The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Professional development and membership. After reviewing ASI’s 2023 Membership Performance Benchmark Report, WBT Systems discusses the findings and highlights the role of professional development in attracting, engaging, and retaining members.
Blogging. Cierra Loflin at Superpath identifies the telltale signs of an underperforming blog and shares the turnaround advice of three content marketers who inherited mediocre blogs.
AMS implementation. Impexium describes three crucial principles that most associations and vendors overlook during an AMS implementation—things that will make your life a lot more difficult. They explain why and how to get buy-in from staff and executives, how to manage an implementation when you barely have time for your real job, and why you should focus on business outcomes, not processes.
Member renewals. MemberSuite describes how to proactively create the conditions for more member renewals, including laying a sound foundation with your value proposition, renewal tactics, and a strategy for lapsed members.
Stakeholder capitalism. In one of those seeing-something-everywhere-all-of-a-sudden phenomena, I’ve come across several references to stakeholder capitalism lately. Submittable explains what it is and why it’s important.
State of the association industry. There’s no lack of survey reports in our industry, but a few things stand out in the 2023 Association Survey Results Report from GrowthZone: challenges that cry out for solutions, such as a non-renewals caused by a member’s lack of time to participate, and the lack of plans or processes for goals such as member engagement, lapsed member reengagement, young professional recruitment and retention, and membership value innovation. No plan, no progress.
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.
This French toast casserole was easy to put together, although I cut way back on the brown sugar and added maple syrup to the custard instead. I used the leftover sub rolls from our Superbowl party. They dried out a bit in the refrigerator so were in perfect shape for French toast.
Sunday, we had the “best eggplant parmesan.” I was a subscriber to the Washington Post when I first discovered this recipe, but no longer am and never copied it. Fortunately, I found it on another website in an article by the recipe’s creator. I like this dish because you broil the eggplant slices instead of frying them and top the dish with a bread crumb mixture to get the crunchy fried feel. I use pesto instead of basil, add provolone for extra flavor, and make it in a 9” x 13” pan.
Earlier in the week, we had blackened vermillion snapper. On the side, grits with pepper jack cheese and a mix of heavy cream and milk, plus zucchini al pesto with broccoli stem, onion, mushroom, and orange bell pepper.
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’m happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Fri 2/24 at 8 a.m.* – Black Association Executives Networking Breakfast (Tysons Corner VA)
Location: Tysons Corner VA. More info/register.
Organizer: ASAE Black Association Executives
*All events are online at Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 2/24 at 12 p.m. – Unpacked: What is holding you back from career success and strategies to move forward?
Are you an aspiring leader, an emerging leader, a first-time manager, or a professional serious about your personal and professional growth? This monthly leadership and professional development series will help you gain and improve your leadership development skills. More info/register.
Host: Maurine Kwende, CEO and founder, EMK Learning Solutions
Fri 2/24 at 12 p.m. – Psychometrics Concepts in Professional Certification Process
Gain a better understanding of the psychometric principles used to develop, administer, and interpret professional certification tests. Hear about reliability, validity, psychometric scaling, item analysis, psychometric modeling, and the impact of certification on job performance. Learn about the ethical and legal considerations related to certification processes. More info/register.
Host: Leverage Assessments, Inc.
Fri 2/24 at 4 p.m. – Diversity Discussion Series: Empowering Rising Leaders (Panel Discussion)
Join us for a moderated panel discussion on empowering rising leaders. The moderator will lead the conversation through themes on workplace culture, leadership, and global digitalization. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speakers:
- Sara El Saied, Associate Director of Business Development and Industry Partnerships, Association of Women’s Health and Neonatal Nurses
- Vik Kapoor, Esq., PCC, President, Extra-M Coaching and Consulting
- Brooke Wilson, CMP, professional event planner
- Constance Samuels (moderator), MBA, CMP, DES, Director of Events & Education, National Association of Professional Employer Association
Mon 2/27 at 8 a.m. – Looking Forward 2023 (Radio Free 501c)
Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting (formerly Nonprofit Conversations) features guests from across the nonprofit community and the business world to share expertise on a variety of topics related to the practice of nonprofit management. Episodes are published Monday mornings in both audio and video format on most podcast services.
