The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Product development. Inspired and informed by a session at ASAE Annual, WBT Systems describes a product development cycle you can use for educational programs. They also share details about an exercise they did during the session that will help you practice and understand the steps of the cycle.
Metaverse. Tim O’Reilly says the metaverse is not a place to visit. Rather, it’s a communications medium. “The occasion is more the point than the place.” He writes about the apps helping him develop a vision for the metaverse, the need for interoperability in the metaverse, and his hope that it goes beyond just being a communications medium.
Association podcasts. Launching a podcast isn’t as intimidating as it used to be, thanks to the resources and people who can help you get started. Association Briefings explains how podcasts benefit associations and their audience, provides tips for starting an association podcast, and reviews the planning process and issues to consider before you dive in.
Value proposition. It’d stink to work for an association whose value proposition isn’t as good as you think it is or even what you think it is. But if you do, Christine Saunders of Halymre writes on the Event Garde blog about the dos and don’ts of coming up with a better value proposition.
Lossy communication. Love that word choice. Mandy Brown explains how to mitigate “inevitable and unavoidable” signal loss when communicating. She suggests habits to help you minimize “lossiness” and encourage generative communication.
LMS-AMS integration. Blue Sky eLearn shares a helpful video that demystifies LMS-AMS integration. They cover integration jargon, functions (like Single Sign-On, eCommerce and writeback), benefits and pitfalls.
Quick hits
How to decide if a client is a good fit. (Josh Spector)
I want to make time to learn about and, one day, explore DALL-E 2.
Talking to strangers makes you happier. So true—in the right circumstances. (David Brooks, New York Times paywall-free view)
The science of why you have great ideas in the shower. (Stacey Colino, National Geographic)
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.
Last weekend, we spent time with our niece and her family, who live near the water just north of Carolina Beach. At low tide, we went crabbing in the marshy sound at the end of her street—even at night with some super cool homemade underwater light sticks—and, at high tide, we boated over to undeveloped Masonboro Island to hang out for a few hours on the beach. For these fall weekends together, I always make shrimp with linguine. It’s pretty simple: onion, orange bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, white wine, shrimp broth (heads are a must) and basil—lots of butter too. The more shrimp broth you add and let reduce, the better it gets.
Back at home, we had blackened vermilion snapper with green beans on the side.
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 9/9 at 12 p.m.* – AWTC Mindful Networking
Held the second Friday of each month, these intimate, virtual conversations are a chance to form meaningful connections with other women and allies in the association technology community. Each Mindful Networking will feature one of our amazing AWTC award winners, followed by breakout rooms with changing topics (selected by our featured guest). More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Guest: Lisa Lockman, Assistant Director, Data Analysis and AMS Administration, Association for Psychological Science
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 9/9 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 9/9 at 4 p.m. – ASAE 2022 Conference Recap
Join your Fridays@4 community for an open discussion on the recent ASAE Conference in Nashville. If you attended, come prepared to share your experience and favorite take-aways. If you did not attend, come ready to capture session and networking highlights. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Mon 9/12 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays: Communicating Your Value Proposition
A discussion on ASAE Collaborate grew into a productive Zoom call for dozens of ASAE members months ago so the group decided to keep the conversations going. We meet on the second Monday of every month to discuss membership topics based on the group’s current needs. More info/register (members only).
