The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Speaker/instructor training. Here’s what you’ve been looking for! Tagoras/Leading Learning worked with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to develop “Presenting for Impact,” a brief course designed to help subject matter experts create more educationally effective content for online courses, webinars, conference sessions, and other types of educational programming. Just because they’ve taught or presented many times before, don’t assume they know how to do it effectively.
Learning subscriptions. Lately, I’ve been hearing more and more about associations offering learning subscriptions. WBT Systems explains why subscriptions or learning passes are a hit with members, employers and associations. They describe the possibilities by sharing four association learning subscription success stories.
Year-round event community. Associations put a ton of effort into planning, promoting and hosting conferences, then do little to keep attendees connected as a community and to the association after the event is over. What a missed opportunity! Event Mobi explains how to build a year-round community and content hub for attendees.
Choosing an AMS. MemberSuite walks you through the ten steps to choosing your association’s next AMS, especially helpful if, like me on the second day of my last job, the CEO asks you to add that project to your responsibilities. What the what?!? Apparently, it’s not such an uncommon occurrence. This post will prevent you from making the same mistakes or overlooking the same essential tasks I did.
MarTech Maturity Model. The ASAE Technology Council and Marketing Council joined forces two years ago to create a model for assessing an association’s marketing technology maturity, which the pilot group found helpful. Wanting to refresh the data before their ASAE Annual session, they invite you (or the appropriate person at your association) to take the assessment. The deadline is Friday, July 22.
Member/customer engagement. PropFuel describes a practice and mindset growing in popularity at many associations, including ASAE: conversational engagement—a fresh approach to communicating and engaging with members and customers. With this strategy, you draw people into a relevant conversation, identify their goals or needs, and respond appropriately—at scale, not individually. So smart.
Non-renewing members. What if the problem with non-renewals isn’t that they don’t value what you offer, but they don’t know what you offer? Sure, many associations have a value proposition problem, but Chris Vaughan at Sequence Consulting says some might have a benefits portfolio resembling a greasy spoon’s huge, laminated menu of 500+ items—too many choices for a member to weed through.
Board management. Jeff De Cagna, FASAE, writes at ASAE: “The uncertainty, volatility, and risk that associations have experienced over the past two-plus years make clear that boards must elevate their performance. Here’s how to create a board capable of setting a higher standard of stewardship, governing, and foresight.” Every association needs to make these changes.
Leadership echo chambers. Ryan MacTaggart at EDUCAUSE describes how leadership echo chambers manifest and how they imperil smart decision-making. He also explains how to recognize and dismantle them.
Quick hits
Prepare your association for these ten marketing automation implementation challenges. (Chris Gloede, Ricochet Advice)
UBIT: a comprehensive overview for nonprofits. (Jeffrey S. Tenenbaum, Esq.)
Advice on baseline energy levels, work prioritization, social media, weekly reviews, reading, problem mapping and more. (Nabeel Qureshi)
Good eats
Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.
Sometimes, when I’m tired of leftovers, I’ll turn them into a pasta dish. I did that with leftover corn salad by adding Portuguese chouriço, black drum, spinach, red onion and broccoli stems. A tasty combo.
Decades ago, I satisfied my late-night munchies at the gyro place near Wisconsin and M in Georgetown. Later, I graduated to Au Pied de Cochon with the late-night restaurant crowd for omelets, frites and ratatouille, and then to the next level: Bistro Français for serious late-night dining. Ah, those were the days. I still love gyros and this recipe is the bomb. Easy too. I sauté the bacon, onion and garlic before adding them with the lamb to the food processor.
Here’s a great potluck dish: Italian broccoli salad. I added salami and used this dressing recipe instead of the one in the NYT recipe—it’s a keeper.
Guess what, more corn salad leftovers! I hate waste. This time it starred in savory corn fritters. I meant to add jalapeño to the recipe but forgot, maybe next time. I don’t know how the fritters would be just using corn, but I tell ya, they were fantastic with corn salad.
Here are the educational events scheduled for next week. Heads up: Since I’m taking time off in the future, the next edition of Association Brain Food will include the weeks of July 25 and August 1. If you have a free webinar or event during those weeks, please send me the link by the morning of Wednesday, July 20. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product centric.
Fri 7/15 at 12 p.m.* – EventTech Chat
A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.
Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 7/15 at 4 p.m. – Leading Teams in a Flexible Location Work Environment
Associations and non-profits are increasingly instituting policies that allow employees to work from the location of their choice, and even hiring staff working in all regions of the country. That change also is driving a change in how managers lead their teams and train new employees. Join a discussion on how to lead a dispersed workforce and hear tips from the facilitator’s previous career in the foreign service and recent experience being hired while the office was fully remote. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Facilitator: K. Malaika Walton, CAE, Senior Associate at Association Management Services
Mon 7/18 at 1 p.m. – 30-Minute Monday | Supply & Demand: Dissecting the Gig Economy & ISBO’s
Over the last couple of years, we have seen #ShopSmall get the attention it deserves. As planners are you “shopping small”? Do you use local and independent small business suppliers? Are you a small independent supplier trying to be noticed? Creating relationships and partnerships between planners and suppliers is important. Learn how our speaker started her own company and how she markets herself to land the gigs over the bigger companies. 0.5 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: MPI
Presenter: Vivian Knox, an independent business owner and your DFW Balloon lady
Mon 7/18 at 1 p.m. – Strategies for Creating Nonprofit Engagement (Nonprofit Conversations with Cecilia Sepp, CAE)
This series of 15- to 20-minute videos covers hot topics and issues related to 501c organization management. New episodes are posted around 1 p.m. every Monday. Check out Cecilia’s Nonprofit Executive Spotlight series too.
Guest: Renata Pozza, MCI Brazil
Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Tue 7/19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Mobile Platforms Demo Day
Watch presentations from a limited number of industry partners who offer mobile platforms. Mobile experts will be showcasing apps and sharing their knowledge with the association market. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Tue 7/19 at 11 a.m. – 5 Easy Ways to Improve Strategic Planning Meetings and Retreats
Hear about five real ways to improve your planning meetings. Learn practical ways to turbocharge how participants look ahead, generate ideas, choose the best ones, and come to agreement. Discover how to easily sift through products and services that are winners and losers. Take home techniques to run meetings that will make you and your organization more confident and capable. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenter: Lee Gimpel, Founder, Better Meetings
Tue 7/19 at 11:30 a.m. – Technology Assessment Checklist for Today’s Association Professional
According to the Community Brands’ 2022 Association Trends Study, 63% of members and 65% of association professionals agree that organizations that don’t transform technologically within the next few years won’t survive. Learn what an effective tech assessment should cover and how to use that information to create value for your association with technology. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Nimble AMS
Presenters:
- Liane Radford, PMP, Operations Manager, Dennison & Associates
- Jeff Golembiewski, VP of Sales Engineering, Nimble AMS
Tue 7/19 at 12:30 p.m. – Meetings of Membership Minds
These impromptu, casual discussions about membership concepts, issues, and challenges are conducted live online and open to membership professionals to comment and offer insights. More info/register.
Hosts: Dan Ratner, The Business of Membership, and Scott Oser, Scott Oser Associates
Tue 7/19 at 1 p.m. – 5 Vital Digital Marketing Tips for Associations
Does your association need to exert more effort attracting new members and increase engagement with existing ones? If the answer is yes, you need new and creative marketing ideas to get in front of the right audience at the right time. Learn how to effectively mix up your marketing by setting up cart abandonment ad campaigns to increase conversion rates, leveraging marketing automation to trigger personalized emails, and using geofencing ad campaigns to target prospective new members. More info/register.
Host: Feathr
Presenter: Aidan Augustin, President & Co-founder, Feathr
Tue 7/19 at 2 p.m. – Where to Invest to Optimize Your Hybrid Workforce
In today’s challenging marketplace, leaders are competing for various resources, and number one on that list is people. Employing and retaining quality staff is paramount for organizations facing some of the lowest unemployment rates in decades. Yet as unemployment rates go down, operating and other expenses continue to go up, which begs the question: Where should you invest your limited resources and dollars to optimize your workforce? Hear about strategies and tactics addressing the need for purposeful interactions and how to plan for them, top retention methods, and communication and time-saving tools. 1 CAE credit. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Achurch Consulting
Wed 7/20 at 11 a.m. – Let’s Solve It: How Can an Online Community Support My Overall Strategy?
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how the ISCB team conceived and developed Nucleus to serve its community between events. More info/register.
