The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Niche conferences. The riches are in the niches, says WBT Systems. They make an argument for adding smaller, niche virtual conferences to your event lineup. Makes sense: hyper-relevant programming and more opportunities for attendees to spend quality time with peers.
Intellectual humility and curiosity. I’ve seen many references over the past year to the power of “unlearning” conventional so-called wisdom so we can take on new and existing challenges with the mindset they require. Roger Craver at The Agitator/DonorVoice says we also need to harness the immense power of knowing what we don’t know so we don’t keep repeating so-called best practices that turn programs “into the equivalent of a nearly petrified forest.”
Conference design. Because of pandemic-induced change, Dave Lutz of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting says, “Conference organizers have an opportunity to make changes that would have been more difficult to sell up the ladder in the past.” He suggests five changes to conference design that are long overdue. I could kiss him, and you will want to too, after reading the first one on his list. Yes, please! Seriously, all five are stellar recommendations.
Association fortune-telling. At LeadershipNow, Lance Mortlock explains the difference between scenario planning and forecasting, and offers six questions to help you identify which tool will provide the outcomes your association needs.
Hooking members. Mary Cahalane at Hands On Fundraising interviewed Francesco Ambrogetti about his book, Hooked on a Feeling. Although their conversation is focused on donors, everything he says about emotions, feelings, experiences, memories and identity relate to members, attendees and learners too.
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free webinars if you prefer takeout. If you’re a home cook, check out the weekly (or sometimes fortnightly) In The Kitchen posts on my Grabbing the Gusto blog.
- It’s been too long since we’ve had monkfish in the house. My fish store suggested monkfish tacos and I obliged. I sprinkled the fillets with ground ancho chile, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic and onion powder, baked them and cut them into bite-size pieces. Served them with the usual accompaniments: slaw, salsa verde and avocado. On the side, the usual during the spring CSA season, greens (chard, beet and pac choi) sautéed with red and green onion, carrot and dried cranberries.
- The next night, we had baked black sea bass fillets sprinkled with herbes de Provence, Aleppo pepper, lemon juice and butter. On the side, roasted beets, carrots, cauliflower and radishes with garlic and thyme.
- On Sunday, I made a Tex-Mex skillet with ground pork and chorizo, sweet potato, black beans, corn, chard and a bunch of other stuff. I tweak this recipe according to what’s on hand, but described the usual sort-of recipe earlier this year on my other blog.
Here are the educational events scheduled for next week. If you have a free webinar or event coming up, please send me the link before Wednesday evening the week before it’s scheduled. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product centric.
Fri 5/21 at 12 p.m.* – Meetings Outlook: Future Predictions for the Business of Meetings
Given the reality of the current pandemic, meeting professionals are finding it nearly impossible to make decisions related to the business of events. Much is uncertain, but current projections can help. Deep dive into MPI’s most recent Meetings Outlook research, published quarterly in The Meeting Professional magazine, and then discuss the trends that are most affecting you and your peers. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Presenters:
- Jessie States, CMP, CMM
- Matt Turner
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 5/21 at 12 p.m. – Reconvene
Introducing RECONVENE, a free, two-day virtual summit made for event creators of all kinds, featuring some of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs, artists, producers, and promoters in the event world. We hope you’ll join us to explore where the industry is heading—or better yet, where you’d like to take it. More info/register.
