The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Event recordings. TopClass LMS reviews the pros and cons of recording an educational event from both the attendee and association perspectives. Make sure you go through this list before making any decisions about recording upcoming events.
Gen Z education. At Business Insider, Charlotte Lytton reports on research about Gen Z and education. Some Gen Zers are skipping college, while many who decide to go have a different set of priorities than students in the past. Both groups need to know how your association could fit into their educational plans, either by serving as an alternative to college or supplementing what they learn there.
Scientific society events. ExOrdo shares key findings from their interviews with 27 scholarly societies about event goals, programs, and challenges. They discuss the growth of international online audiences, challenges with online networking and engagement, online content libraries, and much more.
Mentoring. Cecilia Sepp encourages us to offer “moments of mentoring,” which she says are just as important—if not more so—than formal, long-term mentoring relationships. She describes the difference between mentoring and coaching, and explains how mentoring moments can make a difference in someone’s life.
Users groups. Wes Trochlil at Effective Database Management describes the benefit of belonging to an AMS users group: you can “tap tens if not hundreds of other organizations that are using the same or similar software.” If your AMS partner doesn’t offer one, he shares tips for how to create a users group yourself and get the most out of it.
Website RFPs. If your association has a website redesign project on the horizon, there’s no need to ask for RFP samples on ASAE Collaborate. You can get everything you need in Brightfind’s RFP template for CMS and website design projects. You can also use parts of the template for other technology selection projects since prospective vendors will need much of the same information.
Next gen websites. Ali Zamanian at Position describes three website strategies that will help you sync up “with the attitudes, behaviors, desires, and values of your association’s next generation.”
Also worth your time
What people really remember about your association. (Amanda Lea Kaiser)
Two mobile engagement strategies to help your association increase Gen Z and millennial membership. (Mark Wallach, Engagement Mobile Strategies)
How to use AI to do stuff. (Ethan Mollick, One Useful Thing)
Mammoth straw creatures populate Japanese farmland in the annual Wara Art Festival. (Grace Ebert, Colossal)
You never grow old at the table
Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.
Lots of fun travel lately: Non-Dues-A-Palooza in Denver, Grand Lake CO, and Asheville NC. Coming home from CO, it was my night for dinner duty, but instead of ordering pizza, I defrosted fillets of black drum and a package of frozen broccoli.
I made Mummy Lorraine black drum with a topping of crushed Ritz crackers, lemon zest, garlic powder, and melted butter. I got my idea for a side veggie from the broccoli package: broccoli with cheese sauce, a simple bechamel with cheddar, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Sadly, I didn’t have any ham to add, as the recipe suggested.
A few nights later, I was busy finishing up work and packing for a weekend away, so I made up a quick-and-easy recipe for black sea bass fillets. I topped and baked the fillets with salsa and Herdez roasted poblano crema sauce, pepper jack cheese, and cilantro. On the side, leftover broccoli plus Uncle Ben’s 90-second brown rice, which did a great job of soaking up that sauce.
Back home on Sunday, I made baked ziti with Italian sausage, mushroom, onion, red/green bell pepper, garlic, marinara, tomatoes, mozzarella, asiago, parmesan, provolone, and fresh basil. And, once again, roasted broccoli—my go-to quick veggie—on the side.
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 9/22 at 4 p.m.* – Career Management Toolkit: Using Data to Chart Your Course, Measure Your Impact, & Further Your Career
Learn how to collect and use qualitative and quantitative data to focus your work, capture your results, and propel your career forward. Our speakers will share their knowledge and experiences using data to bring strategy and structure to career management. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speakers: Tom Aley, Jennifer Baker, MSW, CAE, and Ted Miller
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Mon 9/25 at 8 a.m. – Membership is Everyone’s Job (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)
Every week Rogue Tulips brings the nonprofit community intriguing guests discussing vital topics affecting nonprofit organizations around the world—and we have fun doing it! Episodes are published Monday mornings in both audio and video format, available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast (to name a few!).