Host: Juno
Presenter: Diane Kovats, CEO, International Society for Computational Biology
Wed 7/20 at 12 p.m. – Key Takeaways and Insights from MGI’s 2022 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report
This year’s report shares encouraging news for associations. Membership is rebounding and there are multiple signs of continuing recovery from the pandemic’s harsh impacts. During this membership rebound, what should you do to recruit more members, increase your renewal rates, and grow your membership? How can you improve your association’s membership results now and into the future? Dive into the findings from MGI’s report and how to apply these results to drive membership growth for your association. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: MGI
Presenters: MGI senior staff Tony Rossell, Jana Darling, and Elisa Joseph Anders
Wed 7/20 at 12 p.m. – Cybersecurity for Association Leaders
Learn why people and their security knowledge are your most important defense and your biggest risk, why to focus as much on discovery and recovery as preventative defense, and the top six things to ensure you’re doing well. More info/register.
Host: ClearTone Consulting
Presenters:
- Ron Moen, CIO, ASCP
- Thad Lurie, CIO, ISPOR
- Brian Scott, president and CIO, ClearTone Consulting
Wed 7/20 at 12 p.m. – 5 Ways to Maximize Your Tradeshow ROI
Learn five ways to maximize tradeshow ROI at the events you attend. Hear strategies for pre-show (attracting qualified booth visitors), at the show (capturing and managing leads right from the show floor), and post-show (data integration and reporting). More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Presenters: Robin Clark, Senior Manager, Tradeshows and Event Marketing; Barbara Pavesi, Team Lead, Trade Show Planning; and Erica Edney, Solutions Consultant, Event Solutions, Cvent
Wed 7/20 at 12:30 p.m. – Maximize Your Nonprofit’s Profile and Fundraising Efficiency: Making the Most of Cause-Related Marketing Collaborations with Donor Brands
Learn about the legal boundaries and practical considerations related to charitable sweepstakes, customer donation programs, CCV campaigns, online giving platforms, raffles, auctions, and more charitable fundraising efforts so your nonprofit can maximize the benefit of corporate giving while protecting its reputation, tax-exempt status, and legally compliant standing. More info/register.
Host: Venable LLP
Wed 7/20 at 2 p.m. – New Site-Selection Priorities for Meetings and Events
Hear from site-selection experts about the latest trends affecting planners’ choices of destinations and venues. Learn how social and environment concerns play a role in site-selection and what DMO representatives can do to support planners during the selection process. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Northstar Meetings Group
Presenters:
- Robyn Domber, Vice President, Research, Development Counsellors International
- Michael Hudson, CEO, Site Search & Select
- Kim Paine, Vice President and Co-Owner, Site Selection Services
- Michael J. Shapiro (moderator), Executive Editor, Northstar Meetings Group
Wed 7/20 at 2 p.m. – The New Policymakers: SCOTUS & its Growing Influence on Policy and Elections
In maybe its most consequential term in decades, the Supreme Court had an arguably more impactful policy session than Congress. The ramifications for government relations and advocacy professionals who traditionally looked to influence policy through educating legislators are vast and far-reaching. Hear about the recent SCOTUS decisions, a preview of the upcoming term and how the Supreme Court will likely determine public policy, the potential impacts for industry professionals, and what it all means for the midterm elections. More info/register.
Host: FiscalNote
Presenters: Todd Ruger, Editor of Immigration and Legal Affairs, and Mike Macagnone, Policy Reporter, CQ and Roll Call
Wed 7/20 at 3 p.m. – What’s Trending In Medical Meetings?
Learn how to get HCPs excited about in-person events again. Hear about doctors’ expectations of medical meetings post-pandemic, the role of hyper-local marketing strategies—with creative examples of how it’s working in healthcare, networking and educational opportunities, more meaningful engagement metrics, and new budget tactics and forms of technology to identify value for key stakeholders and attendees. More info/register.
Host: Event Leadership Institute
Thu 7/21 at 1 p.m. – Association Creative Marketing Masterclass: Reviewing Creative
A course to help develop practical creative and copywriting skills, professional critique techniques, and balanced brand stewardship. Each instructor will share learnings from their career and evaluate real-life association marketing collateral, providing their recommendations, ideas, and concerns. In this session, Chris explains how to conduct a creative review of marketing collateral, sharing time-tested best practices he learned while working for global ad advertising agencies and consumer marketing companies. 1 CAE credit per session. Thursdays through August 11. More info/register.
Host: Chris Gloede, Association Academy
Session instructor: Chris Gloede, Lead Instructor, Association Academy
Thu 7/21 at 1 p.m. – 7 Community-Driven Video Tactics To Engage Attendees Before, During, And After Your Live Event
Here’s a hard truth: attendees don’t want to engage with your brand. People attend your events because they want to connect with other real people. When you make attendees the hero of your event’s story, your organization earns authentic engagement that extends far beyond the day of the event. Learn about 7 proven community-driven video tactics for events. Walk away with real-world examples executed by industry experts and practical how-to’s to get started. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.
