The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Credentialing programs. Before developing a certification exam or any type of education program or pathway focused on a specific job role, you must do a job analysis. WBT Systems explains what’s involved and what associations need to know about using a job analysis to design and market programs.
Member recruitment. Membership marketing has come a long way since I first started in associations. Frankly, we’re smarter about it now. We need to be to rise above the competition for attention, time and wallets. Impexium suggests member recruitment strategies that will successfully drive your marketing efforts in this very different marketplace.
Audience avatar. Mercury Creative Group explains why you should have an individual ideal buyer in mind when crafting marketing content—actually, this is a good idea when writing any content. They guide you through the steps for creating a persona or avatar who represents someone in your ideal audience.
AI, again. Peter Diamandis—the guy being the X Prize and Singularity University—explains why AI is exploding now and why you should care. “By the end of this decade, there are going to be two kinds of companies: those that are fully utilizing AI and those that are out of business.”
The future of scientific societies. AAAS asked young scientists from around the world, “How have scientific societies affected your career, and how can societies best support scientists in the future?” Although their opinions are most relevant for scientific societies, I wonder how much they reflect the thoughts of other young scholarly types.
Online community. You can no longer give your online community a half-hearted effort. Online communities are extremely popular with younger audiences—the toughest ones to recruit and retain. If your association doesn’t offer an online community for members, Nimble AMS may change your mind. Learn how an online community can help you attract, engage and retain members, and read their useful plan for launching and managing a community.
Quick hits
You don’t need to be “the Boss” to be a leader. (Matt Mayberry, Harvard Business Review)
How to increase email open rates: 13 key success factors with examples. (Andy Crestodina, Orbit Media Studios)
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.
I could eat this sauce all day: speckled sea trout with choo chee Thai curry sauce. The recipe comes from Nancie McDermott’s Quick & Easy Thai: 70 Everyday Recipes. My adaption includes red onion, red bell, mushrooms, coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm (or brown) sugar, green onions or garlic chives, and a mix of these: cilantro, Vietnamese coriander, basil and Thai basil.
On the side, roasted broccoli with red onion, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and a Kashmiri coconut hot sauce.
A cooler Sunday called for corned beef. I cook it low and slow in the oven for four hours or until it’s wicked tender. First, I rub a mix of spices all over the top: ground allspice, mustard, coriander, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, Aleppo or red pepper flakes, and bay leaves.
On the side, roasted potatoes, red onions and carrots with bacon and garlic powder, and a sauté of cabbage with bacon, red onion, red bell, garlic, red pepper flakes and dried apricots.
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 4/28 at 11 a.m.* – Learn to Maximize Volunteer Engagement
Learn best practices for recruiting volunteers, including outreach strategies and messaging; strategies for managing volunteers, including training, supervision, and recognition; leveraging technology for volunteer management and engagement; and tips for building a culture of volunteerism in your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Sidecar
Speaker: Meagan Gallagher, Director of Programs at OCA, A Special Place for Special Needs
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 4/28 at 12 p.m. – Exam Development
Learn how to design and administer exams that are valid and reliable, while incorporating best practices in assessment design. Gain an understanding of the principles of good test construction, explore the different types of exams, and get hands on experience in constructing exams. Learn the importance of item analysis, the role of feedback in exam development, and the need for test security. More info/register.
Host: Leverage Assessments, Inc.
Speaker: Maxwell E. Uduafemhe, PhD.
Fri 4/28 at 4 p.m. – Career Management Toolkit: Best Practices for Leveraging the Power of Professional Coaching
Ever wondered what it’s like to work with a professional coach? Unsure what to expect or how they can help? Want to maximize a professional coaching relationship you already have? Meet five professional coaches, experience two focused sessions, and learn how, when done right, working with a professional coach can help you navigate change, level-up your leadership, map out an action plan to achieve a goal, and much more. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speakers:
- Jaya Koilpillai Bohlmann, MA, APR, MSMOB, ACC
- Tina Erickson
- Kathy Kiernan, MBA, PCC
- Jeff Koziatek
- Parker Mabry, MA, PCC, BCC
Mon 5/1 at 8 a.m. – Nonprofit Career Internships (Radio Free 501c)
Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting (formerly Nonprofit Conversations) features guests from across the nonprofit community and the business world to share expertise on a variety of topics related to the practice of nonprofit management. Episodes are published Monday mornings in both audio and video format on most podcast services.