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting
Guests: John Lingerfelt, CAE
Tue 9/26 at 12 p.m. – Embracing AI in Events: Navigating Opportunities and Challenges
Learn about the innovative applications of AI that are redefining attendee engagement, boosting event efficiency, and elevating overall experiences. See how AI-driven solutions transform the landscape of event personalization, augmented reality, virtual experiences, and even smart venue management. Grasp AI’s potential and understand how to harness it responsibly. More info/register.
Host: 6Connex
Speakers:
- Dahlia El Gazzar, event technology strategist and the founder, DAHLIA+ Agency
- Stephen Kaufman, founder and chief product officer, Inriver
- Henry Tran, CTO, 6Connex
Tue 9/26 at 12 p.m. – Behind the Scenes: How We Built a Webinar Using ChatGPT
Hear how the team at Cvent used ChatGPT to create a webinar that was so good, it had people lining up to attend (virtually, of course). Get all the juicy details on how they crafted a killer title, created engaging content, and promoted the webinar to the right audience. Learn about key metrics they tracked, and how they’re using those insights to optimize webinar performance. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Speaker: Brooke Gracey, Director, Demand Generation, CVENT
Tue 9/26 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – LMS Demo Days
Watch presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer LMS platforms. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Tue 9/26 at 1 p.m. – SEO Crash Course: It’s Not Just Keywords
Many believe SEO is all about choosing the right keywords and hoping for the best. However, it’s far more complex than that. To properly optimize your website, you must also focus on technical SEO, on-page SEO, and off-page SEO (link building). Conducting thorough keyword research is essential, but it’s just the beginning. Technical SEO ensures your website is optimized for search engine crawlers, while on-page SEO focuses on content and website structure. Off-page SEO involves building relationships with other websites through backlinks to increase your page authority. Learn how to give your website the best chance of appearing at the top of search engine results by taking a well-rounded approach to SEO. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Chris Rodriguez, CEO, iExcel
Tue 9/26 at 2 p.m. – Gen Z to Boomers: Strategies for Effective Advocacy Communications Across Generations
As the oldest members of Gen Z turn 26 this year, this group of young people is becoming an increasingly more prominent part of the voting and advocacy landscape. However, people are also living longer today than they did in the past, so it remains crucial to continue engaging with older generations. Hear about the values, communication preferences, and engagement triggers of various generations; strategies to tailor your advocacy initiatives to connect with different age groups effectively; innovative ways to leverage digital platforms to amplify your advocacy efforts; and how to encourage collaboration between generations to ensure the sustainability of your advocacy campaigns. More info/register.
Host: VoterVoice
Tue 9/26 at 6 p.m. – Visualizing the Future: AI, Dataviz, and Real-World Impact (Washington DC)
Learn how AI is being designed for trust and feedback, examining features in everyday technologies. Discover the art and science of data visualization, bringing raw data to life to highlight trends and patterns for better user understanding. Discuss ethical considerations in AI and data visualization including bias, transparency, and accessibility. Find out about career opportunities for dataviz and AI in journalism, policymaking, and software engineering. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.
Host: FiscalNote
Speaker: Fallon Farmer, Principal Data Scientist, FiscalNote
Wed 9/27 from 9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. – LMS Demo Days
Watch presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer LMS platforms. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Wed 9/27 at 12 p.m. – PAR Member Meet-Up: How Unique is your Unique Value Proposition?
