The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Career changers. With all the job- and career-hopping going on right now, it’s a good time for associations to extend their marketing and educational efforts to career changers. WBT Systems explains how to welcome career changers entering your industry by helping them with career guidance, skills development, and network building.
AMS myths. I’ve got to admit, I still get the heebie-jeebies when thinking about my last AMS implementation—more than ten years ago! Yeah, pretty ugly. But things have changed. Sure, you’ll still hear nightmare scenarios about some systems, but don’t think they’re all that way. Impexium dispels some myths you’ve heard and worries you may have about getting a new AMS.
Online community potential. An article by Lisa Boylan at Associations Now got me so excited about the future of online communities. She talks with Marjorie Anderson of Community By Association and Moira Edwards of Ellipsis Partners about communities becoming more interactive, integrated and, frankly, interesting. Real-time messaging, video chat, better intel for associations—yes, bring it on!
AMS landscape. I want to do a better job of sharing podcast episodes I like, so here’s a good one: The Association Podcast, episode 34 featuring Rob Miller, CAE, general manager of NimbleAMS and Gravitate at Community Brands. Rob’s been on the association and industry partner sides of our community, so he has an interesting perspective on the AMS landscape. Listen to the end to hear his book recommendations. I’ll second his plug for Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, one of my favorite reads of the past few years. Oh, The Association Podcast is hosted by Ben Muscolino of Breezio and AMS Geek, and Jake Toohey and Joe Post of Adage Technologies. Go on and subscribe.
Data security. If I were an association exec, I’d want to make sure my organization was practicing the best data security practices. But if you’re not an expert, you need to know what questions to ask. Start with this concise guide from Wicket that covers practices to avoid, data security training issues, a recovery plan template, and more.
Employer denial. The headline says it all: “Workplaces are in denial over how much Americans have changed.” Alvin Chang at The Guardian says the pandemic experience has given people a different perspective on life: many of us have woken up from our work-obsessed culture. The people returning to the office aren’t the same ones who left, but you probably know that already.
Quick hits
How to help members and attendees manage the emotions that get in the way of participation: “As the creators of experiences, we can circumvent the predictable path of non-participation.” (Amanda Kaiser, Smooth The Path)
The modern war is online. Putin’s Neanderthals produced a deepfake video in which Zelenskyy asks his troops to lay down their arms. (Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4)
Watch this pair of peregrine falcons in Manhattan’s Financial District whose four eggs will hatch in a few weeks. (Falcon Cam)
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free webinars if you prefer takeout.
Fish with mushrooms and rosemary might sound weird, but if you’re preparing black sea bass—or any other meaty fish filet or steak—you might want to check out this Martha Stewart (yes!) recipe. Martha leans too high-brow as usual: I subbed white wine for sake, cremini for matsutake mushrooms and paprika for espelette pepper. Divine, as she might say.
An old standby, flounder with spiced breadcrumbs. Adding sauteed onion, red bell pepper and garlic to the topping makes this dish so good.
I couldn’t resist this “alla vodka” side dish. If you’ve had a good pasta alla vodka, you know what I mean. But this time it’s cannellini beans and kale alla vodka—not as scrumptious as penne alla vodka, but it works.
On Sundays, I have more time to stuff and roll, so I made stuffed flank steak with prosciutto, provolone, mushrooms, herbs and arugula. Delicious. On the side, Brussels sprouts sautéed with bacon, red onion, red bell, poblano, jalapeno and garlic. Before sautéing them, I sliced the sprouts in four unless they were really big.
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 4/1 at 9:30 a.m.* – Make Your Surveys Less Annoying
Surveys are often underused. They remain the best way to understand the needs and perceptions driving your numbers, if you can make them compelling and engaging by asking the right questions and following up on their responses properly within the survey tool. People are much more willing to tell you what they really think, as long as you “can handle the truth” and be transparent in your intent and your language. Hear about proven techniques that aim to drill down quickly and efficiently into what you really need to know from your members, attendees, and prospects. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: New York Society of Association Executives
Presenter: Kevin Whorton, president, Whorton Marketing & Research
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 4/1 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 4/1 at 4 p.m. – Focusing on the Pandemic Positives!
