Association Brain Food

Association Brain Food: 4.26.24

The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…

Volunteers. As we come to the end of National Volunteer Week, take a few moments to explore ways volunteers can enhance your association’s online education programs. TopClass LMS also discusses factors that limit participation and strategies to improve your volunteer recruitment and retention efforts.

Association trends. The outlook for associations, as described in Marketing General Inc.’s 2024 Association Economic Outlook Report, is optimistic. But a few data points trouble me. Two-thirds of associations plan to develop new products/services, yet only one-third plan to hire more staff. Hmm, hopefully they’re good at sunsetting. Also, virtual events are off the agenda. I can’t help thinking associations are missing the online opportunity to extend their reach and be more inclusive.

Gen Z. This one’s a gut punch. Freya India explains how her generation is nostalgic for “a time we never knew.” She shares comments from a video of ‘90s high school kids hanging out. The video is captioned, “Phones? No. We had each other.” I feel bad for kids and young adults who never played outside unsupervised, socialized without distraction, entertained themselves or, as one commenter says, been “completely present.”

Belonging. Mark Athitakis at Associations Now dug into new research about membership organizations from iSeatz, a loyalty technology company. They learned a sense of belonging is essential for retaining members. Members want to interact with people with shared interests and would engage more frequently if offered options tailored to their interests.

AI and events. eShow describes AI’s impact on events and the challenges for AI adoption. They explain how AI enhances marketing campaigns, personalizes the attendee experience, improves event security, and assists sustainability initiatives.

SEO. Google’s been at it again. Forget what you’ve learned about SEO. Bernard Huang at Clearscope explains why ranch-style SEO—publishing granular, targeted pieces of content—is a better strategy than the old skyscraper SEO that focused on all-encompassing content pillar pages.

Engagement scoring. Rachel Mace at Association Analytics explains how to set up and use an engagement scoring model. She offers advice on getting a team together to develop and regularly review the model, and what to cover during team meetings.

Content marketing. Mariana Fernandes at Animalz shares her team’s favorite content marketing blogs, newsletters and podcasts. Many of these are on my regular reading/listening list too.

You never grow old at the table

I found another quick and easy recipe for fish: Jamaican jerk striped bass. For a side, I took the blog’s recommendation and made their Jamaican slaw. I added red bell pepper, jalapeño and mandarin orange to the slaw for more oomph. Because Jim’s not a fan, I only used a teaspoon of mustard for the dressing and supplemented it with pineapple and lime juice.

An old standby for a quick dinner is my fish with spiced breadcrumbs recipe. The trinity of sweet bell pepper, onion and garlic makes the crumbs sing. This time, for striped mullet, I used orange bell pepper, poblano and jalapeño alongside onion and garlic.

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 4/26 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

*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

Mon 4/29 at 8 a.m. – The Art of Saying Yes (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: Kristen Truong, Vice President, Public Affairs, of Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions

Mon 4/29 at 1 p.m. – The Future of (C)TV is Now

In the past year, premium CTV platforms have seen a staggering number of new developments and tools that evolved the channel into the performance marketing powerhouse it always promised to be—while still making it easier than ever for brands of all sizes to get in on the action. Hear about the latest advances in CTV and the possibilities they open. From CTV’s positive halo effect on other ad channels in your marketing mix, to how brands can easily and affordably launch campaigns and produce creative at scale, find out everything you need to know to supercharge your performance marketing strategies and improve your outcomes. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Tori Cipollone, Senior Platform Experience Manager, MNTN

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 11 a.m. – Crisis Management: Transform Threats into Triumphs with AI (Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series 2024)

Learn how to detect potential crises early across 30+ social and digital channels with AI-powered alerts; respond up to 3x faster by discovering the source, scope, severity, and sentiment of the crisis; and boost productivity and improve operational efficiency with AI-powered setup, OOTB dashboards and up to 80% faster report creation. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Kunwar Singh, Product Marketing Manager, Sprinklr

Tue 4/30 at 2 p.m. – Benchmarks for Success

Dive into Higher Logic’s most recent association email, community, and member experience survey data benchmarks. Hear about ideas for improving email deliverability, open, click, and unsubscribe rates; ways to engage your community, consumers, contributors, and creators; and insights from our annual member experience survey, which asks 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 get 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

Wed 5/1 at 2 p.m. – Freeman 2024 Exhibitor Trends Report: Event Excellence by Design

Learn what attendees and exhibitors really want from events, what activities and activations really motivate them, and explore new ways to refresh and deliver on your event’s core value proposition. Look at key data insights, discuss what they mean, and explore what to do about them. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speaker: Ken Holsinger, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Freeman

Thu 5/2 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

The live discussions will be predominately in CAE education domains related to member ROI on the first and third Thursdays of the month with some exceptions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Ed Rigsbee

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

Speakers:

Barbara J. Armentrout, CAE, Founder & Key Principal, BJA Solutions for Associations
Villy Savino, CSM, CSPO, Vice President, Technology Transformation, CoreNet Global

Thu 5/2 at 2 p.m. – What AI Means for Meeting Planners

AI is a game-changing technology—but how can it change your game in particular? Hear forward-thinking event professionals share their experiences with AI, how it’s helping them now and what their hopes are for the future. Learn how to incorporate AI into your workflow, which tools planners are using, and how planners are getting viable, time-saving results from these tools. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speakers:

Brandt Krueger, senior production manager, EideCom
Sarah Merrick, event technology strategist, consultant
Adam Parry, cofounder, Event Tech Live and Event Industry News
Michael J. Shapiro (moderator), executive editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Fri 5/3 at 10 a.m. – Association Revenue Generation (Coffee with Innovators: Association Design Circle)

We are association people who welcome diverse perspectives and all experience levels. We meet on the first Friday of each month. Each session will have a featured facilitator and new theme. We share ideas through connection. The vibe of the circle is thoughtful, casual, and kind. More info/register.

Host: Product Community

Guest facilitator: Sean Soth, Chair of the Professionals for Association Revenue and Executive Vice President Strategy and Partnerships, Society for Clinical Research Sites

Fri 5/3 at 1 p.m. – Talk with CAEs

An online space for CAE candidates to ask questions about the CAE (e.g., exam preparations, eligibility, exam content outline, study strategies, practice questions, tips and advice, etc.) and current CAEs to share their knowledge and experience with the exam. More info/register.

Facilitators:

Aaron Grau, CAE, President, Global Association Partners
DeeJay Hastings, CAE, Executive Consultant, LEWIS, LLC

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

Fri 5/3 at 4 p.m. – Conscious Leadership

The people in our organization can be the hardest part or the best part of our jobs, depending on the leadership and communication style we bring into our organizations. Our chosen leadership and communication style can also have a direct correlation to our health and personal well-being. Conscious leaders are shifting from unconscious attitudes, behaviors and reactions to conscious attitudes, behaviors and reactions. We can break old patterns and build new ones. Learn techniques and practices that will support you in making the shift to a new way of leading and living. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Tara E. Bishop, CAE, Deputy Chief Executive for the National Council of University Research Administrators

Tue 5/7 at 12 p.m. – PowerBI: Basics to Advanced (Data Analytics Network)

Participate in peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Tue 5/7 at 1 p.m. – Bust Those Silos! How Your Digital Storytelling Can Foster Internal Cooperation

One of the major challenges for communicators and marketers in organizations is internal silos. Learn how to position digital communications as a means to address organizational frustrations, use the lens of digital storytelling to address and correct internal challenges, and leverage digital storytelling for operational success. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Michael Hoffman, Co-Founder and CEO, Gather Voices

Wed 5/8 at 11 a.m. – Real + Artificial Intelligence = Success: How to Collaborate Effectively in an Increasingly Automated World

Description coming soon. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Tobin Conley, CAE, CIP, Director, Research and Learning/Senior Strategic Consultant, DelCor Technology Solutions

Wed 5/8 at 12 p.m. – Beyond the Focus Group: Research Tools From Old School to New Tech

Learn how to measure what’s working, what isn’t, and tailor your internal communications (IC) activities accordingly. Hear how to connect IC to the practice of audience research. Find out about significant shifts and changes in research over the past 20 years; contemporary research tools, including their use for PR & IC; how different platforms can be used to convey findings effectively; and how to adapt internal communications to your workforce. More info/register.

Host: L-12 Services Corp.

Speakers:

Jessica Broome, Founder, Southpaw Insights
Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, Founder & CEO, L-12 Services Corp.

Thu 5/9 at 11 a.m. – Masterclass in Event Marketing: Transform Your Strategy with the 9-Point AI System for Content and Lead Generation

Delve into the power of AI-driven strategies to attract and engage your target audience effectively and learn to craft compelling content that enhances attendee and exhibitor acquisition. Get hands-on with tools that automate and optimize marketing efforts, from dynamic email campaigns to sophisticated retargeting strategies. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill McGlade, President, Community Leaders Institute & epIQ Creative Group

Thu 5/9 at 12 p.m. – Tips to Prepare for ‘Out Of Office’

Are you thinking, “It’s too much work to take a vacation!” The relaxation and memories a vacation brings can be overshadowed by your workload today and when you return. Learn how to prepare yourself and your team for your time away and ensure an easy transition when you return. More info/register.

Host: Achurch Consulting

Speaker: Maria A. Negron Kneib, Esq., legal advisor, Achurch Consulting

Thu 5/9 at 1 p.m. – How to Guide Your Association Through Major IT Change

Whether you’re migrating to a new AMS, switching MSPs, or rolling out a new fleet of laptops, major IT changes require more than a methodical technical implementation to be successful. Learn the human side of implementing new technology. Find out how to create IT champions within your organization, minimize disruption and maximize adoption. Hear about real examples of successful project plans for associations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Heinan Landa, Founder & CEO, Optimal Networks

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.