Do your potential members, exhibitors, advertisers or sponsors understand how your association programs can create value around their investment? Join the PAR community as we share unique value propositions and explore how other members position and deliver throughout their work. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Professionals for Association Revenue
Wed 9/27 at 1 p.m. – 2024 Prediction: The AI Leapfrog Year for Associations
We predict in 2024, many associations are primed for a leapfrog kind of year, where they jump from barely using AI to making it a core part of their nondues revenue strategy. Learn about the dynamics of word-of-mouth marketing and strategies to supercharge it, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing sessions for your members that require minimal pre-work yet provide deeper engagement, and ways to turn your association’s wealth of information into a sustained and growing body of knowledge for your members to access through AI. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers: Sandra Nam, CEO and Co-Founder, and Lucas Cioffi, CTO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat
Wed 9/27 at 1 p.m. – Crystal Ball Predictions for the Future of Associations
Hear what our panel’s organizations are seeing in their professions and with their memberships and what this means for associations moving forward. Learn about workforce development challenges and what this means for associations and industries; value propositions and the art of attracting new members to associations; the importance of the practice of foresight and addressing areas of future needs; and potential benefits and challenges with the use of AI. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Fonteva
Speakers:
- Mike Chamberlain, MBA, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Grant Professionals Association
- Terri Hinkley, EdD, MBA, BScN, RN, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of School Nurses
- Tori Miller Liu, MBA, FASAE, CAE, President & CEO, AIIM International
- Bill Schankel, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, NAFA Fleet Management Association
Wed 9/27 at 2 p.m. – Expert Series Session: Unleashing New Revenue Potential with Association Job Boards: A Comprehensive Guide for Association Executives
Association job boards are a powerful tool to attract new members, unlock fresh revenue streams, and enhance member engagement. What’s more, most members now expect a career center as part of their membership benefits. Learn about the specific revenue associations can generate from a job board, why the current economic climate is ripe for launching a job board, the distinct advantages associations hold over general job boards like Indeed or LinkedIn, pricing and marketing strategies tailored for association job boards, and the remarkable results that can be achieved. More info/register.
Host: Non-Dues-A-Palooza
Speaker: Rodion Telpizov, founder and CEO, SmartJobBoard
Thu 9/28 at 9 a.m. – Activate: The Marketing Event for Event Marketers
Meet 1,000+ event marketers in the same boat. Share pain points, discuss the real problems, and find solutions together. Steal new ideas, blueprints, and playbooks from the best marketing minds in the world. No talk is longer than 10 minutes. It’s innovative ideas from thought leaders in the event industry to help you cut through the noise and get the marketing results you want. More info/register.
Host: Gleanin
Thu 9/28 at 11 a.m. – Engagement Strategies for Today’s Members
As member expectations change and communications preferences shift, associations are leveraging technology in new ways to tailor content delivery and provide value at all stages of the member journey. Hear insights from the State of Mobile in Associations 2023 Benchmark Report and explore cost-effective solutions for communicating the value of membership, working with limited resources (staff, budget), engaging younger/diverse members, and engaging members outside of your events. More info/register.
Host: Results Direct
Speakers:
- Joel Branaman, Director of Mobile Sales, North America, Results Direct | RD Mobile
- Michael Jones, VP of Mobile Technologies, Results Direct | RD Mobile
- Billy McLean, Head of Business Development, EMEA, Results Direct | RD Mobile
Thu 9/28 at 11 a.m. – The Dark Side of Events: Talking Openly About Mental Health
The level of trauma endured by event profs over the last two years is something we haven’t fully dealt with as an industry. Businesses shut down, careers wiped out, relationships lost. We are providing a safe space for event professionals to learn why it matters to talk about mental health today. Hear directly from a fellow event professional about their mental health journey and discover tools to face the mental health emergency of the event industry. More info/register.
Host: Julius Solaris, Boldpush
Speakers:
- Janice Cardinale, Founder, Event Minds Matter
- Tom Fisher
- Amber Mac, President, AmberMac
Thu 9/28 at 12 p.m. – Is Your Association Meeting the Needs of the 15% of Neurodiverse Members?