Understandably, the pandemic would not immediately put positive thoughts in one’s mind, however, when you stop and think about what has transpired as a result, we find quite a few positive changes. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Presenter: Annetta L. Hunter, Founder and Chief Wellness Officer of WellNOW
Mon 4/4 at 1 p.m. – How Associations Can Risk Proof Their Business (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)
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: Justin McCarthy, Chair, Board of Directors, PRMIA Institute
Hosts:
- Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
- Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman
Tue 4/5 at 11 a.m. – Intro to Web3: What Association Pros Need to Know
While there’s still a lot to learn about the capabilities of Web3, it’s time for associations to begin to understand what it is and what changes it can bring for both the association industry and the industries these member organizations support. Learn what Web3 is, why it’s important and how it may impact your association and your members. More info/register.
Host: Sidecar
Presenter: Gil Hildebrand, CEO, Gilded
Tue 4/5 at 12 p.m. – Solutions in Action
If you’re searching for a technology partner, join us for live, 10-minute presentations from top industry solutions providers, followed by 5-minute Q&A. Learn how to be an online magnet to engage stakeholders, attract prospects, and enhance your members’ experiences. More info/register.
Host: .orgCommunity
Tue 4/5 at 12 p.m. – Getting an Analyst Position: There’s Not One Path
Our network committee members will each tell the story of their path to becoming an analyst. Surprisingly, most members don’t have a degree in analytics or data. They’ll also share the learning paths, courses and skills they each used to help them develop and excel along their journey to officially becoming an “analyst” in title. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Data Analytics Network
Tue 4/5 at 1 p.m. – The Secret to Blending Learning and Networking
Why is it that when we think about networking and engagement, we never think of those two things in connection with content and education? Meetings have had a ‘great divide’ and it’s time to blend the two top reasons people attend them together in new, creative, hands-on, collaborative and thoughtful ways. Explore how to turn attendees into participants and provide a higher return on attendance by intertwining networking and learning. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Prevue Meetings
Presenter: Sharon Fisher, CEO & Chief IdeaSparker, Play With a Purpose
Tue 4/5 at 2 p.m. – How Innovative Associations are Delivering on the Evolving Needs of their Membership and Driving Recurring Revenue
Are membership programs still viable in today’s world? The answer is a resounding yes, but innovation is required. Associations who are focused on understanding the new and ever-evolving needs of their members are developing highly effective member programs and delivering significant recurring revenue. Learn why membership models are still viable in today’s world, how to create a membership program that adds a ton of value and meets the needs of your community and industry, why so many organizations struggle to grow their membership and proven strategies for growth, and trends that are reshaping the future of membership. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Gather Voices
Presenters:
- Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President at Marketing General Incorporated
- Michael Hoffman, CEO of Gather Voices
Wed 4/6 at 12 p.m. – DEI: Accessibility, Advocacy, and Allyship
Hear about the contemporary issues, terminology, and insight needed regarding accessibility and dynamics of providing “reasonable accommodations” to guests, event attendees, members, and colleagues with a disability. Through scenarios, participants will begin addressing the challenges and barriers, plus the attitudes or values necessary to foster inclusion at the highest levels. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Insights in Old Town
Presenters: Mariama Boney, President, Achieve More
Wed 4/6 at 12 p.m. – Association Lessons From… the Opera
Elizabeth was trained as an opera singer. Now she serves as an association executive. What principles from music guide her work today? In this video chat series, the first 15 minutes or so will be a presentation or interview of the guest 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/Owner, CQbd
Wed 4/6 at 2 p.m. – Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT): An Overview for Associations to Understand, Plan, and Strategize for Revenue Opportunities
While most association revenue is exempt from both federal and state corporate income tax, certain income streams are subject to the unrelated business income tax (UBIT). Learn about the role and context of UBIT in association revenue-planning, situations that may subject certain revenue streams to UBIT, creative structuring and planning techniques to minimize UBIT, and how corporate sponsorships and partnerships, advertising, exhibit fees, royalties, and new revenue programs need to consider UBIT in the planning process. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Professionals for Association Revenue
Presenter: Jeff Tenenbaum, Managing Partner, Tenenbaum Law Group
Wed 4/6 at 2 p.m. – How to Build Relationships & Ensure Your Issues are Top of Mind During an Election Year
One of the most important and challenging jobs of a government affairs professional is to effectively engage and communicate with stakeholders. During an election year, this means double the work as you not only have to maintain relationships with current legislators but also start building relationships with candidates who are likely to win before they even take office. Learn how to prepare for the midterm results now by putting your issues in front of candidates and understanding their position on the issues that matter to your organization. More info/register.
