The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Virtual conferences survey. If virtual or in-person conferences are part of your organization’s strategy—whether you’re a non- or for-profit, large or small organization—please participate in the Tagoras 2021 Virtual Conferences survey. Your participation will help provide valuable insight into how the role of virtual conferences has changed over the past 12-18 months.
Non-dues revenue. The countdown is on! 4 weeks from now, you could be in Nashville hanging around with people whose associations are rolling in non-dues revenue and people who want to emulate that success. Teri Carden—founder of ReviewMyAMS and AMS Fest—is bringing both groups together for a day of learning and sharing on September 23, plus some fun, of course, the night before. Actually, her events are always fun and enlightening. Check it all out on the Non-Dues-A-Palooza website.
The new education model. 80% of the education offered by the Ohio Society of CPAs (OSCPA) used to be in-person, but the pandemic changed all that, of course. Here’s the surprise: even when in-person returns, their members and attendees say they prefer virtual conferences. OSCPA told WBT Systems, “We’re not going back.”
Volunteer training. Learn how volunteer scenarios and training gap analysis can help your association identify the type of content you need to develop and offer to prepare chapter members for volunteering and leadership. Billhighway explains why this is a critical step in designing a volunteer learning journey that helps members develop the skills they need to perform volunteer and/or leadership tasks and perhaps advance in their career too.
Virtual exhibiting and sponsorship. Virtual was a losing proposition for most exhibitors and sponsors since associations tried to replicate the in-person booth experience instead of giving them the opportunity to share their expertise with attendees. Amanda Kaiser recommends making your exhibitors and sponsors true content partners. You’ll improve your relationship with them and turn virtual events into a worthwhile experience for everyone.
Generationalism. I’m seeing a wave of articles about the “bad science” of generationalism. Doesn’t this seem like a case of “duh, we could have told you that.” You can’t generalize about people of a certain age, young or old. You can research the needs of people at different career stages or life stages, but those stages aren’t defined by age. Some people enter a profession at 21 and some at 41; some have kids at 19 and some at 39. So, in Psyche, Cort Rudolph says, “Quit the millennial bashing!”
Quick hits
- Ashley Neal at Sidecar wonders if innovation has slowed down at associations or become business as usual. Let’s hope it’s the latter.
- Adam Grant says there’s a specific kind of joy we’ve been missing during the pandemic: collective effervescence. How can you create these experiences for members?
- Nir Eyal would like you to stop calling everyone “addicted to technology.” I don’t think technology is to blame. Based on what I observe, people are afflicted with comparisonitis, overly obsessed with their social image, and unwilling to entertain themselves in more meaningful ways.
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free webinars if you prefer takeout. If you’re a home cook, check out the irregularly published In The Kitchen posts on my Grabbing the Gusto blog.
- We had a bumper crop of eggplants so I dedicated time on Saturday afternoon to prepping what I call portobello stacks. I start with par-baked portobellos then pile on layers of roasted eggplant, roasted poblano and red bell pepper, chorizo, provolone, spinach and mozzarella, and top it all with a mix of panko breadcrumbs, melted butter and garlic powder—totally worth the effort, and even better with a little marinara for dipping. On the side, sautéed collards with bacon, red onion, carrot, yellow/orange/red bell pepper, poblano, jalapeno and garlic with a swirl of sherry vinegar.
- Another night, we had Chinese-style braised ribbonfish (love this so much) with roasted broccoli and jasmine rice on the side.
- The next night, barbecue-seared blackfin tuna with a roasted sweet potato and leftover broccoli.
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 8/27 at 12 p.m.* – Summer Wrap Up Party with Black In Events Network
As we get ready to head back into a busy and hectic fall, let’s take a minute to enjoy the last lazy days of summer with our growing community. Reunite or meet with new peers and discover new possibilities as we close summer 2021. More info/register.
Hosts: Black in Events Network and twine
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 8/27 at 12 p.m. – Finding Wellness and Balance: Life After Lockdown
In this highly interactive session that guarantees to get participants out of their chairs and moving with yoga, desk exercises, and mindfulness practice, learn how we can put ourselves and our health first to create a more resilient and revitalized life after lockdown. Participants will leave the session with self-care tips and resources that they can easily integrate into conferences, workdays, and everyday lives. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Presenter: Dr. Kim Bercovitz, Ph.D., Founder, X bytes and Byte-Size Wellness Academy
Fri 8/27 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 8/27 at 4 p.m. – Advancing Ethical Understandings in Diverse Teams
What happens when you get a group of people together who have different perspectives, values and morals? It sounds like the beginning of a joke but figuring it out is essential to the success of your organization. Learn how to manage an organization or team successfully while honoring those differences and advancing ethical understandings. More info/register (must join before registering).
Host: Fridays@4
Presenter: Peggy McElgunn, president and CEO of Global Professional Services, PC, and Proven Quality Practices
Mon 8/30 at 1 p.m. – #twineTalks: What Role do Associations Play in a Post-Covid World?