Guest: Shannon McCracken, CAE
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Tue 5/2 at 12 p.m. – Quick Wins (Association Analytics Network)
Join association professionals for peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Analytics
Tue 5/2 at 12 p.m. – Three Things Organizations Must Do to Stay Safe with ChatGPT
Who isn’t using ChatGPT, Bing AI and Bard these days? The general advice coming from all corners is to just get online and “play with it”. But are you keeping your data and information safe? Are your employees using the outputs in responsible ways? In this livestream, we’ll be talking about what you and your organization must understand to safely use these amazingly powerful tools. More info/register.
Host: Charlene Li, Chief Research Officer at PA Consulting
Tue 5/2 at 1 p.m. – Ideas and Inspiration for Healthier Meetings
Hear hands-on advice and real-life examples from expert industry panelists of how groups have integrated wellness activities and experiences into their meetings and incentive programs and what’s possible on Florida’s Paradise Coast (Naples, Marco Island, Everglades). 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Prevue Meetings
Speakers:
- Jeniffer Bello, CMP, President/CEO, JB Experiences
- Paul Gabriel Nunez, Director of Spa, Fitness and Wellness, JW Marriott Marco Island, Spa Advisory Council of the Americas
- Rachael Riggs, CMP, DES, SEPC, Maritz Global Events, General Manager
- Maura Zhang, CIS, CITP, RYT, Midwest Sales Representative for Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB, Synergy-Connect
Tue 5/2 at 1:30 p.m. – Event Manager’s Master Class – A Tool Kit for Events in 2023
From industry data and survey feedback, it is clear that audiences have new (and higher) expectations. As events are more judiciously considered on their return on time, value, and investment, organizers must adjust for this new normal (your 2019 tool kit won’t cut it). Hear about what’s hot and what’s not in 2023, key data and insights for strategic planning, leveraging and maximizing expectations of today’s exhibitors and sponsors and attendees and speakers, generating new opportunities for community and connections, creating memorable experiences for new and younger audiences, and, most important, generating revenue for your event. More info/register.
Host: Personify
Speakers:
- Marlys Arnold, Author and Host of the Trade Show Insights Blog & Podcast
- Rich Vallaster, CEM, DES, Director of Marketing and Events at A2Z Events by Personify
Tue 5/2 at 3 p.m. – Consultant Members’ Town Hall with ASAE Leadership
A virtual conversation between ASAE consultant members and ASAE leadership, the agenda topics include: Looking Back to Inform the Future—The KCC, Consultant Membership and Engagement; Destination 2026 and You—Review of Destination 2026, 2024 Priorities; and Q&A. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Facilitator: Don Dea
Wed 5/3 at 7 a.m. – Dealing with False Information Online
Learn about the challenges of combating false information and disinformation, as well as best practices for identifying, verifying, and responding to false information. Find out about media literacy, fact-checking, crisis communications and online reputation management. Hear experiences and insights into how associations can navigate the complexities of false information online and mitigate the risks to their reputation and credibility. More info/register.
Host: Association of Association Executives
Speakers:
- Andy Burman, Managing Director, SEBCO Consulting
- Paul Walsh EMIAM (seminar chair), Seminar Programme Manager, Association of Association Executives
Wed 5/3 at 9 a.m. – Best Practices for Managing a Sales Team and Outcomes (PAR Member Meet-Up)
Whether you lead a sales team of one or many, this PAR Member Meet-Up will help you generate ideas on best practices for sales team management. Join us as PAR members share metrics their teams are tracking, effective reporting practices and accountability tactics that lead to successful outcomes. More info/register (members only).
