The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.” ―F. Scott Fitzgerald
ChatGPT. Nearly seven months ago, ChatGPT entered our world. WBT Systems goes over some ChatGPT basics, brings up some concerns—like why you shouldn’t rely upon it to do all your work, and explains how association professionals, including education teams, are using ChatGPT to save time and jump-start the creative process.
Our AI future. Marc Andreessen, venture capitalist and founder of the original web browsers, says AI will not destroy the world and, in fact, may save it. Amidst the prevalent doom and gloom about everything these days, I appreciate his hopeful (anti-Skynet) vision for the future, although I know we’ll encounter challenges along the way.
Culture. Impexium says culture frays under the stress of subpar working conditions. If you want to attract and retain exceptional talent, you must provide a supportive environment where people achieve both personal and professional fulfillment. They describe how technology can help your association do this by strengthening your organization’s culture.
AI usage policy. Avenue M and ASAE polled associations about their AI usage policy for staff. Only 54% have a policy or plan to develop one. And this kills me: 40% say they have no plans for developing one. What the heck? Head in the sand? As Sheri Jacobs and Lisa Boylan say, AI policies “serve as essential guardrails, guiding associations on how to manage and harness the power of AI technology effectively.”
Marketing benchmarks. Mighty Citizen assessed the marketing maturity of 450 mission-driven organizations. The resulting benchmark report shares key trends, benchmarks within six marketing categories (research/analytics, branding/strategy, marketing/SEO, UX design/content, technology and team dynamics)—with breakout benchmarks for associations, and recommendations for increasing your association’s marketing effectiveness.
Event apps. You’d think every attendee would use your event app, but that’s not always the case. However, their event experience—and your sponsors’ satisfaction—would improve if they did. EventMobi explains how to increase event app usage, including a plan for roll-out, understanding attendee personas, value-focused messaging, and engagement. Good stuff.
Next gen and traditional institutions. “To understand why we are in this moment with religion is to recognize that younger generations feel traditional institutions have been full of judgment, exclusivity, rigidity, and uninspiring contradictions. It’s why they’re seeking alternatives offering the exact opposite: tolerance, flexibility, remix, choice, and a bit of levity,” said Matt Klein at Lens. Do they feel the same way about traditional associations? Are associations too rigid, uninspiring and serious? I hope not.
Quick hits
Treat your to-read pile like a river from which you pluck items here and there, not like a bucket you must empty. I treat my inbox like this too. (Oliver Burkeman)
Every self-help book boiled down to 11 simple rules. (Chris Taylor, Mashable)
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.
We never tire of this southwest skillet—shorthand for a mix of ground chorizo and chicken, sweet potato, spinach and chard, onion, poblano, red bell, jalapeño, garlic, black beans, corn, chipotle en adobo, spicy spices and cheese.
Simple fish dish: pan-fry fillets of blueline tilefish (or whatever your local fishing community is serving up), when done, add white wine, butter, parmesan, fresh basil and let it reduce/bubble a bit. On the side, sauté asparagus with lemon zest and parmesan. Done.
If you have a free webinar or event coming up, please send me the link by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled. I’m happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Fri 6/23 at 12 p.m. – Exam Development Session-III*
Learn how to design and administer exams that are valid and reliable while incorporating best practices in assessment design. Gain an understanding of the principles of good test construction, explore the different types of exams, and get hands on experience in constructing exams. Hear about the importance of item analysis, the role of feedback in exam development, and the need for test security. More info/register.
Host: Leverage Assessments, Inc.
