The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
In-house futurist. Take WBT Systems’ advice: become your association’s unofficial in-house futurist and you’ll be the most interesting person in the room. WBT describes how to become an amateur futurist and what’s in it for you and your association.
The future for chapters. Elizabeth Engel, CAE, at Spark Consulting talked with Peggy Hoffman and Peter Houstle of Mariner Management about the chapter benchmarking report they recently published with Billhighway. The interview captures the essence of the chapter challenges and opportunities facing associations today.
Small association survey. Although GrowthZone surveyed 300 associations of all sizes, 68% of those who participated have an operating budget of $1 million or less, so these survey results are especially relevant for small associations. The report covers a wide range of topics and includes participant comments on new initiatives, diversity practices (and impact), overcoming challenges, member advisory groups, lessons learned, and more.
Data strategy. In Associations Now, Mark Athitakis says, “The pandemic eroded much of the predictive power of associations’ past research. But new methods and closer attention to behavior can help.” Forget pre-, early and mid-pandemic data. Instead, take a deeper look at web and other behavioral analytics and send out frequent pulse surveys.
Sponsorship mindset. Sean Soth of Professionals for Association Revenue advises associations to take a collaborative approach to sponsorships. He describes how the Society for Clinical Research Sites worked with their industry partners to create a successful monthly educational and networking program.
Online community selection. This guide from Wicket includes some handy resources to help you select the best online community platform for your needs: requirements checklist; comparison of the pros, cons and unique features of popular community platforms; and evaluation template.
Signals of coming change. Daniel Burrus says if you know where to look for disruptions, you can begin an “anticipatory journey” that gives your organization a competitive edge. He identifies three areas to explore for signals of “outside-in” change: new laws, competition and emerging technology.
Quick hits
LinkedIn is where it’s at these days. It continues to see record levels of engagement and its revenue is up by 34%. (Andrew Hutchinson, Social Media Today)
The TEA framework of productivity: managing your time, energy and attention. (Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Ness Labs)
This “most important century” series of blog posts argues that the 21st century could be the most important century ever for humanity—it’s a long or short read, depending on how deep you go. (Holden Karnofsky, Cold Takes)
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free webinars if you prefer takeout.
It might seem crazy to use yellowfin tuna for tuna noodle casserole but I only do it when I have yellowfin tuna in the freezer, and I only have it in the freezer if it’s in my seafood share while we’re on vacation—which happened twice in the past several months. So, if you want a decadently delicious version of tuna noodle casserole—no soup cans involved—try my recipe.
I was going to make this shrimp gratin, but when I saw the size and plumpness of my shrimp, I didn’t want to cover them with cheese. I made this scampi and orzo dish instead—a wise choice. Next time, I’ll add tomatoes and fresh basil if I have them.
Since I already bought the zucchini and shiitake mushrooms for the gratin, I sauteed them with onion and corn, and sprinkled it all with parmesan.
Another night, I relied again on the Mummy Lorraine preparation for baked fillets of black drum—that’s a topping of crushed Ritz crackers, lemon zest, garlic powder and melted butter. On the side, couscous made with chicken broth, sauteed onions and a Greek seasoning mix, and leftover greens that I revived with the “creamed” treatment—heavy cream, cream cheese and parmesan.
Here are the educational events scheduled for next week. 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’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Fri 5/6 at 9:30 a.m.* – NYSAE Engagement Lounge: Keep Your Members for Life
Engage your new members early and keep them for life. Hear tips on communicating the value of your association to new members leading to improved retention and their lifelong relationship with your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: New York Society of Association Executives
Presenter: Anne Ferrante, Sr. Vice President at American Pet Products Association
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 5/6 at 12 p.m. – EventTech Chat
A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.
Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting
Fri 5/6 at 1 p.m. – Data & Analytics: What, Why & How to Measure Event Performance
Data (and corresponding actionable insights) make it possible for you, as the event professional, to gain buy-in from your stakeholders to continue the program, increase the event budget, hire more resources, and effectively secure your seat at the table as a strategic advisor. Learn what metrics matter today, how to make a plan to capture data, and most importantly, how to turn that data into actionable insights that resonate with stakeholders and clients. More info/register.
