The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Got a writing project? After completing a few writing jobs, I have room for more client work in my schedule. I usually work with association industry partners on blog posts, case studies, and other content marketing pieces, but am open to learning about other interesting projects outside that scope. Please email me if you have a piece you’d like to discuss. Thanks!
New association event. If you’re feeling nostalgic about ASAE TEC, a new online event, People Powering Tech on December 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., might serve as a replacement. It’s not free, but I’m looking forward to attending, so I’m sharing it with you. The conveners—501Works, Achurch Consulting, Barbara J. Armentrout CAE, DelCor Technology Solutions, HighRoad Solutions, PerByte, and Qiqo—have put together a “powerhouse panel” and “expert-led sessions.”
Intentional learning. Inspired by Jeff De Cagna FASAE of Foresight First, TopClass LMS writes about an essential for association staff, executives, and volunteer leaders in these turbulent times: intentional learning—both doing it and selling it.
AMS myths. Selecting and implementing an AMS is not for the faint of heart. It’s a time-consuming project of continual change. If you’re hearing push-back from colleagues or higher-ups about getting a new AMS, Impexium offers responses for the most common objections. These arguments will help people understand that not making the change is the most frightening option of all.
New job advice. Wes Kao shares solid advice for onboarding yourself when you join a new team. Although she intended the post for people joining startups, her guidance would help anyone who’s starting a new job.
Community. People join associations to connect with others and find their tribe. But, judging by ASAE Collaborate questions on the topic, creating a vibrant community is a challenge for most associations. Check out what James Young at Product Community has to say about building and using a community engagement funnel.
Member app. Unlike social media, a mobile app serves as a centralized communication channel for your members. Bulletin describes how a member app enhances and fosters member engagement.
UBIT. If you manage non-dues revenue programs, you’ve got to understand Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT)—or your association will eventually pay the price (taxes plus penalties and interest). Jeff Tenenbaum provides the basics at the American Bar Association’s Business Law Today. Hat tip to Bruce Rosenthal for sharing this on ASAE Collaborate.
Off-topic but worth your time
I recently followed dozens of artist bots on Twitter as a relief from news and opinion tweets. I appreciate keeping informed about current events, but I need beauty in my stream too. A new discovery: the forest landscapes of 19th century Russian painter Ivan Shishkin.
It’s that time again. Joseph Choi at The Hill shares what you need to know about this year’s Affordable Care Act enrollment. Good news for me, my premium went down two dollars to only $811/month next year. I know, ridiculously unaffordable, but necessary.
Why Ted Gioia ran away from philosophy because of Sam Bankman-Fried—a fascinating, alarming, and personal look at the evils of Effective Altruism and those who espouse it.
Along with being a wise and trusted voice in journalism, Walter Cronkite was a cat guy. You have to click, so damn cute.
You never grow old at the table
Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.
While defrosting the chest freezer, I discovered four bags of cranberries. I suppose growing up in bog country has something to do with this hoarding habit. I put one cup of them to work in chicken cranberry parmesan. Sounds weird maybe, but it’s really good.
On the side, crispy buttery garlic roasted mushrooms and broccoli and potato mash—add warmed-up half and half, butter, salt, and 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 11/10 at 12:30 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: Katherine Schowengerdt, Director of Operations at American College of Sports Medicine
*All events are online at Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 11/10 at 4 p.m. – Career Toolkit: Enhancing the Art of Powerful Storytelling in Interviews
Gain insight into how to share metrics-driven stories in a way that helps your interviewers feel more connected, intrigued, and inspired to hire you. Learn how to take your SOARS and STARS stories to the next level through the art of storytelling. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speaker: Daphne Valcin, certified coach, speaker, and trainer
Mon 11/13 at 8 a.m. – Lessons from Builidng a Platform (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)
Every week Rogue Tulips brings the nonprofit community intriguing guests discussing vital topics affecting nonprofit organizations around the world—and we have fun doing it! Episodes are published Monday mornings in both audio and video format, available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast (to name a few!).
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting
Guests: Lucas Cioffi and Sandra Nam, founders, QiqoChat
Mon 11/13 at 12 p.m. – ASAE Membership Mondays
This month we’ll have an open-forum discussion with the group divided into break out rooms to discuss: Membership Retention / Renewal / Win-Back; Member Recruitment / Acquisition; Membership Success Metrics; and Membership Models / Pricing. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Membership Professionals Community
Tue 11/14 at 11 a.m. – Developing a Business Mindset for Nonprofits
To increase your organization’s impact and further your mission, it might be time to adopt outside-the-box thinking and develop new strategies to catapult you forward. Learn about key synergies between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds and why they matter, the keys to entrepreneurial success and how you can adopt some of those same mindset to enhance how you run your organization, how to develop ‘intrapreneurialism’ and foster creative thinking within your organization to help find the next big thing for your success, and how to manage your financials to support growth and sustained success. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Brian Haney, Founder and CEO, The Haney Company
Tue 11/14 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ Community Call
Please join us for this opportunity for association professionals (of all career levels!) to come together to share lunch time and discuss topics that are relevant and timely. Come prepared to join this judgment-free group with questions and issues that are top of mind for you in the LGBTQIA2+ association community. More info/register.