Creative Commons licensed photo by Gennady Zakharin via Unsplash

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Association Brain Food: 4.19.24

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)

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

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

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

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

Host: 501Works

Fri 5/3 at 1 p.m. – Co-Creating Community Agreements: Fostering Collaborative Accountability

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.

Creative Commons licensed photo by Joshua Gresham via Unsplash

Amazon and AssociationBrainFood.com links allow me to earn a royalty on any sales or leads that result from clicking. Thank you!

Association Brain Food: 4.12.24

The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…

I would love to live
Like a river flows,
Carried by the surprise
Of its own unfolding.

– Fluent by John O’Donohue from Conamara Blues

(hat tip to Swiss Miss for sending this poem my way)

Attendee attention. Distraction is an occupational hazard for all of us. Even well-meaning learners who’ve paid for online courses and conferences are apt to click away if their attention wanes during your program. TopClass LMS shares 15 tactics for keeping your attendees’ interest and attention.

Gen Z education. Tracy King at InspirEd says Gen Z has different ideas for how they want to learn, work and build a career—and she has the research to back that up. Your professional development programs must adapt to their traits, values and expectations. If you’re wondering where to start, she has some questions for you to consider.

SMS marketing. Text Request explains how to create an SMS (text) strategy that aligns with your association’s marketing strategy. They also offer advice on building your subscriber list, sending effective SMS marketing campaigns and staying in compliance with regulations.

Member recruitment. Katrina Ciccarelli McAfee at Association Analytics shares a three-step strategy for improving new member acquisition. She explains how to get in front of prospects, make an impression on them and communicate the value of membership.

Staff meetings. When Zoom meetings became a thing, I saw lots of posts describing best practices for online meetings. But if your office is backsliding into bad meeting habits, then you’ll want to share this post from Nir Eyal.

Scholarly events data. Ex Ordo looks at events data through the lens of the research lifecycle. They describe how data can help you better understand your society’s community and promote the value of your events, journals and programs.

Remote/hybrid work. New research from TechSmith reveals that three out of four workers haven’t been trained for the shift to flexible working arrangements. Have you trained your employees for remote/hybrid work? What about your managers?

Sponsorship. Corporate marketing budgets are tighter and sponsors are no longer satisfied with logo displays and podium mentions. Lead Marvels shares advice from sponsorship consultants Bruce Rosenthal and Lori Zoss Kraska on what sponsors now seek in partnership deals. They also tell the stories of two association executives who generated more revenue after changing their approach to sponsorship.

Quick hits

Why a membership renewal notice is not an invoice. | by Tony Rossell, Marketing General Inc.

Ready to veg a bit? Take a one-minute visit to parks around the world—it reminds me of Window Swap.

Instead of getting mad at home builders, find out what really makes housing so expensive. | by Brian Potter, Construction Physics

Mona Lisa has a twin, a nearly identical painting created at the same time. | by Regina Sienra, My Modern Met

You never grow old at the table

We loved Michael Ruhlman’s flavor-packed braised chicken thighs in a Thai green curry sauce from his cookbook, How to Braise. I served them over brown rice made in the pressure cooker.

Another night, bluefish in a white wine tomato basil sauce. I used pesto from my freezer instead of fresh basil.

Fresh swordfish doesn’t need much help, but I topped my pan-fried steaks with lemon zest, a tiny bit of fresh oregano and thyme, and a sprinkling of fennel pollen. On the side, a green cabbage sauté with ham, chard stems, onion, roasted red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and Better Than Bouillon ham broth.

Over the weekend, I made Rick Bayless’ charro (cowboy) pinto beans in the pressure cooker for breakfast burritos with fried egg, salsa verde, greens (if I have them) or avocado and hot sauce.

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 4/12 at 11 a.m.* – Leadership Excellence: Prioritization and Inspiring Change

Navigating complex projects and organizational change can be daunting for any leader, but women often face unique challenges in gaining buy-in and driving results. Hear how to build and maintain trust on teams, spot potential trouble early, and foster a culture of accountability for project success. Learn proven techniques to gain consensus across diverse stakeholders, implement mechanisms to set strategic priorities, maintain buy-in and project momentum over time, and manage scope creep. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Edima Elinewinga, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Association for Corporate Council
Alex Mouw, CAE, Principal Strategic Advisor, AWS Nonprofits
Anne Ornelas, DES, Senior Manager, Business Systems and Strategic Initiatives, CASSS
Cecilia Sepp, CAE, ACNP, Principal & Founder, Rogue Tulips

*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

Fri 4/12 at 4 p.m. – Networking Discussion on Financial Practices

Join an open discussion about your financial questions and concerns. We will share best practices and help each other with financial information. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 4/15 at 8 a.m. – Email Marketing, Strategy & Best Practices (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Amber Worthen, founder, Email Maven

Mon 4/15 at 10:30 p.m. – 14 Conversations Dominating Association Planning

The conversations dominating association planning discussions encompass a range of topics, from reimagining membership models to leveraging emerging technologies, fostering diversity and inclusion, and cultivating a culture of innovation. Explore these critical conversations, gaining the knowledge and insights necessary to navigate the future landscape successfully. More info/register.

Hosts: Answers For Associations and Strategic Membership Solutions

Tue 4/16 at 11 a.m. – Building Brand Loyalty: Transforming Social Customer Service with AI (Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series 2024)

Learn how social media is transforming customer service. Find out how to drive synergies at scale between social media and social customer service teams, and efficiencies with purpose-built AI. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers: Sandy de Arango, Lead Solution Specialist, and Aurélien Caye, Solution Specialist Lead, Sprinklr

Tue 4/16 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits

Understand the basics and importance of generative AI and Large Language Models. Witness the power of AI tools through live demonstrations, showcasing their impact on real-world scenarios. Learn to create targeted personas in ChatGPT for personalized content and interactions. Learn which settings to adjust for privacy and security, and understand what information is safe to input into AI tools. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio

Tue 4/16 at 12 p.m. – Recession-Proofing Your Organization

Many leaders are feeling the challenge of steering their ship through recession, inflation, and economic uncertainty. For some, it’s about weathering the storm, and for others, it’s been a question of survival. The question is one of cash: What can you do to preserve it? How do you cut your burn rate, while still investing in critical areas? And when things are very tight, what things can you do, right now, to “find” needed cashflow? Learn about some very different strategies and non-traditional approaches that leaders can use to recession-proof their business—and preserve cash. More info/register.

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Tue 4/16 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Engagement, Structure & Programs (CRVM Crunch & Munch)

Discuss the future of chapters, including how to address smaller unsustainable chapters, keep members engaged within chapters, and what to do for members whose chapters have disbanded. Hear a case study from the American Guild of Organists and discuss the member clusters you’ve considered or formed, such as local roundtables, clubs, or alternative formats, and how you’ve supported and funded them, especially if formal leadership was replaced by a primary contact. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Component Relations & Volunteer Management Council

Facilitators:

Elizabeth George, CMM, Chief Membership Officer of the American Guild of Organists
Kevin Whorton, President, Whorton Marketing & Research

Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Discover Vendor Showcase Secrets

Hear about the ins and outs of launching and expanding your online vendor showcase, including ASAE’s journey and their successful launch of this new digital initiative. Get answers to common questions associations have about launching a vendor showcase. Learn about planning a vendor showcase and revenue-generating potential. More info/register.

Host: Matchbox

Speaker: Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer, ASAE

Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Leading the Change for Organizational Growth

Learn about strategies and tactics to help you lead the charge towards organizational change. Hear stories from associations breaking through the barriers of change. Learn about a methodology to embrace and lead change effectively. More info/register.

Hosts: Halmyre and PropFuel

Speakers: PropFuel’s Dave Will and Halmyre’s Christine Saunders

Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Pricing in a Post-Pandemic World: Maximizing Revenue

Learn methods for assessing price sensitivity and willingness to pay. Find out how to bolster the case for your current pricing, raise prices strategically, and evaluate non-product-specific pricing approaches like subscriptions or folding education into membership fees. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Leading Learning

Speakers: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning

Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Strategic Planning and Fiscal Sustainability for Finance Leaders

Learn whether the tactics, financial communications, and tools your finance department team uses are effective and are enhancing financial reporting, day-to-day accounting and financial messaging, and meeting important fiscal and financial compliance regulations and requirements. Explore ways to enhance visibility, financial communications, accountability, improve management of financial resources, and optimize the impact of financial reporting and messaging. 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

Tue 4/16 at 4 p.m. – What Were you Thinking? Ethics in Association Management

In this session we’ll use a series of scenarios to talk about how to recognize an ethical issue, understand how to apply ASAE’s Ethical Decision Making Model in your organization, and work through the ethical issues in the workplace. We’ll also touch on the elements needed to ensure your association fosters ethical decision-making practices. More info/register.