Host: Event Leadership Institute
Presenters:
- Joseph Colangelo, Co-Founder & CEO | Bear Analytics
- Nick Fugaro, Founder & CEO | Vivastream
- Howard Givner (moderator), CEO and Founder | Event Leadership Institute
Fri 5/6 at 4 p.m. – Disaster Planning and Recovery: By Failing to Prepare, You are Preparing to Fail
Learn what issues to consider when developing and implementing a disaster recovery plan and resources that will aide you in planning for and reacting to a disaster. Find out what to consider when creating a disaster preparedness and recovery plan and what might be missing from your current plan; understand the benefits of creating a plan; assess your organization’s alignment of disaster recovery strategies with your business objectives; and know what resources are available before, during, and after different types of disasters. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Presenter: Shelly Trent, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CAE, JCDC, JCTC
Mon 5/9 at 1 p.m. – Association Collaboration for Success (Nonprofit Conversations with Cecilia Sepp, CAE)
This series of 15- to 20-minute videos covers hot topics and issues related to 501c organization management. New episodes are posted around 1 p.m. every Monday. Check out Cecilia’s Nonprofit Executive Spotlight series too.
Guest: Lizra Fabien
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Tue 5/10 at 11 a.m. – Let’s Solve It: I Have No Idea How to Engage People Online
It’s clear audiences are ready to engage digitally. But are you paying attention to their needs and, more importantly, are you delivering with the right tools and content? Learn how to approach this riddle and present ideas you can translate to your own organization. A roundtable discussion will follow with even more ideas from your peers. More info/register.
Host: Juno
Presenter: Tonya Almond, founder, TAG Agency
Tue 5/10 at 11:45 a.m. – Data Bites: Tips and Tricks on How to Talk Data (Arlington VA)
Join us for a brown bag lunch Data Bites at Association Analytics. Have you ever wanted to be a little more comfortable when talking data? Come hear a 15-minute overview on the most important things you should know so you can be just dangerous enough to talk data. We’ll follow that with an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session and wrap up with interactive working groups around the biggest data problems facing us in 2022, including suggested ways to overcome them and take the next step in your data journey. Location: Arlington VA. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)
Tue 5/10 at 12 p.m. – The Inclusive Mindset
Diversity, enlarging your circle, inclusion, what does that all mean and how do you implement it in your professional career and personal life? Shift your focus away from the cliched overuse to applying everyday diversity that leads to deeper collaboration and innovation. Learn how to leverage the power of listening, appreciating and applying different perspectives to create sustainable cultures of high-performance. Hear practical strategies you can implement to enlarge your circle and move confrontations into conversations in order to manage disagreements and differences in a healthy and respectful way. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Presenter: Justin Jones-Fosu, MBA, CSP, Founder and CEO, Keynote Speaker, Author, Social Entrepreneur, Work. Meaningful.
Tue 5/10 at 12 p.m. – 2022 Tech Trends Report Briefing: Work, Culture and Play
Hear a special briefing on key findings from the Work, Culture and Play section of our 2022 Tech Trends Report, which identifies new opportunities for growth and potential collaborations in and adjacent to your business. We also highlight emerging or atypical threats across most industries. We will begin with 30 minutes highlighting this year’s research and insights and follow with a 15-minute Q&A. More info/register.
Host: Future Today Institute
Tue 5/10 at 1 p.m. – Operating Reserves and the Path to Sustainability
Learn about core concepts related to operating reserves and connections to enhancing sustainability, including strategies and goals for building operating reserves, constructing a formal operating reserve policy for board approval and considerations for emergency and non-emergency use of operating reserves along with appropriate budget planning, messaging and reporting to your board of directors. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenters:
- Michael Gellman, CPA, CGMA, Co-Founder, Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits
- Paul Preziotti, Partner, Johnson Lambert LLP
Tue 5/10 at 2 p.m. – Top Event Tech Tips from a Year of Change
Brandt and Tess will answer your questions for planning flawless multi-media, engaging, omnichannel events. From AV and hybrid to what to pack, the advice comes from years of experience. Learn how to work with AV teams, questions for sourcing streaming platforms, and how to get back to meeting better. More info/register.
