The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Program marketing. When the student is ready, the teacher appears… but is the boss willing to pay? The odds on that aren’t so good these days. A justification toolkit helps prospective learners make a case for attending your online courses. WBT Systems describes what goes into a persuasive toolkit.
Manager burnout. Achurch Consulting identifies the five warning signs of a manager who’s on the verge of quitting. If you want to hold on to them and get them back on track, you can’t leave these symptoms untreated.
Membership engagement. Nimble AMS describes how an AMS helps membership teams better understand members, anticipate their needs, and deliver personalized communication and content. If your AMS doesn’t help you recruit, engage and retain members, it’s time to start looking for a new one.
Board practices. At Naylor’s Association Adviser, Jeff De Cagna suggests five practices association boards must embrace in 2023. Coincidentally, two weeks ago, I mentioned a podcast conversation between Joanna Pineda and Rick Grimm, who discussed one of them, NIGP’s public director positions. It’s disappointing these excellent ideas aren’t common practice now.
Non-dues revenue. With so many non-dues revenue options to explore and limited resources to pursue them, which solutions are right for your organization? Lead Marvels has a seven-step guide and scorecard to help you evaluate which non-dues revenue solutions best align with your organizational mission.
Quick hits
How the Reasoned Action Theory works in membership marketing—make sure you understand the scientific theory underlying human behavior. (Tony Rossell/MGI, Membership Marketing Blog)
Don’t make SEO the reason for your content marketing strategy—even more important now that ChatGPT and Bard will dominate search results. (Robert Rose, Content Marketing Institute)
It’s time to think more critically about who gets stuck with non-promotable tasks, like onboarding staff or organizing the office holiday party. (Carolyn Childers, Fast Company)
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.
I can’t get enough of this creamy piccata swordfish sauce, so good, especially when soaked up by brown rice. On the side, an excellent broccoli cheddar leek gratin. While shredding the cheese, I forgot I was cutting the recipe in half, so I ended up with twice as much as I needed. I sprinkled the extra cheese along with panko breadcrumbs on the top of the gratin for the last five minutes of baking. A versatile recipe, you could add mushrooms and/or sausage and call it dinner.
We had a bunch of Eagles fans over for the Superbowl. Jim wanted sandwiches galore, so that’s what he bought at BJ’s. A friend brought over his excellent smoked pulled pork along with beans and slaw, so we had a ton of food. The first thing on the table? My guacamole.
But the sandwiches! We had half of them left over so I made a pasta casserole with the remaining American sub ring—yes, a circular sub. I sautéed red bell pepper, onion, mushroom, broccoli stems and garlic; added flour, butter and milk to make a bechamel; then mixed in cheddar and Swiss cheese, ham and turkey, plus a box of baby spinach along with cooked wheat penne. Baked it in a 9” x 13” dish. Once that was in the oven, I processed the sub bread, tossed the crumbs with parmesan cheese and melted butter, pulled out the casserole, sprinkled the crumb mix over the top, and baked it until the crumbs turned golden. This experiment was surprisingly delicious.
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 2/17 at 1 p.m.* – The Secrets to Recession-Proofing Your Association
Many of your association peers are expanding their reach while increasing non-dues revenue with their eLearning programs, even in times of economic recession. Learn what’s making them so successful and how you can capitalize on their strategies to generate more non-dues revenue for your organization. Find out why 2023 is the year of the Fractional Learning Team and how you can capitalize on this trend to save and make money. Hear the most creative ways to share the learning content you have created that will generate giant profits without putting your intellectual property at risk. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Speaker: Dan Streeter, Vice President of Learning & Development, Blue Sky eLearn
*All events are online at Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 2/17 at 4 p.m. – Career Coach Series: Leading with Empathy
Leading with empathy is no easy feat. It is not something that happens automatically. It takes conscious effort by a leader. Learn about empathetic leadership, internal and external barriers that can negatively affect how one leads with empathy, self-leadership and how it relates to being an empathetic leader, using the Empathy Circle model approach to become a more empathetic leader. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speaker: Faith Saunders, trainer and founder, Discover A New Future
Mon 2/20 at 8 a.m. – Raising Member Dues the Right Way (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: Kevin Korenthal
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Tue 2/21 at 11 a.m. – Unlocking the Power of Networking
Learn about strategies for creating a networking environment that’s both effective and enjoyable for attendees. Hear about trends and best practices in networking event design, including the use of technology, interactive activities, and networking tools, sharing tips so you can help your delegates get the most out of networking opportunities. Learn about balancing inclusivity and exclusivity when it comes to networking events, measuring the success of your networking, and using networking to drive sponsorship sales. More info/register.
