The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Marketing maturity assessment. Mighty Citizen launched The Mighty GPS™, a 10-minute self-assessment to measure your association’s marketing maturity. Your maturity score tells you the degree to which your organization is effectively using research, branding, marketing, UX design and content, technology, and your team to achieve business goals.
Agile course development. If you work in association education, perhaps you’ve heard of ADDIE, a model used to design courses. But have you heard of ADDIE’s “fast and furious” relative, SAM? SAM is an agile design and development model for courses, perfect for associations that want to respond quickly to market demands.
ASAE research on change. Jenny Nelson at ASAE highlights three ASAE Research Foundation studies that “provide insight into how leaders can approach change and manage change processes going forward.” I recently downloaded (for free) one of them, Advancing Business-Venture Innovation, because I’ve been enjoying the interviews and articles at Association Ventures Playbook by Barry Barresi, one of the authors of the research study.
Digital value creation. One of those articles is by Mark Dorsey, FASAE, CAE, CEO at the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), about how CSI busted out of narrow mindsets about markets and revenue streams and found new value creation opportunities. He describes how they got going in this new direction and ended up with a successful new product.
Seasoned professionals. People in their 60s, 70s and beyond are not retiring anytime soon. Instead, many are finding more sustainable and fulfilling work. Lisa Bannon at The Wall Street Journal shares what researchers and workplace experts are saying about this trend. What role could your association play in the lives of aging professionals?
Quick hits
- 22 tips, ideas, and principles for better meeting and workshop design and facilitation. (Facilitate Better with Jeffrey Cufaude)
- 5 interactive (and clever) ways to get real-time event feedback. (James Morgan, EventMB)
- What’s next in event catering for 2022? (Claire Hoffman, BizBash)
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free webinars if you prefer takeout.
- Spiced breadcrumb topping doesn’t sound like anything special, but this one is because of the sautéed onion and bell pepper in it. We had it on baked fillets of black sea bass.
- Another night we had an old favorite you’ve seen here before: fillets of striped mullet dredged in flour, then in a mix of buttermilk and hot sauce, and finally in a mix of cornmeal, smoked paprika, cayenne and garlic powder. Pan fry the fillets on both sides.
- On the side, kale and sweet potato gratin. Bonus: cheese. I forgot how much we loved this dish. Don’t worry, dear healthy ones, it’s not that cheesy.
- On Super Bowl Sunday, we ate an obscene amount of smoked gouda and chorizo stuffed jalapeño peppers. We hardly had room for slow cooker salsa verde chicken. I followed suggestions in the comments and adapted the recipe by sauteing onion, red bell and poblano peppers, and garlic and adding them to the slow cooker along with the chicken; tripling the cumin; doubling the jalapeño; adding oregano; and stirring in corn and pinto beans at the end.
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 2/19 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
*All events are online at Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 2/18 at 1 p.m. – A Fireside Chat: Creating an Exceptional Culture, Remote or Not
Whether company culture is better served in an in-person environment or a remote one is irrelevant. Culture is built everywhere and at all times—whether you recognize it or not. So how do you build a thriving organizational culture regardless of location? Explore these questions and more: What is organizational culture? How can you build a rich company culture regardless of your work configuration? What do organizations need to consider during the ongoing uncertainty of reopening offices in 2022? 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.
Presenter: Carol Hamilton, principal, Grace Social Sector Consulting
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Fri 2/18 at 4 p.m. – Open Networking: Tips & Tricks for Stress Management
Join your association colleagues for this open networking discussion on managing your stress. Moderated by Regais Wilson, a program and event professional with over 15 years of experience, participants will share their tips for remaining calm under pressure. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Mon 2/21 at 1 p.m. – From Data to Decision (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)
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: Dean West, FASAE, founder and president, Association Laboratory Inc.