Neurodiversity describes the unique way people’s brains work. From ADHD and autism to dyslexia and dyspraxia, neurodiversity may affect up to 15% of your association’s members, attendees, learners and staff. One in seven people in your association’s target audience may process information differently from the way society often expects. Learn what associations must do differently, additionally, and intentionally to serve their neurodiverse members. Get tools to re-examine your education, training, networking, and other offerings with an eye toward meeting your neurodiverse professionals’ needs and expectations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Xchange
Speaker: Holly Martinson, M.ED., Executive Function Coach, and owner of Patient Minds
Thu 9/28 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 9/28 at 1 p.m. – From Data to Decisions: Analytics for Associations
You don’t need a data science degree or coding certificate to understand your data. In fact, every level of your organization should be able to make confident decisions using up-to-the-minute (yes, minute) analytics. Learn how to transform raw data into interactive reports and dashboards, predict and manage forecasts, and analyze data from a variety of sources. Discover how to enhance engagement, increase membership, and make confident decisions with real-time data insights. More info/register.
Host: Impexium
Thu 9/28 at 1 p.m. – Generative AI and ChatGPT: Uses, Pros, and Cons for Associations
Get up to speed on the current and future uses of generative AI and ChatGPT for associations. Learn how to efficiently assess business value across all association processes. Discover the advantages associated with applying generative AI technology to streamline workflows and keep your association ahead of the curve by learning about potential risks and challenges. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Lisa Rau, PhD, Founder, Fíonta
Thu 9/28 at 1 p.m. – How to Set Yourself Apart When Contacting Corporate Sponsors
Outreach emails to potential corporate sponsors/funders going unanswered? Not sure what and how much to say? Wondering what if anything to send along with your email messages? Learn how non-profits can set themselves apart when contacting corporate sponsors. More info/register.
Host/speaker: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, founder/CEO, Growth Owl
Thu 9/28 at 2 p.m. – How to Unlock the Corporate Planner’s Secret Weapon
Explore new ways to work with independent planners so everyone can contribute at the highest level and deliver fabulous meetings and events. Learn tips for sourcing in a tight market, strategies for managing changing requirements, ideas for inspiring attendees today, and the importance of advocating for the industry. More info/register.
Host: Smart Meetings
Speakers:
- Carolyn Poole, vice president of Conference Direct
- Nancy Shaffer, president of Live Events Coalition
Thu 9/28 at 3 p.m. – Build Winning Member Journeys with a Technology Ecosystem
Learn how an “ecosystem approach” can revamp your association, why associations need to shift to a member-first approach, the evolution of association technology and what lies in the future, how to achieve unparalleled growth by making data-based decisions, and the power of seamless integrations and essential questions to ask vendors. More info/register.
Host: Grype
Speaker: Jeff Horne, Co-founder & CEO of Wicket
Fri 9/29 at 4 p.m. – The Absolutes of Accountability
There is little debate about the importance of accountability in the workplace and in our personal lives. It’s a must at all levels of any organization and is the key to building trust with stakeholders. The pursuit of this takes a big slice of humble pie at times and a constant look in the mirror always. This session will highlight opportunities to elevate yourself and those around in focusing on accountability as an area of practice in every aspect of your life. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speaker: April Tone, MBA, CAE, Sr. Manager, Technical & Engineering Communities Operations at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Tue 10/3 at 1 p.m. – Connecting to Your Creativity: How to Have an Ah-Ha Moment
Learn how the brain functions during the creative process, how technology—specifically AI–can assist with innovative thinking, how to get your creative juice flowing, and how this knowledge can work for you. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Sheri Singer, President, Singer Communications
Tue 10/3 from 3 to 5 p.m. – 2023 Data (Viz) Science Fair (Alexandria VA)
An old school Science Fair, with individuals showing off their data stories. Could be a viz, could be a project, could be anything that highlights how you’ve used data to make better business decisions. If you don’t feel like presenting, please come hang out, see some cool projects, and join us for some beer and networking after the event. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.