Host: Grip
Speakers:
- Matt Coyne, Founder, Waves Connects Content
- Adam Parry, Editor and Co-founder, Event Industry News & Event Tech Live
- Abi Cannons, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Grip
Tue 2/21 at 12 p.m. – Showing Your Components Some Love (Crunch & Munch)
Join a discussion about showing your components some love. We’ll share ideas and best practices about how to engage your chapters, components and affiliates with recognition. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council
Tue 2/21 at 3 p.m. – Let’s Get Together: Event Planning for Associations
Events play a huge role in the continued growth of associations. The last few years, however, have been challenging for many associations due to the circumstances brought about by COVID. What should associations keep in mind when planning their next event? Learn more about the changed landscape of events through this panel of industry experts. More info/register.
Host: NXUnite by Nexus Marketing
Speakers:
- Chrissy Gow, Director of Marketing at EventMobi
- Jessie States, Vice President of MPI Academy at Meeting Professionals International
- Sherry Truhlar, President at Red Apple Auctions
Wed 2/22 from 9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. – Marketing Automation Demo Day
Tasked with finding the right marketing technology systems for your organization? Wondering what platforms are out there and what features you should be looking for? Join us to experience seven in-depth demos from industry partners that are standing by ready to help. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Wed 2/22 from 11:05 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – The Future of the Event Industry
What lies ahead for the meetings industry? Learn why Google is taking a multidisciplinary approach to reimagining its meetings, how audience priorities have changed and how to adapt events to new audience priorities, how to start the process for designing meetings that positively impact businesses, why AI is a game-changer for event marketing and how to make the most of it, and how holograms can take events to the next level. 2 CMP credits. More info/register.
Host: Skift Meetings
Wed 2/22 at 1 p.m. – Hunting for Leads: Using MarTech to Surface Potential Members
Hear insights on technology, tools, and approaches to identify and nurture new members for your association. Learn how to develop lead magnets that will attract prospective members, use tools and strategies to identify patterns and better determine your audience, and leverage technology to generate more leads in your profession or industry. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Fonteva & Protech
Speakers:
- Aimee Pagano, Director of Programming, HighRoad Solutions
- Erin Lemons, Senior Director of Marketing, Fonteva & Protech
Wed 2/22 at 1 p.m. – Meetings Cost-Saving Strategies
Understand our current marketplace and how it affects a planners’ strategy during negotiations. Learn how to avoid hidden fees, discover creative cost-savings techniques to impact your bottom-line, and how to communicate these savings to stakeholders in an impactful way. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Speaker: Robyn Mietkiewicz, Innovation Partner, INNOV8 Meetings + Events
Wed 2/22 at 2 p.m. – Come to Your Senses: Budget and Meeting Innovation Solutions
Learn how to challenge your traditional thinking and appeal to all the senses while saving dollars and cents at a second or third-tier city. Find out why the power behind relationships is still critical and worth re-building and/or generating new ones, and why now is the time to employ event design for a fresh approach—it’s all about the experience. More info/register.
Host: Smart Meetings
Speakers:
- Carey Goryl, CEO of the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment
- Sally Noona, director of convention sales and marketing with Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau
Thu 2/23 at 10 a.m. – 10 Strategies for Driving Member & Event Engagement in 2023
Many associations are challenged with engaging members on a consistent and ongoing basis. For most members, your events ARE your association and where your members engage with you and with one another. Hear tips for understanding your members’ engagement needs, driving greater member participation, engaging your members before, during and after your events, and leveraging the latest mobile and web technologies to drive engagement. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Results Direct | RD Mobile
Speakers: Mark Wallach, Director, Mobile Business Development; Michael Jones, Vice President, Mobile Technologies; Kyle Edelen, Mobile Sales Representative; and Joel Branaman, Mobile Sales Representative, Results Direct | RD Mobile
Thu 2/23 at 11 a.m. – Taking Charge of Your Digital Transformation Strategy
Learn about the importance of leading and implementing an effective digital transformation strategy and key strategies to consider when starting your journey. Hear how effective digital transformation is led from the top. Jump-start your association’s planning with interactive Q&A, crucial insights and more. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: iMIS by ASI
Thu 2/23 at 11:30 a.m. – ASAE Research Foundation: Volunteer Management Models
Does a holistic model exist to effectively manage an association’s volunteers across and throughout the organization? The committee looked into the current qualities, structures, actions, and obstacles associations encounter—from both the association and the volunteers’ point of view. Hear what they found and how you can act on those findings to begin to develop an effective and holistic volunteer management model in your association. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Research Committee of ASAE Research Foundation
Thu 2/23 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 2/23 at 1 p.m. – Will Your AMS Be Fully Automated in 2023?