Hosts:
- Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
- Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman
Tue 2/22 at 12 p.m. – ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council Crunch and Munch Monthly Chat
We’ll feature different questions from our community and assist each other with best practice sharing and idea generation. Grab your lunch or coffee and join us as we discuss the latest topics on our community board. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council
Tue 2/22 at 12 p.m. – 5 Foundational Elements of a Community Investment
Learn the 5 critical foundational elements needed for a successful community investment, the 7 organizational outcomes of communities—and which ones you should focus on, the leadership your team needs for success, and a template for aligning your team around shared purpose. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic / Vanilla
Presenter: Carrie Melissa Jones, community leader, entrepreneur, and community consultant
Tue 2/22 at 12 p.m. – In-Person Meeting Designs for Form and Function
Now more than ever, trying to juggle functionality, the hottest looks and that dreaded “B” word—budget—can make even the most seasoned meeting planner’s head spin. But with a dash of creativity and the right product selections, you can check off all the boxes with just your furnishings and decor. Learn about 2022’s design trends and tips to get your audience off Zoom and back to successful in-person meetings. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Presenters: Jack Scafide and Kelly Dalisa, Account Executives, CORT Events
Tue 2/22 at 2 p.m. – How Thriving Associations Are Embracing Innovation and Blazing a New Trail to Relevance
Associations that are thriving today have one thing in common: they are not going back to ‘normal.’ Learn about the radical shifts needed to build stronger organizations in 2022 and beyond, the fundamental differences between associations that are thriving in the current environment and those who aren’t, how to rigorously and honestly evaluate where your organization can successfully compete and where it cannot, and how to build today’s business and invent the future simultaneously by prioritizing experimentation. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Gather Voices
Presenters:
- Mary Byers and Harrison Coerver, authors of Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes For Associations
- Michael Hoffman, co-founder and CEO of Gather Voices
Tue 2/22 at 2 p.m. – Keys to Driving Webinar & Digital Event Registration
There are more webinars and digital events than ever competing for the time and attention of your prospects, so how do you rise above the noise? Learn tips and best practices that will help you build your audiences from tens to thousands, including how to optimize email invitations, picking effective subject lines and titles, best days and times to promote events, and turning promotions into experiences. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenter: Mark Bornstein, VP of Marketing and Chief Webinerd for ON24
Tue 2/22 at 3 p.m. – Planning for the Unplannable: How to Prepare a Conference Contingency Plan
From restrictions, to lockdowns, to hesitations, the new normal is full of twists and turns for the event industry. So, how can organizers develop a solid contingency plan that they can rely on when the unexpected occurs? Join us as we walk through key elements to consider and provide actionable advice when contingency planning, so you and your team are set up for success—no matter what comes your way. More info/register.
Host: Cadmium
Presenters:
- Traci King, Vice President, Event Tech
- Brooke Benton, Sales Engineer, Cadmium
Tue 2/22 at 6 p.m. – Google Analytics Setup and Basics: What Marketers Need to Measure Success
Learn about the proper setup of Google Analytics, the most useful reports in your Analytics, which reports answer which questions and support which decisions, and how to make sure you get the right information out of your Analytics quickly and efficiently. More info/register.
Host: Orbit Media
Presenter: Andy Crestodina, Co-Founder/CMO, Orbit Media
Wed 2/23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Virtual Event Platforms Demo Days
Join us for the just-in-time virtual event platforms demo days. The two-day event will feature presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer virtual event platforms. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Wed 2/23 at 11 a.m. – Hyper-Personalize to “The Market of One”
Each individual in your community, member or not, has their own set of needs that your association is trying to meet. Traditional marketing has us speaking to segments based on behaviors and transactions. And often, traditional broadcasts are about what the association has to offer rather than what the member actually needs right then and there. See how associations are using a conversational approach to member communications: talking to “The Market of One” to gain member insights and drive action. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenter: Brianne Wheeler, Director of Marketing at PropFuel
Wed 2/23 at 11 a.m. – Live Q&A: Raise the Value of Your Virtual and Hybrid Event Sponsorships
What will sponsors and exhibitors pay for your virtual or hybrid event? How can you maximize the ROI of their sponsorships? Learn how to create winning virtual and hybrid event sponsorship packages for the world’s leading brands. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: Meg Fasy, Founder, eventsGIG and FazeFWD
Wed 2/23 at 11:30 a.m. – The Future of Academic Meetings: Event Planning with a Purpose
The challenges of going hybrid mixed with new attendee expectations for online accessibility may make physical meetings complicated to plan. Join our panel of event planning pros as they highlight some techniques to reframe how you think about the purpose of your meetings. Learn why finding the answers to these core questions will help you tackle the decision between virtual, hybrid, and physical meetings—and how it can help you address the event planning challenges to follow (regardless of the format you pick). More info/register.
