Your weekly list of free webinars and events for the association community…
You can buy everything except time–our most precious resource. I enjoyed watching this short video of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates talking about time in an interview with Charlie Rose.
Last week I mentioned my AMS implementation experience. I was also involved in, but thankfully not leading, a website redesign. What a mess. We had no clue what we were doing. If a website is in your future, get a clue by reading Kylee Coffman’s post on the DelCor blog about preparing for a website project.
It’s fascinating how associations are reexamining business and membership models and value propositions, yet the newspaper industry has been copying those very same models. Maggie McGary astutely discusses this strange phenomenon: the future of journalism is copying association publishing.
If your association has chapters, check out the series of posts on the Billhighway blog about restructuring a chapter network. It covers the warning signs of a chapter network in trouble, the process of chapter restructuring, and how to prepare for a restructure.
Here’s the list of next week’s learning events. 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 5/23 at 12 p.m.* – Chapter Roundtable (Washington DC)
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: Washington DC. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Tue 5/23 at 12 p.m. – Research for Associations: Columbia Idea Swap (Columbia MD)
Learn about the role of original data and thought leadership for associations; the best way to collect original research; how to identify consumers, members, and membership categories to drill down and get important data without generating survey fatigue and keep response rates high. Hear about the Association of Energy Services Professionals’ research project and tips on conducting research. 1 CAE credit. Location: Columbia MD. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community
Presenter: Mei Shibata, principal, Essense Partners
Tue 5/23 at 1 p.m. – Your Webinar Is Over: Now What? Thinking Beyond the Live Event
Learn best practices and practical advice for achieving post-webinar returns, including: how to boost views of your webinar recordings; ways to repurpose recordings in sales, marketing, and customer relations; tips for structuring content to improve post-webinar usefulness; and techniques for re-engaging previous webinar attendees. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenter: Ken Molay, president, Webinar Success
Tue 5/23 at 2 p.m. – Tough Leadership – Why 3 Associations Joined Forces to March for Science (Association Chat)
Find out why three associations joined forces to march for science and the challenges and opportunities they witnessed when faced with exercising tough leadership. Watch/participate live or view the recording.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, founder, Amplified Growth
Guests: execs from The Entomological Society of America, American Anthropological Association, and Ecological Society of America
Tue 5/23 at 2 p.m. – Winning with Gamification: How to Engage your Attendees and Increase Mobile Adoption
Hear the freshest ways to use social media and in-app gamification to help attendees get the most of your event. Learn from a planner who’s used gamification to increase attendee engagement by leveraging their mobile app to improve networking, education, and social interactions. More info/register.
Host: MeetingsNet and CrowdCompass by Cvent
Tue 5/23 at 2 p.m. – Live Advice from a Webinar Expert
Find out how to get more people to attend your webinars, how to prepare great webinar formats, and how to deliver a more engaging presentation. More info/register.
Host: ON24
Presenter: Mark Bornstein, vice president, content marketing, ON24
Wed 5/24 at 8:30 a.m. – Corporate Sponsorships/Partnerships Idea Exchange (Washington DC)
Discuss year-long partnerships and a la carte benefits; how to maintain a solid relationship with a corporate partner when your primary contact, or your primary champion, leaves the company; competition for sponsorship revenue when corporate partners drop their partnerships with associations in favor of other marketing initiatives; and your biggest challenge or dilemma with your corporate partner program. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Organizer: ASAE Partnership Professionals Network
Wed 5/24 at 9:00 a.m. – AENC Marketing/Communications Round Table (Cary NC)
Topic: Email best practices. Share your successes and failures so we can all learn and sharpen this critical tool. 1.5 CAE credits. Location: Cary NC. More info/register.
Host: AENC
Wed 5/24 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable (Alexandria 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. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Wed 5/24 at 12 p.m. – Event Sponsorship: 10 Tips to Craft the Perfect Proposal
Learn how to get into the mind of a potential sponsor; tips on how to “break in” and get noticed by a potential sponsor; how to understand a potential sponsor’s hot buttons; how to craft the perfect sponsorship activation proposal; and what never to do when it comes to communicating with a sponsor. More info/register.