Discover how to streamline repetitive tasks, eliminate manual entry, and boost efficiency with automation. Learn about the benefits of workflow automation, mundane processes to automate right now, and ideas for taking automation to the next level. More info/register.
Host: Impexium
Thu 2/23 at 1 p.m. – A Layered Open Community Strategy Can Create More Dues & Non-Dues Revenue | Expert Series Session
Learn how to better leverage member engagement tools, specifically your member community platform, to better prospect for new members and generate new opportunities for non-dues revenue. Hear how to use community to engage members and nonmembers, and lever user logins and account creation to engage a wider audience and capture more data in your target market. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Non Dues-a-Palooza
Speaker: Benjamin Muscolino, President & CEO, of Breezio, Inc.
Thu 2/23 at 1 p.m. – Caveat Emptor: Becoming a Responsible Consumer of Research
Association execs consume and produce a lot of research in our day-to-day work, but most of us don’t have formal training in research. Get a working knowledge of key concepts in defining research questions, choosing data collection methods, designing research instruments, collecting data, and interpreting and reporting results. Learn about the types of methodological bias that can creep into research projects and the steps you can take to ameliorate them. Hear case studies of associations running efficient, effective research programs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Mallika Bender, FCAS, Actuarial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Casualty Actuarial Society
- Elizabeth Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting, LLC
- Polly Karpowicz, MBA, CAE, Nonprofit Consultant
Thu 2/23 at 1 p.m. – Increase Engagement with Mobile Event Apps
Mobile events apps open up new channels of communication and collaboration that have the potential to transform how people interact at and after events. Learn what makes mobile apps such a valuable resource for meeting planners striving for greater engagement among their guests. Hear examples of how associations encouraged engagement using mobile event apps, tips on how to communicate and encourage attendees to use the mobile app, and ways to ensure successful syncing between your event app with your mobile app. 1 CAE/CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: EVA Event Tech Hub
Speakers:
- Matthew McHugh, senior manager of customer success and partnerships, Guidebook
- Vinnu Deshetty, founder and CEO, EVA Event Tech Hub
Thu 2/23 at 2 p.m. – How to Use Data to Increase Community Engagement
Explore how the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) collects and dissects the data garnered from their community to provide more value to and drive higher engagement from their members. Learn how NRAEF focuses on their goals at the group level to better target their content; gathers insights from their newest members in the registration form to customize engagement strategies; and categorizes their data for either “members” or “engagement,” and why that provides value to them when learning best practices. More info/register.
Host: Mobilize
Speakers:
- Courtney Hogan, Senior Manager of Program Development & Operations, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
- Connor O’Brien, VP of Growth, Mobilize
Thu 2/23 at 2 p.m. – 2022 Association Email Benchmark Report
Explore the data from our 2022 Email Benchmark Report and learn how to use the findings to inspire your own testing and improvements. Hear about the impact of Mail Privacy Protection, overall trends, and examples of subject lines, segmentation strategy, A/B Tests, and more. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Speakers: Stefani Read, Senior Marketing Automation Manager, and David Jovel, Director of Sales, Higher Logic
Thu 2/23 at 2 p.m. – Let’s Talk Event Planning: Meetup for Event and Event-Adjacent Professionals in the Association Space.
Event planning season is in full swing, so let’s talk about it. Join us for an hour-long zoom chat where you’ll have the opportunity to: connect with other event professionals in the association space; bring your ideas, dilemmas and questions; get unbiased feedback from people who’ve been there; and share your experiences and resources. More info/register.
Host: Sidecar
Thu 2/23 at 2 p.m. – Contracting Conundrums: What’s a Planner to Do?
