The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Chapter relations gathering. I loved it when local membership directors got together at our state association meetings. They got to talk shop, kvetch and catch up with people who really got them and what they did for a living. If you work with chapters, components or affiliates, this post will give you a sense of how it will feel to hang out with your community at CEX: Association Component Exchange hosted by Billhighway, Impexium and Mariner Management in Chicago on May 7 or in DC and online on May 10.
Education + mentoring. Gain an edge on professional development competitors by adding mentoring to your online courses and cohort programs as a free or premium service. TopClass LMS explains how it works and shares examples of associations doing this now.
Decline of trust. Americans no longer trust traditional institutions, like the media, higher ed and government, because they’ve veered away from their original purpose. Hopefully, people still believe mission-driven associations are trustworthy. Joanna Pineda of Matrix Group International recaps a discussion she had with two association execs about shoring up trust.
AI for associations. In Nimble AMS’ AI success kit, you get four resources: two 30-minute webinar recordings about AI for associations and two white papers, one an introduction to AI for associations and one on developing an AI strategy.
Consultant/founder wisdom. Dean West shares lessons from his 25 years of leading Association Laboratory. His observations are especially useful for consultants, but anyone who runs a team, department, or organization will find valuable advice here. Congratulations, Dean!
Co-mentors. James Young of Product Community describes a twist on mentoring. He suggests finding a co-mentor—“a co-pilot, friendly partner or work colleague looking to grow” in a “thinking partnership to support and extend each other’s professional development.” By supporting these pairings, associations can foster a learning culture and community.
Membership mobile app. Bulletin describes how member apps help improve member engagement by providing centralized communication channels for members. A mobile app is a tangible reminder of membership value. And, unlike social media channels, your association controls the app.
Quick hits
Got opinions about panels? Take the 2024 Panels Report Research Survey conducted by Kristin Arnold.
Don’t be a data hoarder. | Wes Trochlil, Effective Database Management
Web design requirements checklist: 10 must-haves for websites. | Andy Crestodina, Orbit Media
101 ways to make and maintain friendships: real examples from life and listeners. | Madeleine Dore
You never grow old at the table
“Better than a Mexican restaurant,” my husband said. My picky sister-in-law loved it too. Yup, this beef enchilada casserole is a keeper. I added poblano to the recipe and used flour tortillas.
Much of the credit goes to the recipe creator’s homemade red enchilada sauce. I used dried ancho chiles for the sauce, water instead of broth, and added the optional cinnamon and cocoa powder but forgot about the chipotle. I also made her homemade taco seasoning for the casserole—the yield was exactly the amount needed.
Martha is pretty dependable. I made her tasty sautéed black sea bass with capers and herb butter sauce, adding shallot and choosing parsley and dill for the herb mix. On the side, roasted broccoli with red onion and garlic powder. No, we never get sick of broccoli.
Friday is always a good night for fish and grits, this time blackened striped mullet with cheesy grits. My blackened spice mix includes smoked paprika, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, ground ancho chile, cayenne, black pepper and salt.
If you’d like to subscribe, please complete the form at the bottom of this post. I won’t share or sell your email address.
If you have a free webinar or event coming up, please send me the link by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled. I’m happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Fri 4/19 at 1 p.m.* – Strategies to Overcome the Biggest Virtual Event Hurdles Associations Face
Learn effective strategies and innovative tools from association virtual event pros with decades of experience producing thousands of events. Whether you are producing educational events online once a week, once a month, or holding multiple day virtual conferences, you will walk away with tips and ideas to make your job easier and “wow” your audience as well as your presenters. Hear about best practices, cutting-edge technology, tips to avoid common pitfalls, and real-world examples. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Speakers: Ronnie Dudek, Director of Streaming & Production Services, and Jodi Ray, Client Success Manager, Blue Sky eLearn
*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 4/19 at 1 p.m. – Club Cafecito con Association Latinos: Building Comunidad
Club Cafecito is an opportunity to gain knowledge and expand your network. Filled with light and meaningful conversations that build community. Join us for engaging discussions, insightful workshops, and inspiring guest speakers, all infused with the warmth and passion of Latino culture. More info/register.
Host: Association Latinos
Fri 4/19 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza
This monthly networking meeting is by consultants, for consultants. Feel free to suggest topics or questions for discussion. This meeting is self-organized by the consultant community, not an official ASAE event (meaning an event organized by ASAE staff). More info.