Historically relied on to provide education and networking opportunities, how are associations competing with the plethora of free virtual content and networking opportunities that are flooding the market place? Is it feasible for associations to retain membership and sponsorship dollars to compete with these large #eventtech platforms aiming to build up their own communities? How do associations fit into our post-Covid world? Discuss if and how associations can still deliver value to members in this new, highly accessible world. More info/register.
Host: Twine
Guest host: KiKi L’Italien, senior consultant, Tecker International, and CEO, Association Chat
Mon 8/30 at 1 p.m. – Chapter Relations: A CSE’s Perspective (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: Kevin Mayeux
Hosts:
- Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
- Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman
Mon 8/30 at 1:30 p.m. – Craft the Perfect Member Journey to Keep Your Members Engaged
Learn how to create a member journey that speaks to your members and helps increase member engagement, experience your website and member portal through the eyes of your user, predict what they are looking for and anticipate what they will find relevant and helpful. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Presenter: Membership Specialist, Ronja Francoeur
Mon 8/30 at 7:30 p.m. – How Your Association Content Can Attract New Members: Introduction to Lead Generation
While sales funnels are not often discussed in the context of professional association memberships, if your goal is membership or event revenue growth then your members most likely go through the sales funnel, regardless of what you call it. Learn about the basic terminology of lead generation in the professional association membership context, actionable items for optimizing your association content so it works for growing your membership, and best practices and user-friendly software for lead generation. More info/register.
Host: MemberBoat
Presenter: Olena Lima, Founder and Principal Consultant, MemberBoat
Tue 8/31 at 8 a.m. – Thought Leadership Session: Associations’ Future Strategies
Hear a diverse group of association leaders go in-depth into their event experiences and strategies. Learn how associations plan to adapt and making events financially viable. Get the latest insights into good practices for successful – and flexible – business event organizing in the future. More info/register.
Host: International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)
Presenter: Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA
Tue 8/31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – BizBash at Connect Tampa (virtual)
BizBash is teaming up with Connect to showcase innovative ideas, tools and resources for virtual, hybrid and in-person events with our own virtual experience. More info/register.
Host: BizBash
Tue 8/31 at 1 p.m. – Crafting the Event Experience: A Virtual Design Workshop
Your event invitation and website are the first touchpoints of any event experience. They set the tone, trigger action, and build expectations and excitement of what’s to come, hence, mastering these two components is critical for the success of your event. Join us for a live and interactive workshop led by master event experience crafter, Ryan Costello, where he will walk you through how to leverage invitations and websites to craft an event experience from the start. He’ll be highlighting helpful tools available, places to gather design inspiration, and show you how it all comes together. CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Event Farm
Presenter: Ryan Costello, co-founder, Event Farm, and chief strategy officer, MemberSuite
Tue 8/31 at 1 p.m. – Be a Participant of the World’s Largest Non-Dues Revenue Resource
Ideation sessions are designed to produce real solutions to real-world challenges. The challenge? Associations need more ideas for generating more non-dues revenue. To answer that problem, we’re hosting a 2-hour interactive experience—a virtual event where association professionals can generate new non-dues revenue ideas together. This is an investment of your time and energy, but everyone will walk away with A HUGE document of new ideas. More info/register.
Host: Non-Dues-A-Palooza / 100 Reviews
Tue 8/31 at 1 p.m. – Killer Paid Search Tactics That Every Marketer Needs to Know
Learn the latest trends in paid search to guide your PPC strategy in 2021, how to use AI to automate and optimize CPC bidding, how to make click-to-call ads even more effective, what you need to get real-time attribution for calls and conversions driven by paid search, and tactics for optimizing campaigns to drive more high-value sales calls. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenters: paid search geniuses from Media Experts and conversation intelligence pros at Invoca
Tue 8/31 at 2 p.m. – ASAE Annual 2021: Making Member Engagement Memorable
A dominant theme throughout the 2021 ASAE Annual Meeting, engagement has been a hot topic since the world went virtual. Membership engagement has the ability to improve collaboration among all your stakeholders. Hear about the dynamics impacting membership engagement and tips on how to leverage this disruption to initiate a lasting digital transformation. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Protech
Presenters:
- Reggie Henry, American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)
- Ben Muscolino, Breezio
- Edessa Polzin, Web Courseworks
- Liz Palm, Protech (moderator)
Tue 8/31 at 2 p.m. – Redefining Your Value Proposition
When was the last time you revisited your association’s value proposition? If the answer is anything other than “this year,” it’s time to take another look. Offering your members what they want and communicating that clearly is essential to member recruitment and retention. Learn how to start an ongoing conversation with members to understand what they want and need sooner, define how you meet those needs succinctly and effectively, and revise your value proposition. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Presenters:
- Tom Morrison, CEO, Metal Treating Institute
- Dave Will, CEO, Propfuel
- Beth Arritt (moderator), Association Strategist, Higher Logic
Tue 8/31 at 2 p.m. – Power, Voice, & Choice: A Discussion of Self-Exploration & Equity
Learn how to build your awareness and equity “muscles” in this guided discussion about diversity, inclusion and impact. Become a better ally, advocate, and activist through self-discovery, honesty, and some hard truths….that will build you up without tearing you down. Uncover your individual voice in this conversation and learn how and where to get started at creating impact that starts meaningful change for organizations and individuals. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: Tanya Gibson, Vice President Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) & Human Resources, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Wed 9/1 from 11 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. – BizBash at Connect Tampa (virtual)
BizBash is teaming up with Connect to showcase innovative ideas, tools and resources for virtual, hybrid and in-person events with our own virtual experience. More info/register.