Host: Smart Meetings
Presenters:
- Brandt Krueger, Smart Meetings Event Tech Correspondent
- Tess Vismale, Founder and CEO of iSocialExecution
Tue 5/10 at 2 p.m. – 5 Ways To Grow Your Membership With Your Membership Site
Learn how to identify the content that will keep your members engaged, the member engagement challenges that almost every association has—and how to overcome them, the UX mistakes that are driving away your members, and the features your membership site needs to be successful. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Presenter: Ronja F., Member Engagement Specialist
Wed 5/11 at 11 a.m. – Collaboration of the Future: Telephony, Mobilization, User Experience. Where Are You Taking Your Association?
Find out how to define the role of hybrid-work—in-office and remote work—in your organization and the best technology approaches to ensure security, productivity, collaboration and cost-effectiveness. Learn about the “why” behind unified communications (UC), key features and benefits as well as the top considerations when selecting a UCaaS or collaboration platform. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenters:
- Adam Kuhn, Director of IT for FIA (Futures Industry Association)
- Ali Niroo, CNSG Founding Member, AppSmart
- Dave Hopper, Director of Sales Engineering, AppSmart
Wed 5/11 at 11 a.m. – Tech Trends: An Executive Roundtable on Digital Transformations
As we scan the horizon for the trends most likely to shape scholarly & professional publishing in the coming years, we’ve assembled a group of industry leaders for a look at the trends they’re watching closely. Themes around content unification, digital transformation, the atomization of content, and iterative approaches will help to inform and inspire your own strategies. More info/register.
Host: Silverchair
Presenters:
- John Campbell, Product Strategy Director, Academic, Oxford University Press
- Ann Michael, Chief Transformation Officer, AIP Publishing
- Joanne Sheppard, Senior Vice President Strategy and Investments at Holtzbrinck Publishing Group
- Will Schweitzer (moderator), Chief Product & Customer Success Officer, Silverchair
Wed 5/11 at 12 p.m. – Preparing for & Managing Association Leader Succession
Understand the factors leading to increased leadership succession in key roles, hear what other associations are doing to prepare for a change in leadership, whether anticipated or sudden, and learn techniques to ensure success for new leaders and the overall organization when leaders transition. More info/register.
Host: Ewald Consulting
Presenter: Brad Ballinger, Principal and Owner of Cincinnatus, Inc.
Wed 5/11 at 1 p.m. – PCI Compliance Workshop 101 for Associations
Learn the best practices of associations and non-profit organizations for implementing PCI compliance. Hear a basic overview of what PCI compliance is and what it is designed to achieve, and nine practical tips you can implement immediately in your organization to ensure a more secure payment environment. Review the Self-Assessment-Questionnaire (SAQ) and what you should know about it. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenters:
- David Schlum, Co-Founder and Software Architect at Added Innovation LLC
- Julie Duncan, Association Practice Leader, UST
- Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, UST
Wed 5/11 at 1 p.m. – Navigating Online Education and Accessibility: An Association Leader’s Guide
Hear about important issues of accessibility and compliance for online learning. Learn how the most recent laws, guidelines, and court decisions regarding online learning and accessibility for those with disabilities impact associations, evaluate an eLearning experience from the lens of accessibility and compliance, and receive resources and plan for next steps in conforming to federal and state accessibility laws. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Fonteva & Protech
Presenters:
- Dan Streeter, VP of Learning Strategy and Development, Blue Sky eLearn
- Erin Lemons, Senior Director of Marketing, Fonteva & Protech
Wed 5/11 at 2 p.m. – Local Government Affairs: Current Trends & How to Track Them
Most regulatory decisions in the U.S. are made at municipal and county government levels, and that is set to increase even more. Find out about issues currently bubbling up at the local level your government affairs team should know about, mitigating risk and gaining competitive intelligence by monitoring local governments, best practices to effectively monitor and incorporate local government into your government affairs strategy, and developing relationships at the local level and opening doors for your organization. More info/register.