Guest: Dean West, FASAE, President, Association Laboratory
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Mon 2/27 at 11 a.m. – Empowering You to Create Engaging Events
We had to move our event delivery online during Covid which allowed us to experience a new way to engage our members. Now the world is our oyster, we can deliver online, hybrid and in person. What method works best? What elements of our event are best suited to online, hybrid and in person? What about the costs? Do you stream live events or make them available on demand? Get insights and enhance the reach of your events, whether they’re in person, virtual, or hybrid. More info/register.
Host: InEvent
Speakers:
- Lisa Collins Managing Director at Dovetail Creative Ltd.
- Cecilia Lavin, Sales Director at InEvent
Mon 2/27 at 2 p.m. – Retain Your Members Without Breaking The Bank
Learn how to discover strategic opportunities through the member journey, create a streamlined onboarding process that can save the association and its members time and money, increase your membership satisfaction and loyalty, and make your members the center of a story that can transform your association. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Speaker: Mark Levin, CAE, CSP, President, B.A.I, Inc.
Tue 2/28 at 11 a.m. – Avoid Buyer’s Remorse When Selecting New Software for your Organization
Working with so many vendors in the space, we’ve developed a fool-proof plan for how to plan for the vendor selection process, what questions to ask in the interview process and finally, how to interpret the answers. Gain confidence in developing a plan for kicking off the search for new software. Learn the common pitfalls to avoid during the interview and selection process. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Jeff Horne, Co-Founder, CEO, Wicket
- Steve Shock, VP Marketing, Wicket Marketing Technology Specialist
Tue 2/28 at 12 p.m. – Webinars That Work: Hosting Virtual Events That Drive Business Results
Effective webinars build brand awareness, nurture warm leads, close deals and sustain existing customer relationships. But all too often, they’re thinly veiled product pitches, with bad lighting and even worse PPTs. Learn how to develop content that connects with your buyer’s specific pain points, promote registration with a focused, high ROI, 6- to 8-week campaign calendar, deliver an engaging experience that feels more like a conversation and less like a PowerPoint dump, and use AI to efficiently adapt your webinar content and create extended engagement for months to come. More info/register.
Host: Managing Editor & Rep Cap Live
Speakers:
- Hannah Scherer, VP, Marketing & Partnerships, BigMarker
- Mary Ellen Slayter, Rep Cap CEO, Publisher of Managing Editor
Tue 2/28 at 12 p.m. – From Value Proposition Strategy to Growth: A Membership Growth Case Study
The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers’ membership marketing campaign wasn’t yielding the expected membership growth results. So OSPE built a methodical, multi-year, value-proposition marketing strategy to improve membership growth. Their efforts resulted in OSPE’s highest membership growth since 2008. Hear about the benefits of the strategic approach that changed OSPE’s member value proposition. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Xchange
Speaker: Christine Saunders, CM, President, Halmyre
Tue 2/28 at 12 p.m. – Secure 2.0: What You Need To Know
Over the holidays, President Biden signed the Secure 2.0 Act, a sweeping retirement reform package aimed at increasing access to workplace retirement plans and retirement plan savings, streamlining plan administration and reporting requirements, and preserving retirement income. Learn about the Act’s most impactful provisions and the administrative obstacles you may face, which options your organization can adopt now and in the future, and how this will affect workers and the intended outcome these provisions could have over time. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Speaker: Shelly Howard-Horwitz
Tue 2/28 at 12:30 p.m. – The New Member Journey: Emerging Member Personas for Associations
Everyone has their own journey and their own “why” when joining an association. How can you better understand your community to help members find their niche? Learn how to reimagine your community’s experience through passionate people and their different personas, technology that enables your association, and processes that embrace innovation. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Personify
Speakers:
- Wes Trochlil, president of Effective Database Management
- Tina Wehmeir, CEO at AMC Institute
- Megan Woodburn, Founder and Co-CEO at Strategic Association Management
- Erin Sullivan, VP of Marketing at Personify
Tue 2/28 at 1 p.m. – Association Chat Open Forum
This month’s forum will focus on the association value proposition and why people are chatting lately about the need for business model change. More info/register.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, senior consultant, Tecker International
Tue 2/28 at 1 p.m. – Overcome Awkwardness & Prioritize Collaboration: Creating a Culture of Feedback
