The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Inspired by the recent book from Rob Walker, The Art of Noticing: 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday, WBT Systems shares several ways to shift from everyday thinking so you can notice emerging educational needs that other organizations overlook.
No software is 100% completely reliable. Even Google Calendar and Salesforce had issues recently. That’s why you need to prepare for the unexpected, says Fíonta, by developing a contingency plan aka a disaster recovery/business continuity plan.
If your association is looking for mutually beneficial corporate partnerships instead of predictable, low-value sponsorships, take a look at the STEP framework developed by Lewis Flax.
Struggling with a limited marketing budget? Mighty Citizen turns 20 this year, and to celebrate they’re giving away $25,000 in free marketing services to one lucky mission-driven organization. All not-for-profit organizations based in the U.S. (including nonprofits, associations, universities, and government agencies) are eligible to apply for the Mighty Big Grant. The grant application is open through next Friday, July 19.
Tour de France TV commentators combine the history—boils and all (ew)—and the pretty countryside to make a seductive package, says Barry Glendenning at The Guardian. Yes, they do, and Bob Roll is the absolute best replacement for Phil Sherwen, rest his soul.
Some quick hits before we get to next week’s free webinars:
- Is there a role for associations here? While people puzzle over WeWork, niche co-working spaces continue gaining traction. (Connie Loizos, TechCrunch)
- Companies are using internal gig platforms to match employees to projects that will help them learn new skills. (Riia O’Donnell, HR Dive)
- Have smartphones destroyed a generation? How today’s teens are radically different than the generations before them. (Jean M. Twenge, The Atlantic)
Good eats:
- I’m still thinking about these spiced lamb burgers from Bon Appetit—wish I had one in front of me. Since I don’t grill (gasp! city girl), I went off recipe by using a panini press for some and a skillet for the others. I think my pita was too thick because the bread got too dark before the meat cooked. No matter, they were still scrumptious. I cut the recipe in half but decreased the spices only slightly—love those spices with lamb.
- Here’s an easy and tasty summer meal: Mediterranean eggplant wraps with a goat cheese smear.
- We were given a five-gallon bucket full of ripe field-grown tomatoes by Jim’s sister—a farmer dropped off several buckets at her office. On Sunday, I made an excellent tomato, bacon and red onion salad from The Home Cook by Alex Guarnaschelli. I chopped the tomatoes into chunks (not slices), omitted the sugar and used basil instead of tarragon since I have several plants on the deck.
- Besides a tomato sandwich for breakfast every day, yum, I made three batches of tomato sauce. I was about to start blanching, skinning and food-milling the tomatoes for the first batch when I wondered, is this really necessary? After some research, I’m happy to say, no, it isn’t. Just thought you’d want to know in case you’re fortunate enough to face a tomato glut this summer.
- Earlier this week, I made an eggplant, tomato and sausage pie from The Harvest Baker by Ken Haedrich. The pie is topped with a parmesan-béchamel sauce that goldens in the oven, so good. Every recipe I’ve made by him turns out spectacular.
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.
Tue 7/16 at 10:00 a.m.* – Innovation & Customer Focus: The Keys to Global Growth
Two association executives who have experience at various stages of sustained global business development will share their journeys toward building regional products and customer experiences. Find out how you can use regional markets outside the US as an incubator or safe-haven in which to innovate, experiment and adapt. Learn how you can lead a culture of change, embrace innovation, learn and adapt. More info/register.
Host: MCI
Presenters:
- Michael Gips, CAE, Chief Global Knowledge Officer, ASIS International
- Renata Lerch, former Global Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Scrum Alliance
- Nikki Walker, Global Vice President of MCI Group’s Association Management & Consulting practice
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 7/16 at 10:30 a.m. – What Are User Journeys? (Arlington VA)
User journey mapping is a valuable exercise to help improve user experience or conversion funnels for your association. Learn how a user journey map is created, and how a user journey differs from things they are often confused with, like user personas, user flows, and user stories. Location: Arlington VA. More info/register.