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 6/2 at 2 p.m. – Decoding Belonging: The Global Belonging Index Transforming Events (Association Chat)
If the value of belonging is so important to association members, why don’t we understand it better? The Belonging Index identifies what Belonging means to people based on 750,000+ surveys in 152 languages across 180 countries. For now, it is a tool to help planners around the world to make inclusive events that resonate deeply with participants. Learn more about the Belonging Index, what it means for associations, and why association executives should care about it. More info/register.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, senior consultant, Tecker International
Guests:
- Naomi Clare Crellin, Founder and CEO of Storycraft Lab
- Megan Henshall, Global Events Strategic Solutions Lead at Google
Fri 6/23 at 4 p.m. – Nonprofit Management Series: Fundraising Fundamentals
This course designed for new fundraisers or those interested in learning about fundraising will will include an overview of the development process for securing private contributions (including individual giving, major gifts, events, foundations, and corporate giving) and where your best opportunities come from to raise money. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speaker: Carolyn Nopar, former Chief Development Officer for the YWCA Metro Chicago and Director of Development & Communications for Family Focus
Mon 6/26 at 8 a.m. – Implementing the Idea (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)
Every week Rogue Tulips brings the nonprofit community intriguing guests discussing vital topics affecting nonprofit organizations around the world—and we have fun doing it! Episodes are published Monday mornings in both audio and video format, available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast (to name a few!).
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting
Guest: Joy Duling, Founder & CEO, The Joy of Membership
Tue 6/27 at 9 a.m. – Events + Community Best Practice
The Covid-19 pandemic changed events forever. One legacy of the transformation has been the rise of community. Everybody’s talking about it and how great event communities are. But who is actually doing it and, more importantly, who is doing it well? What’s the secret of aligning events to community? Should you opt for a pop-up event community or a 365, year-round community to support your event? More info/register.
Host: Guild
Speakers:
- Carolyn Morgan, Founder, Speciall Media
- Ashley Friedlein, Founder, Guild
Tue 6/27 at 12 p.m. – ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management (CRVM) Book Club
The Q2 CRVM Book Club selection is The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker. Whether you’ve finished, are just a couple of chapters in, or want to hear what the book is about and how it applies to associations, we’d love for you to join us. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council
Facilitators: Elisa Pratt and Brian Calvary
Tue 6/27 at 3 p.m. – From Raw Data to Real Insights: Preparing Your Association for AI
Learn about the importance of prompt engineering and creating successful prompts, how to use AI to increase member value and revenue streams, and what to do with your data for AI to work most effectively. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Analytics
Speaker: Conor Sibley, CTO (and AI expert), Association Analytics
Wed 6/28 at 12 p.m. – Accessibility and Event Technology: A Beginner’s Guide
16% of people worldwide and 26% in the US have some type of disability. As an event organizer, you can expand your attendee base, create richer customer connections, and drive your business goals further by creating an accessibility-friendly experience for your events. Learn about accessibility facts, figures and definitions; specific types of disabilities and how these can influence your event planning; and the surprising consequences of not incorporating accessibility concepts for your attendees. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Speaker: Stephen Cutchins, Sr. Product Manager – Accessibility, Cvent
Wed 6/28 at 1 p.m. – Renew: Is Your Member Renewal Journey Magical or Miserable?
Learn how to draw insights from your data, use personalization and automation to create a compelling, cohesive and frictionless member experience through the renewal process. Hear how to unlock a deeper understanding of the journey members go through to engage with your association and renew. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: iMIS by ASI
Wed 6/28 at 1 p.m. – Design Win-Win Virtual Experiences by Putting Member Needs First
Hear examples of the inventive ways associations and their industry partners are designing virtual experiences to help solve challenges, dive deeper into conversations and learning, and create unexpected value for both members and industry partners. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Fonteva
Speakers:
- Michelle Brien, Vice President, Marketing, Matchbox Virtual Media
- Arianna Rehak, CEO, Matchbox Virtual Media
Wed 6/28 at 1 p.m. – The Strategy & ROI of Supplier Diversity
While DEI best practices are improving the way we do business, supplier diversity is an untapped strategy that not only impacts the bottom line but ensures a more sustainable commitment to the purpose of diversity which is economic equity. Learn how to synthesize supplier diversity history, terminology and purpose; examine the demographics of current supplier network to help make informed decisions to increase diversity of businesses; explore collaborative opportunities to strengthen capacity and communication with suppliers, vendors and service providers; and develop a supplier diversity strategy to strengthen ROI and improve innovation. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Speaker: Zoe Moore, president, Grow With Zomo
Wed 6/28 at 2 p.m. – Mission-Driven Leadership with a Former NASA Astronaut
Learn how taking an “orbital perspective” can illuminate the path toward true servant leadership and a holistic systems approach can lead to effective problem solving. Hear how to successfully engage with disruptive change and uncertainty, foster unity in business strategy and cohesive growth, and leverage the power of awe and wonder for action and progress. More info/register.