Organizer: Cecila Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting
Fri 4/19 at 4 p.m. – Networking Discussion: Best Practices for Diversifying Revenue
Join your Fridays@4 colleagues for an open discussion about your best practices or challenges in diversifying revenue. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Mon 4/22 at 8 a.m. – The First Virtual Conference: Big Wins and Lessons (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
Guest: Gail Kulp, CAE, Executive Director, Sea Tow Foundation
Tue 4/23 at 11 a.m. – Mastering the Art of the Win-Back: Strategies to Reconnect with Lapsed Members
Are you looking to re-energize your community and boost dues revenue? The secret might lie with those who have already been part of your journey—your lapsed members. Gain a deeper understanding of lapsed members. Learn innovative communication tactics and effective win-back methods to transform these former members into active, engaged participants once again. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Dave Will, Co-Founder and CEO, PropFuel
Tue 4/23 at 11 a.m. – AI-Powered Employee Advocacy: Elevating Your Brand Through the Voice of Your Employees (Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series 2024)
Learn how employee advocacy can play a critical role in building brand authenticity and therefore drive real business impact. Discuss synergies between social media teams, digital marketing teams and org-wide employees in scaling the social media efforts of a brand. Find out what are some of the best practices on employee advocacy (building personalization of voice, gamification, etc.). More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Speaker: Sandy de Arango, Lead Solution Specialist, Sprinklr
Tue 4/23 at 12 p.m. – Ignite Event Success: Technology Is the Game-Changer for Enhanced Attendee Experiences and Value
Get a deep dive into the comprehensive findings of the 2024 Event Planners Study, a study of 500+ professionals who are planning events for corporations, government organizations, nonprofits, and associations. Hear about trends in event planners’ outlooks, priorities, and challenges; how event planners are using technology to improve key aspects of event management; what strategies event planners are using to market events and improve the event experience; and how to use the information in this study to take your events to the next level. More info/register.
Host: Community Brands
Speakers: Jason Daiger, Vice President of Product & Client Services, Events, and Tirrah Switzer, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Community Brands
Tue 4/23 at 1 p.m. – 5 Ways to Engage Your Board Members into a Sponsorship Strategy
Learn strategies to foster board buy in as well participation in your organization’s sponsorship strategy. More info/register.
Host/Speaker: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, founder and CEO, Growth Owl
Tue 4/23 at 2 p.m. – Associations and Nonprofits: Incorporating the Latest Web Design Trends
Learn about the importance of web design for associations and nonprofits; key considerations for association and nonprofit websites; current trends in association and nonprofit web design, such as mobile-first design, responsive design, and user experience (UX) design; and tips on how to create an effective association or nonprofit website. More info/register.
Host: DC-Metro Association-Nonprofit Tech Network
Wed 4/24 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Association Management System (AMS) Demo Days
Join us for the just-in-time virtual Association Management System (AMS) Demo Days featuring presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer AMS platforms. AMS experts will be showcasing platforms and sharing their knowledge with the association market. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Participants: Glue Up, Naylor Association Solutions, Nimble AMS by Community Brands, Protech, MemberClicks Professional by Personify, MemberSuite, Aplusify and YourMembership AMS
Wed 4/24 at 11 a.m. – The Rule of 5 Not 50 When Starting a Corporate Sponsorship Outreach Strategy
Whether you’re new to corporate sponsorship or looking to enhance your existing strategy, this session is tailored to equip you with the essential tools and knowledge to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. More info/register.
Host: Sabrina Walker Hernandez, MPA, president and CEO, Supporting World Hope
Speaker: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, founder and CEO, Growth Owl
Wed 4/24 at 12 p.m. – Are You the Master of Your Domain? Ensuring Domain Integrity Through Data Hygiene
Your domain reputation follows you everywhere, almost like a credit score. With industry giants like Google and Yahoo! now enforcing stricter parameters on bulk email senders, it’s not enough to set up DKIM and DMARC authentication. You need to demonstrate you’re taking steps to monitor and resolve data hygiene related issues by intentionally cleaning up old and unengaged contacts or risk harming your brand reputation. Get a solid plan of attack to help your team get into spring-cleaning mode. More info/register.