Host: Reston Loudoun Idea Swap

Speaker: Rhea M. Steele, CAE, ODCP, Chief of Staff, School Nutrition Association

Wed 4/17 at 11 a.m. – Tapping into the Youth Market: Why Associations Need to Target Young Adults

Learn how targeting the youth market can benefit your association, and strategies for making your association more appealing to younger adults, including social media, NIL programs, and networking events. Discover how associations can leverage the skills and passions of young adults for career development, volunteer work, and community service programs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jon Smith, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

Wed 4/17 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mastery: Building a Strong National-Chapter Partnership

Component relations professionals and chapter leaders should be on the same team. So why does it often feel like we’re rowing in opposite directions when it comes to membership goals? Learn how component relations professionals can set their chapter leaders up for success without capsizing the boat. Find out how to challenge association assumptions and rethink orthodoxies about components and membership. Discover how to empower chapter leaders to embrace data-driven strategies and leverage their strengths. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway

Speakers:

Elizabeth Weaver Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting
Peggy Hoffman, President and Executive Director, Mariner Management

Wed 4/17 at 12 p.m. – AI Unleashed: Elevating Association Performance and Engagement

Learn how two associations built and deployed AI to further the member experience. Expand your knowledge of AI within association management and understand how AI can enhance member engagement and drive growth. Discover a practical way to integrate AI into your association’s service model to foster deeper member value and connection. Learn how using AI in a strategic and thoughtful manner can grow your association’s capacity and value for the market you serve. More info/register.

Host: Ewald Consulting

Speakers:

Anna Eaton, marketing specialist, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
Rick Harris, senior executive, The Association of Proposal Management Professionals

Wed 4/17 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

The live discussions will be predominately in CAE education domains related to member ROI on the first and third Wednesdays of the month with some exceptions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Wed 4/17 at 1 p.m. – Volunteer Management: Making Applying and Selecting Volunteers a More Transparent Process

Learn how to streamline volunteer management with an easy-to-use, user friendly system; make the application and selection process transparent and fair for all applicants; increase satisfaction of members by providing a more efficient way to get involved; and engage those not selected for a position with increased feedback on their applications. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Justin Burniske, MBA, Principal Consultant, Co-Owner, Meta-Dao

Wed 4/17 at 1 p.m. – Gen Z: What They Want from Associations

Hear how the youngest generation in the workforce will impact membership organizations. Learn about the importance of networking, connections, and learning opportunities for young professionals; how Gen Z views work-life balance differently than preceding generations; the ways Gen Zers want to make contributions and receive feedback; and what the newest generation in the workforce values in employers and from membership. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

Al Dea, Founder, Edge of Work
Elle Peifer, Marketing Communications Coordinator, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
Stephen Schwinn, Senior Solutions Advisor, Breezio

Wed 4/17 at 1 p.m. – Build Your Brand with Smarter Video and Why You Can Always Afford It

Take a deep dive into strategic creative development and how to tell the story your audience wants to hear, not the story you want to tell. In real client videos from the healthcare industry, see the power of data-based creative and how data informs campaigns. Learn the five critical elements to video storytelling, what video works best for each platform, and how to get noticed and remembered. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers:

Lori Long, Founding Principal, Links Creative Alliance
Cherri Ellis, National Creative Strategy Director at Spectrum Reach

Wed 4/17 at 2 p.m. – When to Use Your AMS & When to Go Custom

Walk through the decision-making process to understand the capabilities and limitations of your AMS; the features that should almost always live in your AMS or CRM; how to evaluate whether or not the out of the box forms, rosters, directories, and workflows in your AMS will meet your members’ needs; the different flavors of custom development; how to determine costs and benefits of AMS vs. custom development; and ways to ensure that custom development does not hinder your ability to upgrade your database in the future. Hear about real life examples of AMS configuration and custom development projects, digging into why those decisions were made and why those choices were the best for their needs. More info/register.

Host: Matrix Group International

Speakers:

Rebecca Achurch, Founder, Achurch Consulting
Gayathri Kher, CEO and Co-Founder, fusionSpan
Janna Marks, MatrixMaxx AMS Client Success Manager, Matrix Group International
Joanna Pineda, CEO and Chief Troublemaker, Matrix Group International

Wed 4/17 at 2 p.m. – 2024 CQ Election Watch: US House of Representatives

Learn about the biggest races to watch in the House of Representatives this year. Hear insights from the Hill that will help you better prepare and amplify your strategy for the election year. More info/register.

Host: CQ

Speakers: CQ and Roll Call campaign reporters Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire

Wed 4/17 at 2 p.m. – Scaling Event Programs: Navigating Growth with Flat Resources

Hear the latest research on how leaders are restructuring their teams and technology to profitably scale their event programs. Explore the growing role of event Centers of Excellence in executing events more efficiently, and how event technology is leveraged centrally, and among field teams, to meet the growing demand for more events and attendees. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speakers: Rachel Andrews, Senior Director, Meetings and Events, and Mike Dietrich, Vice President of Cloud Marketing, Cvent

Wed 4/17 at 3 p.m. – Successful Comms for Change Management

Struggling through organizational change? Did return-to-office feel like herding cats? Learn how to lead your team through times of uncertainty, how internal communication supports organizational change, why it’s essential to start early and ask for feedback, how to use empathy to uncover reasons for resistance, why ambiguity drives chaos and how to give your teams the info they need, what a visual change graph looks like and how to use it, and how to connect these concepts to your culture types. More info/register.

Host: L-12 Services Corp.

Speakers:

Joe Plasterer, Co-Founder, Cirrus Change Readiness
Melinda Starkweather, Founder/Principal, Starkweather Association Services
Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, Founder & CEO, L-12 Services Corp.

Wed 4/17 at 4 p.m. – Midweek Meetup (Columbia MD)

Join us for a casual meet-up of association pros. Bring a question, an idea or simply a curious mind. We’ll connect over a beverage and snack. Location: Columbia MD. More info/register.

Organizer: ASAE Suburban Maryland Network (Columbia Idea Swaps)

Thu 4/18 at 9:30 a.m. – Governance Roundtable – Ask the Attorney (Alexandria VA)

This informal group of mostly Northern Virginia (but all are welcome) association senior executives meets on the third Thursday of each month in Alexandria, VA to learn, discuss, and collaborate about issues keeping us up at night. This month, join a discussion about some of the most common governance questions and pitfalls facing our associations. More info/register.

Host: NoVA Association Senior Executives

Speaker: attorney Andrew Goldman

Thu 4/18 at 10:30 a.m. – Cutting the Filler: The Skinny on Crafting Events Exhibitors Crave

Hear critical insights from Freeman’s latest Exhibitor Trends Report, revealing what exhibitors truly desire for better value and ROI. Gear up for an unfiltered dive into making your events irresistibly valuable. More info/register.

Host: Dahlia El Gazzar

Speaker: Ken Holsinger, SVP of Strategy at Freeman

Thu 4/18 at 11 a.m. – Connecting Art and Innovation: Norman Rockwell Museum’s Digital Transformation

Learn how the iconic Norman Rockwell Museum (NRM) skillfully integrated its heritage with 21st-century technology. Witness firsthand how NRM leveraged user data and engagement to shape a transformative future, offering attendees actionable insights and invaluable lessons from their remarkable journey. Hear about the role of innovation and data-driven marketing automation in the evolution of cultural institutions in the digital era. More info/register.

Host: Fíonta

Speakers:

Rich Bradway, Digital Innovation Officer, Norman Rockwell Museum
Chelsea Booker, Nonprofit Manager, Fíonta
Mike Brown, Lead Strategic Solution Engineer, Salesforce

Thu 4/18 at 1 p.m. – Sow the Seeds of Success: 5 Tips to Create Stand-Out Learning and Practice Products

Learn how to fine-tune learning and practice products to adapt to shifting industry dynamics and learner trends. Explore strategies for effectively catering to a diverse array of learning preferences, needs, and styles. Discover the transformative impact of practice products to drive learner confidence heading into high-stakes credentialing exams. Uncover the pivotal role of selecting the right LMS in bolstering learner success and unlocking new streams of revenue. More info/register.

Host: BenchPrep

Speakers: Kevin Korinek, Sr. Director of Customer Success, and Emily Leary, VP of Professional Services, BenchPrep

Thu 4/18 at 1 p.m. – Beyond the Bounce: Overcoming Email Marketing Challenges for Event Professionals

Grappling with low open rates, underwhelming click-throughs, and the daunting task of staying compliant with Google’s 2024 email updates? Learn how to overcome common email marketing obstacles. Hear proven strategies for ensuring your event emails reach their intended inboxes, boost registration and attendance, and drive meaningful engagement. More info/register.

Host: Bizzabo

Speakers:

Kendra Ellis, Director of Client Strategy, SmartBug
LaShanda Jackson, Global Director of Lifecycle Marketing, Mailchimp
Ghazwan Almoazen, Global Experiential Marketing Demand & Communications Director, DocuSign

Fri 4/19 at 1 p.m. – Strategies to Overcome the Biggest Virtual Event Hurdles Associations Face

Host: Blue Sky eLearn

Speakers: Ronnie Dudek, Director of Streaming & Production Services, and Jodi Ray, Client Success Manager, Blue Sky eLearn

Fri 4/19 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

Organizer: Cecilia 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

Speaker: Jon Bassford, MBA, CAE, Founder and CEO of Lateral Solutions

Tue 4/23 at 11 a.m. – Mastering the Art of the Win-Back: Strategies to Reconnect with Lapsed Members

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Dave Will, Co-Founder and CEO, PropFuel

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

Wed 4/24 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Association Management System (AMS) Demo Days

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 12 p.m. – Are You the Master of Your Domain? Ensuring Domain Integrity Through Data Hygiene

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

Host: Association xChange (AXC)

Speaker: James Hoeft, APR, Public Relations Society of America’s Ethics Committee member

Wed 4/24 at 1 p.m. – 5 Secrets to Newsletter Success: Elevating Membership Engagement

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Erica Salm Rench, MBA, COO, Rasa.io

Thu 4/25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Association Management System (AMS) Demo Days

Host: ASAE

Thu 4/25 at 11 a.m. – Security Spotlight: Unlocking the Mystery of PCI Compliance

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Jenni Glaze, COO; Rick Ricker, SVP Enterprise Solutions; and Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, US Transactions Corporation

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 search engine optimization (SEO). We’ll go into depth on optimization, responsive design, look and feel, navigation, content management system, calls to action, and 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 2 p.m. – Navigating the Member Journey Part 4: Using Your Data to Uncover Non-Dues Revenue Streams

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers:

Teri Carden, Creator, Non Dues-a-Palooza
Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics

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.