Host: Professionals for Association Revenue
Wed 5/3 at 11 a.m. – Successful Volunteer Leadership: The Ultimate Balancing Act
How can you encourage and develop passionate volunteers that make values-centered decisions and put the association and its members first? How can you win as an individual, professional, a volunteer member of an association, all with the same amount of time as the rest of us? Learn the critical leadership skills needed to thrive as a volunteer in all domains of life; the fundamentals behind balancing the needs of the volunteer member, local/chapter, and national organization to achieve maximum synergy and drive excellent results; how to avoid burnout as a volunteer and as a leader; and the art of achieving balance in all areas of life. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Brian Haney, Founder and CEO, The Haney Company
Wed 5/3 at 11 a.m. – Why Event Organizers Are Deploying Pre-Scheduled Meetings in 2023
Learn why pre-scheduled meetings are taking off now, the benefits of pre-scheduled meetings, how much additional revenue organizers should expect by adding pre-scheduled meetings to their events, which events are doing pre-scheduled meetings well, and why pre-scheduled meetings don’t always mean you need a ‘hosted buyer’ event format. More info/register.
Host: Grip
Speakers:
- Dahlia El Gazzar, Founder, DAHLIA+Agency
- Hew Leith, VP of Marketing, Grip
Wed 5/3 at 12 p.m. – The Operational Value of Paying Attention to Culture
Learn how to diagnose unrest and disengagement within your workforce and implement strategies to retain high-caliber talent. Hear how to leverage your teams’ knowledge and personal investment to create solutions tailored to your organization’s needs, deploy effective surveys that mine critical information from your team, what tools to deploy to address various levels of burnout, and how to use this pre-Return to Work Movement moment to build a culture of attraction and employee evangelists who recruit high-caliber talent. More info/register.
Host: Association Insights in Old Town
Speaker: Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, Founder and CEO of L-12 Services
Wed 5/3 at 2 p.m. – Effective Strategies for Sustainable Events
Collaboration is the key to making progress on sustainability in the events industry. A growing number of meeting professionals are working with experts and one another to craft sustainability policies and action plans. Hear practical advice and best practices about what’s been put in place and what action we must take now to design more sustainable events and create a more sustainable industry. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Northstar Meetings Group
Speakers:
- Marley Finnegan, Founder, Purpose Net Zero and Purpose Sustainability Strategy
- Jaime Nack, President, Three Squares Inc.
- Michael J. Shapiro (moderator), Executive Editor, Northstar Meetings Group
Thu 5/4 at 7 a.m. – How Artificial Intelligence Can Enhance Association events
Learn about the AI tools and applications that can improve event planning, participant engagement, and overall event experience, including chatbots, facial recognition, personalized recommendations, and data analytics. Hear experiences and insights into how associations can leverage AI to streamline event management, increase participant satisfaction, and generate valuable insights into attendee preferences and behavior. More info/register.
Host: Association of Association Executives
Speakers:
- Marie Dubost, Facilitator, Zoom Queen, Trainer, Moderator, facilitation.dev
- Paul Walsh EMIAM (seminar chair), Seminar Programme Manager, Association of Association Executives
Thu 5/4 at 11 a.m. – What Do Sponsors Really, Really Want?
Many planners don’t know how to drive the onsite engagement sponsors crave—jeopardizing the financial support, credibility, and added value they bring to events. Logos and banner ads are a great start, but a home-run sponsor engagement program will guarantee sponsors will return over and over. Learn how to create engaging digital sponsorship opportunities, increase sponsor value by keeping them top of mind in between sessions, drive attendee-sponsor engagement by manipulating show floor traffic, and help sponsors smash their lead goals by more efficiently qualifying leads onsite. More info/register.
Host: EventMobi
Speakers: Alistair Fernandes, Event Tech Manager; Thorben Grosser, VP of Product Marketing; and Christine Mack, Manager, Customer Success, EventMobi
Thu 5/4 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 5/4 at 1 p.m. – Membership Experience: What’s Cloud Got to Do with It?