Unless we seek reflections on our work and performance, how can any of us truly recognize potential opportunities to refine, invest, and grow? Participate in a discussion about feedback—starting with a challenge you’re currently facing and would like to process through a simple, but effective four-part feedback model. Process in real time a participant example for further clarity of how to use the feedback model in the workplace. Leave with a feedback model job aid, as well as specific recommendations for actions to take pre- and post-feedback for maximum effectiveness. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE, CPF, CEO, Vista Cova
- Aaron Wolowiec, MSA, CAE, CMP, President & CEO, Event Garde LLC
Tue 2/28 at 2 p.m. – Bark Up the Right Tree: Align Your Event Marketing Strategy to the Right Promotional Channels
Unique new ways to promote your events are constantly popping up, from TikTok and LinkedIn Conversation Ads, to influencer marketing and podcasts. So, how do you know which channels are right for your event and organization? Get fresh ideas on channels and tactics you can use today and in the future, tips on amplifying your brand’s reach, and new ways to repurpose content and extend your event lifecycle. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MeetingsNet
Speakers: Emily Dick, Director, Demand Generation, and Tiffany Sanford, Assistant Team Lead, Demand Generation, Cvent
Tue 2/28 at 3 p.m. – Member Engagement: Strategies for Associations
Associations with engaged members enjoy the benefit of continued relevance in the community, better member retention, and an increased likelihood of attracting new members organically. Strategizing effective engagement is ever-changing given the new trends and technologies we see every day. Learn engagement strategies your association can leverage to get your members hooked on the mission. More info/register.
Host: NXUnite by Nexus Marketing
Speakers:
- Mariama Boney, President & CEO at Achieve More, LLC
- Joy Duling, Founder & CEO at The Joy of Membership
- Artesha Moore, President & CEO at Association Forum
- Brian Van Norman, Executive Director – Membership, Chapters and Meetings/Events at AAPC
Wed 3/1 at 8 a.m. – BAE Coffee Chat
Host: ASAE Black Association Executives
Wed 3/1 at 11 a.m. – Building & Leading Strong Teams
Building and managing teams can be a challenging prospect to leadership, but not unreachable. Learn about different leadership styles and the impacts they have on teams including attracting and retaining strong employees, building a diverse workforce, recognizing team strengths and minimizing team vulnerabilities. Leave with practical guidance on how to build effective and collaborative teams within your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Jessica Roper, CPA, Director | Outsourced CFO, Vault
Wed 3/1 at 12 p.m. – Caveat Emptor: Becoming a Responsible Consumer of Research
How can you protect your association’s reputation as a trusted source of unbiased information for the profession or industry you serve? Hear a plain language review of key concepts and approaches to consuming and sponsoring research so you know that you are setting yourself up for success in making data-informed decisions that will allow you to achieve your most important goals and solve your most pressing problems. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Insights In Old Town
Speakers:
- Elizabeth Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting, LLC
- Polly Karpowicz, MBA, CAE, Nonprofit Consultant
Thu 3/2 at 11 a.m. – Reputation Risk as Part of Your Cybersecurity Program
Has your website domain been blacklisted without your knowledge? Are visitors not coming to your site because it’s flagged as unsafe? Are your donor lists being shared on the dark web? Learn the best practices for monitoring and protecting your organization’s most valuable asset: your reputation. Hear about the many ways your online reputation can be compromised, tools available for monitoring these risks, and remediation steps for addressing any issues uncovered. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Darren Hulem, CISA, CEH, Security +, Supervisor, IT and Risk Advisory Services, GRF CPAs & Advisors
- Melissa Musser, Partner and Director of Risk Advisory, GRF CPAs & Advisors
Thu 3/2 at 11 a.m. – When Everything Is Hybrid, What Does That Mean for Society Buildings? (Fireside Chat)
As the world started returning to work, societies pondered practical questions such as how to facilitate hybrid working, how to manage virtual events and how to stay afloat, alongside the more existential ones such as “Is having a building fundamental to the mission of the society?” Hear about the impact of all things hybrid on societies and their buildings and how the fallout from the pandemic has led to them questioning their mission and the needs of their communities. More info/register.
Host: Society Street
Speakers:
- Graham Blair, Director of Membership, Media and Development, Royal College of Anaesthetists
- Sarah Greaves, Publishing Consultant, STEM Consulting Limited
- Gaynor Redvers-Mutton, Associate Director of Business Development & Sales, Biochemical Society
- Jon Treadway, Director, Great North Wood Consulting
- Emma Wilson, Director of Publishing at the Royal Society of Chemistry
Thu 3/2 at 12 p.m. – The Community Check-In
A weekly community chat on Slack for black professionals working in the events industry. More info/register.