Creative Commons licensed photo by Martin Sanchez via Unsplash

Amazon and AssociationBrainFood.com links allow me to earn a royalty on any sales or leads that result from clicking. Thank you!

Association Brain Food: 4.5.24

The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…

Apply for a marketing/branding grant. In honor of their 25th anniversary, Mighty Citizen is giving away $100,000 in marketing and branding services. They’re looking for a 501(c)(3) organization whose powerful mission could impact more people more deeply if it had marketing and branding help. The Round 1 application process for the 2024 Mighty Big Grant is open through April 30 and takes no more than 5 minutes to complete.

AI vs human interactions. As AI becomes more pervasive in our daily lives, I bet we start valuing human interaction even more. TopClass LMS explains how to differentiate and add value to your association’s education programs by building a human touch into them.

2024 membership pains. While reading GrowthZone’s 2024 association survey report, I noted a few common problems. One is the difficulty of proving the value of membership to members and prospects. Another is persuading members to make time for association engagement. I also noticed a lack of intention in solving these issues: most associations admit to not having member engagement, young professional recruitment and lapsed member reengagement plans. Seems like a good place to start.

Lessons from the podcast world. Carolyn Shomali of Professionals for Association Revenue explains what associations can learn about audience engagement from the most popular podcasts today.

Blue ocean strategy. Sherry Budziak of .orgSource says, “Sharks are looking for a meal. To keep them at bay, find a new blue ocean.” She recaps a case study presented at the Innovation Summit about the American Board of Medical Specialties’ use of the blue ocean strategy to expand their certification tool into new markets.

Gamification at events. EventMobi explains the psychology behind gamification. They describe strategies for applying game mechanics to influence attendee behavior, including incentives and technology that can help you achieve event goals.

Dull new world. In 1970, Alvin Toffler predicted the rise of future shock caused by technology, but the exact opposite happened. Ted Gioia says, “People today aren’t put into shock by all their tech devices. They are numbed and hypnotized.” We’ve become passive receptors with no sense of history, “entirely absorbed by the present moment—to the exclusion of everything else.”

AI and the future of your association. Listen to what Mary Byers says about associations and AI: “You won’t be able to remain relevant professionally without learning how to use it, and your association won’t remain relevant unless you’re teaching your members to do the same.”

But know when to say no. At The Red Hand Files, musician Nick Cave tells a songwriter who’s tempted to rely on AI for lyrics: “ChatGPT is fast-tracking the commodification of the human spirit by mechanizing the imagination.”

Erik Hoel goes on a related rant about murdering the internet with generative AI. AI-generated SEO content is “polluting our culture for your own minor profit. It’s not morally legitimate for the exact same reasons that polluting a river for a competitive edge is not legitimate.” Hear hear!

Quick hits

Top 10 current key copyright issues and pitfalls affecting nonprofits—and for-profits too. | by Linda J. Zirkelbach, George E. Constantine and Andrew L. Steinberg, Venable LLP

Now that we do everything else from home, why don’t we try living in it? | by Shalom Auslander (I’m glad I don’t have to deal with this. If you do, please take notes from the dinner interruption scene.)

R.I.P. the Scottish Enlightenment 1697-2024. | by C.J. Strachan, The Daily Sceptic (It’s scary how censorship is becoming a governmental tool again. What happens when the censoring party leaves power and their opponents use the tool against them? Think ahead, people! Free speech, even the words you hate, is healthier for society.)

Thirteen ways of looking at art. | by William Deresiewicz, Salmagundi

A reading guide for grownups who don’t read: librarians’ secrets for getting into books. | by Constance Grady, Vox

You never grow old at the table

I keep getting free containers of kalamata and other olives when I buy boxes of salad greens. I made a dent in one container with Greek-style red drum. On the side, sautéed broccoli greens (we have a bumper crop) with salami, red bell, red onion, garlic, Turkish seasoning, and ham broth. Damn, that was good.

Another night, black sea bass with spiced breadcrumbs. I didn’t have red bell pepper so I used jalapeno and jarred roasted red bell pepper instead.

While up in Massachusetts, I cooked dinner a few nights for my parents and got takeout (pizza and Italian food) on the others. One night, I sautéed sea scallops. The next night, sole—both in butter/oil and lemon for only a few minutes on each side. Another night, I made cod with the typical treatment: crushed Ritz crackers, lemon zest and melted butter. On the side, roasted asparagus with lemon zest and a Parmesan/Romano/Asiago cheese mix—the leftovers ended up in scrambled eggs. Another night our side was roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, red onion, garlic powder and s/p.

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 4/5 at 4 p.m.* – Mastering Association Finance: Essential Best Practices for Sustainable Success

Learn strategies for expanding revenue beyond traditional sources; principles and techniques for developing and managing budgets that align with organizational goals and priorities; interpreting and analyzing financial statements effectively; designing and implementing financial policies, controls, and workflows to safeguard assets, prevent fraud, and promote operational efficiency; and tools and techniques for projecting financial performance, identifying trends, and scenario planning. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Jon Bassford, MBA, CAE, Founder and CEO of Lateral Solutions

*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

Mon 4/8 at 12 p.m. – Beyond Engagement: Community KPIs for Membership Leaders (Membership Mondays)

Learn about tangible tools and techniques to measure the vibrancy of your online community and connect the activity in your community to business outcomes. Hear how to define a vibrant community, benchmark community KPIs against your peers and industry standards, connect community engagement to business results to optimize and grow, and evangelize the importance of community and its benefits to your leadership team. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Tue 4/9 at 11 a.m. – Championing the Creator Economy: End-to-End Strategies for Discovering Influencers (Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series 2024)

Hear why influencer marketing is a shift in focus towards credible, “peer-led” storytelling and standing out with authenticity in the era of content. Learn about best practices and key pitfalls of influencer management at scale and how your brand can optimize management of your influencer program. Explore unified workflows across discovery, onboarding, campaign management, governance and analytics. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Ayush Goyal, Associate Director, Product Management, Sprinklr

Tue 4/9 at 12 p.m. – Maximizing Impact: Data Governance Best Practices for AI Success in Associations

Discover how implementing best practices in data governance can directly influence the success of AI initiatives within associations. From optimizing member engagement to streamlining operations, we’ll explore real-world examples of how enhanced data governance strategies lead to tangible improvements in business outcomes. More info/register.

Host: fusionSpan

Speakers:

Thomas Altman, founder, Tasio
Katherine Bayless, CAE, assistant vice president of Data & Analytics for the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
Denali Carpenter, data scientist, Inteleos
Rhoni Rakos, digital strategist and customer experience designer, fusionSpan

Tue 4/9 at 12 p.m. – Ready to Further Your Association’s Vision and Drive Meaningful Impact?

Gain insights on the outlook for legislative action on major policy issues affecting your agenda. Learn proven strategies to impact the conversation against the backdrop of a Presidential election cycle. Get actionable tips on how to tackle the challenges and goals of your association to achieve success. More info/register.

Host: Kellen Company

Tue 4/9 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesdays: Tips for Navigating Tricky Tech Terrain

Join us for a discussion on staying sharp in the ever-changing world of IT, where we’ll discuss how not to get fooled on talent acquisition, solutions selection, and other tricky tech terrains. Whether you’re eager to contribute your insights or discover new perspectives to stay a step ahead, secure your spot today. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Facilitators: Dave Coriale of DelCor and Reggie Henry of ASAE

Tue 4/9 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ 2024 Community Call

This event is a unique and inclusive opportunity for association professionals across all career stages to connect and engage over lunch. It’s a space where you can openly share and discuss topics that are current and significant to the LGBTQIA2+ association community. Whether you have burning questions, pressing issues, or insightful experiences to share, this judgment-free zone welcomes your valuable contributions. Let’s come together to support, learn from each other, and build a stronger, more inclusive community. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Tue 4/9 at 1 p.m. – Culture Change Made Easy

Everyone wants a strong culture that drives results and attracts top talent, but most leaders don’t understand how their culture operates, or which changes will improve it. Learn how to spot the hidden culture patterns that are standing between you and a stronger culture. Hear about a concrete model for changing culture that you can start applying right away. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jamie Notter, Co-Founder, PROPEL

Tue 4/9 at 1 p.m. – Using AI to Design Better Online Learning

Explore the practical applications of AI for educators and instructional designers, with real-world examples of how you can use tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard and DALL-E to design better online learning experiences. Get the inside scoop on AI and start rethinking learning strategies, building your own GPT, applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) perspectives and more. More info/register.