Host: HighRoad Solutions
Speaker: Maneesha Manges, CXO, HighRoad Solutions
Wed 4/24 at 12 p.m. – Ethics and AI: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
AI helps unblock writer’s block, provides ideas for taglines and themes, and generally makes life easier for association executives. But as much positivity as AI brings to associations, questions—especially around ethics—remain unanswered. No association executive wants to publish biased information, be the subject of a lawsuit for privacy violations, or be accused of plagiarism. Hear about the Public Relations Society of America’s framework for decision-makers hoping to employ AI effectively and ethically. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association xChange (AXC)
Speaker: James Hoeft, APR, Public Relations Society of America’s Ethics Committee member
Wed 4/24 at 12 p.m. – CRVM Book Club: Soft Skills for a Big Impact
Join a discussion of Soft Skills for a Big Impact by Renu Shorey. We’ll talk about rising above self-limiting beliefs and taking advantage of opportunities. Read the book (or an online review) and join us with a cup of coffee and your opinions on the concepts in the book. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management (CRVM) Advisory Council
Facilitators: Vanita Murray and Rachel Grimes
Wed 4/24 at 1 p.m. – 5 Secrets to Newsletter Success: Elevating Membership Engagement
Redefine the impact of your email newsletters. Explore 15 key strategies that illuminate the path to newsletter excellence. From leveraging cutting-edge technologies to minimize your internal workload, to crafting personalized, engaging content that resonates on an individual level, we’ll cover the full spectrum of tactics that can transform your newsletter into a powerful tool for member engagement. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Erica Salm Rench, MBA, COO, Rasa.io
Wed 4/24 at 1 p.m. – Destination and Site Selection: Set Priorities–Take No Shortcuts
With staffing shortages at destinations and venues and among planners—and cities and spaces booked solidly from postponed and new meetings—there is pressure to rush the selection process to ensure the dates, spaces and conditions we need. But what is left unasked at the start can lead to chaos in the contracting and planning processes. Explore questions concerning safety, security, staffing, accommodation and alignment of organizational principles at destinations and venues, and about brand, ownership and management of meetings and events. Learn techniques to dig deeper when little information is provided or readily available. Develop greater confidence to ask what they may think is obvious but is often overlooked. More info/register.
Host: Meetings Today
Speaker: Joan Eisenstodt, Principal, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC
Wed 4/24 at 2 p.m. – Finance and Business Operations (FBO) Monthly Virtual Meetup
Discuss what is keeping you up at night. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE Finance and Business Operations Professionals Community
Thu 4/25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Association Management System (AMS) Demo Days
Join us for the just-in-time virtual Association Management System (AMS) Demo Days featuring presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer AMS platforms. AMS experts will be showcasing platforms and sharing their knowledge with the association market. More info/register.
Host: ASAE
Participants: NetForum by Community Brands, Fonteva, Altai Systems, Mem360 AMS Built on Oracle NetSuite, GrowthZone, iMIS by ASI, Aptify by Community Brands, MemberClicks Trade by Personify, and Impexium
Thu 4/25 at 9 a.m. – ACTIVATE: The Marketing Event for Event Marketers
No fluff. Just practical advice from experts which you can apply to your own marketing efforts. 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 4/25 at 11 a.m. – Security Spotlight: Unlocking the Mystery of PCI Compliance
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) governs card security for all merchants. Failure to be in compliance can be extremely costly both financially and reputationally. Learn about version 4.0 of this standard and how it applies to those accepting cards. Hear tips and techniques for reducing scope of applicability through contracting out card collection and storage. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers: Jenni Glaze, COO; Rick Ricker, SVP Enterprise Solutions; and Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, US Transactions Corporation
Thu 4/25 at 11 a.m. – The State of the Event Industry
Hear the results of unpublished research on the state of the event industry, including short-term behavior, budget allocation, sponsorship, registrations, content repurposing, spending patterns, and technology spend. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.
Host: Boldpush
Speakers:
- Ken Holsinger, SVP Strategy, Freeman Company
- Julius Solaris, Founder, Boldpush
Thu 4/25 at 12 p.m. – Bring the Noise! Modernizing Discussion-Based Learning
Learn how a wave of forward-thinking business professors is using AI to invigorate their classrooms with engaged discourse and diverse student voices. These professors assign their students to meet in online breakout groups as homework, engaging in AI-moderated small-group discussions. They then use insights from these sessions to lead more engaging and effective classroom discussions. More info/register.
Host: American Marketing Association
Speakers:
- Kelly Goldsmith, Professor of Marketing at Vanderbilt University
- Adam Kleinbaum, Professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
- Steven Walters (moderator), award-winning podcaster and Co-Founder of Breakout Learning
Thu 4/25 at 1 p.m. – Ready to Redesign? 7 Signs Your Website is Ready for a Makeover
Learn about the 7 signs saying your website needs a makeover. Find out what to focus on to ensure your website is enhancing your user experience, staying on trend, and optimizing your SEO. We’ll go into depth on optimization, responsive design, look and feel, navigation, content management system (CMS), calls to action (CTA), and search engine optimization (SEO). 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Chris Bonney, Director of Client Relationships, Yoko Consulting
- Ray van Hilst, Director of Client Results, Yoko Consulting
Thu 4/25 at 1 p.m. – Tips for Learning and Leveraging AI
Hear insights into the utilization of AI tools across both professional and personal contexts. Find out how to learn and leverage AI to benefit your own lives as well as your organizations. More info/register.