Host: Ex Ordo
Wed 2/23 at 12 p.m. – Sending CRPs Some Love: Our Best Chapter Resources
We’re floored by the range of issues that component relations professionals (CRPs) address daily, so we want to help you manage stressful chapter situations and give you strategies to circumvent them. This webinar will address challenges that are unique to CRPs, from chapter succession issues to monitoring component performance, and everything in-between; provide different approaches to solving these tough chapter issues; and highlight our favorite resources, best practices, and tips and tricks. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management
Presenter: Peggy Hoffman, Mariner Management
Wed 2/23 at 12 p.m. – Content Is King: Is Your Content Strategy Creating Loyal Subjects?
In a member-centric world, your “content” is what brings members to your digital doorstep, but how certain are you that they’ll return for more? Do you have a content plan in place that maps content relative to your member lifecycle? Are you noticing a lot of impressions or downloads with few return views, visits or conversions? Join us as we talk about content strategy and how to map your content so that your members turn into true ambassadors. More info/register.
Host: HighRoad Solutions
Wed 2/23 at 12 p.m. – Illness, Threats and Climate—Oh My! Event Safety Trends for the New Year
Get an inside scoop on what safety trends to consider in order to keep our attendees safe and sound in 2022. Learn ways to be better prepared and what tools you may need. Gather insight into how the trends will reshape the future of conference safety. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Presenter: Alan Kleinfeld
Wed 2/23 at 1 p.m. – Credentialing & Continuing Education Post Covid (PDAC Town Hall)
In this town hall, you’ll have a chance to explore what we’ve accomplished (endured?) over the last few years and how our professional development programs can benefit from it in the years to come. Now’s a great time to be strategic and purposeful about what content should be delivered in which format, create “2.0” versions of content that may have been hastily created back then, and consider how we can take advantage of technical, psychological, and bureaucratic barriers that have been broken. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Professional Development Advisory Council
Facilitators:
- Diane Elkins, co-owner of E-Learning Uncovered and Artisan E-Learning
- David Rozsa, CEO of Metacred
Wed 2/23 at 1 p.m. – Rip Off the Band-Aid: 5 Key Elements to Making Your Remote Workforce Both Successful and Sustainable
Learn how to better manage, engage, and connect remote employees; strengthen your organization through operational efficiencies and effective communications; and intentionally build an organizational culture across a remote workforce. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Protech and Fonteva
Presenters:
- John Clese, Director, Virtual Workforce Consulting Services, Achurch Consulting
- Erin Lemons, Senior Director of Marketing, Fonteva & Protech
Wed 2/23 at 1 p.m. – Association Lessons From… A Ghostwriter
Laura Schaefer ghostwrites book-length works for coaches, executives, entrepreneurs, associations, celebrities, keynote speakers, and businesses. Her perspective: “Stories are my world. Books are my true love.” More info/register.