Host: D2L

Speakers:

Luke Hobson, Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager, MIT xPRO and Lecturer in the Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Miami’s School of Education and Human Development
Krystian Grodecki, Director, Mid-Market Sales, D2L

Tue 4/9 at 8 p.m. – Diversifying Revenue Streams by Recreating the Membership Value Proposition

The topic of generating new, non-dues revenue has been on the top of many association’s to do lists for years now. In a recent survey in fact, over 80% of associations said that they are making non-dues revenue a top priority. With membership numbers under ongoing threat and competition coming from many directions, what are the key challenges stopping associations from creating new, profitable revenue streams and how do you overcome them effectively? In this session, we’ll explore the topic with someone who lives and breathes the topic day in day out. More info/register.

Host: Arinex Live

Speaker: Gretchen Irvine, National Business Development and Events Manager, Palliative Care Australia

Wed 4/10 from 12 to 3 p.m. – Networking Day Lunch: DC Area (Glen Echo MD)

Soak up Springtime and join us for a DC Area Networking Day Lunch at Glen Echo Park in the Picnic Grove. Bring your lunch (BYOL) and enjoy great conversations and get to know someone new or meet up with someone you know. Location: Glen Echo MD. More info/register.

Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 4/10 at 1 p.m. – What an Event Attendee Wants

Hear insights from a survey of conference attendees about their preferences and sentiments regarding in-person and virtual conferences. Explore the key motivators driving attendance and get actionable tips to ensure your event exceeds expectations. Learn about unmet attendee needs and innovative ways to leverage event technology to conquer these challenges. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speakers: John Hunter, Senior Manager, Content Marketing, and Kirstin Sargent, Meetings & Events Team Lead, Cvent

Wed 4/10 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. CDT – Technical Roundtable: What Technical Challenges Keep You Up at Night? (Chicago IL)

Join your peers in tech via a roundtable discussion. Share and learn from your peers on key tech challenges organizations are facing. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 4/10 at 4:30 p.m. MDT – AWTC Denver Happy Hour (Englewood CO)

Join us for an AWTC Happy Hour at the Maggiano’s at Denver Tech Center. Location: Englewood CO. More info/register.

Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions

Thu 4/11 at 12 p.m. – CSAE Membership Trends Report: Interview with Bramm Research

What trends are impacting Canadian membership associations in 2024? In this interview with Gerald Bramm, we’ll explore the most illuminating insights in the 2024 CSAE Membership Trends Report. Hear about the top challenges in member recruitment and retention, trends in member engagement and non-dues revenue, and trends in membership models and pricing. More info/register.

Host: Zzeem

Thu 4/11 at 1 p.m. – Transformative Tips for Growth-Driving, Revenue-Boosting Learning Programs

Learn how to transform learning programs into powerful vehicles for sustainable revenue. More info/register.

Host: BenchPrep

Speaker: Ashish Rangnekar, CEO and Co-Founder of BenchPrep

Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – Remember the Member When Developing Your Tech

Learn the importance of member journeys and personas—and how they differ. Hear how an association incorporated member journeys and personas to make better tech decisions and be more outcome oriented. Obtain practical steps to build qualitative and quantitative member data needed to start this process for your organization More info/register.

Host: 501 Works

Speakers:

Kim Kneen, Director, PMO, Quality and Support Services, Association for Materials Protection and Performance
Phi Nguyen, Senior Manager, Software Development and Agile Teams, Association for Materials Protection and Performance
Rhoni Rakos, Director, Digital Strategy, fusionSpan

Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – AI Innovation in Professional Development

Explore the current state of generative AI in professional development and where we can expect it to evolve in the near term. Discover what the trend line means for learning formats and types of training to prioritize this year. Discuss how these shifts will impact how we assess mastery in the age of AI. Consider how your organization might take up initiatives related to AI. More info/register.

Host: BadgeCert

Speakers:

Tracy King, CEO & Chief Learning Strategist of InspirEd
Ginger Malin, Founder & CEO, BadgeCert

Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – Election Year Advocacy: Tools, Tactics, and Best Practices to Sharpen Your Strategy

As we hurtle toward Election Day, this is the time to refine your Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) plan, prepare for possible election and policy outcomes, and ensure your voices are heard in Congress and statehouses above a noisy news cycle. Learn best practices to communicate your GOTV campaign, tips for seizing opportunities and navigating challenges that surface during an election year, how to prepare for potential election outcomes, and the most useful tools, technologies, and strategies to assist your advocacy efforts in 2024. More info/register.

Host: VoterVoice

Speakers:

Brent Buchanan, President & Founder, Cygnal
Rob Burgess, Chief Strategist, Connector Labs
Kodiak Hill-Davis, SVP of Government Affairs, Niskanen Center
Melissa Horn, Director of State Legislative Affairs, Arthritis Foundation
Lydia Stowe (moderator), Senior Manager of Content Marketing, FiscalNote

Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – Become Unstoppable

Hear about the mindset shifts that industry juggernauts have used to not only separate themselves from their competition, but create a new realm of positive, successful culture. Learn how emotional intelligence creates more confidence in your abilities, how to decrease the amount of stress and anxiety that the ups and downs of work and life brings, level up your level of client service and employee engagement, creating deeper relationships, and activate your emotional intelligence in difficult situations to stay on your positive game. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speaker: Rich Bracken, keynote speaker and executive presence consultant

Thu 4/11 at 3 p.m. – Association Fundraising Best Practices

As associations navigate through economic uncertainties and evolving donor expectations, understanding and implementing best fundraising practices become crucial. Gain invaluable insights and propel your association’s fundraising efforts to new heights in this discussion of fundraising best practices, tools and tech to use, revenue streams your association should consider, and common fundraising mistakes, and how to avoid them. More info/register.

Host: NXUnite / Nexus Marketing

Speakers:

Tiffany Allen, Founder & CEO at Boss on a Budget,
David Coyne, CFRE, President at The Sheridan Group
Brian Lacy, Data Consultant at NPOInfo
Amy Stark, Executive Director at Barcami Lane

Fri 4/12 at 11 a.m. – Leadership Excellence: Prioritization and Inspiring Change

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Edima Elinewinga, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Association for Corporate Council
Alex Mouw, CAE, Principal Strategic Advisor, AWS Nonprofits
Anne Ornelas, DES, Senior Manager, Business Systems and Strategic Initiatives, CASSS
Cecilia Sepp, CAE, ACNP, Principal & Founder, Rogue Tulips

Fri 4/12 at 4 p.m. – Networking Discussion on Financial Practices

Join an open discussion about your financial questions and concerns. We will share best practices and help each other with financial information. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Tue 4/16 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio

Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Discover Vendor Showcase Secrets

Host: Matchbox

Speaker: Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer, ASAE

Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Pricing in a Post-Pandemic World: Maximizing Revenue

Host: Leading Learning

Speakers: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning

Tue 4/16 at 1 p.m. – Strategic Planning and Fiscal Sustainability for Finance Leaders

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Michael Gellman, CPA, CGMA, Co-Founder at Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits
Paul Preziotti, CPA, Partner, Johnson Lambert LLP

Tue 4/16 at 4 p.m. – What Were you Thinking? Ethics in Association Management

Host: Reston Loudoun Idea Swap

Speaker: Rhea M. Steele, CAE, ODCP, Chief of Staff, School Nutrition Association

Wed 4/17 at 11 a.m. – Tapping into the Youth Market: Why Associations Need to Target Young Adults

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jon Smith, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

Wed 4/17 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mastery: Building a Strong National-Chapter Partnership

Host: Billhighway

Speakers:

Elizabeth Weaver Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting
Peggy Hoffman, President and Executive Director, Mariner Management

Wed 4/17 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

The live discussions will be predominately in CAE education domains related to member ROI on the first and third Wednesdays of the month with some exceptions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Wed 4/17 at 1 p.m. – Volunteer Management: Making Applying and Selecting Volunteers a More Transparent Process

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Justin Burniske, MBA, Principal Consultant, Co-Owner, Meta-Dao

Wed 4/17 at 2 p.m. – When to Use Your AMS & When to Go Custom

Host: Matrix Group International

Speakers:

Rebecca Achurch, Founder, Achurch Consulting
Gayathri Kher, CEO and Co-Founder, fusionSpan
Janna Marks, MatrixMaxx AMS Client Success Manager, Matrix Group International
Joanna Pineda, CEO and Chief Troublemaker, Matrix Group International

Thu 4/17 at 4 p.m. – Midweek Meetup (Columbia MD)

Join us for a casual meet-up of association pros. Bring a question, an idea or simply a curious mind. We’ll connect over a beverage and snack. Location: Columbia MD. More info/register.

Organizer: ASAE Suburban Maryland Network (Columbia Idea Swaps)

Thu 4/18 at 11 a.m. – Connecting Art and Innovation: Norman Rockwell Museum’s Digital Transformation

Host: Fíonta

Speakers:

Rich Bradway, Digital Innovation Officer, Norman Rockwell Museum
Chelsea Booker, Nonprofit Manager, Fíonta
Mike Brown, Lead Strategic Solution Engineer, Salesforce

Fri 4/19 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

Organizer: Cecila Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

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.

Creative Commons licensed photo by K8 via Unsplash

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Association Brain Food: 3.22.24

The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…

Association Brain Food is taking off next Friday, March 29 because I’ll be away all week helping my elderly parents. The next edition will go live on Friday, April 5.

AMS/CRM community. 501Works and PerByte are hosting Ven-Con on Wednesday, April 17 in Alexandria VA for AMS/CRM consultants and vendors. Per 501Works, “even though many of us compete with each other, we all have a vested stake in improving the association technology landscape and helping associations get the most value out of their technology investments.” The goal is to collectively work together to improve our industry. Love it, class act.

