The weekly list of free educational events for the association community…
Amanda Kaiser (aka Smooth The Path) and Dynamic Benchmarking just published the New Member Engagement Study. This report explains why every association should have a new member onboarding or orientation program, what you should expect from your program, how to launch the best program, and how to improve your existing program. Onboarding is critical to retention—and a rewarding membership experience.
Last week, I shared an excellent article from The New York Times Magazine about Bitcoin and its underlying technology . I missed another good one on Bitcoin when it ran in December—you won’t want to. “Bitcoin’s rise may reflect, for better or worse, a monumental transfer of social trust: away from human institutions backed by government and to systems reliant on well-tested computer code.”
Studies say work isn’t rewarding for most people, not as productive as it used to be, bad for your health, and unequally distributed. And now it’s threatened by automation. The Guardian takes a fascinating look at “post-work: the radical idea of a world without jobs” from both historical and futuristic perspectives. What does a world with little or no work mean for our lives? What does it mean for your association?
More on work from the Harvard Business Review: If our sense of purpose is tied to our work, and automation transforms our work, our sense of self-worth will transform too. How’s that going to pan out? How can associations help people fill that psychic hole?
If your job isn’t given you the satisfaction you desire, become an association intrapreneur. WBT Systems explains this rewarding mindset and how you can develop your intrapreneurial chops.
Figuring out how to optimize for voice search should be on every marketer’s mind, says KiKi L’Italien, founder of Amplified Growth, since now more than half of U.S. teens and 41% of U.S. adults use voice search on a daily basis. Wow, I had no idea it was that much.
Some quick hits before we get to the list of next week’s free webinars:
- Google’s warning to mobile publishers: Slow-loading pages will see reduced rank. (Fast Company)
- Research proves switching to the shorter line almost always backfires. (Lifehacker)
- The real reason why Spaniards eat late. I had no idea. (BBC Travel)
Check out my Grabbing the Gusto blog if you’d like to see the list of recipes I’ve made this week or plan to make in the coming weeks, and my list of recommended ebooks on sale.
Here’s the list of free professional development events for the association community scheduled for next week. If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Tue 2/6 at 2 p.m. – Creativity and Persistence: Lessons from a Song a Day (Association Chat)
What can we learn about creativity and persistence from the man who holds the Guinness World Record for Most Consecutive Days Writing a Song? Watch/participate live or view the recording.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
*All times are Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 2/6 at 2 p.m. – Beyond Event Contract Basics: Do You Need Special Clauses?
You’re familiar with the usual contract clauses like cancellation or attrition, but what other clauses should you be considering, for example, sexual harassment policies, emergency preparedness, “do not disturb” policies or other issues? More info/register.
Host: Smart Meetings
Presenter: Lisa Sommer Devlin, JD, attorney with over 25 years’ experience in representing hotels in contract matters
Wed 2/7 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. – 2018 Convening Leaders Rebroadcast
Join PCMA for a full day of online education and networking. The PCMA Digital Experience Institute will be rebroadcasting the most talked about sessions from Nashville. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Wed 2/7 at 12 p.m. CST – Chapter Roundtable in Chicago IL
Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Thu 2/8 at 12 p.m. – How to Train, Support & Inspire Chapter Leaders in One Place
Chapter leaders are incredibly dedicated volunteers, but they’re not association management experts. They can be easily overwhelmed by your association’s expectations and the responsibilities of leadership. Ensure your chapter leaders have the knowledge and resources they need to succeed by inviting them to a chapter leadership conference. Join us as we walk through how to train, support and inspire your volunteers all in one place. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Presenter: Peggy Hoffman, CAE, Co-Founder & President, Mariner Management & Marketing LLC
Thu 2/8 at 12:30 p.m. – Personal Fulfillment Fuels Your Professional Development
So many pieces of life get in the way of professional fulfillment: debt, finances, relationships and just the daily grind. It’s proven that if you are not fulfilled personally, you will never be fulfilled professionally. Discover the four components you need to achieve the quality of life you want. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: .orgCommunity
Presenter: Tom Morrison, CEO, Metal Treating Institute
Thu 2/8 at 2 p.m. – How to Address Meltdown and Spectre Vulnerabilities at Nonprofits
Learn the best approaches for addressing the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities as hardware and software manufacturers continue to release and revise their solutions. Hear about the latest fixes and best strategies for applying them. More info/register.
Host: Community IT
Presenters: Matt Eshleman, CTO, and Galen Wenger, Centralized Services Manager, Community IT
Thu 2/8 at 2 p.m. – Webinar Marketing Predictions for 2018
Take a look into the future of webinar marketing and highlight how you can supercharge your webinar programs in the New Year. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenter: Mark Bornstein, VP Content Marketing, ON24, Inc.
Thu 2/8 at 2 p.m. – Strategic Planning: Creating a Road Map for Association Success
Learn an easy method for looking at the wider context your organization operates in, and why it is important to key into your strengths and opportunities. Find out about a tool for just in time strategic thinking and how to adapt to your situation. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: iCohere
Presenter: Carol Hamilton, Principal, Grace Social Sector Consulting, LLC
Save the date:
Tue 2/13 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Washington DC
Wed 2/14 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Alexandria VA
Thu 2/15 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Reston VA
Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit.
Host: Billhighway
Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.
Location: Reston VA. More info/register.
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 professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.
Creative Commons licensed photo by Andrew Ridley on Unsplash
Association Brain Food 