Host: BizBash
Wed 9/1 at 12 p.m. – Ten Questions to Optimize Data Management
Whether your association management system (AMS) is brand new or many years old, there are steps you can take to get the most from it. Find out the ten questions you should be considering at your organization to improve the value and usefulness of your current system and data. Hear specific, real-world examples of actions associations have taken to clean up their data, improve the use of their data management systems, and improve sales. More info/register.
Host: Association Insights in Old Town
Presenter: Wes Trochlil, president of Effective Database Management
Wed 9/1 at 1 p.m. – #ExpoChat on Twitter
ExpoChat is a Twitter-based conversation on topics related to the trade show industry. More info.
Wed 9/1 at 2 p.m. – The Neuroscience of Engagement
Engagement is so widely addressed that it’s becoming a big word that often means very little. So, let’s define it meaningfully, by using science. What does it really take for the brain to be engaged? Hear about four evidence-based, practical guidelines, which you can use immediately to create meaningful engagement for your internal and external audiences. More info/register.
Host: Content Marketing Institute
Presenters:
- Carmen Simon, PhD, Chief Science Officer, Corporate Visions
- Stephanie Stahl, General Manager, Content Marketing Institute
Wed 9/1 at 2 p.m. – PCMA Future Event Masterminds: Re-purpose Content & Brand Presence
Join us for a new PCMA series connecting you with like-minded individuals who are determined to be the best in business. Learn from industry experts as well as your peers in this month’s iteration: 20 minutes of networking in breakout groups; 40-minute presentation, Five Strategies to Maximize Value from Your Event Recordings; 40-minute presentation, The World’s Gone Digital. Now What? Maintaining a strong brand presence in a virtual world; and 20 minutes of networking in breakout groups. 1.5 CMP credits. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenters:
- Joshua Butler, Falcon Events
- Ameerah Saine, BAS Media
Wed 9/1 at 4 p.m. – AWTC Salon: Shine Theory
Shine Theory is a concept from the book Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close, by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. The authors describe this concept as a practice of mutual investment in each other, in helping someone be their best self—and relying on their help in return. In AWTC, we focus on helping other women succeed, through knowledge, recognition, and community. This sharing of knowledge and resources aligns well with Shine Theory. So, what might this mean in practice? More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)
Fri 9/3 at 11:30 a.m. – Start the Journey to Becoming a Transcendent Leader
As a transcendent leader, we will help you begin the journey of building your compassionate, cohesive and collaborative (C3) culture. Learn about the key components of transcendent leadership, and how behavioral science can optimize your talent and help you identify your team work style so you can effectively drive business results. Hear about a 3-step framework to create teams that are innovative, have low turnover and maintain a high production rate without much supervision. More info/register.
Host: SOAR Community Network
Tue 9/7 at 3:30 p.m. – 365-Day Member Communication: Re-Engaging Your Members in a Post-Covid Era
The data shows that most associations took a hit through Covid. Let’s dive into reengaging your members and lapsed members through a multi-channel communications approach. We’ll discuss using different approaches for new members, existing members, veteran members and members who left. Let’s renew buy-in from your volunteers and staff with an action plan for growth. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Presenter: Scott Oser, founder, Scott Oser & Associates
Thu 9/9 at 1 p.m. – Learning Science: Implications for Your Learning Business
Providing education to adult lifelong learners is at the core of a learning business. But, to thrive, you must have impact—and that’s what learning science helps to guarantee. Learn about evidence-based approaches to designing and delivering educational products and services, drawing on the work of experts translating academic research into real-world implications and practices for providers such as learning businesses. More info/register.
Host: Leading Learning
Presenters:
- Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning
- Brenda McLaughlin, CEO at SelfStudy
Thu 9/9 at 2 p.m. – Insight 2022 – What’s in Store for Meetings?
It may be only the beginning of the 4th quarter but 2022 is right around the corner. It’s the perfect time to discuss and gather insights to plan your association’s events for 2022 and beyond. Hear insights about where we have been and where we are going in 2022 and beyond, whether your meeting is virtual, live or perhaps hybrid. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: 501Works
Presenters:
- Joe Colangelo, CEO and Co-Founder of Bear Analytics
- James Marquis, CIO, 501Works
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 photo by Timothy Dykes via Unsplash
Association Brain Food 