Host: FiscalNote
Presenters:
- Carmel Sella, Senior Vice President and Senior Director of Local Government Relations, Wells Fargo
- Catherine Rollins, Manager of Local Policy, Massachusetts Association of Realtors
- Taralinda Willis (moderator), GM of Public Policy and Issues Management, FiscalNote
Thu 5/12 at 11 a.m. – 15 Ways to Take Your Newsletter to the Next Level
Email newsletters are a great way to share industry news with your members, but a lot has changed in the world of email. Join us and learn how to use email newsletter marketing to engage your members about current topics and industry trends, newsletter best practices, increasing engagement, curating outside content and automation. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenter: Erica Salm Rench, COO, rasa.io
Thu 5/12 at 12:30 p.m. – Event Engagement in a Post-Pandemic World
From how and when attendees want to consume content to expectations exhibitors and sponsors have to connect, expectations HAVE changed for your trade show and conference audiences. Learn about the ongoing confusion and perception of “hybrid events,” how “Zoom fatigue” has impacted content consumption and educational program strategy, why virtual events have driven exhibitor and sponsor demand for a more robust digital strategy in their event marketing, the value of digital engagement and online communities to drive attendance and higher satisfaction to live events, and tools and techniques to drive additional value at your event. More info/register.
Host: Personify
Presenters: Trade Show Work, Rich Vallaster, CEM, DES, and a panel of event professional experts
Thu 5/12 at 1 p.m. – Results Recharge: Driving Conversions with Beth Arritt
You work hard to drive visitors to your website—potential members, attendees, sponsors, and more. But how do you get them to convert once they’re there? Beth will share real-life successes and lessons learned for turning data into dollars, such as promoting content to attract prospects without big spends, bringing visitors to your website to foster conversion, using data to map conversion pathways, and automating and providing highly personalized experiences to increase conversion rates quickly. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Results Direct
Presenter: Beth Arritt, Association Evangelist for Higher Logic and former VP of Marketing at the American Association of Airport Executives
Thu 5/12 at 1 p.m. – Association Lessons From… an Entrepreneur/Magician/Sarcastic Introvert
Jon Petz is a professional speaker, author, and magician. In this video chat series, all participants can have their cameras and microphones on if they choose. The first 15 minutes or so will be a presentation by Jon, followed by a highly interactive discussion and/or Q&A. Come prepared to be engaged and to look at association challenges through a different lens. More info/register.
Host: Jay Daughtry, Chief Communications Officer and Owner, CQbd
Thu 5/12 at 1 p.m. – Keynote Speaker Series: Leading Courageous Conversations
Discover the key to handling disagreements with transparency and integrity. Practice simple yet profound models for giving feedback and managing conflict. Learn how to establish safety and avoid silencing. Confidently begin to navigate being direct and kind in everything from an annual performance review to an impromptu disagreement by interacting in a respectful yet accountable manner. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenter: Katie Richard, Learning & Development Manager, Spectrum Leadership Solutions
Thu 5/12 at 2 p.m. – How to Be an Ally to Women of Color and All Women
What does it mean when women don’t help other women in the workplace? What does it mean when there are racial dynamics in the mix? Explore these issues in depth and learn how to enhance your role as “ally” for other women. More info/register.
Host: InPower Coaching
Presenters:
- Saundra Gilliard, Speaker, Storyteller, Coach, Femininley Free
- Dana Theus, Executive Coach, InPower Coaching
Fri 5/13 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Mindful Networking
Held the second Friday of each month, these intimate, virtual conversations are a chance to form meaningful connections with other women and allies in the association technology community. Each Mindful Networking will feature one of our amazing AWTC award winners, followed by breakout rooms with changing topics (selected by our featured guest). More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)
Guest: Tadu Yimam, Vice President, Digital Engagement, NACUBO
Fri 5/13 at 12 p.m. – 2022 Tech Trends Report Briefing: Metaverse, AR/VR & Synthetic Media
special briefing on key findings from the Metaverse, AR/VR & Synthetic Media section of our 2022 Tech Trends Report, which identifies new opportunities for growth and potential collaborations in and adjacent to your business. We also highlight emerging or atypical threats across most industries. We will begin with 30 minutes highlighting this year’s research and insights and follow with a 15-minute Q&A. More info/register.
Host: Future Today Institute
Fri 5/13 at 12 p.m. – EventTech Chat
A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.
Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting
Tue 5/17 at 1 p.m. – Leading Your Internal Team Through Major Technology Projects
A successful technology implementation project depends on more than just the technology you select. It also hinges on how well your internal team partners with your chosen vendor. That partnership has to be managed—often on top of the existing full-time job your internal project lead already has. Learn strategies for successful internal project management for technology projects, how to set and reinforce realistic project expectations with key stakeholders/team members, and how to vet which vendor’s project management practices are the best fit for your association, and what kind of support you should expect from a qualified partner. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenters:
- Jenifer Alonzo, Association Practice Lead, Fíonta
- Julia Kelmers, Workforce Operations Manager, Fíonta
- Gale Mamatova, Director, Project Management Office, Fíonta
Wed 5/18 at 2 p.m. – How to Successfully Work Together Across Generations When Apart
Unlike the generations before them, Gen Z is entering the workforce accustomed to working remotely. Between growing up with smartphones and having their schools require laptops to complete assignments, they are seemingly primed for remote work. Yet, many studies today are reporting that it’s the older generations who prefer working from home. What can a leader do to bridge that gap? Hear about strategies and tactics designed to help bridge the generational divide as it relates to working remotely. We will also bust some common myths and misconceptions surrounding generational attitudes and behaviors around working remotely. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Achurch Consulting
Wed 5/18 at 2 p.m. – Secrets for Maximizing Virtual & Hybrid Event Engagement
After two years of virtual and hybrid meetings, what have we learned about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to attendee engagement? Hear tips for: creating a program that offers a mix of education, discussion and networking; the best times to offer networking sessions; encouraging interactions during education sessions, including how to track if your attendees are actually paying attention; scaling your expectations about interactivity based on attendee types and job level; creating live sessions that go beyond a speaker and a PowerPoint; encouraging attendee networking with each other; and soliciting feedback and insights from your attendees. More info/register.
Host: Matrix Group
Wed 5/18 at 2 p.m. – How Associations Can Successfully Deliver Digital Revenue
Hear panelists discuss the strategy, ideas and implementation of successful digital programs that generate revenue for their organization. Explore the relationship of online brand and professional presence, and the impact it can have on membership, attendance, education and non-dues revenue opportunities. Learn the importance of the digital/tangible relationship, how revenue strategy can inform tech and platform decisions, how to position and implement new ideas before they become old concepts, and where business development efforts can take a leadership role in your organization’s digital health. More info/register.
Host: Professionals for Association Revenue
Presenters:
- Kimberly Bottom, Feathr, Senior Account Director
- Evan O’Neill, Feathr, Associate Director of Sales
- Jay Ablondi, IHRSA, Executive VP of Global Products
- Jimmy Bechtel, Society for Clinical Research Sites, Vice President, Site Engagement
Thu 5/19 at 11 a.m. – 5 Non-Negotiable Web Strategies Every Association Needs in 2022 & Beyond
It’s not enough to simply maintain the status quo online. Your association needs to innovate and lead with a digital-first web strategy. Learn about the top five non-negotiable web strategies associations must implement today. This won’t be a blue sky, esoteric exercise in lofty ideas that aren’t realistic. This webinar will walk you through practical, easy steps to implement tomorrow to create better engagement, increase traffic, and position your website for the future. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenters: Ray Van Hilst, Director of Client Results, and Chris Bonney, Director of Client Relationships, Yoko Consulting
Thu 5/19 at 1 p.m. – Ultimate Member Engagement: The Power of Data-Driven Decision Making
If you are like most associations, your AMS contains a seemingly endless amount of historical, financial, social and demographic data on members, former members, prospects and more. But this data is useless unless it tells a story and enhances your ability to drive desired results. Learn how to leverage visualizations and analytics to better understand your data, mine the right data to improve your member’s experience, and determine a successful ROI on your collection and analysis of member data. More info/register.
Host: Impexium
Thu 5/19 at 4 p.m. – ASAE Idea Swap: What were you Thinking? Ethics in Association Management
We’ll use a series of scenarios to talk about how to recognize an ethical issue, understand how to apply ASAE’s Ethical Decision Making Model in your organization, and work through the ethical issues in the workplace. We’ll also touch on the elements needed to ensure your association fosters ethical decision-making practices. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Reston-Loudon Idea Swap
Presenter: Rhea M. Steele, CAE, ODCP, Chief of Staff, School Nutrition Association
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 by Wednesday afternoon.
Creative Commons licensed photo by Henry Perks via Unsplash
Association Brain Food 