Program evaluations. TopClass LMS recaps a Learning Business Summit session from learner survey expert Will Thalheimer. In short, you’re doing them wrong. Their post explains why most learner surveys aren’t producing the results you need and how to fix them.

Member recruitment. To attract young members, you must recruit in ways that make sense to them. Impexium recommends proving you’re an organization they can trust, delivering benefits they value, and having processes and systems that facilitate member referrals, new member onboarding, testimonials, social presence, and member feedback.

Serendipity mindset. Lots of wisdom here in this strategy+business interview with Christian Busch, author of The Serendipity Mindset, about practices and cultural mindsets that help teams develop smart luck, spot and act on unexpected and fortuitous connections (serendipity), use unpredictability to their advantage and make the best of bad situations.

Mobile engagement. Mark Wallach of Engagement Mobile Strategies dives into the SEO, mobile responsive design and digital accessibility elements that should be part of every association’s mobile engagement strategy—even if you don’t have a mobile app.

Event trends. Event attendees expect your association to use AI, data analytics and other tools to enhance their event experience. eShow looks at five event trends for 2024 and describes how technology can help you stay on top of them.

Two on trust. In her Association Chat podcast episode, A Hot Take on Trust: Do They Trust Your Association?, KiKi L’Italien discusses multiple scenarios where trust is on the line. The impact of AI on trust is one of her topics and also the focus of Kevin Kelly’s post on the “trust flip.” He says the new default for trust is “check first and trust later,” a flip on the old “trust but verify.”

Association boards. Jeff De Cagna explains why the duty of foresight is essential for boards along with their other fiduciary duties. He relays an interesting story about Blackberry that association boards would be wise to heed.

The case for marketing. Why in tough times is marketing always the team who feels the squeeze first? It makes no sense. If that’s where you are, Jarrett Way of Mighty Citizen suggests three strategies for selling the value of marketing to your organization’s leadership.

RFPs. RFPs are the worst, says Heather Yandow at Nonprofit.ist. I’ve heard many consultants repeat that in real life and in the ASAE Collaborate forum. She suggests better ways for associations to find the right consultant.

Quick hits

My mother’s dog: lessons in love, courtesy of dementia and a Cavalier King Charles. | by Johanna Polus <beautiful!>

Twitter can be awful—but also glorious. The choice is yours. | by Angel Eduardo, Newsweek

Hold on, I just have to upload Association Brain Food and then I can join you for a dip. Ah, life is good working here by the sea and sand of Brazil. Ready for a caipirinha? (in my dreams)

You never grow old at the table

Working too many years in the restaurant industry took the fun out of St. Patrick’s Day—along with other heinous hospitality holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day brunch and New Year’s Eve. But I do enjoy getting my Irish on in the kitchen. On Sunday, I made shepherd’s pie for our three generations. You can never go wrong with ground lamb and mashed potatoes. My recipe is adapted from The Irish Pub Cookbook by Margaret Johnson, which is only $1.99 for the Kindle version right now.

On the side, greens, of course! Sautéed chard from the garden with bacon, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, dried cranberries and s/p.

I tried a new recipe from Bobby Flay, crispy skin black sea bass with avocado, tomatillo and fennel relish, a keeper. I went heavy on the ingredients, so we enjoyed the leftover relish/salsa with tortilla chips over the weekend. On the side, the usual roasted broccoli with red onion, garlic powder, New Mexican ground chile and s/p.

Any excuse to make cheesy grits. When black drum appeared last week in our seafood share, I had to make blackened black drum with cheesy grits. The ingredients in my blackened spice mix are 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 3/22 at 4 p.m.* – Association and Nonprofit Ethics

Learn more about the tools that ASAE has available to help manage the gray zones of decision-making through their Standards of Conduct and Ethics Toolkit. Hear ideas and walk through scenarios that you can apply to your everyday work life. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Cindy Ziegler, Vice Chair of the ASAE Ethics Committee and the Director of Governance and Special Initiatives at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

Mon 3/25 at 8 a.m. – ASAE Ethics Committee Update (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Cindy Ziegler, Director of Governance and Special Initiatives, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

Tue 3/26 at 11 a.m. – Strategic Partnership Essentials: 7 Key Elements in High Demand by Corporate Sponsors

Hear about the latest trends in corporate sponsorships, the evolving landscape and how these trends impact sponsorship strategies in 2024. Learn the seven essential elements that corporate sponsors are seeking that are critical for successful sponsorship arrangements. Find out how to develop and enhance your own sponsorship strategies. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, Founder and Chief Principal, Growth Owl, LLC

Tue 3/26 at 11 a.m. – Content Innovation and Agility: Building an AI-First Infrastructure (Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series 2024)

Learn how to maximize content ideas through not just social listening but insights from paid ads, customer service and UGC; build agility through a unified approach across different teams to streamline approvals and other delivery processes; and unlock efficiencies and creativity with Gen AI powered capabilities. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers: Sandy de Arango, Lead Solution Specialist, and Kirill Grill, Master Solution Specialist, Sprinklr

Tue 3/26 at 12 p.m. – Cut Through the Noise: Practical AI Tips for Association Professionals

Gain practical tips on using AI to reduce your team’s workload and automate routine tasks. Discover strategies to increase your reporting capabilities with AI, providing you with deeper insights and more effective data management. Learn about the future of AI in association management, including why embracing these tools now is valuable for streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Personify

Speakers: Scott Collison and Erin Sullivan

Tue 3/26 at 3:30 p.m. – The Future of Association Boards (FAB) Survey Information Sessions

Join an informational session about The Future of Association Boards (FAB) Survey, the association community’s first comprehensive tracking survey of board composition, practices, and performance. The purpose of the FAB survey is to gather information that provides association boards, CEOs/EDs, and other contributors with insights into the current state and future direction of boards throughout the US association community. Jeff will explain the purpose of The FAB Survey and how association CEOs and board chairs/presidents can join Team FAB. More info/register.

Hosts: Impexium and Foresight First

Speaker: Jeff De Cagna, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC

Wed 3/27 from 9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. – LMS Demo Days

See presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer learning management systems platforms. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Participants: Enigma Chat, Crowd Wisdom LMS by Community Brands, MapleLMS, Thought Industries, LearnUpon, Cadmium Elevate, BenchPrep

Wed 3/27 at 9:30 a.m. – Cyber Attack Simulation Workshop (Washington DC)

After viewing a cyberattack simulation, panelists will examine the scenario and response, then give real-time perspectives from the viewpoint of forensic investigation and mitigation, legal, cyber insurance, and law enforcement considerations. Hear how to identify and mitigate risks, prepare for the decisions you’ll need to make whilst under pressure, determine priorities, recover and, perhaps more importantly, what not to do. Find out what to do to protect your organization against attacks. Location: Washington DC. More info/register (limited seating for association executives only).

Hosts: Association Chat and The Trust Bridge

Speakers:

David Clarke FBCS, Chief Information Security Officer/Cyber Security, TTB
Penny Heyes, COO, The Trust Bridge
Katie Hyman, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, Partner, Chair of Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
KiKi L’Italien, Vice President Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M, and Editor-in-Chief, Association Chat
Bill Mew, Board Member and Cyber Ambassador, International Association of Risk and Crisis Communication / Senior Consultant and Cyber Incident Specialist, The Trust Bridge
Keith Wojcieszek, Global Head of Threat Intelligence, Cyber Risk at Kroll’s Cyber Risk practice

Wed 3/27 at 12 p.m. – Spark Joy, Not Burnout: Tips to Increase Volunteer Satisfaction

When component relations professionals gather, they often commiserate about how hard it is to recruit volunteer leaders. Members are choosing different priorities and guarding their time more than ever. Although this approach to life/work balance is understandable, the unintentional consequence is putting chapters at risk. Join us as we dive into the root causes of volunteer burnout. Learn how to identify the signs of burnout before it’s too late. Discover effective strategies to rejuvenate your chapters and create a fulfilling volunteer experience. More info/register.

Hosts: Sarah Robertson, Billhighway & Peggy Hoffman, Mariner Management

Wed 3/27 at 12 p.m. – Getting the Most from Your Learning and Development Budget

Does your training investment really generate results? Does it truly align with your organization’s strategy? Does it address the “real” problem you are trying to solve? And is the training reinforced throughout the organization, or is it a disconnected “one-and-done” exercise? And then there are the challenges: tight budgets, time away from the “day job”, and too much HR time: planning, logistics, and quality control. Learn about the pros and cons of various training options, when you should offer training altogether, and new ideas on generating alignment while upskilling your team. More info/register.

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Wed 3/27 at 12 p.m. – Navigating the Next Crisis: Global Workforce Insights for Associations

Through our Voice of the Member research, attendees will unravel dominant trends reshaping the professional world at a global scale, structural challenges and prevalent misconceptions within associations, the differential impact of the workforce crisis across various professions, and effective strategies derived from research to pivot and prosper amidst change. More info/register.

Host: Halmyre

Speakers: Jeff Gibson, Manager, Business Development; Ursula Green, Vice President and CXO; and Christine Saunders, President and CXO, Halmyre

Wed 3/27 at 12 p.m. – Logic over Luck: Revenue Recognition for Nonprofits

Hear about the current guidance on accounting for revenue from contracts with customers versus accounting for contributions, indicators for determining how to distinguish exchange transactions from contributions, and common challenges and complexities in revenue recognition of contracts, awards and contributions. More info/register.