Host: Unleashed Technologies
Presenter: Chad Hester, Solutions Architect at Unleashed Technologies
Tue 7/16 at 1 p.m. – Content Lifecycle: 3 Ways to Generate Non-Dues Revenue Year-Round
Learn strategies to extend the life and revenue of your highly valued events. Discuss tips on integrating your event content with other areas of your association, and marketing and organizing your content to effectively reach and engage the 80% of your audience who are not attending. Hear from the National Association of School Nurses about how they’ve been successful at doing just this. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Impexium
Presenters:
- Sharon Conley, Web-based Technology Director, National Association of School Nurses
- Patrick Dorsey, EVP, Marketing, Impexium
- Jodi Ray, Channel Manager, Blue Sky eLearn
Wed 7/17 at 8:30 a.m. CDT – Partnership Professionals Network Idea Exchange (Chicago IL)
In the coming few months, many companies will be drafting their marketing budgets and selecting association sponsorships for their upcoming fiscal year. Companies are scrutinizing their sponsorships and seeking opportunities for increased ROI. We’ll discuss how to improve your association’s chances of being selected for sponsorship by these companies.
Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.
Organizers: Bruce Rosenthal, Partnership Professionals Network, and Association Forum
Facilitator: Dan Kowitz, Founder & CEO, JSB Partnership Consultants
Wed 7/17 at 2 p.m. – The Top Technology Trends Transforming the Events and Tradeshow Industries and What It Means for You
Technology will likely change events more in the next five years than it has in the past fifteen. Hear about the major technology trends creating these changes and what you can do to prepare for them. More info/register.
Host: Hubb
Presenter: Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, DES, MS, speaker and consultant
Wed 7/17 at 2 p.m. – What You Need to Know about CEIR’s “Attendee ROI Playbook” Study
Hear a review of the CEIR study that highlights the findings you may be most interested in and offers suggestions as to how both exhibitors and event organizers can apply this data to their own event efforts moving forward – considering all responses, and as done in the survey, also segmenting responses by generation, gender, and event size. More info/register.
Host: Trade Show Summer School
Presenter: Robyn Davis, Trade Show Strategy Specialist and Owner of When I Need Help (WINH)
Wed 7/17 at 2 p.m. – How AI Chatbots Can Increase Revenue, Create Community, and Drive Cost Savings
AI chatbots are taking over basic customer service; they are great at handling repetitive questions, operate 24/7, and always give the right answer. So how can you take advantage of this technology to transform your events, and your brand? Learn how to use chatbots to help build community to drive sales and reduce costs. Find out why attendees choose to open different channels of communication, and once that channel is open, how to leverage it to achieve business goals. More info/register.
Host: BizBash
Presenter: Robert Caldwell, Founding Partner of Sciensio
Wed 7/17 at 3 p.m. – Server 2008 and Windows 7 End of Life: 3 Things You Need to Know
Microsoft announced they will no longer be providing security updates for Windows 2008 and Windows 7 systems as of January 2020. Organizations have 6 months to implement a plan to address the increasing security vulnerability these systems represent to your networks and data. Learn three things you need to know to update your security and plan for this development. More info/register.
Host: Community IT
Presenter: Community IT Innovators CTO Matt Eshleman
Thu 7/18 at 11:30 a.m. – Listening for the Bottom Line: How Curiosity Can Be Good for Business (Alexandria VA Brown Bag)
Learn how listening skills affect our daily work and business interactions, and how we can use listening skills to our benefit and the benefit of our organizations, members, colleagues, and clients. Find out how cultivating curiosity can lead to a genuine desire to understand, and how listening plays a part. 1 CAE credit. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.