Hosts: Data Analytics Network and Association Analytics
Tue 10/3 at 3 p.m. – Effective Financial Messaging for Nonprofit Organizations
Learn about the advantages of purpose-built financial messaging and how to help the board, staff, and other users of financial information have trust and confidence in your organization’s financial reports. Explore key concepts related to building out financial dashboards. Hear about optimization tactics and strategies to improve understanding of financial reporting through the use of pre-month-end closing meetings, finding small financial teaching moments, and displaying financial information in annual reports. 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 10/4 at 11 a.m. – Coach Prime’s Key Lessons for Associations
Deion “Prime Time” Sanders was a force to be reckoned with as a two-sport professional athlete in the ‘90s. Now Coach Prime is not only reviving a lackluster college program, but he’s impacting the university as a whole and changing college football itself. Find out what associations need to learn from the example of Coach Deion Sanders. Learn the secrets of Coach Prime’s appeal to youth and how to employ similar tactics. Discover Deion Sanders’ principles for imparting a vision and getting buy-in from stakeholders. Prime Time maximizes the spotlight and creates buzz; association executives can do this too. Storytelling should be elevated and central to supporting an organization’s mission. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Jay S. Daughtry, M.Ed., Chief Communications Officer/Owner, CQbd
Wed 10/4 at 12 p.m. – Increasing Sponsorship Revenue During Uncertain Times
Your association shifted from live to virtual events and you struggled to secure sponsorship revenue. Now your organization is back to hosting in-person events and you are wrestling with your sponsorship plans. You know that you can’t turn the clock back three years, yet unsure how to adapt. So…what will you do to boost sponsorship income? Learn about strategies to boost your sponsorship results and how quickly a few changes can help raise additional revenue. More info/register.
Host: Association Insights in Old Town
Speaker: Lewis Flax, founder, Flax Associates
Wed 10/4 at 1 p.m. – Economic Headwinds: A Guide for Associations
In the midst of volatility, inflation, rising interest rates, and many other economic factors, the economy looks to be heading south quickly. At least that’s what we’re hearing, but what does the data say? Hear about real economic data that will help give a clearer picture of what to expect in the economy and strategies to overcome these coming obstacles. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Matt Haggerty, Senior Analyst, Nonprofit & Education, RSM
Wed 10/4 at 3 p.m. – Finding Data Insights: What Would You Do If You Knew?
Finding insights and turning them into action is how associations stay relevant and valuable to members. And that’s what analytics is all about. Analytics shines a light on insights you would have never known about because you didn’t know to ask or where to even look. Learn some of the most useful insights to look for, the data that leads to those insights and how to take action. More info/register.
Host: Association Analytics
Speakers: Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, and Greg Pollack, SVP of Sales Enablement, Association Analytics
Thu 10/5 at 1 p.m. – The True Implications of AI for the Association Industry: Part 1 – Managing the Risks and Disruption of Generative AI
Get a baseline explanation of generative AI for non-techies, and learn what this means for association leaders and how you should be thinking about the implications for internal and external disruptions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Thomas Altman, Founder, Tasio
- Maddie Grant, CAE, Culture Designer and Digital Strategist, Propel
- Katherine Matthews, CAE, Assistant Vice President, Data & Analytics, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
- Juan Sanchez, Chief Information Officer, Inteleos
Thu 10/5 at 2 p.m. – Super Spooky Cybersecurity Stories
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Halloween! Join us to hear some scary (and some not so scary) security tales. We will focus on real life stories from both associations and the insurance world, covering the latest developments in cyber security and tips to continuously shore up your association’s systems and promote a more secure future. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: 501 Works
Speakers:
- Villy Savino, Vice President of Technology Transformation for CoreNet Global
- Derek Symer, Principal, Senior Vice President, Director Non-Profit Practice for AHT Insurance
Fri 10/6 at 12:30 p.m. – Ask Me Anything: Personalization
Learn how to use personalization to improve member communications, engagement, and transactions. Let’s talk candidly about what’s standing in your way and how to overcome those obstacles. Bring all your personalization questions. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Speaker: Alex Mouw, CAE of Amazon Web Services
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 by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.
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