With hotels today overwhelmed with leads and managing with less staff, learn how to make your business stand out and, once booked, to ensure your event is delivered as expected. Hear how to get hotels’ attention in a crowded marketplace, identify risks to your budget or event experience related to food and beverage deliverables, and understand “contract bloat” and how to reinforce essential contract clauses without “bloating” the contract. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MeetingsNet
Speaker: Therese Jardine, Founder and CEO, Strategic Event Procurement
Fri 2/24 at 8 a.m. – Black Association Executives Networking Breakfast (Tysons Corner VA)
Location: Tysons Corner VA. More info/register.
Organizer: ASAE Black Association Executives
Fri 2/24 at 12 p.m. – Unpacked: What is holding you back from career success and strategies to move forward?
Are you an aspiring leader, an emerging leader, a first-time manager, or a professional serious about your personal and professional growth? This monthly leadership and professional development series will help you gain and improve your leadership development skills. More info/register.
Host: Maurine Kwende, CEO and founder, EMK Learning Solutions
Mon 2/27 at 2 p.m. – Retain Your Members Without Breaking The Bank
Learn how to discover strategic opportunities through the member journey, create a streamlined onboarding process that can save the association and its members time and money, increase your membership satisfaction and loyalty, and make your members the center of a story that can transform your association. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Speaker: Mark Levin, CAE, CSP, President, B.A.I, Inc.
Tue 2/28 at 11 a.m. – Avoid Buyer’s Remorse When Selecting New Software for your Organization
Working with so many vendors in the space, we’ve developed a fool-proof plan for how to plan for the vendor selection process, what questions to ask in the interview process and finally, how to interpret the answers. Gain confidence in developing a plan for kicking off the search for new software. Learn the common pitfalls to avoid during the interview and selection process. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Jeff Horne, Co-Founder, CEO, Wicket
- Steve Shock, VP Marketing, Wicket Marketing Technology Specialist
Tue 2/28 at 12 p.m. – From Value Proposition Strategy to Growth: A Membership Growth Case Study
The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers’ membership marketing campaign wasn’t yielding the expected membership growth results. So OSPE built a methodical, multi-year, value-proposition marketing strategy to improve membership growth. Their efforts resulted in OSPE’s highest membership growth since 2008. Hear about the benefits of the strategic approach that changed OSPE’s member value proposition. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Xchange
Speaker: Christine Saunders, CM, President, Halmyre
Tue 2/28 at 12 p.m. – Secure 2.0: What You Need To Know
Over the holidays, President Biden signed the Secure 2.0 Act, a sweeping retirement reform package aimed at increasing access to workplace retirement plans and retirement plan savings, streamlining plan administration and reporting requirements, and preserving retirement income. Learn about the Act’s most impactful provisions and the administrative obstacles you may face, which options your organization can adopt now and in the future, and how this will affect workers and the intended outcome these provisions could have over time. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Speaker: Shelly Howard-Horwitz
Tue 2/28 at 1 p.m. – Overcome Awkwardness & Prioritize Collaboration: Creating a Culture of Feedback
Unless we seek reflections on our work and performance, how can any of us truly recognize potential opportunities to refine, invest, and grow? Participate in a discussion about feedback—starting with a challenge you’re currently facing and would like to process through a simple, but effective four-part feedback model. Process in real time a participant example for further clarity of how to use the feedback model in the workplace. Leave with a feedback model job aid, as well as specific recommendations for actions to take pre- and post-feedback for maximum effectiveness. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE, CPF, CEO, Vista Cova
- Aaron Wolowiec, MSA, CAE, CMP, President & CEO, Event Garde LLC
Tue 2/28 at 3 p.m. – Member Engagement: Strategies for Associations
Associations with engaged members enjoy the benefit of continued relevance in the community, better member retention, and an increased likelihood of attracting new members organically. Strategizing effective engagement is ever-changing given the new trends and technologies we see every day. Learn engagement strategies your association can leverage to get your members hooked on the mission. More info/register.
