The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Here I am again, Thursday at 6-something and I’m scrambling to get this post finished and uploaded for publication so I can start making dinner. Where did my day go?!? Your members are running out of time each day too—that’s why they don’t have time for you. WBT Systems shares ten ways you can help members save time while engaging with your association.
MemberSuite has suggestions this week about improving your association’s certification application experience—and that also includes saving them time among other things.
I really enjoy Scott Monty’s blog posts, especially how he ties in classical and historical references, this time, strangely enough, from The Twilight Zone. The analogy may be amusing but his point is serious about the effect of human “errors, pains, and foibles” on technology.
Garth Jordan, senior vice president of corporate strategy for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), writes for Association Success about HFMA’s purpose-driven organizational structure. And if that isn’t cool enough, check this out:
“Our members will not have to pay additional fees for online education, certification, communities, newsletters, or other digital products that – more often than not – are pay-to-play ‘extras’ in most association business models.”
Dang. This is going to be a fascinating story to follow. You’ve got to admire their courage and can-do.
Does your association have anything to offer members and non-members dealing with promotions, relocations, career transitions, layoffs, or the sale of their business? Jeffrey Cufaude says, “We know these events are going to occur in the lives of our customers and members, so we can easily bundle what they might value when they happen.” But how many do?
Some quick hits before we get to next week’s free webinars:
- Are you writing renewal communications for readers or scanners? Good advice for any communication. (Holly French, Association Headquarters)
- How to get your to-do list done when you’re always in meetings. (Elizabeth Grace Saunders, Harvard Business Review)
- The blogging tactic no one is talking about: optimizing old posts. It’s a good one! (Pamela Vaughan, HubSpot)
- Sister Wendy Beckett’s ten rules for appreciating art. (Open Culture)
- Swoon alert: this Brussels sprouts casserole is amazingly delicious—bacon, red onion (instead of shallots), garlic, Gruyère cheese, Dijon mustard, cream… Bliss. (Kelli Foster, The Kitchn)
Now for 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.
Mon 4/1 at 12 p.m.* – Farragut/Dupont Small Staff Association Brown Bag Lunch (Washington DC)
This casual lunch group of association colleagues is specifically for those who work at small staff associations. Attendees share ideas and ask questions about other associations’ best practices. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Organizer: Claudia Trapp of International Registration Plan, Inc.
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 4/2 at 12 p.m. – Reducing the Loss of Corporate Sponsors/Partners (Brown Bag Lunch Idea Exchange, Arlington VA)
How are associations losing corporate supporters? Let me count the ways: not renewing, key contact person departs, company merges or is acquired, company “goes dark” and doesn’t activate benefits, or company “goes rogue” and arranges its own event for members during the association’s conference. Location: Arlington VA. More info/register.
Organizer: Bruce Rosenthal, Partnership Professionals Network
Tue 4/2 at 12 p.m. – Data Hygiene (Association Data Analytics Brown Bag)
Association professionals who are responsible for reporting analytics to leadership, boards of directors, and other stakeholders come together in a free-flowing environment to share their lunchtime and discuss data analytics topics. Conversations will include presentations and attendees discussing challenges and key points on each topic. More info/register.
Tue 4/2 at 1 p.m. – Tackling Women’s Unique Needs in Leadership Development: How to Conquer Imposter Syndrome
Do you ever feel like everyone around you is smarter, works harder and does a better job than you do? Have you been fearful that your colleagues at work might find out that you don’t know what you’re doing? Studies show that up to 70 percent of high achieving professionals suffer from imposter syndrome, which affects your confidence and potential at work. Learn about imposter syndrome, how it affects your performance, and strategies you can use to overcome it. More info/register.