Host: ASAE
Mon 9/12 at 1 p.m. – 30-Minute Monday | Unlocking Video’s Potential
We talked about providing white glove services and solutions that empower anyone to create and share video content, from anywhere, in any online environment. Next steps, where are we putting it? How do we utilize into data driven action? Are we understanding what people really care about? Are we building community? Join us as we discuss all these questions and any questions you may have too. 0.5 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Presenter: Donny Neufuss
Mon 9/12 at 1 p.m. – Quarterly Wellness Topic: Movement at Your Desk (Nonprofit Conversations with Cecilia Sepp, CAE)
Extended episode with exercises. 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: Fern Carbonell, Wellness Coach
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Tue 9/13 at 11 a.m. – Your Members Are Individuals, Not Just a Demographic
Often, associations are quick to attribute changing membership numbers, participation levels, and overall engagement to generational and cultural characteristics. Have we missed the mark? Studies show that—more than generational and cultural differences—the beliefs, values, and behaviors of individuals are better indicators of association participation than the typical generational explanations. Explore how the unique characteristics of individual members factor into association membership, find out what associations should be looking at to understand their members and prospects, and how to incorporate the voices of all members to create a more representative organization. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Presenter: Brianne Wheeler, Director, Marketing, PropFuel
Tue 9/13 at 12 p.m. – Get Recognized: Applying for AWTC Awards and More
You get notified about an industry award. You think about applying, but then those internal roadblocks show up. You second guess your qualifications. You aren’t sure who to ask for references. You worry about the time it will take to complete the application or where to start. We are here to demystify industry awards in the association community and give you a roadmap for receiving recognition. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Tue 9/13 at 1 p.m. – Policies, Procedures and Problems
Join a discussion on selected policies and procedures that must be monitored to avoid being more reactionary than proactive. Learn how to recognize policies that should be updated, identify procedures that should be updated, and think through a monitoring of policies and procedures schedule. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Presenters: Rob Eby, CPA, CGMA, Partner, and Greg Plotts, Partner, Nonprofit and Association Industry Services Group, Aronson LLC
Tue 9/13 at 1 p.m. – Battle for the Inbox: How to Boost Email Engagement, Outplay Competitors, and Earn More Revenue in Q4
Email marketing has never been more difficult than it is today. Global sending volumes have risen by 82% in the past two years alone. As inboxes grow more crowded (especially during the holiday sales season), only the best emails will win subscribers’ attention. Learn strategies to deliver more personalized, email experiences that win clicks and conversions; dynamic content tactics to drive engagement directly within your emails; and which consumer data points to collect (and how to collect them) to deliver email experiences your subscribers want. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenter: Kate Adams, SVP of Marketing at Validity
Tue 9/13 at 2 p.m. – Fall 2022 Legislative Preview: Experts Discuss the Big Issues Congress Will Tackle
Hear a preview of the next 100 days in Congress, including the likelihood of current bills on the table being passed, potential breakthrough issues to watch, and pressing legislative issues in Congress this season. More info/register.
Host: CQ
Presenters:
- Jason Dick, Editor-in-Chief, CQ and Roll Call
- John Bennett, Editor-at-Large, CQ and Roll Call
- Laura Weiss, Tax & Economic Policy Reporter, CQ and Roll Call
Wed 9/14 at 12 p.m. – 20 Things You Can Do for Chapters in 2023
2022 was a big year for moving forward with “the new normal,” but are you ready to take your chapters to the next level in 2023? How will you make your volunteers’ lives easier? What tools can you use to better support chapter leaders? Hear about our top 20 resources, tools, and tips for CRPs, how to support your chapters now so they can plan for the future, and bring your questions for an “Ask Me Anything” chat with Mariner Management’s Peggy Hoffman. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management
Wed 9/14 at 1 p.m. – Grab the Mic: Is Your Association Ready to Podcast?
As one of the fastest growing digital mediums today, podcasting presents a great opportunity for associations to educate and entertain an industry audience of members and non-members alike. Learn about specific ways to strategize, produce and promote your organization’s podcast. Hear examples of successful association podcasts and how non-dues revenue comes into play. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Presenters: Frank Humada, Chief Business Development Officer, and Colby Horton, CEO, Association Briefings
Wed 9/14 at 2 p.m. – Combatting Rogue URL Tricks: Quickly Identify and Investigate the Latest Phishing Attacks
Cybercriminals are now employing a variety of advanced social engineering techniques, like sneaky rogue URLs, to entice your users into clicking and putting your network at risk. Hear about real-life examples of advanced attacks using rogue digital certificates, homograph attacks and more; safe forensic methods for examining URLs and other tactics for investigating phishy emails; strategies for dissecting URLs on mobile without clicking; and simple ways you can train your users to scrutinize URLs and keep your network safe. 1 CPE credit. More info/register.
Host: KnowBe4
Presenter: Roger A. Grimes, KnowBe4’s Data-Driven Defense Evangelist
Wed 9/14 at 2 p.m. – Ask the Attorney: Adding Service Clauses, Flexibility and More to Event Contracts
Everybody is acting like the pandemic is over, but related contract questions continue to arise as meetings calendars fill up. Are you writing in strict clauses about service levels? Have negotiations become more difficult? Have you been able to make your agreements more flexible? What are your most pressing contract issues now? Learn how to navigate these challenges and other issues concerning contracts in 2022-’23. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Northstar Meetings Group
Presenter: Jonathan T. Howe, president and founding partner of Howe & Hutton Ltd.