Host: Big Think+ Book Club
Speaker: Ron Garan, former NASA astronaut, keynote speaker, and author of The Orbital Perspective, Floating in Darkness and the children’s book, Railroad to the Moon
Thu 6/29 at 12 p.m. – The Diversity Lens
Hear about the importance of diverse representation in media and advertising, across companies and teams, and how it impacts the perceptions and actions across various communities. Learn what to do…and what not to do…when choosing the right images for your association’s marketing and branding materials. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Exchange (AXC)
Speaker: Steve Jones, Founder and CEO, pocstock.com
Thu 6/29 at 12 p.m. – Summer House Social
Join us for our quarterly Open House. Meet the community, hear what is happening and how you can be involved. This is a great opportunity for prospective community members to explore our platform, meet with peers, and experience our vibrant community. We are excited to celebrate three of our Q2 Community Spotlight members who will be recognized for their contributions and support of the Black in Events Network Community. More info/register.
Host: Black In Events Network
Thu 6/29 at 1 p.m. – June Think Tank
It’s been a busy month for us all! Let’s take this opportunity to get together to discuss our wins, challenges and questions. During this meetup, we’ll get together as a group to workshop each other’s questions and situations. More info/register.
Host: Sidecar
Thu 6/29 at 2 p.m. – Accreditation Checklists for Dummies: How to Complete Them Effectively
Learn best practices for completing checklists with a focus on the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard, although the concepts and tips can be applied to any type of requirements checklist. Hear about the various uses of checklists, documenting objective evidence and comments on conformance, and common pitfalls in using checklists. More info/register.
Host: ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB)
Speakers:
- Paul Matera, leads the Inspection Body program, ANAB
- David Feist, Lead Accreditation Assessor, ANAB Accreditation Manager, and manages the ANAB Training Business
Thu 6/29 at 2 p.m. – Winning the Race for Relevance Through Innovation
Learn how to approach technology planning, how technology can be a revenue driver, the importance of considering the user experience as part of the plan, how to implement innovation at your association, and how to stay relevant in a competitive environment. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Speaker: Mary Byers, CEO coach, MasterMind facilitator, founder and host of The Successful Associations Today Podcast, and author, Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations and Road to Relevance: 5 Strategies for Competitive Associations
Thu 6/29 at 3 p.m. – Online and On Trend: The Hybrid or Virtual Association Conference in 2023
Hear about emerging association conference trends, tools and strategies associations can use when running events, and challenges in running hybrid and virtual events, and how to overcome them. More info/register.
Host: NXUnite/Nexus Marketing Agency
Speakers:
Heather Hughes, Event Marketing Manager at Fonteva & Protech
Patti Schutte, CEO/Founder & Principal Coach at Be Brilliant Presentation Group
Fri 6/30 at 4 p.m. – Culture in Chaos: Nurturing Workplace Culture During Turbulent Times
Learn about strategies and practical approaches to maintain a positive and cohesive culture, even amid chaos, and engage employees and promote collaboration. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speaker: Rodneikka Scott, MSC, CAE
Thu 7/6 at 2 p.m. – Hired Guns: Using Fractional C-Suite Executives
Learn from three C-Suite fractional experts how fractional or part-time experts can help transform finance, IT, and cyber security within your organization. Hear how to harness the potential of outsourced resources to ensure maximum value for your organization; the best tasks and responsibilities to outsource to a fractional CIO, CFO or CISO; how to select an outsourced resource tailored for your association needs; and how to integrate and manage these resources seamlessly within your staff and organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: 501 Works
Speakers:
- Rick Bawcum, CEO, Cimatri
- Brian Scott, Founder, ClearTone Consulting
- Nadine Witchel, Founder & CEO, Zen Zero
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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.
Creative Commons licensed photo by Lynne via Unsplash
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