Presenter: Michael Hoffman, CEO of Gather Voices
Fri 7/22 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 7/22 at 4 p.m. – Mitigating Bias in Hiring
Learn about the six types of unconscious bias that underlie the mental shortcuts and assumptions which lead to inequitable hiring outcomes: confirmation bias, availability bias, affinity bias, implicit stereotyping, the halo effect, and the horn effect. These biases fundamentally disadvantage candidates from historically marginalized groups, while advantaging privileged candidates that will keep your workforce and culture homogeneous. Gain greater awareness of how to catch yourself engaging in these biases and how to reduce their impact in both yourself and others involved in the hiring process. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Presenter: Isis Fabian, DEI leader at Carta
Wed 7/27 at 12 p.m. – Can You Hear Me? Effective Practices in Communicating with Chapter Leaders
Have you ever been frustrated by the lack of transparency between you and your chapters? Or felt like your communication revolved around administrative asks instead of resources and advice? Some super communicator CRPs share advice and examples on creating effective chapter communication practices. Learn how to change the conversation with your leaders. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Hosts: Billhighway & Mariner Management
Presenters:
- Peggy Hoffman, Mariner Management
- Michele Champion, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
- Jennifer Steffan, National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP)
- Wesley Carr, American Inns of Court
Wed 7/27 at 2 p.m. – Association Viewpoint: An Age of Acceleration
McKinley Advisors’ 2022 Association Viewpoint study, An Age of Acceleration, outlines the key priorities, challenges and opportunities associations face today. Join three of the leaders who contributed to this year’s study and hear how their organizations are capitalizing on An Age of Acceleration. Hear about workforce issues, digital transformation, expansion of programs and impact investing; associations’ outlook for the year, including drivers of optimism and concern; and where associations plan to invest and what priorities have shifted. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: McKinley Advisors
Presenters:
- Ann Jordan, Chief Executive Officer, American Society for Quality
- Brad Rathgeber, Head of School & CEO, One Schoolhouse
- Jacob Barker, Marketing Communications and Outreach Strategist, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
- George Miller, M.S., CAE, Practice Director, McKinley Advisors
Thu 7/28 at 12 p.m. – To Future Proof Your Association, Become a Digital Leader
Organizations are pushed to embrace the latest technological advances to remain competitive as members demand better digital experiences. Emerging technologies make greater innovation possible, but also present real challenges, like building your team’s digital fluency and prioritizing the implementation of various emerging technologies to meet future needs. Learn how future-thinking organizations are promoting a customer-centric mindset and hear advice about recruiting the right talent and growing teams to drive your digital agendas. 0.5 CAE credits. More info/register.
Host: .orgCommunity
Presenters:
- Sherry Budziak, CEO, .orgSource
- Patrick Dorsey, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Impexium
- Wendy Sahli, Director, Technology, at Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society
Thu 7/28 at 1 p.m. – Association Creative Marketing Masterclass: Banner Ad Creative
A course to help develop practical creative and copywriting skills, professional critique techniques, and balanced brand stewardship. Each instructor will share learnings from their career and evaluate real-life association marketing collateral, providing their recommendations, ideas, and concerns. In this session, Todd discusses banner creative elements that drive clicks and identifies the irrelevant components that don’t affect performance. 1 CAE credit per session. Thursdays through August 11. More info/register.
Host: Chris Gloede, Association Academy
Session instructor: Todd Unger, Chief Experience Officer, SVP Marketing & Member Experience, American Medical Association
Thu 7/28 at 2 p.m. – Career Security: How to Move Your Mission into the Workplace
Learn how to position career security as a timely and powerful member benefit by delivering personalized, professional opportunity and access across your digital ecoscape. Find out how to activate your shared mission in the workplace, create demand for members’ talents, foster industry and organizational retention, properly value impactful partnerships, amplify and leverage member successes, and, of course, expand non-dues revenue. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Non-Dues-a-Palooza
Presenter: Joshua Slyman, Product Strategist, Web Scribble
Thu 7/28 at 2 p.m. – Obtaining Your CAE (ASAE Member Learning Session)
Host: ASAE
Presenters: ASAE’s CAE team
Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter by Wednesday afternoon.
Creative Commons licensed photo by Harry Dona via Unsplash
Association Brain Food 