Host: Black In Events Network
Thu 3/2 at 1 p.m. – LMS Selection in the Evolving Learning Landscape
Good technology is essential for running a thriving learning business today—but finding the right tech can be daunting. Learn about the macrotrends driving learntech and how those trends impact the platforms a learning business needs in its ecosystem. Hear about a time-tested process you can use to find a learning management system that will help your learning business thrive. Get a clear understanding of how to lead your organization in choosing the right learning technology. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Leading Learning
Speakers: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders, Leading Learning
Thu 3/2 at 1 p.m. – The No BS Guide to Digital Transformation
The research is clear: the key to lasting, responsive digital transformation is intentional and focused culture change. Learn what makes association culture unique and how culture change particularly impacts associations. Hear how The Independent Community Bankers of America® embarked on their digital transformation project on behalf of their members and their industry. Learn what digital transformation is for your specific association context, what culture patterns are and how they can be roadblocks to digital transformation, and seven steps you need to take to effect digital transformation in your association. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Elizabeth Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting, LLC
- Maddie Grant, Culture Designer and Digital Strategist, Propel
- Prabhash Shrestha, MS, PMP, FASAE, CAE, Group Executive Vice President, Chief Digital Strategy Officer, ICBA
Thu 3/2 at 1 p.m. – The Next Generation of Fly-Ins: Innovative Strategies for 2023
Fly-ins have undergone some major changes in recent years, moving from traditional in-person events to all-virtual during the pandemic, to a hybrid in the last two years. Now, it’s time to break the mold, look to the future, and explore innovative ways to conduct a fly-in that makes an impact on supporters, members, clients, and lawmakers. More info/register.
Hosts: FiscalNote/VoterVoice and The Advocacy Association
Speakers:
- Joe Franco, President, The Advocacy Association
- Lindsey Miller, Sr. Manager, Grassroots Advocacy, National Restaurant Association
- Kirstie Tucker, Founder, DC Fly-Ins
- Sherry Whitworth (Moderator), Managing Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy, FiscalNote
Thu 3/2 at 2 p.m. – Managing IT Challenges in the Remote/Hybrid Office
A remote workforce expert and a managed service provider CTO will share their experiences and answer questions on how you can better manage staff, avoid risks, and improve security in the remote and hybrid work environments. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: 501 Works
Speakers:
- Rebecca Achurch, CEO, Achurch Consulting
- Matthew Eshleman, Chief Technology Officer, Community IT Innovators
Fri 3/3 at 10 a.m. – Coffee with Innovators: Association Design Circle
We meet on the first Friday of each month hosted by an association leader who leads a conversation on an association innovation topic. Our topic this month is association finance innovation. More info/register.
Host: Product Design Community
Facilitator: Annie Doresca, Chief Financial Officer at Jewelers of America
Fri 3/3 at 1 p.m. – iPaaS Show-and-Tell: Real Life Examples from the Trenches
Get a look under the hood of the iPaaS-based integrations at four associations. See how things look and work in Zapier, Tray.io, ShuffleExchange, and MS Power Automate. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Technology Professionals Community
Fri 3/3 at 4 p.m. – Diversity Discussion Series: Women in Leadership (Panel Discussion)
Join us for our continued panel discussion series, Diversity Discussions in honor of Women’s History Month. The moderator will lead panelists through a conversation on association leadership experiences, themes include values, relationships, and boundaries. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speakers:
- Ally Brown, MS, Director of Training, Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine
- Celia Chomón Zamora, Director of Professional Learning and Certification, ACTFL
- Jakeeva Lee, member and community engagement outreach, Chicago Association of Realtors
- Angela Nelson (moderator), diversity, equity, and inclusion, Travel Portland
Fri 3/3 at 6:30 p.m. – DMV First Friday Black Association Executives Dinner
Organizer: ASAE Black Association Executives
Tue 3/7 at 11 a.m. – Cybersecurity Assessment for an Association/Nonprofit: A Checklist for Success
After the pandemic, small and medium sized organizations, including nonprofits and associations, are facing increasing cyber threats as they are more connected today—with remote staff, members, customers and vendors. Easy availability of low-cost cyber weapons has led to a surge in phishing attempts, malware, and ransomware attacks on inadequately secured networks. Learn about the types of security assessments available in the marketplace, what an assessment framework is and which one your organization should be using, why types of information should be delivered through an assessment, and what your organization should do with the assessment output. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Brian Scott, President, CIO, ClearTone Consulting LLC
