2014

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Tools for More Effective Board Meetings – Free Expert Webinar

Wild Apricot

'Here are details on our next Expert Webinar: Tools For More Effective Board Meetings – January 21st.

Tools 320
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5 Cool Things Associations Are Doing at Meetings and Events

Aaron Wolowiec

'This month’s guest blog post is by Samantha Whitehorne, deputy editor for Associations Now. Contact Whitehorne at swhitehorne@asaecenter.org. Samantha Whitehorne, deputy editor for Associations Now. As the weekly blogger (and deputy editor) for ASAE ’s AssociationsNow.com , I write about some of the innovative things that associations are doing for their meetings and conferences.

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The Fake Battle Between Culture and Strategy

Jamie Notter

'The other day I came across yet another article/post declaring that “ Culture eats strategy for breakfast ” (or lunch, or dinner, or afternoon tea…). I tweeted it out, copying my friend and colleague, Jeff De Cagna , since he and I have been discussing this topic lately. Jeff (like me) does a lot of work with organizations on strategy.

Strategy 153
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Project Management and the Dangers of Too Many Cooks

Associations Now

'There’s a reason it took more than a decade to finish the HTML5 standard. When too many stakeholders get their hands on a project—especially a high-profile one—innovation can slow to a crawl. The secret is to chop things up into smaller bites. The most interesting technology discussion I had last week involved Taco Bell. As I noted in Wednesday Buzz last week , the Quesarito master took an unusual approach to marketing its new mobile ordering app: Rather than using its social feeds and we

Project 87
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Ultimate Guide to Monetizing Association Member Education

Unlock More Profit and Smarter Packaging for Member Learning Every decision that goes into your learning monetization strategy matters for your association’s bottom line. Our research has shown a clear correlation between high program maturity (and ROI!) and choosing the right monetization strategy. This eBook contains clear, actionable ways to approach packaging and pricing models that will help your association grow revenue, improve profitability, and drive expansion into new markets.

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Lessons From Bruno Mars on Audience Engagement

Velvet Chainsaw

'What can Bruno Mars teach us about audience engagement for our ballroom experiences? Plenty. Earlier this week, I witnessed 7,000 participants (from Linksters to Boomers) stand, clap, sing and dance for 75 minutes at his sold-out Denver Moonshine Jungle concert. If you saw his performance at the 2014 Super Bowl halftime, you already know the enormous talent that’s packed into this five-foot tall young man.

Denver 87

More Trending

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Why Your Nonprofit Should Invest in Video As Part Its Communications Strategy

Beth Kanter

'Photo Credit: Tristan Hanson. Why Your Nonprofit Should Invest in Video As Part Its Communications Strategy – Guest Post by Michael Hoffman, CEO of See3. It’s obvious to anyone who spends time online that video is taking over the internet. It is the dominant form of content we all engage with – on our desktops, our tablets and now our phones.

Video 61
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Don’t Screw Up the Culture

Jamie Notter

'That title is actually the polite version of some advice that Brian Chesky, the CEO of AirBnB, got from someone who had just given him $150 million in startup funding. What the VC actually said, was “ Don’t f**k up the culture.” Chesky suggests that the culture will set his company apart and what the culture will be remembered for in years to come.

Process 151
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What’s Getting In the Way Of Your Productivity?

Associations Now

'A new study illustrates a common productivity killer for many employees. Find out if you’re affected as well as some methods for maximizing workplace efficiency. The answer to question of what’s killing your productivity might be work overload, at least according to a recent study that found nearly 70 percent of employees are suffering from an overabundance of work.

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6 Ways to Create a Must-Attend Conference

Associations Now

'Meetings and conferences are a large percentage of nondues revenue for most associations. So you better create one that can’t be missed, right? Here’s how to get started. Here are five words that all meeting planners would love to hear come out of attendees’ mouths when referring to their conference: “I could never miss it.”. If your meeting is fun, you want your messaging to reflect that.