Hosts: Eventbrite, National Independent Venue Association, Music Venue Trust and FundBox
Fri 5/21 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
Fri 5/21 at 2 p.m. – The Work Must Go On: Retaining and Engaging Volunteers Remotely
As volunteers represent 20-25% of our labor pool, losing them would be catastrophic. We have to keep our governance volunteers actively connected in order to make decisions in a timely fashion. For some associations this past year, volunteers didn’t lose steam at first. As the months marched on, we’ve encountered struggles from loss of volunteers to disengagement. Hear about strategies from associations (and a few non-profits) that have weathered this and how these strategies can ultimately help us engage more members – a greater diversity of members – in the work of the association going forward. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Presenters:
- Peggy Hoffman FASAE, CAE, President and Executive Director, Mariner Management
- Peter Houstle, CEO, Mariner Management
Fri 5/21 at 3:45 p.m. – Promotions: Tipping the Scales in Your Favor
Join us for an engaging discussion, interactive Q&A and useful tools to help give you the edge when pursuing your next promotion. Based on research and tried-and-true methods of application, hear what works to help you position yourself for the promotion you want. Be ready to laugh a little as you overcome any fears you may have of putting new ideas to work for you. More info/register. (Must join Fridays@4 for free first.)
Host: Fridays@4
Presenter: Carole Stizza, PCC, SHRM-SCP, executive leadership coach, senior HR professional and strength strategy specialist
Mon 5/24 at 1 p.m. – CyberStory with Sanjay Deo (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)
This series of 15- to 20-minute videos cover hot topics and issues related to 501c organization management. New episodes are posted by 1 p.m. every Monday. Check out Cecilia’s Nonprofit Executive Spotlight series too.
Guests: Sanjay Deo
Hosts:
- Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
- Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman
Tue 5/25 at 11 a.m. – 5 Secrets of Email Marketing Geniuses
Learn the secrets of email marketing geniuses, including: the 5 types of nonprofit emails, the anatomy of an email marketing campaign, and 6 email marketing mistakes to avoid. More info/register.
Host: Firespring
Presenter: Jay Wilkinson, founder and CEO of Firespring
Tue 5/25 at 12 p.m. – Workforce Strategy Webinar: Tools You Can Use
As you plan for employees to return to the office, hear strategies and best practices for creating the workplace of the future for your association. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Finance and Business Operations Professionals Community
Tue 5/25 at 1 p.m. – RESULTS: A Networking Garden Party
Hear about the findings from our Virtual Networking Incubator, which brought 150+ association professionals together six times over the course of 12 weeks to explore virtual networking and its potential. Each Gathering in our Incubator “garden” was intentionally designed as a collaborative exploration of key virtual networking concepts, practices, and considerations—for example, size of audience, creation of safe space, what makes connections meaningful, and more. Learn about tools and practices that will help you build better networking into your own virtual events. More info/register.
Host: Matchbox Virtual
Presenters:
- Amanda Kaiser, MBA, Member Engagement Specialist, Kaiser Insights LLC
- Arianna Rehak, CEO & Co-Founder, Matchbox Virtual Media
- Sze Pak Ng, Community Engagement Specialist, Matchbox Virtual Media
- Reggie Henry (interviewer), Chief Information and Engagement Officer, ASAE
Tue 5/25 at 1 p.m. – Disruptive Technology: Launching an AMS During a Pandemic
Hear how the Minnesota Society of CPAs launched a new AMS in March 2020, right as the pandemic began to unfold. Find out how staff were trained to quickly adopt remote work, overcoming the pandemic and teleworking issues while ensuring go-live tasks were slayed in a timely manner. These best practices, while especially important in a virtual environment, can also be applied to an in-person launch. More info/register.
Host: ReviewMyAMS
Presenters:
- MNCPA’s Manager of Digital Strategies, Misty Garrick
- benel Solutions President and CEO, El Mehdi Marhoum
- ReviewMyAMS’ CEO and Founder, Teri Carden
Tue 5/25 at 1 p.m. – When Virtual Meets In-Person: How to Run a Successful Hybrid Event
This webinar will be an actual hybrid event, with both virtual and in-person speakers and attendees. We’ll go behind the scenes on agenda planning, speaker prep, emcee roles, and more; reveal how to run panels with both live and virtual speakers; show how emcees can weave virtual chat w/ live Q&A; get real about the AV and production requirements; share case studies from recent hybrid events; and include live networking sessions paired with virtual video rooms. More info/register.