Tue 3/7 at 12 p.m. – The For-Profit Competitors Are Here
More and more, for-profit private networks and communities are competing with associations for membership, engagement opportunities, and revenue. Hear about the rise of for-profit competitors and their impact on how associations can drive greater member value and impact going forward. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Executive Management Professionals Advisory Council
Speakers:
- Miranda Barrett, CAE, PMP, Owner, Capacity to Scale
- Jennifer Lewi, MBA, CAE, ACC, Vice President, Career Development and Conferences, School Nutrition Association
- Martin Sirk, Owner, Sirk Serendipity / International Advisor, Global Association Hubs Partnership
- Dean West, FASAE, President, Association Laboratory
- Tommy Goodwin (moderator), FASAE, CAE, PMP, Vice President, Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance
Tue 3/7 at 12 p.m. – Event Analytics (Association Analytics Network)
Join association professionals for peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Analytics
Wed 3/8 at 9 a.m. – First Calls and Focused Follow-Ups: How Associations Stay Connected to Customers
Staying top of mind with customers is an important part of relationship building. Whether it’s members or partners, associations must strike the right balance of keeping in touch and staying connected with those they serve. Share tips and tactics for staying connected to customers in meaningful ways. 1 CAE credit. More info/register (members only).
Host: Professionals for Association Revenue
Speaker: Sean Soth, Founder & Leadership Advisory Board Chair, Professionals for Association Revenue
Wed 3/8 at 1 p.m. – The Association Hiring Landscape
Join a discussion with recruiters and career experts on the state of the association hiring market. Learn how to position yourself as a strong candidate, and how to attract the best applicants in today’s market. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Speaker: Shelly Howard-Horwitz
Wed 3/8 at 1 p.m. – The ABCs of APIs: Integrations for Those NOT in the Know
Integrations and APIs are common buzzwords, but what exactly do they mean and why are they important? Learn the basics of making your systems talk to each other, how to express your integration needs to your tech teams and make better system selection choices based on the integration options. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Olivia Wilkins, Business Analyst/Project Manager, PerByte
Wed 3/8 at 2 p.m. – Expert Strategies to Help Meet Your Goals
marketing trends and actionable takeaways to take your marketing plan to the next level. We will share why marketing plans are important, the essential components to consider, and why aligning the plan to meet your association goals is essential. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Adviser/Naylor Association Solutions
Speakers:
- Kaydee Brown, Senior Corporate Marketing Manager, Naylor Association Solutions
- Melinda Adamec, Senior Vice President, Gabriel Marketing Group
Thu 3/9 at 11 a.m. – Deep Dive: 2023 Membership Performance Benchmark Report
Take a deep dive through the recently released 8th annual 2023 Membership Performance Benchmark Report. Association executives from around the world share their top priorities for 2023 and offer tips for overcoming the biggest challenges. This year’s report also shares insights on how different generations, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials, view issues differently and how this impacts their decision making. More info/register.
Host: iMIS by ASI
Thu 3/9 at 11 a.m. – Marketing Artificial Intelligence in Action
Learn about low lift, low cost AI tools, specific to the marketing, membership, and communications functions, you can begin experimenting with right away at your organization. Hear about SEO/search optimization tools that use NLP for semantic-powered inline optimization as well as search volume recommendations; email tools that leverage AI for content recommendation and send-time optimization; content generation and inline editing tools; image and other content generation tools; and AI-powered audio editing tools. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Erica Salm Rench, MBA, COO, Rasa.io
Fri 3/10 at 12 p.m. – Conversations with Champions
Each conversation features an AWTC leader or AWTC Award winner, followed by breakout rooms with changing topics (selected by our featured guest). These intimate, virtual conversations are a chance to form meaningful connections with other women and allies in the association technology community. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Guest: Rebecca Achurch, PGMP, PMP, CSM, CAE, founder, Achurch Consulting
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 the week before it’s scheduled.
Creative Commons licensed photo by Irina Iriser via Unsplash
Association Brain Food 
One thought on “Association Brain Food: 2.24.23”
Comments are closed.