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2024 Association Survey Results Report

2024 Association Survey Results Report For the 10th year, association professionals across the U.S. and Canada provided a look at the inner workings of their organizations when they replied to GrowthZone’s annual survey. Read the 2024 survey results report to see how your association compares: Top Challenges Retention Rates Non-Renewal Reasons Automatic Renewals Reinstatement Strategies Member Engagement Changes & Strategies Why Members Join Non-Dues Revenue Sources Dues Increases, and more

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5 Reasons to Be Thankful for Members

Associations Now

'As Thanksgiving approaches and we contemplate that for which we are grateful, remember your members. You and your association wouldn’t be here without them! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! For your sake, I hope you’re already off work, spending time with family and friends, and dreaming about turkey. But if not, thanks for reading. In fact, “thanks” is a good theme for today.

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The Tragic All Too Common Brain Busting Conference Lecture

Velvet Chainsaw

'Have you seen the Gary Larson cartoon of the student asking if he can be excused because his brain is full? As author Roy Pollock points out, it’s funny as a cartoon. However overwhelming a listener’s brain is a tragic and wasteful problem that happens in many education sessions. Especially conference keynotes and breakouts. Jam The Content In Most conference speakers try to cover too much content in their allotted time.

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Who Me? How to Build Accountability in the Workplace

Associations Now

'Best-selling author David Maxfield explains why it’s important to hold one another accountable at work and how we can do so. Holding someone responsible for their actions, or lack of action, is easier said than done, especially if that person is someone you work with. Accountability in the workplace is not the norm, according to David Maxfield, vice president of research at VitalSmarts and coauthor of Crucial Accountability Tools for Resolving Violated Expectations, Broken Commitments, and Bad

How To 87
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Santa Associations: Yes, Virginia, They Exist, and They Aren’t Always Pretty

Associations Now

'$ 8K The amount that professional mall Santas can make during the holiday season in Southern California, according to comments FORBS President “Santa” Bob Callahan made to Insure.com. Though the pay is good, he notes that the work is stressful and can take hundreds of hours. Is there an association for professional Santa Clauses? You betcha—in fact, there are a bunch of them.

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The Retention Ripple Effect: Nonprofit Staff and Donor Dynamics

Speaker: Andrew Olsen, CFRE - EVP, Fundraising Solutions at DickersonBakker | Kat Landa, CFRE, CSD - SVP, Talent Solutions at DickersonBakker

Across the nonprofit sector, organizations invest heavily in donor retention efforts, yet the struggle of cultivating lasting relationships remains. While attracting new donors is crucial, the lack of repeat donors poses significant financial risks. Through a comprehensive analysis of industry data, experts argue that there is a direct correlation between donor burnout, donor retention, and the talent retention crisis.

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4 Great Ideas From a Membership Idea Exchange

Associations Now

'When one association hosted a membership-development idea exchange for its chapter leaders (a great idea itself), the recruitment and engagement ideas got members talking. Here are four creative examples. Through what has now been more than nine years since the debut of Associations Now magazine, only two recurring article formats that have endured, uninterrupted and unchanged from their original form: “Idea Bank” and “CEO to CEO.” Given ASAE’s value proposition to

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Is the Fist Bump the New Handshake?

Associations Now

'A new study suggests that the fist bump, a greeting practice perfected by cool guys everywhere and made mainstream by President Obama, is better for our health than the handshake. The healthcare industry agrees. A firm handshake is a great way to greet a person and get a conversation going. But it’s also a great way to spread a lot of germs. For the sake of improving public health we encourage further adoption of the fist bump as a simple, free, and more hygienic alternative to the handshake.

Tips 87
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3 Social Media Take-Aways From #pcmapower

Velvet Chainsaw

'The PCMA Power chapter hosted industry veterans and Hospitality majors from Kent State University last week in social media roundtable discussions. The mix of ages and experiences brought interesting insight to the role social media can play in attendee acquisition and engagement. Here are three big ideas of what they had to say. 1. Connect with people not programs.

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Using Empathy Mapping To Create Conference Target Market Personas

Velvet Chainsaw

'We could all use a little more empathy…and a little less yelling! And your organization could definitely cultivate more empathetic team members who help plan and design your conference and education offerings. Why We Need More Empathy For Our Stakeholders. Empathy is walking in another person’s shoes and understanding life through their eyes. It is trying to experience and feel what they are feeling.