Host: ASAE LGBTQ Association Executives and Supporters
Tue 11/14 at 12 p.m. – 2024 & More: Your Focus on the Future of Events
As we step into a new era of event planning, it becomes crucial to adapt and evolve with the ever-changing needs and expectations of participants while taking advantage of new tools that promise to make event strategy, design and delivery more efficient and effective. Join a discussion of the following elements that are proving most important for meetings stakeholders: technological innovation, sustainability and social responsibility, collaboration and co-creation, emotional and well-being considerations. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Speakers:
- Alexi Khajavi, Group President Hospitality, Travel & Wellness, Questex
- Jessie States
Wed 11/15 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – VisionCSI Virtual Summit: Cybersecurity, Data Analytics/AI, and Mission-Driven Partnerships
Learn from the Fisher House Foundation’s success story, showcasing how technology can amplify impact and drive mission-critical success. Discover the transformative power of analytics with insights from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and Association Analytics. Understand how data can reveal authentic member voices and drive impactful decisions. Dive into the intricacies of Zero Trust with experts from designDATA and Arctic IT. Equip your organization with the knowledge and tools to navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape. More info/register.
Host: designDATA
Wed 11/15 at 10 a.m. – Let’s Continue the DE&I Conversation
The conversation around DE&I is an important one for the credentialing industry and our panel of certification professionals wants to help you continue that conversation. Our panel draws on their experience with certification organizations as psychometricians, vendors, and the chair of the I.C.E.’s DE&I committee. Join us for networking breakout groups before the panel provides short presentations on DE&I after which we will launch into a discussion session. More info/register.
Host: Certification Network Group
Speakers:
- Saundra Foderick, MA, CESP, Test Design Manager, Caveon and HPE
- Mark Franco, JD
- Mihaiela R. Gugiu, PhD, Chief Assessment Officer, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
- Christine Niero, senior executive, Professional Testing, Inc.
- Frank Williams, PhD, Lead Senior Psychometrician, PSI
Wed 11/15 at 11 a.m. – The Pitfalls of Cybersecuity for Nonprofits
Hear about the common cybersecurity threats nonprofits experience everyday while working online. Learn how to identify threats, prevent them, and recover from a malicious attack. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers: Stacey Campbell, Director of Business Development, and Chris Rounds, Senior Solutions Architect, Express Info
Wed 11/15 at 12 p.m. – Visualizing the Digital Member Journey
While membership and marketing teams focus on optimizing campaign assets like email copy, landing pages, and adverting banners, sometimes it’s hard to visualize where your member is in the marketing funnel. Hear how to understand where your members are in their engagement lifecycle with you and the actual paths they’re taking across multiple channels before converting. More info/register.
Host: High Road Solution
Speakers: Aimee Pagano, Director of Programming, and Garra Swayne, Strategic Account Manager, HighRoad Solutions
Wed 11/15 at 12 p.m. – Nonprofit Matchmaking: Building Relationships with Corporate Partners
Discover the secret to unlocking your nonprofit’s full potential through powerful corporate partnerships. Learn about Tips fo effective partner selection, establishing trust and credibility in corporate-nonprofit partnerships, innovative strategies for collaboration, and common challenges and how to avoid them. More info/register.
Host: NXUnite
Speakers:
- Brooke Battle, Founder and CEO at Swell Fundraising
- Andy Howell, CEO at Uncommon Giving
- Lori Zoss Kraska, Founder and CEO at Growth Owl
- Mackenzie Burckbuchler, Partnership Success Specialist at Double the Donation
Wed 11/15 at 12 p.m. – Association Trends Talk: Energize to Mobilize: A Guide to Reviving Nonprofit Boards
Many nonprofit boards find themselves struggling with apathy, low participation, and a general lack of energy. Explore innovative strategies to revitalize a nonprofit board, rekindle enthusiasm, and re-engage members in the organization’s cause. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Ewald Consulting
Speakers:
- Laura Orr, CEO, Forward Governance Consulting
- Eric Ewald, CXO, Ewald Consulting
Wed 11/15 at 1 p.m. – Member Engagement is an Art and a Science. Do Both!
