls, to insure your annual audit is successful. Hear a review of the new accounting standards, which need to be implemented for annual audits going forward. More info/register.
Host: Abila
Presenter: Financial Technologies & Management
Wed 8/28 at 1 p.m. – Driven to Learn: The Relationship Between Data and Personalized Online Education Experiences
Delve into the hidden benefits of leveraging data to drive customized learning experiences, and increase engagement and revenue. Find out how to build loyalty and engage groups to further your reach into member organizations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: MemberSuite and CommPartners
Wed 8/28 at 1 p.m. – Board Approval Tips for Small Staff Associations
Help your board better understand that a modern membership management system will empower the organization and the board to make data-driven decisions. Learn how to speak confidently and intelligently about why it’s time to invest in new technology. Get a checklist of the key elements your business case should include. More info/register.
Host: Your Membership
Wed 8/28 at 1 p.m. – Don’t Get Skinned: Critical Clauses and Other Meetings Contract Tips
From attrition penalties that can torpedo the financial health of your organization to risk management, ADA compliance, renovations and no-walk clauses, knowing what contract clauses to insert in your meetings contracts can make or break your career. And knowing what “landmines” to look out for from the supplier side of the equation can be just as critical. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Presenter: Kelly Bagnall, a meetings and hospitality industry specialist and partner in Holland & Knight law firm
Wed 8/28 at 1 p.m. – Diversity in Events: 3 Leaders Share Their Actionable Tips
Diversity is not a box to tick. It is a requirement of events that want to achieve success. Events are always criticized for following the same format. Is diversity the missing element in ensuring more engaging events? Join a panel of event experts sharing the best practices for including diversity in your event. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Event Manager Blog
Presenters:
- Michael Newton, Team Lead, European Account Management, Cvent
- Sarah Soliman Daudin, Owner and Partner, SarahxCourtney
- Courtney Stanley, Owner and Partner, SarahxCourtney
- Julius Solaris (moderator), Founder and Editor in Chief, EventMB.com
Wed 8/28 at 2 p.m. – Trends to Table: Curate Events That Allow Attendees to Taste, Toast, Engage and Explore
Learn where to find inspiration and insight regarding upcoming food and beverage event trends, and how to take those trends and incorporate them into events. Find out how to better brand your company with F&B, how to best label your offerings, and how to keep it healthy but still indulgent. More info/register.
Host: Smart Meetings
Presenter: Lisa Russi, Senior Director Catering & Events Sales Operations, Americas, Hilton
Wed 8/28 at 2 p.m. – Causing the Same Effect: Designing Sessions for Onsite and Online
There’s no such thing as designing for just one user experience. Now we have to plan for the visual and audio experience, along with the in-person and on-line engagement. Learn about factors to consider in developing the room set while also incorporating specific content into the experience. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenters:
- Joshua Butler, Product Manager, OnlineEvent, Freeman
- Bill Mott, Director, Digital Services, Freeman
Wed 8/28 at 2 p.m. – How to Identify a Year of Content Creation Ideas in One Event Agenda
Learn how a single event agenda can inspire an entire year of content creation. Find out about easy-to-create content formats for your consideration, inspiration sources in common trade show agenda components, and a framework to support your annual planning. 0.5 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Trade Show Summer School
Presenter: Robyn Davis, Trade Show Strategy Specialist and the Owner of When I Need Help (WINH)
Thu 9/5 at 1 p.m. – How to Spark High-Impact Learning: A Modern Skills Development Model
According to LinkedIn research, 94% of employees would stay longer at a company that invests in their professional development. What kind of learning experiences actually drive employee loyalty and business performance? Hear practical advice and proven examples of what works and why, including
1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Talented Learning
Presenters:
- John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst, Talented Learning
- Paul Morton, Regional Director, CrossKnowledge
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 image by Josh Hammond via Unsplash
Association Brain Food 