Host: Your Part-Time Controller

Wed 3/27 at 2 p.m. – Unifying Lobbying and Advocacy for Powerful Public Affairs

Unlock the power of collaboration across lobbying and advocacy teams to elevate your public affairs efforts to the next level. Learn six strategies for unifying lobbying and advocacy and strengthening the impact of both functions. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

Wed 3/27 at 2 p.m. – Monthly Virtual Meet-Up: The Finance and Business Operations Professionals Advisory Council (including HR)

Bring your pressing problems and get ready for dynamic conversations. Our community of colleagues will share their experiences and potential solutions. We’ll delve into various subjects, including cybersecurity measures, economic expectations in an election year, and technology advancements. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Finance and Business Operations Professionals Advisory Council

Wed 3/27 at 3 p.m. – Navigating the Member Journey Part 3: Using Your Data to Optimize Event Revenue

Learn how to use your data to find new audiences to invite to your events, segment members based on their behavior for more personalized outreach, determine who is most and least likely to attend so you can prioritize your efforts, and show prospective exhibitors and sponsors the value of their participation. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Speaker: Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics

Wed 3/27 at 3:30 p.m. – The Future of Association Boards (FAB) Survey Information Sessions

Hosts: Impexium and Foresight First

Speaker: Jeff De Cagna, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC

Thu 3/28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – LMS Demo Days

See presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer learning management systems platforms. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Participants: D2L, Accredible, Blue Sky eLearn, Cadmium EthosCE, TopClass LMS by ASI, Freestone LMS by Community Brands

Thu 3/28 at 12 p.m. – Podcasting Unplugged: Ready to Amplify Your Association’s Voice?

As one of the fastest growing digital mediums today, podcasting presents a great opportunity for associations to educate, influence and entertain an industry audience of members and non-members alike. From getting started to identifying the right type of podcast for your association, this session offers practical insights on crafting, producing, and promoting your association’s podcast, featuring real-life examples of successful association podcasts. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers: Colby Horton and Frank Humada, Association Briefings

Thu 3/28 at 1 p.m. (and the following three Thursdays) – Association Creative Marketing Masterclass

Learn how to develop practical creative and copywriting skills, professional critique techniques, and balanced brand stewardship from experienced marketing leaders of respected associations. Each lecturer will share learnings from their career and evaluate real-life association marketing collateral, providing their recommendations, ideas, and concerns. 1 CAE credit per class. More info/register.

Host: Association Academy

Lead instructor: Chris Gloede, Chief Consultant for Ricochet Advisory Services

Thu 3/28 at 1 p.m. – A Culture of Tech: Building a Foundation of Innovation

How can nonprofits build a culture of tech, where everyone works smarter, not harder? A panel of association executives will explain how they use technology to realize their missions and visions. They’ll share their experiences and discuss how to align technology strategies with organizational objectives, execute a robust technology road map, and build excitement around technological advancements. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Wipfli

Speakers:

Monica Dillingham, American Council on Education
Christina Lewellen, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools
Donté P. Shannon, Industrial Designers Society of America
Chad Stewart (moderator), Wipfli

Thu 3/28 at 3 p.m. – ASAE Q1 Consultant Community Call

ASAE staff provides an update to the ASAE consultant community. A range of topics will be covered. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Thu 3/28 at 3:30 p.m. – The Future of Association Boards (FAB) Survey Information Sessions

Hosts: Impexium and Foresight First

Speaker: Jeff De Cagna, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC

Fri 3/29 at 1 p.m. – Building the Case for Investment: Why Employee Community Engagement Matters

Explore the benefits of employee community engagement and its impact on business success. Dig into recent research from Ares Management and additional proof points that not only demonstrate the intrinsic value of employee community engagement and how it aligns with broader business goals but also showcase how forward-thinking companies have successfully secured financial investment from senior leadership. Get practical tips and tools to construct a compelling business case for community engagement, backed by data, research and successful first-hand accounts of making the case for investment. More info/register.

Host: Points of Light

Mon 4/1 at 8 a.m. – Negligent Management & CEO Ethics (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Mariama Boney, President and CEO, Achieve More LLC

Tue 4/2 at 11 a.m. – Infrastructure-Led Approach to Building an AI-Powered, Unified Marketing (Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series 2024)

Learn best practices for scaling synergies across social media and digital marketing teams. Find out how to create an infrastructure-led approach that fosters seamless collaboration across asset management, insights, taxonomy and tightens the feedback loop. Learn about the ROI and value realization of having an infrastructure-led approach. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers: Sandy de Arango, Lead Solution Specialist, and Kirill Grill, Master Solution Specialist, Sprinklr

Tue 4/2 at 12 p.m. – Kickstart Your Data Governance (Data Analytics Network)

Participate in peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Wed 4/3 at 12 p.m. – 40s Are The New 30s: Purposeful Planning for Mid-Career Professionals

In our 30s, we thought we had 30 years before retirement. Now, in our 40s, we still have 30 years to go! Upheaval in workforce trends means mid-career professionals may face significant decisions and opportunities. A panel of colleagues in their 40s helps you plan for the future while balancing finances, family and major milestones. More info/register.

Host: AIOT

Speakers:

Nathan Chamberlain, CAE, Dir. of Member Services, American Assn of Nurse Anesthesiology
Haley Jones, CAE, Director of Member Engagement, American Staffing Association
Liz Jones, CAE, Chief Revenue Officer, Online Lenders Alliance
Andrea Mitchell (moderator), CAE, FACHE, Director, Marketing and Membership, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Wed 4/3 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

The live discussions will be predominately in CAE education domains related to member ROI on the first and third Wednesdays of the month with some exceptions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Wed 4/3 at 1 p.m. – Redefine Your Member Value for The Digital Age

Every day is a new opportunity to provide your member value with a resourceful website, far-reaching social media, and revenue-generating content. Your members don’t just want this from you, they expect it. Hear how to understand your audience’s mindset and what they need from your association, identify and optimize what’s providing your member value now and ditch what doesn’t, and uncover ways of funding the content streams that work with today’s members. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Dan Stevens, President, and Marcus Leite, Director, Sales & Marketing, WorkerBee.TV

Wed 4/3 at 2 p.m. – 20 Dos and Don’ts of Digital Engagement for Associations

Learn how to perform a health check on your current digital engagement strategy and assets, and then use that information to decide on next steps; identify the relevant channels for promotion and engagement to your existing membership; leverage digital assets to attract new members, sponsors, and job seekers; and recognize common pitfalls in the ever-evolving digital landscape. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Naylor Association Solutions

Speakers: Nate Brown, Software Sales Engineer, and Kim Davies, Senior Director, Partner Development, Naylor Association Solutions

Wed 4/3 at 2 p.m. – Elevating Event F&B

Culinary pros will share the latest F&B trends and offer suggestions for impressing attendees with discerning palates. Topics include: the growing demand for zero-proof beverages, vegan options that will please even meat-lovers, budget-friendly choices for feeding a crowd, and how to minimize food waste. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speakers:

Alexandra Zapple, CMP, CEM, DES, Senior Director of Meetings, American Society of Nephrology
Lizzie Wilcox (moderator), Associate Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Thu 4/4 at 11 a.m. – Unlocking the Secrets to LinkedIn: 3 Insider Strategies for Maximizing Growth and Engagement

Hear about three insider strategies to turn LinkedIn in to a lead-generating machine. Learn how to write posts that attract your ideal audience, leverage newsletters to increase your reach and improve engagement, and use content loops to build your email lists. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jon Rivers, COO, Marketeery

Thu 4/4 at 12 p.m. – Unlocking Community Impact: Mastering Measurement

Hear about a proven framework for identifying, interpreting, and improving key performance indicators (KPIs) for association communities. Learn about strategic measurement using a methodology for selecting meaningful growth KPIs, data interpretation to provide insights from real-time analysis, and compelling storytelling to engage stakeholders and demonstrate community value. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Forj

Speaker: community expert, Brian Oblinger

Thu 4/4 at 2 p.m. – When to Use Your AMS & When to Go Custom

How do you make sure going custom doesn’t interfere with your ability to keep your database upgraded? We’ll guide you through this decision making process, showing you how to understand the WWW capabilities and limitations of your AMS (versus admin capabilities); the features that should almost always live in your AMS or CRM; how to evaluate whether or not the out of the box forms, rosters, directories, and workflows in your AMS will meet your members’ needs; the different flavors of custom development; how to determine costs and benefits of AMS vs. custom development; and ways to ensure that custom development does not hinder your ability to upgrade your database in the future. Hear about real life examples of AMS configuration and custom development projects, digging into why those decisions were made and why those choices were the best for their needs. More info/register.

Host: Matrix Group International

Speaker: Joanna Pineda, CEO and Chief Troublemaker of Matrix Group International

Tue 4/9 at 1 p.m. – Culture Change Made Easy

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jamie Notter, Co-Founder, PROPEL

Tue 4/9 at 1 p.m. – Using AI to Design Better Online Learning

Host: D2L

Speakers:

Luke Hobson, Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager, MIT xPRO and Lecturer in the Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Miami’s School of Education and Human Development
Krystian Grodecki, Director, Mid-Market Sales, D2L

Wed 4/10 from 12 to 3 p.m. – Networking Day Lunch (Glen Echo MD)

Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions

Thu 4/11 at 2 p.m. – Member Journeys

Hear how to do and use member journeys to improve technical projects. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Thu 4/11 at 3 p.m. – Volunteer Management: Making Applying and Selecting Volunteers a More Transparent Process

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Justin Burniske, MBA, Principal Consultant, Co-Owner, Meta-Dao

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.