Host: Jay Daughtry, Chief Communications Officer/Owner, CQbd
Wed 2/23 at 2 p.m. – Future-Proof Your Hotel Contracting Strategy
Hotel contract language needs an update. Find out why it’s important to review contracts signed prior to Covid to make sure your needs will be met. Get suggestions for updates to legal terms to offer better protection. Learn about five clauses you may not have heard of and how they can help ensure a successful event. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MeetingsNet
Presenter: Therese Jardine, Principal, Strategic Event Procurement
Thu 2/24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Virtual Event Platforms Demo Days
Join us for the just-in-time virtual event platforms demo days. The two-day event will feature presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer virtual event platforms. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Thu 2/24 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Small Staff Virtual Summit
Gain insights into the latest marketing strategies along with easy takeaways that will help you put a successful membership marketing plan into action, even with a small staff. Learn new ways to recruit members as well as ideas to help engage and retain current members. Plus, you can connect with other association professionals making the climb. 3 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: YourMembership
Presenters:
- Teri Carden, Founder & CEO, ReviewMyAMS
- Michelle Schweitz, Association Advocate, Community Brands
- Jon Horsman, CAE, Assoc. Director, Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association
- Tirrah Switzer, Director of Product Marketing, Community Brands
Thu 2/24 at 11 a.m. – The Virtual Event Experience 2.0: Digital, Hybrid and Customized
Plug-and-play platforms have evolved into sophisticated event tech solutions, but are they still sufficient for the future of your event experiences? Are fully customizable platforms embedded into company websites only a dream for Fortune 500 companies, or could this become the norm? What are the new essentials in your team’s skillset repertoire for honing your 2022 meetings and events strategy? More info/register.
Host: Glisser
Presenters:
- Dahlia El Gazzar, Creating MindStamping Experiences + Brands, DAHLIA+Agency
- Taylor Estes, CEO, Apple Box
- Kathryn Frankson, Director of Event Marketing, Informa
Thu 2/24 at 11 a.m. – Gaining Leverage: Where AI Driven Content Management and Marketing Automation Join Forces
AI is delivering huge technology advances in the content management, marketing automation and search space. Learn how these technologies can be put to use by your association today. Find out how AI-driven marketing automation destroys the one-size-fits-all model, how AI search unifies all your content to deliver your message through any touchpoint, and where AI can deliver actionable insights derived from the full spectrum of your content. 1.5 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenters:
- Adam Hostetter, CEO, FUSE Search
- Johnny Clayton, Chief Growth Officer, FUSE Search
- Frank Klassen, CEO, Brightfind
Thu 2/24 at 12 p.m. – Yippee! A Zoom Meeting on Zoom Fatigue!!
Oh, the irony! But we promise this will not be boring. In fact, you will leave with a smile on the face, a spring in the step and memorable actionable takeaways to help you and your colleagues keep on, keepin’ on during these challenging times. Get simple micro-goals to help you and your colleagues enjoy the workplace again. More info/register.
Host: .orgCommunity
Presenter: Conor Cunneen, keynote speaker, IrishmanSpeaks
Thu 2/24 at 12:30 p.m. – A Look Back at 2021 and Ahead to 2022 for Nonprofit Grant Recipients
The past few years have been tumultuous for recipients of federal funds, especially in the nonprofit sector. Two years into the pandemic, nonprofit grant recipients are constantly challenged with changing rules and regulations, which has accelerated the speed at which the government and recipients are forced to adapt to ensure business continuity. In this session, Hear about critical matters that affected the sector in 2021 and those to be on the lookout for in 2022, including insight into PPP loan forgiveness, the China Initiative enforcement, the new infrastructure legislation, and regulatory updates in 2021 and what to expect in 2022. More info/register.