Organizer: Talisa Thomas-Hall, ACS ALB, VC5, The Association Whisperer
Presenter: Anne Duffy, CPCC, ACC, Owner, The Right Duff Coaching, LLC
Thu 7/18 at 12 p.m. – Maximizing Your Native Advertising and Use of Social Media Influencers for Nonprofits
It’s no secret that native advertising and social media marketing are hotter than ever. It’s why “influencer” is now a legitimate occupation, and why Facebook generated $55 billion in ad revenues last year. As these marketing techniques and social media platforms develop over time, the Federal Trade Commission and other regulators are continuing to issue guidance in this space – and, more recently, are bringing enforcement actions. Learn how to use native advertising and social media influencers to spread the word about your nonprofit, and how to do so in a compliant manner. More info/register.
Host: Venable LLP
Presenters:
- Melissa Steinman, Partner, Venable LLP
- Annie Lee, Counsel, Venable LLP
Thu 7/18 at 1 p.m. – 15 Key Rules for Managing Your Organization’s Data
Everyone knows that an association’s data is its greatest resource. Yet many associations, regardless of size, struggle with effectively managing their data. Learn the 15 key rules for managing your organization’s database, and 15 tips that you can immediately apply to manage data in your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ACGI Software
Presenter: Wes Trochlil, Owner, Effective Database Management
Thu 7/25 at 8:30 a.m. – Partnership Professionals Network Idea Exchange (Washington DC)
In the coming few months, associations might hear from their corporate sponsors/partners: “Your association isn’t in our budget for next year.” What to say? How to respond? Can the relationship be saved? Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Facilitator: PPN convener Bruce Rosenthal, principal, Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC.
Thu 7/25 at 1 p.m. – LMS Selection Step-by-Step: How to Find the Ideal Extended Enterprise Solution
Learn how to develop a relevant business case and success metrics; methods for researching and defining use cases and requirements; when to issue an RFP (or not); tips for creating a viable LMS shortlist; and how to make the most of vendor demos and proof-of-concept. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Talented Learning
Presenters:
- John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning
- Tamer Ali, SVP, Crowd Wisdom LMS at Community Brands
Thu 7/25 at 2 p.m. – 10 Myths About Multigenerational Meetings
Join us as we bust the biggest myths about planning multigenerational meetings. From technology and marketing to content and its presentation, we’ll discuss what motivates each generation and how to capitalize on it at your event. Up to five individual generations are present at your meetings, and you’ll find they share more commonalities than differences. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenters:
- Jeff Hurt, Chief Epiphany Officer, Empowered Epiphanies
- Donna Sanford, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Ascend Media
Thu 7/25 at 2:30 p.m. – Event Technology Stacks (AWTC Meet-Up – Bethesda MD)
Events and meetings are central to associations, but often the technology supporting them is anything but centralized. Today, a successful event often requires a cornucopia of systems, from exhibit management systems to registration systems—the event technology stack. The quality of your event technology stack can dramatically affect your bottom line and attendee experience. Join an interactive, frank discussion with five leading experts in association events to learn how to build and perfect your event technology stack. Happy hour afterwards! More info/register.
Organizer: Association Women in Technology Champions (AWTC)
Presenters:
- Lynn Thomson, Water Environment Federation
- Tina Marmor, Fonteva
- Michelle P. Wyatt, MBA, cadmiumCD
- Susanne Connors Bowman, CAE, CoSN
Thu 7/25 at 3 p.m. – Small Staff Association Book Club
Join a discussion of the book Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein. More info/register.
Organizer: ASAE Small Staff Association Professionals Community
Thu 7/25 at 7 p.m. – LEARN: A Content Strategy Maturity Model for Associations (and the Rest of Us) – Arlington VA
In 2017, ASAE commissioned the research study, Association Content Strategies for a Changing World with Carrie Hane, Dina Lewis, and Hilary Marsh as lead researchers. Carrie and Dina will share their findings with us, including the 17 tactics they defined to measure content strategy adoption and the content strategy maturity model that evolved from the study. Location: Arlington VA. More info/register.
Organizer: DC Content Strategy Meetup
Presenters:
- Carrie Hane, founder of Tanzen
- Dina Lewis, CAE, founder of Distilled Logic
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.
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