Host: Socio
Tue 5/25 at 2 p.m. – Post-Pandemic Strategies for Growth: Expanding Education Programs for Member Companies
With remote work and learning becoming the norm for many of your members, there are more competitors providing professional development in your industry than ever before. By providing corporate training programs, your association can establish deeper relationships with company members and their employees, resulting in strengthened loyalty and higher member and customer retention. Hear about successful strategies used by associations to provide continuing education to professionals in their industries and take away ideas to sustain the growth of your education portfolio. 0.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: ProTech Services
Presenter: Michelle Brien, VP of marketing and product strategy, WBT Systems
Tue 5/25 at 2 p.m. – It’s Time to Innovate: Member Engagement in the Post-COVID Age
Does your member engagement strategy revolve around your organization’s needs or does it revolve around the people at the heart of your mission? Learn about member engagement lessons learned during COVID-19, using data to better serve your members, innovative solutions to give your members ownership over their engagement experience, and how to empower your members with the tools they need to improve their industry and their communities. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Gather Voices
Presenters:
- Jacqualine Price Osafo, MBA, CAE, Vice President of Membership at the American Health Information Management Association
- Michael Hoffman, CEO of Gather Voices,
Tue 5/25 at 2 p.m. – CEO Update LIVE: Associations and Advocacy
We’re talking to association veterans and advocacy experts about how associations can move forward in the new political environment. They’ll address approaches to gain traction with policymakers—some tried and true, others learned during the pandemic—and share effective advocacy strategies aimed at maintaining credibility in a time of extreme partisanship. More info/register.
Host: CEO Update
Presenters:
- Suzanne Clark, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Susan Neely, American Council of Life Insurers
- Jay Timmons, National Association of Manufacturers
Tue 5/25 at 3 p.m. – Better Sales Through Better Storytelling
When it comes to sales and marketing, logic doesn’t move people — stories do. James Ontra has been helping clients in every industry refine their stories for over 20 years. He’ll share the insights he’s learned over his extensive career, so you can craft a narrative that connects with your members and creates action. More info/register.
Host: KiKi L’Italien, host, Association Chat, and senior consultant, Tecker International
Guest: James Ontra, CEO and co-founder of Shufflrr
Tue 5/25 at 3 p.m. – How to Hybrid
Hybrid events are still a bit of a mystery to a lot of meeting professionals, and they are seen as complex and costly. Learn about the six key drivers that every meeting professional needs to know about planning, producing, and executing a successful hybrid event, and how to apply the key drivers to common meeting types.1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenters:
- John Rissi, SVP, Customer & Industry Engagement, Encore
- Debra Mategrano, Regional Sales Director, Encore
Wed 5/26 at 11 a.m. – Spring Cleaning: 5 Reports to Run In Your Membership Database Now
Your data is one of your most valuable assets, and requires care, maintenance, and constant attention. And yet, if you’re like most, you’ve collected and neglected your data over the years, and it’s way past time for a decluttering. Learn about five reports you can run in any database that will help you kickstart your data spring cleaning. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Matrix Group
Wed 5/26 at 12 p.m. – Drive Chapter Behavior with Targeted Benchmarking
If we want our chapters to help us serve the members and move the mission, we need to benchmark those behaviors that help us achieve that end. In other words, let’s count the things that count. Benchmarking also implies comparison, and here’s the other important purpose. When we measure and make comparisons on those metrics which are truly important, we can then identify our “bright spots” – the high achievers – and replicate those behaviors across the system. Let’s talk about what we’re benchmarking (or not) and why. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management
Presenters: Peter Houstle & Peggy Hoffman, Mariner Management
Wed 5/26 at 1 p.m. – The State of the Industry Summit
With COVID-19 vaccines finding their way into arms across the U.S. and major destinations easing restrictions for public gatherings, momentum is building for a return to in-person meetings. What will this new environment look like, and what do planners, suppliers and attendees need to know—and need to ask each other? Hear about the current state of the meetings industry, and what the next few months to a year will look like. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Presenters:
- Michael Dominguez, President & CEO, ALHI
- Tori Barnes, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs & Policy, US Travel Association
- Cathy Breden, CEO, Center for Exhibition Industry Research
Wed 5/26 at 1 p.m. – Associations/Nonprofits – Planning for Accounting Department Disruptions
Accounting within the non-profit sector in particular has experienced unique challenges during this time of unprecedented upheaval. There’s never been a greater need for not-for-profits to pivot, think outside the box, and be creative: especially for associations that primarily provide in-person (people-facing) services. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenters:
- Gary Linnen, CEO, PeerForward
- Wes Tomer, CPA, CGMA, Principal and Managing Director, Vault Consulting
- Tommy Tepper, Vice President of Finance and Operations, SOS Children’s Villages
- Kristina Casey, Senior Consultant, Vault Consulting
- Sadé Hinton-Morris, CPA, Senior Consultant, Vault Consulting
Wed 5/26 at 1 p.m. – Nonprofit Cybersecurity: Balancing Best Practices, Budget, and Team Productivity
Get answers to your questions on nonprofit cybersecurity balancing best practices, including ways to build a cybersecurity budget into your technology roadmap, and create a sound process for managing risks and managing staff training, before you consider the specific cybersecurity technologies available to meet your organizational needs. More info/register.
Host: Community IT
Presenters:
- Build Consulting’s change management expert Peter Mirus
- Community IT’s cybersecurity guru Matt Eshleman
Wed 5/26 at 1 p.m. – #ExpoChat on Twitter
ExpoChat is a Twitter-based conversation on topics related to the trade show industry. More info.
Wed 5/26 at 2 p.m. – The 5 Essential Elements For Developing A Successful Remote Workforce
Remote workforce models have a multitude of compelling benefits. However, to optimize and sustain their full range of perks, organizations should address 5 Essential Elements™ in their chosen model. Learn about each element and why it’s essential, how high-performing organizations with remote workers adopt these elements and how they help improve productivity, and tips for incorporating the elements into action. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Achurch Consulting
Wed 5/26 at 2 p.m. – Measuring What Matters: The Value of Your Online Community
You invest a lot of energy into your online community – but how do you measure the impact of your efforts? Learn which key goals and measurements our engagement experts use to measure success, how to know whether your tactics are impacting community and organizational goals, and different ways to demonstrate value to others in your organization. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Presenters:
- Marjorie Anderson, Product Manager at Project Management Institute
- Chris Detzel, Community Program Manager at Reltio
- Kim FitzSimmons, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at American Association of Endodontists
- Jeff Breunsbach, Director of Customer Experience at Higher Logic
Wed 5/26 at 2 p.m. – #RealTalk | Standing Up and Speaking Out: AAPI Voices in the Meetings & Events Industry
Join us for an important conversation led by Asian American meetings & events thought leaders who will share their personal and professional experiences on being Asian in this industry and navigating an industry where there still remains little representation. 1 CMP credit. More info/register (fee for MPI non-members).
Host: MPI
Presenters:
- Elaiza Shepherd
- Noelle San Jose
- Kevin Iwamoto, GLP GTP
- Mae Whiting
- Gary Murakami, CMP, CMM, DES
Wed 5/26 at 2 p.m. – Improve Attendee Satisfaction and Engagement
As digital programs and events become more prevalent in the industry, so does the expectation from audiences. Attendees are no longer satisfied with sitting passively at their computers, watching a fully digital or a hybrid program. Learn ways to increase not only your attendees’ engagement, but also their overall satisfaction attending your next event. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: PCMA
Presenter: Will Curran, Founder & Chief Event Einstein, Endless Events
Wed 5/26 at 2 p.m. – How To Get The Best Out Of Your Virtual Fundraiser
We’ve seen new variations and takes on the virtual fundraiser as nonprofits get creative. In this fireside chat, learn what tools and resources are already available to help your nonprofit make a successful transition to online fundraising. Learn what has worked and what hasn’t from three different experts. More info/register.