For many years, association technology teams have been talking about moving to the cloud. For those outside of the tech team, you may just be beginning to ask, “What is the cloud?” and “What value does the cloud deliver for my team and our members.” Learn how member expectations have been transformed by the cloud and how your association can leverage cloud technologies to deliver a superior membership experience. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Alexandra Mouw, Principal Strategic Advisor, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Thu 5/4 at 2 p.m. – Unleashing the Power of Data: Debunking Myths and Maximizing Impact
Learn how to make sense of managing and realistically using your data to power your organization. See how a data analytics expert works with an association executive to make it all happen. Discover how the live data you have on hand now is worth more per record today than any other time in your organization’s history, how good data management is driving member-led product improvement, get a mindset that data is truly an asset—and it’s appreciating, and how data can be your crystal ball to success. More info/register.
Host: 501Works
Speakers:
- Joe Colangelo, CEO and Co-Founder of Bear Analytics
- Chris Love, Vice President, Information Technology, Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed)
- James Marquis, CIO, 501Works
Thu 5/4 at 2 p.m. – Tips & Tricks to Growing an Online Community with Limited Personnel
MoveOn, a nonprofit organization focused on political advocacy, has one paid resource dedicated to community management. Hear how MoveOn has created a thriving online community with limited internal personnel. Learn the best practices MoveOn leverages to manage and grow their thriving online community, with limited internal resources, and tips and tricks for how MoveOn follows a distributed leadership model to enable peer to peer learning and boost engagement. More info/register.
Host: Mobilize Networks
Speakers:
- Sana Shahid, Organizing Community Manager, MoveOn
- Kirsten Moss, Director of Sales, Mobilize Networks
Thu 5/4 at 3:30 p.m. – The Top Five Challenges Facing Nonprofit CEOs Today (Washington DC)
The changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the remote work explosion, employee shortages and migration, generational changes in the workplace, revamped business and revenue models, and rollercoaster financial markets have made running a nonprofit more difficult than at any time in recent memory. Hear strategies for dealing with these most difficult challenges, including flexible and remote work arrangements, board relations and member relationships, employee talent management and retention, public policy challenges, new revenue models and budgeting in times of uncertainty and uncertain financial markets. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Hosts: The Nonprofit Advisory Board and FAR (previously The Finance & Administration Roundtable)
Speakers:
- Kate Fry, Chief Executive Officer, America’s Blood Centers
- Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO, National Restaurant Association
- Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- Jonathan Webb, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
- Lakisha Woods, Chief Executive Officer, American Institute of Architects
- Jeffrey S. Tenenbaum, Esq. (moderator), Managing Partner, Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC
Fri 5/5 at 10 a.m. – Coffee with Innovators: Association Design Circle
On the first Friday of each month, an association leader leads a conversation on an association innovation topic. Our topic this month is association engagement with Amanda Lea Kaiser, author of Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community. She is an in-demand speaker for association leaders worldwide and is at the forefront of exploring how member and attendee engagement is rapidly changing. More info/register.
Host: Product Design Community
Mon 5/8 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays
A chance to collaborate with association peers on the challenges and opportunities you face in your organization. This month’s topic: the member journey. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Tue 5/9 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ Community Call
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 5/9 at 3 p.m. – Keeping the Focus on Financial Health, Sustainability, and Operating Reserves
Learn how to help senior management better understand the balance sheet and operating reserves’ impact on financial health, options and strategies for managing overhead expenses and allocation of indirect costs, the hidden benefits from expanded segregation of duties, the benefits of short and intermediate cash management strategies and monthly distribution of financial reports, how enhancing communications between the finance and development departments is critical to compliance and meeting donor expectations and promises. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Michael Gellman, CPA, CGMA, Co-Founder at Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits
- Paul Preziotti, CPA, Partner, Johnson Lambert LLP
Wed 5/10 at 9 a.m. – Associations’ Role in Climate Change: The UN Climate Conference, COP27, and Beyond