Put on your scientist hat to explore experiments to you can do to determine what engagement strategies work. Then use your right brain to create and test new ways of communicating that improve your membership, renewal and general member engagement results. Learn how to get personalized feedback to determine the best engagement strategies for your organization, use both analytics and creativity to boost member engagement, leverage insights from experiments to design effective communication pieces, and save time and resources by avoiding ineffective methods or engaging members in the wrong ways. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Brianne Wheeler, Director of Marketing at PropFuel
Wed 11/15 at 1 p.m. – Am I Making the Right Decision? The Role of Ethics in Volunteer Engagement
Learn the difference between personal, organizational and professional ethics; the core values and principles identified by the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration; and strategies for increasing awareness of ethics within an organization and helping both volunteers and staff become more effective at handling ethical dilemmas. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration
Wed 11/15 at 1 p.m. – Inclusive by Design: Partnering with Destination Organizations to Create Business Events Where All Belong
Learn how to find destinations that are prioritizing inclusion and create events where all belong. Explore strategies from destination selection to attendance driving and get takeaways that will support you in enhancing your business events strategy to create more impactful, diverse and successful events. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Speakers:
- Emily Scheiderer, Senior Director of Education, Sales and Services, Destinations International
- Mya Surrency, Co-Founder, Digital Edge
- Brad Weaber, Principal, Brad Weaber Consulting Group, LLC
Wed 11/15 at 2 p.m. – Non-Dues Performance Leadership: Explore the Gaps and Opportunities to Success
Learn about key performance indicators of high-value non-dues programs, research results from the 2023 PAR Non-Dues Performance Survey, and how associations are successfully running, managing and staffing non-dues programs that their markets rely on. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Professionals for Association Revenue
Speakers:
- John Bacon, Vice President, Enterprise Sales, ASAE
- Teri Carden, Founder, Non-Dues-A-Palooza
- Jim Elliott, President, James G. Elliott Co., Inc.
- Sean Soth, Founder & Leadership Advisory Board Chair, Professionals for Association Revenue
Wed 11/15 at 2 p.m. – Cracking the Code: Corporate Sponsorship Demystified for Associations
Many corporations have sponsorship and partnership dollars specifically dedicated to supporting the industries, initiatives, and causes that your organization is founded on. Learn how to connect and form transformational partnerships with businesses that align with your organizational mission. Find out what corporate sponsorship decision makers look for from associations, creative ways organizations are structuring sponsorships, the importance of mindset in pursuing corporate sponsorship, and how to best engage and communicate with each decision maker type. More info/register.
Host: Matrix Group
Speakers:
- Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, Founder of Growth Owl LLC
- Joanna Pineda, CEO and Chief Troublemaker of Matrix Group International
Wed 11/15 at 2 p.m. – The Road to 2024: Optimizing Your Budget for Maximum ROI
As 2023 comes to a close and we plan for 2024, concerns around inflation, budget constraints, and under-staffed event teams are top of mind. Learn how to centralize visibility of all meetings and events to cut duplicative programs, strategically source venues and vendors to reduce expenses, and use the digital medium, such as webinars and virtual events, to maximize ROI. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MeetingsNet
Speaker: Sheila Crespy, Senior Solutions Consultant, Cvent
Wed 11/15 at 3 p.m. – Marketing AI in Action
Are you thinking about implementing AI but have no idea where to start? Are you a marketer who is ready to digitally transform your organization’s strategy? Learn about easy-to-use AI tools you can begin experimenting with right away at your organization, which are specific to the marketing, membership, and communications functions, such as: SEO/search optimization tools, email tools, 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
Thu 11/16 at 11 a.m. – How to Merge Your Sources and Clean Your Data to Effectively Impact Your Members
Learn the difference between good and bad data and the impact both can have on an organization, how to employ automated processes to clean up your data and better connect with your members, and how to enrich and verify you data as part of an overall data governance strategy. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Sidecar
Speakers:
- Cameron Aubuchon, Co-Founder, PropFuel
- Hilton Gray, Co-Founder, MemberJunction
Thu 11/16 at 11 a.m. – Cybersecurity and Digital Defense
Are you ready to take your cybersecurity defenses to the next level? Stay ahead of the game with actionable insights from leading industry experts, empowering you to safeguard your digital assets and protect your organization from ever-evolving cyber threats. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers: Jim Begley, Chief Technology Officer; David DeCillis, CISSP, Senior Product Specialist; and Michael Shonholz, Chief Revenue Officer, ARG, Inc.
Thu 11/16 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 11/16 at 1 p.m. – Sponsorship and Member Engagement Mastery: What’s Shaping The Future
Sponsorship and member engagement trends are evolving every year and it is vital to keep up with the pace. Learn how to recognize the importance of actively engaging new members, identify the reasons why new members don’t engage after signing up, optimize association and sponsors insights to boost engagement, and merge sponsor expertise with association initiatives for high impact. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Speakers:
- Amanda Kaiser, Engagement Strategist at Kaiser Insights LLC and the author of “Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community”
- Bruce Rosenthal, Founder & Convener at Partnership Professionals Network
- Farhad Khan, CEO & Membership Strategist at Grype Digital
Thu 11/16 at 1 p.m. – Conquering the Online Mountain
Associations everywhere are doubling down on online learning because you can attract, engage and retain members with learning that helps them grow in their careers. But creating and delivering effective, easy-to-use learning experiences can seem daunting as a mountain. Learn how you can become a membership magnet, redefine engagement and boost retention with online learning. More info/register.