Host: Remo
Wed 5/26 at 4 p.m. – Mindful Networking (Slack Edition)
AWTC Mindful Networking events are quick (45-minute), small group meetings with someone we think you should get to know. No formal presentations. This is a chance to intentionally expand your network, exchange ideas, and get some advice. For this special Mindful Networking, Katherine will also be giving an overview of Slack: what it is, how to use it, and why and when you would use it for your association. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Presenter: Katherine Matthews, CAE, Manager, Data & Analytics, for the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
Wed 5/26 at 4 p.m. – May EIX: An Exclusive Look at Our New Event Model
We’re introducing our 5-part framework for events, which will cover what audiences really want out their events, how to manage the digital component of your event, and how to build networking events that actually work–both in-person and digitally. More info/register.
Host: 360 Live Media
Thu 5/27 at 10 a.m. – Virtual Events – How to Boost Your Sponsor ROI
80% of event planners find managing sponsor/exhibitor ROI is one of the biggest challenges they face around virtual events today. How can organizers help their sponsors and exhibitors see the enormous potential of investing in a virtual space? Learn key considerations when choosing virtual sponsors/exhibitors, how to manage their expectations (pre, during and post-event), and the six most popular ways of boosting sponsor ROI. More info/register.
Host: Eventsforce
Thu 5/27 at 11 a.m. – Virtual Networking for Nonprofit & Association Professionals
Meet other great association & nonprofit professionals in this fast and fun — but productive — virtual networking event. We’ll be using a number of online engagement techniques that you can adapt, copy and steal for your own events. This isn’t about just exchanging business cards. It’s designed to really get people to engage and find real value in connecting. You’ll meet 4-8 other great professionals in your field. And even introverts will tell you the format is great. More info/register.
Host: Lee Gimpel, Better Meetings
Thu 5/27 at 11 a.m. – Delivering an Amazing CX for All through Hybrid Events
Hybrid events can offer new levels of engagement and interactivity, combining creative storytelling with integrated technology to reach and engage your audiences in entirely new ways, at scale. Learn from organizations who have already delivered amazing hybrid experiences. Pick up ideas around segmentation and tailoring the experience, delivering on expectations, designing with intent, skills, resource and budget required, and how to manage your customer data to enhance experiences in the future. More info/register.
Host: Virtual Events Institute
Presenters:
- Cheri Keith, Head of Strategy, ON24
- Vanessa Lovatt, Chief Evangelist, Glisser
- Chris Mitchell, VP Operations, Intrado
- Neil Mortimer, Client Success Manager EMEA, Grip
Thu 5/27 at 12 p.m. – For Total Brand Success, Strengthen Employer Branding
Employer branding may not seem like a big deal for associations, but it helps all types of organizations showcase intentional cultures and inclusive workplaces, which enables authentic communication for why they are an employer of choice. Learn how to define employer branding and how it fits into an association’s overall brand (with an association case study example), initiate conversations between Marketing and Human Resources to collaborate, build and maintain a successful employer brand, engage your talent to help create your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and tell your brand story, and more. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Marketing Professionals Community
Presenters:
- Atokatha Ashmond Brew, MBA, Managing Director, Marketing & Communication, Nonprofit HR
- Lori Kipnis, Managing Director, Strategy & Advisory, Nonprofit HR
- Maureen DuBois, Senior Director, Human Resources, American Health Law Association
- Stefan Bradham, CAE, Senior Director, Marketing & Communication, American Health Law Association
Thu 5/27 at 1 p.m. – Digital-first Culture as a Growth Strategy for Associations
Learn how several association leaders applied digital-first practices to drive growth and engagement within their communities. Find out how to expand your association’s global footprint and grow your membership across borders, provide the right visibility for your sponsors and partners to hold your end of the deal, and wield virtual events technology and social media to boost membership engagement. More info/register.