Host: FiscalNote
Presenters:
- Mike Reynold, Senior Vice President, McGuireWoods Consulting
- Haley Nicholson, Policy Advisor, Arnold & Porter
- Shira Goodman, Director of Campaigns and Outreach, Anti-Defamation League
Wed 4/6 at 2 p.m. – The Return of Live Events: Simple Strategies and Testing Solutions to Bring People Back Together Safely
Are you planning a face-to-face meeting in 2022? Now more than ever, event safety and attendee wellness will play a central role in the planning process. Hear about the current state of the pandemic, and a holistic approach to event safety. Learn about the trends in event testing, different technologies available for COVID-19 testing, and when to use them. More info/register.
Host: Exhibitor Media Group
Wed 4/6 at 2:30 p.m. – How a Mindshift in Membership Management Can Change Everything
Generational shifts in association membership have changed expectations in almost every facet of association life—from what services are provided to members, to how those benefits are delivered. Learn how a fresh approach to membership management in conjunction with continuing education, can transform your association today, how automation takes the heavy lifting away from staff, how to access actionable information and put that data to work, the power of creating and delivering targeted products and services to best serve your members, and the success of one association leader who has made the leap. More info/register.
Host: CE21
Presenters:
- Rick Rutherford, VP of Marketing and Strategy, and Casey Jones, VP of Sales and Analytics, CE21
- Willis Turner, CAE, CME, CSE, President & CEO, SMEI – Sales & Marketing Executives International, Inc.
Thu 4/7 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Global Meetings Industry Day
MPI’s Global Meetings Industry Day is the largest and most important event of the year for meeting professionals from around the world. This 12-hour digital broadcast features industry leaders who share their insights and experiences on the impact of meetings on the global economy. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Thu 4/7 at 1 p.m. – The Key to Unlocking the Gold: Getting Buy-In on New Non-Dues Revenue Ideas
In this ideation session, we will take several education-related non-dues revenue ideas, flesh them out, and co-create plans to help put these real ideas into action and, most importantly, get support from your colleagues and approval from your board. Get all the tools you need to put your new education and certification ideas to work to create an incredible impact this year. More info/register.
Hosts: WBT Systems and Non-Dues-A-Palooza
Presenters:
- Michelle Brien, vice president, marketing and product strategy, TopClass LMS by WBT Systems
- Teri Carden, founder, 100Reviews
Thu 4/7 at 2 p.m. – Spring Tapas Talks: Leading AMCs Share Knowledge That Satisfies
Join a fun and interactive knowledge sharing session, featuring some of the industry’s leading association management companies (AMCs) and these questions: What’s the benefit to staff, members, and board of using an AMC? When and why is it the right option? Who defines the roles when going from inhouse to AMC and/or from AMC to another AMC? How and why do AMCs offer some specialized services and options in addition to full-service management? 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: Barbara J. Armentrout, CAE on behalf of QiqoChat and the Tapas Team
Thu 4/7 at 2 p.m. – Masters of Content: Going Beyond HTML & PDF to Deliver the Best Web Experience
We all want to deliver first-rate content using video, audio and imagery but doing this wrong can lead to frustrated users, bad Web performance or losing your audience all together. Learn what tools the pros use to incorporate and tune these content types to keep audiences engaged, how to use the latest web design trends for 2022, and the key factors for delivering engaging digital experiences beyond web pages and PDFs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: 501 Works
Presenters: James Marquis, Chief Innovation Officer and The CIO, and Jim Faris, Creative Director, 501 Works
Thu 4/7 at 2 p.m. – Make Your In-Person and Virtual Events Inclusive
It’s a legal, social, and professional responsibility to adapt your in-person and virtual meetings and events to accommodate speakers and attendees with disabilities. Learn how to set up meeting, dining, and networking environments; identify and remove barriers to full participation; accommodate mobility devices; and use communication strategies and technologies that enable people to fully participate. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MeetingsNet
Presenter: Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D, President, Rossetti Enterprises LLC
Thu 4/7 at 3 p.m. – Measuring Your Marketing Effectiveness: How Mature is Your Marketing?