Host: Venable LLP
Presenter: Dismas Locaria, Partner, Venable LLP
Thu 2/24 at 1 p.m. – Results Recharge: Content Strategy Insights with Hilary Marsh
For your organization’s content to be successful, you have to know your audience. Who are you creating content for and why? Hilary will help you focus your content strategy with techniques for: prioritizing your audiences, identifying what they want from your organization, getting every department on the same page, and involving your volunteers. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Results Direct
Presenter: Hilary Marsh, president and chief strategist of Content Company
Thu 2/24 at 2 p.m. – How to Turn America’s Labor Shortage into Non-Dues Revenue: A Roundtable Discussion
Employers are in a war for talent. So how do you help them win, in a way that drives more non-dues revenue, while also growing your role as a career asset to your members? Find out how your association can capture a piece of the hundreds of millions of dollars employers are investing with associations to help them win this war. Learn strategies that will help you drive more non-dues revenue and build a true career center destination for your members in 2022. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Non-Dues-A-Palooza
Presenters: Tristan Jordan, General Manager, and Michael Kumpf, Client Services Manager, YM Careers
Thu 2/24 at 2 p.m. – Board of the Future: A Road Map for Developing Board Intelligence
Learn how the world’s most effective boards achieve increased effectiveness and organizational success. Hear about the difference between data and insights—and true board intelligence, how innovative board leaders have successfully digital chairing duties, and three smart strategies for driving digital adoption and simplifying board meeting execution. More info/register.
Host: OnBoard
Presenters: OnBoard’s co-founder and CEO Paroon Chadha and CMO Rob Kunzler
Thu 2/24 at 2 p.m. – Pulling Back the Convening Leaders Curtain: Production & Content
PCMA’s team behind Convening Leaders 2022 got creative with hybrid solutions that answered travel challenges, health and safety concerns, and attendee engagement obstacles. Working with a new single-destination platform, event facility and service providers presented unique opportunities to demonstrate what an event experience looks like now. Hear the team’s insights on CL22’s successes and lessons learned—including what happens when things don’t go exactly as planned. 0.75 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenters: PCMA’s Event and Education Leaders Tonya Almond and Carrie Johnson
Thu 2/24 at 3:30 p.m. – Culture-Driven Technology Decisions for the Hybrid Workplace: Employee Focus
As associations contemplate a return to the office, it’s tempting to start by talking about logistical issues: what days of the week should staff be in the office? What tech do we need? Should we redesign our meeting rooms? Let’s flip the conversation! If we start with answering some underlying culture questions, our technology decisions should be more sustainable, meaningful, and future-focused. This special workshop series will explore how four key culture decisions impact technology decisions for the hybrid workplace. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Presenter: Maddie Grant, founder, PROPEL
Fri 2/25 at 4 p.m. – Ask the Expert: Tips from Career Coach Series
As an executive coach, a common question I get is “how do I negotiate the offer?” and while there are no hard and fast answers there is a strategy, I recommend to getting an offer you won’t look back on with regret. However, it requires your willingness to do this one thing? Join us to learn the “one thing” and the strategies for making the ask. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Presenter: Pamela J. Green
Thu 3/3 at 1 p.m. – Association Creative Marketing Masterclass
This course provides a framework for evaluating creative copy and design via practical collateral critiques, and following brand standards while ensuring marketing performance. In this class, Chris explains how to conduct a Creative Review of marketing collateral, sharing time-tested best practices he learned while working for global ad advertising agencies and consumer marketing companies. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Academy / Ricochet Advisory Services
Presenter: Chris Gloede, founder, Ricochet Advisory Services, and Past Chief Marketing Officer, American Bar Association
Thu 3/3 at 2 p.m. – 5 Ways to Turn Your Members into an Army of Marketers Utilizing Social Media
If your association has tons of great content sitting idle, this session can help you explore new avenues to get that content working for your association and engaging prospects, members and stakeholders more effectively. Learn how to achieve a huge boost to engagement by prompting your members to disseminate content for your association, ways to game the LinkedIn algorithm to get 10x the clicks and views on your content, and the challenges your association is facing today and how to manage those problems with new software tools that can help. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: 501Works
Presenters:
- Adrian Dayton, founder, Clearview Social
- James Marquis, chief innovation officer and CIO, 501Works
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 by Wednesday afternoon.
Creative Commons photo by Trac Vu via Pexels
Association Brain Food 