Host: D2L
Presenters:
- Chantal Thorn, Director, Learning and Leadership Development, D2L
- Julia Meglei, Business Partner, People & Culture, D2L
Tue 4/2 at 2 p.m. – Community and Belonging (Association Chat)
Hear how to build belonging for communities and the power of bringing people together. More info/register.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
Guest: Radha Agrawal, co-founder, CEO and Chief Community Architect of Daybreaker
Wed 4/3 at 1 p.m. – How to Make Prototyping a Powerful Engine for Product Development
You’ve heard about prototyping—perhaps in the context of design thinking or lean startup. You’ve heard about the need to do small experiments before releasing any major initiatives. But what does that truly mean? How can you successfully prototype something new, and perhaps most importantly, how can you learn from these experiments? More info/register.
Host: Matchbox Virtual Media
Presenters:
- Arianna Rehak, CEO and co-founder, Matchbox Virtual Media
- Garth Jordan, VP, corporate strategy, Healthcare Financial Management Association
- Guillermo Ortiz de Zarate, CIIO, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
- Nick Marzano, director of education, Society of Hospital Medicine
Thu 4/4 at 12 p.m. – How to Build an Event Agenda That Speaks to Your Audience
Discover how the Traffic and Conversion Summit scaled to 6000+ attendees by programming personalized content that speaks to the interests of attendees. Hear actionable tips and industry best practices. More info/register.
Host: Bizzabo
Presenters:
- Richard Lindner, Co-Founder & President of DigitalMarketer
- David Epstein (Host), Marketing Director, Bizzabo
Thu 4/4 at 1 p.m. – A Case Study in Microlearning
With attention spans shrinking, work environments changing, use of mobile technology expanding, and technological advances requiring professionals to keep up, microlearning delivered in digestible, small bursts, is a perfect solution for many associations. Learn how your organization can successfully offer micro-learning sessions while ensuring that accreditation, peer-to-peer engagement, and knowledge retention goals are met. Determine if microlearning is right for your organization and hear ideas for its implementation. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Healthcare Community Committee
Presenter: Elizabeth Lepkowski, MATD, Chief Learning Officer, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
Thu 4/4 at 2 p.m. – Cue the Music… And the Music License – Know Your Legal Responsibilities
Get practical advice on the licenses you need for music you play at your meetings, what they cover, how much they cost, and where to get them. Learn how and when to work with music-rights organizations to keep your meetings compliant with the law. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MeetingsNet
Presenter: Andy Sharpe, CEO, SongDivision
Thu 4/4 at 3 p.m. – Intersection of Data and Design (ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap – Tyson’s Corner VA)
Find out how to effectively utilize data in an innovative way to make an impact on your audience. Learn the who, what, when, where and why behind data-driven decision-making. Determine how to effectively use qualitative vs quantitative data. Learn how different generations interpret data and techniques to spark their interests. Determine how data can be used to enhance your mission, vision and values, and how it can transform the way you are reaching your target audience. More info/register.
Presenters:
- Walter Kim, Managing Principal, GRAPHEK
- Ellen Kim, Creative Director & Founder, GRAPHEK
Fri 4/5 at 2 p.m. – The Big Reveal: Ins and Outs of Small-Staff Associations
Learn about new research on small-staff associations, for example, how your small-staff association measures up to others, how to employ a strategic plan that incorporates growth, engagement and retention, and how to identify the right set of demographics to deliver personalized experiences. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: YourMembership
Tue 4/9 at 2 p.m. – Not Just Another Event (Association Chat)
Dig into a company that consults, creates events, and provides hip Washingtonians guidance on the coolest things to do via its online publication and featured events. Hear about BYT’s approach to creating unique events and creating the buzz around them. More info/register.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
Guest: Svetlana Legetic, founder of Brightest Young Things (BYT) Media
Wed 4/10 at 1 p.m. – Bridging the Learning Analytics Gap: How Guided Insights Lead to Better Results
Learn about top learning analytics challenges, how AI-driven data visualization tools are transforming learning insight, and how to define and interpret relevant metrics. Hear about practical examples of AI-based analytics in action, and how to build a convincing case for guided analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Talented Learning and Authentic Learning Labs
Presenters:
- John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning
- Tamer Ali, Co-Founder and Director at Authentic Learning Labs
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 Guillaume Bourdages via Unsplash
Association Brain Food 