Host: NXUnite by Nexus Marketing
Speakers:
- Mariama Boney, President & CEO at Achieve More, LLC
- Joy Duling, Founder & CEO at The Joy of Membership
- Artesha Moore, President & CEO at Association Forum
- Brian Van Norman, Executive Director – Membership, Chapters and Meetings/Events at AAPC
Wed 3/1 at 11 a.m. – Building & Leading Strong Teams
Building and managing teams can be a challenging prospect to leadership, but not unreachable. Learn about different leadership styles and the impacts they have on teams including attracting and retaining strong employees, building a diverse workforce, recognizing team strengths and minimizing team vulnerabilities. Leave with practical guidance on how to build effective and collaborative teams within your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Jessica Roper, CPA, Director | Outsourced CFO, Vault
Wed 3/1 at 12 p.m. – Caveat Emptor: Becoming a Responsible Consumer of Research
How can you protect your association’s reputation as a trusted source of unbiased information for the profession or industry you serve? Hear a plain language review of key concepts and approaches to consuming and sponsoring research so you know that you are setting yourself up for success in making data-informed decisions that will allow you to achieve your most important goals and solve your most pressing problems. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Insights In Old Town
Speakers:
- Elizabeth Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting, LLC
- Polly Karpowicz, MBA, CAE, Nonprofit Consultant
Thu 3/2 at 11 a.m. – Reputation Risk as Part of Your Cybersecurity Program
Has your website domain been blacklisted without your knowledge? Are visitors not coming to your site because it’s flagged as unsafe? Are your donor lists being shared on the dark web? Learn the best practices for monitoring and protecting your organization’s most valuable asset: your reputation. Hear about the many ways your online reputation can be compromised, tools available for monitoring these risks, and remediation steps for addressing any issues uncovered. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Darren Hulem, CISA, CEH, Security +, Supervisor, IT and Risk Advisory Services, GRF CPAs & Advisors
- Melissa Musser, Partner and Director of Risk Advisory, GRF CPAs & Advisors
Thu 3/2 at 1 p.m. – LMS Selection in the Evolving Learning Landscape
Good technology is essential for running a thriving learning business today—but finding the right tech can be daunting. Learn about the macrotrends driving learntech and how those trends impact the platforms a learning business needs in its ecosystem. Hear about a time-tested process you can use to find a learning management system that will help your learning business thrive. Get a clear understanding of how to lead your organization in choosing the right learning technology. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Leading Learning
Speakers: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders, Leading Learning
Thu 3/2 at 1 p.m. – The No BS Guide to Digital Transformation
The research is clear: the key to lasting, responsive digital transformation is intentional and focused culture change. Learn what makes association culture unique and how culture change particularly impacts associations. Hear how The Independent Community Bankers of America® embarked on their digital transformation project on behalf of their members and their industry. Learn what digital transformation is for your specific association context, what culture patterns are and how they can be roadblocks to digital transformation, and seven steps you need to take to effect digital transformation in your association. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Elizabeth Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting, LLC
- Maddie Grant, Culture Designer and Digital Strategist, Propel
- Prabhash Shrestha, MS, PMP, FASAE, CAE, Group Executive Vice President, Chief Digital Strategy Officer, ICBA
Thu 3/2 at 1 p.m. – The Next Generation of Fly-Ins: Innovative Strategies for 2023
Fly-ins have undergone some major changes in recent years, moving from traditional in-person events to all-virtual during the pandemic, to a hybrid in the last two years. Now, it’s time to break the mold, look to the future, and explore innovative ways to conduct a fly-in that makes an impact on supporters, members, clients, and lawmakers. More info/register.
Hosts: FiscalNote/VoterVoice and The Advocacy Association
Speakers:
- Joe Franco, President, The Advocacy Association
- Lindsey Miller, Sr. Manager, Grassroots Advocacy, National Restaurant Association
- Kirstie Tucker, Founder, DC Fly-Ins
- Sherry Whitworth (Moderator), Managing Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy, FiscalNote
Thu 3/2 at 2 p.m. – Security: What Happens When Home and Work Offices Collide?
Is your home office inviting work disasters? Many association staff are working from home some or all the time and they now need to manage the responsibility of their own home office IT Security. Learn how to protect both your personal information and association information when working from home and how to keep it separate AND safe. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: 501 Works
Speakers:
- Rebecca Achurch, CEO, Achurch Consulting
- Matthew Eshleman, Chief Technology Officer, Community IT Innovators
Fri 3/3 at 1 p.m. – iPaaS Show-and-Tell: Real Life Examples from the Trenches
Get a look under the hood of the iPaaS-based integrations at four associations. See how things look and work in Zapier, Tray.io, ShuffleExchange, and MS Power Automate. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Technology Professionals Community
Fri 3/3 at 6:30 p.m. – DMV First Friday Black Association Executives Dinner
Organizer: ASAE Black Association Executives
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 the week before it’s scheduled.
Creative Commons licensed photo of a Northern Flicker by Patrice Bouchard via Unsplash—We just had our first sighting of one in our backyard.
Association Brain Food 