Host: BenchPrep
Speakers: Mukesh Pitroda, Sr. Director of Product Management, and Ujjwal Gupta, CPO & Co-Founder, BenchPrep
Thu 4/25 at 2 p.m. – Using Your Data to Uncover Non-Dues Revenue Streams (Navigating the Member Journey Part 4)
Learn how associations can find non-dues revenue opportunities by uncovering new audiences for your events, publications and learning courses (hint – these could be non-members); repackaging, repurposing and remarketing existing content to different members; and developing new products that members and non-members want. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Analytics
Speakers:
- Teri Carden, Creator, Non Dues-a-Palooza
- Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics
Thu 4/25 at 2 p.m. – Increase Your Security Score, Go Password-Less
Learn how you can increase your security by leaving passwords in the past. Windows now has options that allow your users to utilize a password-less environment via biometrics and/or company owned security devices. learn more about this password-less option as well as legal requirements in Illinois of which you should be aware. More info/register.
Host: Association Technologies
Thu 4/25 at 3 p.m. – How Associations Can Use SEO to Stay Competitive and Attract New Members
To stay top-of-mind, associations must increase their visibility in a crowded marketplace, which means making sure your educational content is optimized for search engines. But the rules of SEO continue to change rapidly—especially with the introduction of AI-assisted search technologies. Learn why it’s so important to make sure your educational content is optimized for search engines. Find out the most important steps to take with every piece of educational content you offer or publish. Hear real-world examples that demonstrate how these steps dramatically increase the visibility and reach of your content. More info/register.
Host: Omnipress
Speakers:
- Melissa Graham, Director of SEO at Rockeclicks
- Tracy Grzybowski, Director of Marketing at Omnipress
Fri 4/26 at 4 p.m. – Financial Policies and Governance
1 CAE credit More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Speaker: Jon Bassford, MBA, CAE, Founder and CEO of Lateral Solutions
Tue 4/30 at 11 a.m. – 3 Types of Content Every Association Needs to Grow Membership
Learn how to take your existing content and use it to generate new membership leads. Find out what conversion content is and how you can use it to address objections to joining. Hear about the key criteria for creating content that retains members. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Leona Dalavai Scott, President, JEP Marketing Communications LLC
Tue 4/30 at 2 p.m. – Benchmarks for Success
Take a deep dive into benchmarks from Higher Logic’s most recent association email, community, and member experience data. Hear about email deliverability, open, click, and unsubscribe rates and ideas for improving; community size, users, activity, and ways to engage your community consumers, contributors, and creators; and insights from our annual member experience survey, which asks current association members what they value most from their associations – and what makes them consider leaving. See how your association’s performance compares to your peers, and to gain ideas for measuring your own data and improving your email, community, and member engagement strategies. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Speakers: Kelly Whelan, Content Marketing Manager, and Sarah Spinosa, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Higher Logic
Wed 5/1 at 12 p.m. – Leveraging Companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility Funds for Sponsorships
Learn how associations can leverage companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and resources. Discover effective strategies for accessing and maximizing these resources to drive meaningful social impact within your association’s community. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Association Insights in Old Town (AIOT)
Speakers: Lori Zoss Kraska of Growth Owl, LLC and Bruce Rosenthal of Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC
Thu 5/2 at 2 p.m. – The CIO Hour’s 3rd Anniversary Celebration: A Look Back and Forward
For the past three years, we’ve enjoyed exploring a variety of tech topics with our incredible panelists and participants to help boost your IT-IQ. Join us for this celebratory edition to revisit key discussions, hear predictions for 2027’s technological landscape, gain insightful perspectives from industry veterans about the evolving role of tech in associations, and ask your questions. More info/register.
Host: 501Works
Fri 5/3 at 1 p.m. – Co-Creating Community Agreements: Fostering Collaborative Accountability
Top-down approaches, like ground rules, often lead to disengagement and hinder innovation by overlooking valuable group insights. Learn actionable skills to develop dynamic community agreements. Through collectively establishing norms and values, community agreements promote equity, address power dynamics, foster inclusivity, and harness collective wisdom. More info/register.
Host: Event Garde
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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