Regardless of your organization’s size, your marketing ecosystem lives on a maturity spectrum—and where you stand today tells a story of where you’ll end up tomorrow. Learn what marketing maturity is and how it relates to marketing effectiveness across six key categories; the four stages of marketing maturity, including where each attendee’s organization lives on the spectrum; and next steps to achieve greater marketing effectiveness. Find out about The Mighty GPS™, a new self-assessment to measure your marketing maturity. More info/register.
Host: Mighty Citizen
Presenters: Rachel Clemens, Chief Marketing Officer, and Jarrett Way, Content & Digital Marketing Manager, Mighty Citizen
Thu 4/7 at 3 p.m. – How to Evaluate and Maximize Your Event Technology
It’s vital to keep technology features and functionality in mind for the various needs of your stakeholders. Ease of use for the learner, but no reporting for the provider, defeat the entire educational design. Lack of data analytics will leave your sponsors and exhibitors feeling a low ROI on their investment. Learn about the key questions you should ask before venturing into new avenues of event technology, technology tools that will maximize attendee experience, different technology options to best fit your different stakeholder needs, and unique features of your event technology that might be underutilized. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: Heather Ranels, MA, MS, CHCP, Founder and President, CE Innovators
Fri 4/8 at 12 p.m. – 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. In 2022, we are trying something new! Each Mindful Networking will feature one of our amazing AWTC award winners, followed by breakout rooms. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)
Guest: Melanie Starkey, 2021 AWTC Technology Leadership Award Recipient and Senior Vice President for Digital Marketing at the Urban Land Institute
Fri 4/8 at 4 p.m. – The Life Wheel: An Exercise in Work-Life Balance
We all strive to achieve the ever elusive work-life balance. Join us for an activity that will help you evaluate how in/out of balance you may be. You will leave with a clear perspective on how to redistribute your time and energy. This session will include discussions on goal setting and time management. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Presenter: Regais Wilson
Mon 4/11 from 12 to 7:45 p.m. – Women Transforming Technology (WT2) Conference
WT2 is a consortium of companies and organizations in industry, academia, and non-profit sectors committed to building a community and tackling issues that are top of mind for women in technology. The theme of this year’s conference is “Elevate Joy.” Hear about mew technologies that are creating the greatest positive impact and excitement in the world today, and ways we are overcoming challenges and creating greater positive opportunities and experiences for ourselves and our communities, both personally and professionally. More info/register.
Tue 4/12 from 12 to 8 p.m. – Women Transforming Technology (WT2) Conference
WT2 is a consortium of companies and organizations in industry, academia, and non-profit sectors committed to building a community and tackling issues that are top of mind for women in technology. The theme of this year’s conference is “Elevate Joy.” Hear about mew technologies that are creating the greatest positive impact and excitement in the world today, and ways we are overcoming challenges and creating greater positive opportunities and experiences for ourselves and our communities, both personally and professionally. More info/register.
Wed 4/13 at 1 p.m. – Mastering Membership
Running a mid-sized association successfully starts with having the right technology in place that sets the foundation you need to thrive, grow, and fulfill your mission, but it can be overwhelming and stressful to make the right choice. Learn when it’s the right time to make a technology change and best practices for approaching technology vendors. Find out how to evaluate your tech stack and gather requirements, review and buy technology, future-proof using scenario planning, and get your board onboard. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: MemberSuite
Presenters:
- Brian Birch, COO, SIMA
- Chad Stewart, founder and chief software adviser, Smart Thoughts
- Ryan Costello, chief strategy officer, MemberSuite
- Ana Loden, senior account executive, MemberSuite
Wed 4/13 at 1 p.m. – Meet Less and Accomplish More
To help reduce the number of meetings, leaders need to look at the quality of their meetings. Our webinar will help leaders focus on meeting quality, gain valuable insights into the pitfalls of unstructured meetings, and receive actionable tips for ways to reduce the need to meet in the first place. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Achurch Consulting
Wed 4/13 at 5 p.m. – ASAE Young Professional Committee (YPAC) Virtual Happy Hour
Want to learn more about the ASAE YPAC? Applications to join the YPAC will open soon, and to commemorate the occasion, we’re bringing back our most popular event, Drinks & Discover. Meet some YPAC members, ask any questions you may have, learn more about the YPAC Committee, and have a better understanding of why we exist and why you might want to get involved. More info/register.
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 Joshua J. Cotton via Unsplash
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