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SME Relationships: Proven Solutions for Seamless Collaboration and Success

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

💢 Do you find yourself stuck in never-ending review cycles? Are you wondering if your Subject Matter Expert actually got that last review request? Are you having trouble trying to decipher impractical or conflicting feedback? 💢 If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, you may benefit from a crash course on managing SME relationships!

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Why (and How) Women Should Brag More

Associations Now

'A recent survey found women in executive leadership positions are reporting discomfort with networking and self-promotion. A leadership consultant explains why that may be and how women can be more direct in advocating for themselves. On the topic of leadership, it’s been said men and women bring different skills and view points to the table. “When it comes to women in leadership there are some unique approaches, some unique perspectives, tactics, and ways that we may lead that are different fr

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Insurance Institute: Newer Cars Are Getting Safer

Associations Now

'According to new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more vehicle models than ever have never been involved in a deadly crash. But older cars still present serious risks, especially to younger drivers. It’s the flip side of a harrowing statistic. While deadly car crashes are still too common—taking the lives of more than 30,000 people per year, on average, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) —vehicles keep getting safer, and a futu

Price 87
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Hug a Volunteer: It’s National Volunteer Week

Associations Now

'Sunday marked the beginning of National Volunteer Week, a 40-year tradition of honoring the work and service of U.S. volunteers. Here’s how several associations are both saluting their volunteers and fostering the volunteer spirit this week. This week marks the 40th anniversary of National Volunteer Week in the United States. Across our country, volunteers open doors of opportunity, pave avenues of success, fortify their communities, and lay the foundation for tomorrow’s growth and prospe

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Conference Improvement Means People Improvement

Velvet Chainsaw

'The quality of a conference’s education program cannot exceed the quality of its speakers. The message is simple. What speakers do during keynotes, breakouts, concurrents, symposiums and workshops, matters. The greatest variance in our conferences relates to our presenters. In short, a conference education program cannot give what it does not have.

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5 Habits of Growth-Oriented Associations

We’ve identified the five defining characteristics of future-focused associations. Adopting these traits allows your organization to chart a course for long-term growth and success. Find out: Why some organizations are more adept at navigating and overcoming challenges facing all associations. The success formula for thriving associations, including a behind-the-scenes peek at some flourishing organizations.

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Lessons in Event Planning From a Rock Concert

Associations Now

'Every planner wants his or her next meeting to have the same hype and entertainment value as a concert. Steal these five ideas from a recent concert to make your next event a sellout. I’ll start this blog post by revealing a neither deep nor dark secret about myself: I’m a bit of a music fanatic. (OK, for the sake of full disclosure, maybe more than a bit.

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Why Every Meeting Could Use Some Editing

Associations Now

'You may hear the word “editing” and think it only applies to writing and communications. But the truth is that every good conference could use a little streamlining and cleanup. There’s a pretty common saying in the journalism world that I’m sure most of you already are familiar with: “Every writer needs an editor.”. If you pare down the amount of sessions that attendees can select from during timeslots, it means that attendees will have similar experiences.

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Would You Throw a Bucket of Ice Water Over Your Head For a Good Cause?

Associations Now

'That’s the question being asked of people around the country as part of a viral social media campaign started to help raise money for ALS. But is this type of campaign an effective fundraiser? Heard of the “ice bucket challenge?” This money means a lot to our research program. It also means a lot in the chapters to the day-to-day care of those living with ALS.

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Horror Writers Association Calls for End to Author Bullying

Associations Now

'In a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the association is asking the online retailer to update its customer review policy to protect authors and publishers from harassment. To help protect authors and publishers from online bullying, the Horror Writers Association is asking Amazon to strengthen its customer review policy. Readers and purchasers are Amazon’s market but, if content is king and if Amazon’s published policies are to mean anything, then the authors who create the content

Review 87
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How to Design a Seamless & Personalized Digital Donor Journey

Speaker: Tim Sarrantonio

The average nonprofit uses five or more different software platforms to create their donor’s journey, making the experience clunky and disjointed. If you want to design a magical online giving experience for donors, making their journey as seamless as possible is key. In this webinar with expert Tim Sarrantonio, you’ll learn the fundamental steps to create an immersive and personalized online giving experience for your donors.