Host: Event MB
Presenter: Todd Uglow, assistant professor, UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration
Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – How to Get a Restful Night’s Sleep During Your Membership Software Implementation
Membership software implementation doesn’t have to be one big headache. It can be a smooth, predictable, and efficient process. Learn how to create a successful implementation team, how Aptify handles the internal hand-off from engagement to consulting, what an implementation timeline looks like, and how to stay on budget. More info/register.
Host: Aptify
Presenters: Eric McDonald, engagement manager, and Dray McFarlane, solution architect, Aptify
Wed 5/24 at 2 p.m. – Bullseye! Audience Targeting and Segmentation Best Practices
When association members were asked how they wanted to receive communications from their member organization, across all verticals and career stages, they said: email. But, despite a proven track record, email marketing best practices, such as segmentation, aren’t widely adopted. Learn how to better understand your membership, their generational preferences, and ways to make your messages resonate; the top 10 places to start looking in your AMS for data points to define your segments; and tips, techniques, and examples of how behavioral data can accelerate and drive conversions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Abila and Informz
Wed 5/24 at 2 p.m. – Could 360°/VR be your most powerful medium?
From Google Cardboard to the Oculus Rift, 360° and Virtual Reality (VR) is a growing reality for meetings and events. Planners now have the ability to provide stakeholders a preview of the final destination and immerse audiences and attendees in stories like never before. Get a peek “behind the drape” as we demystify 360°/VR technology and provide practical information about applying 360°/VR to your meeting or event. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: Chris Wissinger, product manager-video, PSAV
Wed 5/24 at 3 p.m. – Small Association Forum for Executives (McLean VA)
Join a complimentary executive peer roundtable for executives of small staff associations with ten or fewer employees—a free-flowing discussion around pressing issues on a variety of topics. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Executive Management Section
Wed 5/24 at 4 p.m. – Data Roundup: An Analytical Approach to Understanding Your Event
Data allows you to understand and target your audience, and to see what efforts are working and what needs to be tweaked. Learn the benefits of tracking event analytics, what to track, how to get started, what tools to use, and how to spot beneficial insights and trends. More info/register.
Hosts: Event Tech Tribe and Hubb
Presenter: Michael Sabani, director of customer success, Swoogo
Thu 5/25 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable (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. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.
Host: Billhighway
Thu 5/25 at 12 p.m. – Become a Compelling Speaker: Improving Your Vocal and Physical Presence
Learn how to speak with vocal impact, create a commanding physical presence, and engage your listeners with poise, gravitas, and influence. Hear from an experienced speaking coach and longtime Broadway actor who’s helped association executives and Fortune 500 leaders become more compelling speakers. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Presenter: Maria Guida
Thu 5/25 at 1 p.m. – 3 Hacks to Boost Email Open Rates
Learn three simple and surprising tips to launch your open rates sky high, including: the best opt-in process for long-term open rate success; tips for writing enticing email subject lines that beg to be opened; and engagement segmentation strategies to boost sender reputation and email engagement. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenter: Mike Madden, senior demand generation programs manager, Marketo
Thu 5/25 at 2 p.m. – How to “C” Your Way to Your Best Event Yet
Learn how to use the three “C”s—consistency, cohesion, and creativity—to make your next general session the best one yet. Find out how to create and maintain thematic consistency across all communications—including the audience experience, discover how to effectively create a compelling storyline, and find ways to creatively use lighting, music, audience engagement tools, and entertainment to amp up the wow factor. More info/register.
Host: MeetingsNet
Presenter: Josh Golden, senior creative director, PCI Event Productions
Thu 5/25 at 2 p.m. – Finance & Insurance Meetings: Security Questions You Need to Ask
With heightened media coverage and increased incidents happening right here in the USA, safety and security has come to the forefront again. Learn how to define safety vs. security, discover what planners need to ask in order to have a more complete plan, and walk away with a new mindset of including safety as regular part of planning. More info/register.
Host: Smart Meetings
Presenter: Alan Kleinfeld, MTA, CMM, CMP, Arrive Management Group
Save the dates: Wed/Thu June 7-8 – AMS Fest in Chicago
I’m looking forward to two loaded days of discussions about nothing but AMS/CRM. If you’re thinking about a new AMS, implementing an AMS, or work closely with an AMS, you should join me. Speakers include high-profile association experimenters, rule breakers, and action takers. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.
Host: ReviewMyAMS.com
That’s it for this week. 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.
Public domain image: Ernst Haeckel’s Kunstformen der Natur, 1904.
Association Brain Food 