The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
I remember how mystified I was by the business of residential construction when I first started working at the National Association of Home Builders. I learned what I could from meetings and reading our publications but things didn’t click into place until I was lucky enough to land a seat in a weeklong Home Building 101 class for local association executive directors.
If that type of experience isn’t an option for you, WBT Systems shares 13 ways you can get a basic level of knowledge and keep up with the trends in your association’s industry or profession.
It’s frustrating to have member and event attendee data spread out across the organization in different databases. MemberSuite describes eight benefits of keeping event data in your AMS and even addresses an “elephant in the room” that brings back more association memories for me.
Amanda Kaiser dispels three myths on why people join associations and reveals the real reason—based on her member research. No, I’m not going to give it away here, you have to read her post to find out—the real reason is not too surprising when you think about it.
“You don’t need to sit on a yoga mat or in a meditation pose to be mindful,” says Holly Duckworth. She shares a few techniques for practicing mindfulness so you can build your own reality each day at work. “Change happens, but chaos is a choice,” she says. And you know what else? Happiness is a choice too.
Some quick hits before we get to next week’s free webinars:
- Here’s a description of what I was up to last week: backpacking in the Superstition Mountains Wilderness with my feller. We hiked outside Tucson AZ too and spent a day in Tombstone. I bet you didn’t even know I was gone.
- Spoilers have been infuriating people since Victorian times. (James Green, Quartz)
- 8 ways to read the books you wish you had time for. (Neil Pasricha, Harvard Business Review)
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 5/7 at 12 p.m.* – Communicating Data with Stakeholders
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.
Host: Association Data Analytics Brown Bag (virtual)
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 5/7 at 1 p.m. – Tech Tools to Make You Immediately More Productive
Hear about 20+ helpful freemium, low-cost, and game-changing solutions out there to make your job easier—tools that can automate your workday and make connecting online easier. Learn how to overcome barriers to embracing new technologies and see a real-world example of the impact automation can make. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Novi AMS and ReviewMyAMS
Presenter: Mike Pennington, CAE, Novi Evangelist
Tue 5/7 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
Tue 5/7 at 2 p.m. – Mapping the Journey to Long-Term Member Engagement
Your members have high expectations, and a distinctive, original, and personal user experience is a requirement in today’s digital world. Hear about an organization utilizing the power of integrated technology to grow, retain, and strengthen their connection to members. Learn about email marketing and automation, harnessing data to drive current and potential members’ participation in your community, and analyzing and acting on user behavior to deliver relevant, timely, personal content. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Presenters:
- Vivian Swertinski, Sr. Manager of Strategic Services, Higher Logic
- Tim Ahlenius, Director of Digital Strategy, Americaneagle.com
Wed 5/8 at 12 p.m. – Trust Is a Must: 3 Ways to Build Trust in Your Healthcare Organization
According to ASAE’s ForesightWorks research, trust in institutions, including government, science, and medicine, is declining. As a result, healthcare associations need to invest more time and resources into building trust with their members and the general public. Hear the perspectives and experiences of healthcare association professionals in building trust with their members and the public. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Presenters:
- Mike Tringale, vice president, communications and public affairs, for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association
- Barbara Byrd Keenan, FASAE, CAE, CEO of the Endocrine Society
- Nicolette L. Haton, MBA, CAE, Analyst, Association Laboratory Inc.
- Ben Wokas (moderator), Member Engagement Manager, American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy
Wed 5/8 at 2 p.m. – Harnessing Coalition Power
Discuss, assess, and learn how to expand your government affairs reach by leaps and bounds with effective coalition building. Discover how to identify potential partners that share your vision, although they may not always be your usual allies. This session will review the essential elements of running a coalition including focus, action plans, financing and organizational best practices and tips. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Wed 5/8 at 2 p.m. – Leverage Digital Media to Build Your Brand
Learn how to build your brand in a meaningful way using digital media in ways you didn’t know were available for even the smallest and largest of companies. Examine why a personal brand matters for meeting and event professionals. Explore how to build a personal brand that showcases you as an expert. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: digital media strategist Phil Gerbyshak
Thu 5/9 at 10:30 a.m. – Value Proposition 5-Day Challenge – Live Kickoff
Gain a better understanding of your value proposition and how to communicate that value to your current and prospective members and clients. You’ll be challenged each day to reflect on your products, programs, benefits, and services and how those pieces create a comprehensive picture of the value you offer. When you’ve crossed the finish line of this challenge, you’ll be able to develop marketing and communications that provide a clear and simplified value message to your audience. More info/register.
Host: The Next Steps LLC
Thu 5/9 at 12:30 p.m. – Conference Trends Every Meeting Planner Should Know
Chatbots, facial recognition, wearable technologies, gamification, experiential meetings, and elevated attendee expectations are among many conference trends the savvy association exec needs to be aware of. At the heart of any event is creating memorable experiences that promote attendee engagement, interaction and satisfaction. Staying abreast of the latest developments has never been more important. Jump in for a fast-paced dive into the conference trends that are changing the game and walk away with ideas you can implement right away. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: .orgCommunity
Presenter: Megan Denhardt, CAE, president, The Denhardt Group
Thu 5/9 at 1 p.m. – Tips to Extend Your Event’s Reach and Revenue
Learn strategies to extend the life of your highly valued events. Hear tips on integrating your event content with other areas of your association and marketing, and organizing your content to effectively engage the 80% of your audience who are not attending. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ACGI Software
Presenter: Jodi Ray, Sr. Business Development Manager, BlueSky eLearn
Thu 5/9 at 1 p.m. – Telling Your Story Through Blogs, Photos and Videos
How do you convey the great work your organization is doing with blogs, photos and videos? These tools are powerful ways to share the difference you’re making in the world. We’ll cover the principles of good storytelling, look at examples and research about what’s working for nonprofits, and then discuss the tools that can help you put them online. More info/register.
Host: Idealware
Presenter: Maureen Wallbeoff, Founder MeetMaureen.com
Thu 5/9 at 2 p.m. – Leverage Data to Drive Member Engagement
Learn how to increase meeting attendance, boost revenue and lower marketing costs, maintain relevance with your members, and overall improve the member experience. More info/register.
Hosts: Association Analytics and IBC
Thu 5/9 at 3 p.m. – Partners in Product Development: You and Your Members (ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap – Reston VA)
How can your association make sure that that you’re investing in products that will be just what your members want and need? Using successful, and not so successful, product development experiences, we’ll share how using design thinking and member involvement made the difference between building a better mousetrap and the product we don’t like to discuss. 1 CAE credit. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community
Presenters:
- Moira Edwards, President at Ellipsis Partners LLC
- Theresa Kramer-Burgess, CAE, marketing and communications consultant
Wed 5/15 at 2 p.m. – Cybersecurity: Present Landscape and Future Threats
Join a discussion about the current prevailing threat landscape, common cybersecurity threats, and common preventions. Hear what other associations are doing (and not doing) around cybersecurity defense. Share what your organization is doing around cybersecurity and what steps you are taking to minimize your risk of a breach. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Technology Section Council
Facilitator: Justin Brady, SyCom Technologies
Thu 5/16 at 12 p.m. – Data Segmentation and Its Huge Impact on the Member Experience
Member expectations are higher than ever, and in order to keep up, it is critical to focus on the member experience to build and maintain loyalty. Learn how to leverage data segmentation to provide a more relevant and satisfying experience throughout the member journey. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: MemberSuite and ReviewMyAMS
Presenter: Shaun O’Reilly, VP of Marketing at MemberSuite
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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