Host: AirMeet
Presenters:
- Benita Lipps, Head of Association Management, Interel Group
- Dan Ratner, Senior Director, Member Services, FMI-The Food Industry Association
- Jessica Lombardo , Vice President, Membership, ASIS International
- Lynsey Sweales, CEO, Social B
- Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Engagement Officer, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
- Susan Arslan, President-Elect, MPI-Meeting Professionals International
Thu 5/27 at 1 p.m. – Depleted? Overwhelmed? Start Setting Boundaries
Learn how to use new tools to set effective boundaries with others, understand what gets in the way of personal and professional boundaries, and discover the change you’ll see when you apply these principles and tools to your life. More info/register.
Host: Veritus Group
Thu 5/27 at 2 p.m. – Growing Non-Dues Revenue in 2021 & Beyond: The Future of Association Revenue
Learn how to ensure your non-dues revenue models are aligned with current association trends, and how to successfully generate value for members, sponsors, and most importantly, your association. More info/register.
Host: 100 Reviews/Non-Dues-a-Palooza
Presenter: Dan Stevens, President, AssociationTV/WorkerBee, TV, inc
Thu 5/27 at 2 p.m. – Marketing Channels for the Largest Generation in the Workforce: The Millennials
Learn about the social media and communications channels that are and are not worth your time for attracting the largest group of adults in the workplace, and a consistent and regular approach to engagement. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Presenters: millennials Molly Phayer and Erica Salm Rench
Thu 5/27 at 2 p.m. – Achieve Mega Impact with Micro Learning
The largest continent in the workforce, Millennials and Gen Z, prefer microlearning to all other formats for continuous professional development to adapt to career demands. Collections of curated content aren’t going to cut it. Learn about the 7 roles microlearning can play in your learning portfolio, whiteboard a 3-part planning process for microlearning development, and explore microlearning format samples with production tips. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: CommPartners
Presenter: Tracy King, Chief Learning Strategist & Founder of InspirEd, InspirEd
Wed 6/2 at 12 p.m. – Planning a Return to the Office: A Candid Conversation About How and Why
Learn how associations are managing a return to the office after more than a year of remote work, and why going back is important to improving collaboration and culture. Several voices from a diverse group of associations and a legal authority will discuss the ins and outs of planning a return, key risks and how to answer the common question, “why should I?” 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Insights In Old Town (now aka Monthly Events In Cyberspace)
Presenters:
- Laura Withers, IOM, Vice President, Strategic Communications, NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association
- Kathy Compton, Senior Vice President, Brand & Engagement, The American Institute of Architects
- Michele E. Rinn, CAE, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Sr Vice President, Human Resources, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
- Andrew D. Goldman, Esq., Attorney, Your In-House Law
Wed 6/2 at 3 p.m. – Four New Association Survey Reports Portend Opportunities for Corporate Sponsorships
Four major new surveys show challenges and obstacles facing associations. The Partnership Professionals Network (PPN) has analyzed the survey reports and identified ways in which robust sponsorship programs can mitigate these situations. Join the PPN Idea Exchange discussion. More info/register.
Host: Partnership Professionals Network
Presenters:
- Bruce Rosenthal, PPN Co-Convener and Principal, Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC
- Dan Kowitz, PPN Co-Convener and Founder & CEO, JSB Partnership Consultants
Thu 6/3 at 2 p.m. – The CIO Hour: Trust but Verify
In this monthly webinar, non-techies can ask tech questions and learn key information to increase their association’s IT success. Come boost your IT – IQ with this month’s topic: Trust but Verify. Learn how association staff can monitor servers, websites, and applications with low cost and free tools in an easy-to-understand terms. There will also be time to ask ANY tech question of our CIO and get answers to help you with problems you may be facing today. More info/register.
Host: 501Works
Presenter: James Marquis, chief technology officer, 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 before Wednesday evening.
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