Wed 9/14 at 2:30 p.m. – Convince Your Boss, Convince Your Board
Learn how to prepare a proposal that will win over your team, present the facts, collect the data and find the budget to get the approval needed to make significant changes to your membership site. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Presenter: Farhad Khan, Digital Strategist & CEO of Grype
Thu 9/15 at 10 a.m. – The Evolution of The Great Resignation and How It Impacts Associations Today
The Great Resignation began in the spring of 2021 when employees quit their jobs en masse following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, 42% of jobseekers surveyed by Madgex indicated they were planning to leave their current positions. Of those considering new opportunities, 53% want to change sectors entirely, and with a third of professionals wanting industry-specific help, the importance of associations has never been clearer. Hear what The Great Resignation will look like in 2023, why employers are experiencing a talent shortage, and where associations can take the lead. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Madgex and Georgia Society of Association Executives
Presenters:
- Rich Green, Madgex
- Natalie Nardone, Nardone Consulting Group
- Michael Ang, JobElephant
Thu 9/15 at 11 a.m. – Website Redesign and Project Management: Straight Talk to Get You on the Right Path for Your Next Project
Join us for an interactive “ask the vendor” session to get straight talk, best practices and things to know or avoid before taking on your next website redesign project (or if you’re in the middle of one). Hear an overview of the redesign process and insight into key areas to make sure you get the advice you need to develop a project timeline, manage expectations for your new site, work effectively with your vendor, project manage your website redesign, launch your site on time and on budget, and plan for ongoing management and optimization. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Presenter: Ray Van Hilst, Director of Client Results, Yoko Consulting
Thu 9/15 at 11 a.m. – Looking Forward DEI 2022: Insights Into the Association Sector’s Approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Association Laboratory’s Looking Forward® DEI study is the association sector’s most current, comprehensive and relevant study of DEI issues in associations. This webinar is the first opportunity to review the data from more than 300 association leaders across 20 industry and professional sectors and gain insight into how other associations are dealing with this complicated and often controversial topic. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: Association Laboratory
Presenters: Dean West, FASAE, president, Nikki Golden, CAE, strategist, Nikki Haton Shanks, MBA, CAE, strategist, and Meg Whedbee, MPP, senior analyst, Association Laboratory
Thu 9/15 at 12 p.m. – The Other Side of Member Engagement: A Rich Volunteer Experience
We increasingly find our volunteers pool is limited in many ways from diversity to skill set. For many associations, COVID brought not just employee burnout but volunteer burnout as well. The reality is our volunteer systems were suffering before COVID, but the pandemic highlighted the weaknesses. ASAE Foundation asked how to create a volunteer system that associations can use to enhance volunteer engagement for a new age. Hear about options for associations and resources you can use to improve the volunteer experience for your members and staff. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Xchange
Presenter: Peggy Hoffman, FASAE, CAE, president, Mariner Management
Thu 9/15 at 12 p.m. – Members: How to Get ‘Em How to Keep ‘Em
Hear about key concepts in member recruitment and retention, like lead generation, the welcome series, the member value proposition, ladders of engagement, the difference between features and benefits, collection and use of data, and best practices in renewal cycles. Learn how to create an effective membership campaign, efficiently welcome new members and renew members. More info/register.
Host: GrowthZone
Presenter: Elizabeth Engel, chief strategist, Spark Consulting
Thu 9/15 at 1 p.m. – 3 Paths to Tapping the Full Potential of Your Learning Business
Get a closer look at three specific areas of opportunity for your learning business: business-to-business (B2B) selling (e.g., to corporations, chapters); globalization of content; and mobile delivery. Learn how you can assess each opportunity and put the right resources in place to pursue them. Get actionable insights into how you might capitalize on B2B selling, globalization, and mobile delivery to dramatically expand the reach—and, by extension, the revenue and impact—of your learning business. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Leading Learning
Presenters:
- Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders, Tagoras and Leading Learning
- Matt Peterson, relationship director, MapleLMS
Thu 9/15 at 1 p.m. – The Pros and Cons of the RFP Process
Not only does the RFP process help associations understand their needs, but it also finds the right partner to meet them. Hear about all the good and the bad of the RFP process. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Altai Systems and Achurch Consulting
Presenters:
- Beth Power, Altai Systems
- Tammy Marko, Achurch Consulting
Thu 9/15 at 2 p.m. – Measure and Improve Your Marketing Effectiveness in 2023 | Mightier Marketing in 1-2-3: A Three-Part Series to Prepare for 2023
In this session, learn how to measure marketing effectiveness across six key categories—research and analytics, branding and strategy, marketing and SEO, UX design and content, technology, and team dynamics—and hear recommendations for each to improve your marketing effectiveness. Find out how one organization used the marketing maturity assessment, The Mighty GPS, to adjust, budget, and improve their marketing efforts. More info/register.