Either as part of ESG initiatives or looking at impact and legacy, associations are increasingly grappling with the role sustainability plays in supporting their work and advancing their missions. Hear from associations who were at the UN’s 2022 Climate Change Conference, COP27 to learn how they set objectives, progress made, and how associations can play a role at COP28 in Dubai, UAE. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Speakers:
- Amanda Clinton, MEd, PhD, Senior Director, Office of International Affairs, American Psychological Association
- Janice Lachance, JD, FASAE, Executive Vice President, Strategic and Organizational Excellence, American Geophysical Union
- Derek Washam, Director, International Relations, The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- COP28 UAE Spokesperson
- Jakub M. Konysz, MBA, IOM, CAE (moderator), Founder and CEO, Global Navigators
Wed 5/10 at 11:30 a.m. – Nonprofit Consultants Think Tank (Washington DC)
Join your nonprofit professional consultant colleagues for a deep dive discussion into building a stronger Professional Nonprofit Consultants Community segment. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Nonprofit Consultants Think Tank
Wed 5/10 at 2 p.m. – Generative AI: Understanding the Real-World Implications for Your Association
As a follow-up to his April 4 open letter to the association community on generative AI, Jeff De Cagna will help association staff develop an empathic and hype-free understanding of generative AI’s real-world implications for their organizations, stakeholders, and successors. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: Jeff De Cagna FRSA FASAE, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC,
Thu 5/11 at 11 a.m. – Unleashing AI for Better Marketing and Audience Engagement
Get a framework for thinking holistically about AI and practical strategies, tools and tips for leveraging AI in your organization. Learn how to start planning for AI and its biggest challenges, how to staff for AI, what prompt engineers are, what legal considerations you should keep in mind when working with AI, and how you can better position yourself and your team to adapt to and take full advantage of AI. More info/register.
Host: Renewd
Speakers:
- Mitch Eisen, Founder/CIO, Contentware
- Tom Pines, CEO, Contentware
- Erica Salm Rench, COO, rasa.io
- Kim Mateus (moderator), Interim Executive Director, Renewd
Thu 5/11 at 11 a.m. – Top Not-for-Profit Risks
An appropriate assessment of a not-for-profit’s key risks is critical for management to mitigate risks, instill confidence in their Board and ensure that compliance issues do not interfere with their mission. Learn about the top risks faced by any not-for-profit, sources to review to determine if the risk applies to your organization, strategies and tools to specifically mitigate each of these risks, and a controller’s toolkit to ensure compliance risks are addressed. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Bianca Domally, Chief Financial Officer, Associated Builders and Contractors
- Kathy O’Connor, President, O’Connor Consulting Services
Thu 5/11 at 12 p.m. – 5 Ways Technology Is Positively Impacting (and Improving) Your Culture
Technology champions in the workplace lead to increased productivity, better collaboration, improved employee satisfaction, and more. Learn what it means to be a technology champion, strategies for identifying and developing technology champions within your organization, how technology champions help drive digital transformation initiatives, and the role technology plays in shaping the overall culture of the organization. More info/register.
Hosts: Impexium and .orgCommunity
Speakers:
- Sara G. Greene, National Automated Clearing House Association
- Mark Prevost, Impexium
Thu 5/11 at 1 p.m. – The 3 Rs of Membership | Retain: Mastering Engagement Scoring & Personas
With measurement and evaluation tools now accessible to associations of all sizes, engagement scoring allows you to better use data to inform engagement strategies and drive organizational improvement. Learn how to define an engagement scoring strategy that supports your organizational goals, including: identifying and nurturing future committee volunteers and leaders, encouraging more activity in programs, and enhancing loyalty. More info/register.
Host: iMIS by ASI
Thu 5/11 at 2 p.m. – Boost Your Member Engagement with Sponsorships
Learn how to include sponsorship in your overall fundraising, include sponsors to engage and create value, leverage content from your corporate sponsors to grow your membership, meet your sponsor’s goals, and develop an effective sponsorship program. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Speaker: Bruce Rosenthal, corporate sponsorship consultant and co-convener, Partnership Professionals Network
Thu 5/11 at 6:30 p.m. – BAE DMV Monthly Dinner
Host: ASAE Black Association Executives
Fri 5/12 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: Elizabeth Santana, MBA, CAE, ICE-CCP, CPTD, Director, Conceptual Research & Design, Inteleos
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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.
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