Host: D2L
Speaker: Ruthlyn Graham, Learning Experience Consultant, D2L
Thu 11/16 at 2 p.m. – The Future Is Now: AI and Automation in Association Software
Explore how artificial intelligence and automation are changing the way association professionals work, strengthening engagement, and enhancing member experience. Learn how to think of and work with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, and how big data and predictive analytics move needles. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Speaker: Rob Wenger, co-founder and CEO, Higher Logic
Thu 11/16 at 2 p.m. – How to Create and Maintain a Technology Roadmap
Do you have a technology roadmap? Most likely, your organization has a strategic plan. How does your technology align with that plan? Learn how to get started and how to manage your roadmap. Whether you have a plan already or need to start one, our team will walk you through our approach to creating and following a technology plan. More info/register.
Host: Association Technologies
Thu 11/16 at 2 p.m. – Panel Discussion: Designing In-Person Education Events That Are Neuro-Inclusive
Learn about the importance of planning neuro-inclusive in-person training events. More info/register.
Host: Omnipress
Speakers:
- Samantha Evans, CAE, ICE-CCP, MBA, Certification Manager, International Association of Disability Professionals
- Megan Hufton, Certified Autism Specialist, Development Coordinator, Autism Society of South Central Wisconsin
- Daniel Wendler, PsyD, Speaker, Author, Clinical Psychologist
- Tracy Grzybowski, Director of Marketing, Omnipress
Fri 11/17 at 10 a.m. – Association Pricing (Association Design Circle)
This month’s facilitator will be Dr. Michael Tatonetti, CPP, CAE, founder of Pricing for Association, an organization that specializes in designing pricing models for associations. More info/register.
Host: Product Community
Fri 11/17 at 12 p.m. – Creating and Utilizing Effective Policies
Need to strengthen your association’s governance? Learn how to choose, write, and implement the best policies for your association. More info/register.
Host: Zzeem
Fri 11/17 at 12:30 p.m. – Ask Me Anything: Integration Platforms as a Service (iPaaS)
Warehouses, data lakes, and middleware OH MY! What is an iPaaS? Does my organization need one? Bring all your integration questions and join the AMA. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Speaker: Gayathri Kher, CEO and Co-founder, fusionSpan
Fri 11/17 at 1 p.m. – Learning in the Age of AI: Unlocking the Power of Generative Content Creation
Learn how people are using AI to generate content. Explore generative AI tools. Delve into the benefits of utilizing AI for course creation. Compare external vs. native platform AI tools. Find out what to look for in terms of AI in your learning management system. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Speakers:
- Rick Bawcum, CEO and Founder, Cimatri
- Jeremiah Kendall, Chief Technology Officer, Blue Sky eLearn
Fri 11/17 at 2 p.m. – Virtual Networking Event for the ASAE Consultant Community
Meet and greet your fellow Consultant Community members and share ideas for improving business and building relationships. More info/register.
Organizer: Cecilia Sepp, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting
Fri 11/17 at 4 p.m. – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (Book Discussion)
We’ll be discussing the book, The Five Dysfunction of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni and exploring why teams fail to thrive and, conversely, what they need to do to move forward and succeed. Dysfunctions such as absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results are brought to life through Lencioni’s storytelling, a fable about a floundering tech start up and the new, unlikely CEO, Kathryn, trying to build an effective team. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Facilitator: David Falchek, CAE, IOM, CMP, executive director of Serving Seniors Inc.
Mon 11/20 at 5:30 p.m. – The Future Is Now: AI and Automation in Association Software
Explore how artificial intelligence and automation are changing the way association professionals work, strengthening engagement, and enhancing member experience. Learn how to think of and work with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, and how big data and predictive analytics move needles. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Speaker: Rob Wenger, co-founder and CEO, Higher Logic
Tue 11/21 at 12 p.m. – Volunteer vs. Organization ROI (ASAE CRVM Crunch and Munch)
What does “the bottom line” look like for your volunteers? You already know how your association needs and thinks about their contributions, but how do they measure the ROI of their contributions? Hear insights from many interviews with volunteer leaders and volunteer surveys conducted among 150,000 members for the ASAE Research Foundation. Discuss the types of volunteers and how they measure the value of their experience, and what it should mean to your own volunteer system. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council
Facilitators:
- Jessica Irizarry, Director of Chapter Strategy at ASID
- Kevin Whorton, President of Whorton Research
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 by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.
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