Host: Mighty Citizen
Presenters:
- Christina Lewellen, Executive Director, ATLIS
- Kelsea Watson, Director of Marketing and Events, ATLIS
- Rachel Clemens, Chief Marketing Officer, Mighty Citizen
Thu 9/15 at 4 p.m. – How to Use Virtual Retreats to Build Connections Among Virtual Teams
Explore techniques, activities, and tools you can incorporate into a virtual team retreat to help your team get to know each other or reconnect in a casual, informal and fun way. Learn how to create a “safe” space for sharing. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Reston Loudon Swap
Presenter: Linda Howard, Founder of Howard Consulting LLC
Fri 9/16 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 9/16 at 4 p.m. – LinkedIn: Showcase Your Stand-Out Brand
Learn over 20 of the latest insights and practical techniques to leverage your LinkedIn account to stand-out, be found and get engaged faster—to do what you most want to do in your roles as self-promoter, marketer or business development professional. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Presenter: Charles J. Timmins
Tue 9/20 at 12:30 p.m. – Meetings of Membership Minds
These impromptu, casual discussions about membership concepts, issues, and challenges are conducted live online and open to membership professionals to comment and offer insights. More info/register.
Hosts: Dan Ratner, The Business of Membership, and Scott Oser, Scott Oser Associates
Tue 9/20 at 2 p.m. – Can You Create a “Social Offset” for Your Next Conference?
Tune in to a special episode of the Association Chat podcast to learn about SocialOffset, and how it can help associations navigate the current political climate. More info/register.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, senior consultant, Tecker International
Guests: Elena Gerstmann and Rhonda Payne
Wed 9/21 at 12 p.m. – Productivity in a Hybrid World: Effective Collaboration
How do we collaborate effectively in a hybrid world, incorporating the concepts of real-time conversations, appreciation, feedback, note-taking, etc.? Watch a demo of Teams, Slack, and Zoom and see how two organizations are using these tools to improve collaboration. Join a group discussion about effective collaboration in a hybrid world. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Presenters:
- Amreetha Nagaraj, MS, CSM, Head of Box Consulting – US East & Canada Regions (Senior Director)
- Diane Harris, PMP, MBA, Director of Information Technology at the Association for Financial Professionals
Wed 9/21 at 12 p.m. – State Government Relations and Advocacy: Getting Ready for 2023
In 2023, all 50 state legislatures will be in session, considering proposals that could impact associations and their members across a wide range of policy areas. Hear from a panel of state government relations and advocacy leaders who will share their expertise, case studies, and hard-won lessons learned to help get you and your association ready for a busy 2023 in state houses nationwide. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Government Relations and Advocacy Professionals Advisory Council
Presenters:
- Mark Ames (moderator), American Industrial Hygiene Association
- Sherry Stanley Whitworth, FiscalNote
- Matt Tremblay, Electronic Transactions Association
- Tyler Craddock, Legislative Strategies Group
- Davon Gray, American Institute of Architects
- David Lusk, Key Advocacy
Thu 9/22 at 1 p.m. – Where to Invest Now for Long-Term Hybrid Success
Employing and retaining quality staff is paramount as we face some of the lowest unemployment rates in decades. Yet as unemployment rates go down, operating and other expenses continue to go up, which begs the question: Where should you invest your limited resources and dollars to optimize your workforce? Learn strategies and tactics for purposeful interactions, employee retention, and communication along with time-saving tools. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: 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 before Wednesday afternoon.
Creative Commons licensed photo by Lucasmj via Wikimedia Commons
Association Brain Food 