Creative Commons licensed photo by Samuel Smith via Unsplash

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Association Brain Food: 3.15.24

The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…

Podcasts for the association community. KiKi L’Italien added a useful resource to Association Chat—an association podcast directory. You can submit a podcast for the directory and listen to a playlist of samples.

Program pricing. TopClass LMS shares a recap of a Learning Business Summit session on pricing education programs. They relay advice on determining value, methods for homing in on a price, and branding considerations.

Education portfolio. D2L suggests four factors to consider when developing a revenue strategy for your association’s education programs and five models for monetizing those programs. They also include tactics throughout the guide for improving the attractiveness and effectiveness of your learning programs and portfolio.

Strategic planning. Belinda Moore of Strategic Membership Solutions shares 14 questions to discuss before or during strategic planning sessions. They touch on the major issues associations will face in 2024 and beyond.

Magazines. m3Magazines offers advice for transforming your magazine into a valuable resource for members. They start by reviewing the benefits of a well-crafted print magazine—in case you need to make a case to your leadership team. They also explain how to develop a content strategy, know when it’s time for a redesign, decrease costs and increase revenue.

Communal genius. I came upon an old post by Kevin Kelly about an interesting phenomenon: scenius. Brian Eno described it as “the intelligence and the intuition of a whole cultural scene. It is the communal form of the concept of the genius,” aka communal genius. Kelly said, “Individuals immersed in a productive scenius will blossom and produce their best work… Your like-minded peers, and the entire environment inspire you.” How can associations nurture one or many sceniuses among their members?

Association competition. Several new associations in the scientific and medical space have been established by members who left legacy associations because of disagreements over research methods. Now, Brooklee Han at HousingWire writes about the launch of the American Real Estate Association, founded by former members of the National Association of Realtors, which has been dealing with lawsuits and leadership issues.

Quick hits

The Pentagon uses targeted ads—“the largest information-gathering enterprise ever conceived by man”—to find its targets, including Vladimir Putin. | by Byron Tau, Wired

The five-step military method for falling asleep in minutes. Sometimes, it actually works for this tightly wound human. Sometimes, hello insomnia, my old frenemy. | by Jonny Thomson, Big Think

The powerful closing statement by the courageous Oleg Orlov, co-chair of Memorial, at his second trial on politically motivated charges of “Discrediting Russia’s Armed Forces.” The best part is the section aimed at the judge and prosecutor. | via Human Rights Watch

Bayard Rustin was a 1960s civil rights hero who was sidelined because he was gay, and a prophet who predicted the rise of identity politics and affirmative action—and how they would divide us today. | by Coleman Hughes, The Free Press

I think you need a little time with these barn owls and owlets. | via The Charter Group of Wildlife Ecology and University of Florida cam 1 and cam 2

You never grow old at the table

Another week with swordfish in the seafood share—happy days! I pan-fried the steaks and topped them with a creamy (but no cream) jalapeño sauce. The leftover sauce is fantastic in scrambled eggs. On the side, so predictable, roasted broccoli and cauliflower with red onion, garlic powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and s/p.

I always buy packages of frozen wild American salmon fillets when I’m at BJ’s or Costco, but they go so quickly. On Sunday, I used a few fillets in this salmon with coconut green curry sauce recipe. Serve this one over brown rice.

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 3/15 at 1 p.m.* – AI Policy Expert Exchange

Elevate your understanding of AI policy in this interactive “Ask Me Anything” style webinar. AI experts will answer all your questions and offer invaluable insights into the present and future of AI policy, including key players shaping the AI landscape, legislative developments to watch in the coming year, the influence of international bodies such as the UN and EU on federal AI policy, and the rise of deep fakes and the urgent need for legislative action. Deepen your understanding of AI policy and its implications for your organization. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

Speakers:

Reggie Babin, Senior Counsel
Hans Rickhoff, Partner, Akin
Ryan Thompson, Senior Advisor

*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

Fri 3/15 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

Organizer: Cecila Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Fri 3/15 at 4 p.m. – Bring Your Ethical Dilemmas for a Group Think on How to Resolve Them

March is National Ethics Month, so this networking discussion will allow participants to bring their ethical dilemmas for a “group think” on solving or addressing these issues. Bring your stories and join us for an open discussion about ethics. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 3/18 at 8 a.m. – 21st Century Magazines for Associations (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Al Rickard, President, Association Vision

Tue 3/19 at 11 a.m. – Next Big Leap in AI for Social Media Marketing: Emerging Technologies That Could Disrupt Engagement (Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series)

Learn about some of the new AI technologies that can potentially disrupt social media marketing, real-world examples of how brands are already leveraging these technologies, and how the emerging AI technologies will affect social media marketing. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Buddy Waddington, Manager, Insights and AI, Sprinklr

Tue 3/19 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI for Associations and Nonprofits

Learn what Generative AI and Large Language Models are and how they work, plus get an up-close look at how an actual AI expert utilizes these tools in real-world scenarios. Perfect for AI newcomers and early explorers, this session promises a unique opportunity to see generative AI in action, equipping you with the knowledge and confidence to responsibly implement AI in your workflows. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio

Tue 3/19 at 12 p.m. – CRVM March Crunch and Munch: The Volunteer Pipeline & Successful Succession

This topic polled the highest amongst our CRP colleagues and is always a major pain point in volunteer engagement. Let’s figure it out and share ideas, best practices, and tackle your questions about volunteer development, leadership recruitment, and all things succession. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council

Facilitators:

Michael Cowden, Vice President, International Council of Shopping Centers Global Public Policy
Elisa Pratt, MA, CAE, CEO, Brewer Pratt Solutions, LLC

Tue 3/19 at 1 p.m. – Fonts for Accessibility

Learn about the difference between legibility and readability, what makes an accessible typeface, whether Arial and Comic Sans are really superior, using fonts for dyslexic people in your designs more often, and how you can mess up the most accessible typeface by using it inaccurately. More info/register.

Host: Font Friday

Speaker: Eleni Beveratou, Creative Director at Dalton Maag

Tue 3/19 from 3 to 6 p.m. – 2024 AWTC Awards Ceremony (Washington DC)

Celebrate the 2023 AWTC Award Winners at our first in-person awards ceremony. Join us to hear from the 22 amazing women being recognized and mingle with old and new friends. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Tue 3/19 at 3 p.m. – AI Innovation for PD Pros

What does Generative AI innovation mean for professional development professionals? AI is shifting what we learn, how, and why. Explore the challenges and opportunities right now for education program management as well as the key actions to priorities this year to prepare your organization for what’s to come. More info/register.

Host: Cadmium

Speaker: Tracy King, MA, CAE, Chief Learning Strategist & CEO, InspirEd

Wed 3/20 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Spring Symposium (Washington DC)

See the session descriptions below in the separate entries for each online session.

Session 1: Navigating the Transformation of Successful Member Engagement

Session 2: Everyone, Every Role has IT Systems Requirements Responsibilities

Session 3: A Practical Approach to Cybersecurity in the Age of Hybrid Work and AI-Powered Fraud

Session 4: Designing Memorable Experiences: Leveraging Design Thinking and AI in Event Management

4 CAE credits. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Dave Will, Co-Founder and CEO, PropFuel
David Coriale, CAE, President, Delcor
Heinan Landa, Founder & CEO, Optimal Networks
Bill McGlade, President, Community Leaders Institute & epIQ Creative Group

Wed 3/20 at 10 a.m. – Spring Symposium: Navigating the Transformation of Successful Member Engagement

Dive deep into why and how transformation should be at the heart of your member engagement strategies. Learn about breaking the mold and challenging the status quo. Explore the common pitfalls that hold associations back, like staff turnover, team silos, and the ever-present “time poverty.” 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Dave Will, Co-Founder and CEO, PropFuel

Wed 3/20 at 11 a.m. – Budget Briefing: The 2025 Federal Budget & Appropriations Landscape

Hear about the current state of the FY2025 budget process and what it means for different sectors, insiders’ perspectives on key disagreements and potential concessions, strategic positions of key players like the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and insights to help you anticipate and prepare for potential effects on your organization. More info/register.

Host: CQ

Speakers:

Paul M. Krawzak, senior writer on the budget, appropriations, and tax team, CQ and Roll Call
Aidan Quigley, budget and appropriations reporter, CQ and Roll Call
Caitlin Reilly, tax and economic policy staff writer, CQ and Roll Call
David Lerman (moderator), senior writer, CQ and Roll Call

Wed 3/20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – What Association Leaders Need to Know about AI (Vienna VA)

Learn about AI strategy, planning, and finding the right balance between innovation and risk. Find out how to present AI’s business case to your board, covering opportunity identification, resource allocation, change management, ROI, and ethical considerations, aiming for executive support in AI integration. Location: Vienna VA. More info/register.

Host: designDATA

Speakers:

Kraig Conrad, CEO of NCMA
Bob Corlett, CEO of Staffing Advisors
Erik Haas, VP at designDATA
Greg Starling, Head of Emerging Tech at DTG

Wed 3/20 at 11:15 a.m. – Spring Symposium: Everyone, Every Role Has IT Systems Requirements Responsibilities

Whether you’re a CEO, VP, project manager, developer, user, or other, you have a role in the requirements project. It is imperative that everyone in the organization understand their role and accountability in a requirements analysis initiative. Find out how requirements play a critical role in every tech-dependent project. Learn about various types of requirements, including business, system, user, functional, and nonfunctional requirements. Delve into how an organization’s characteristics and culture affect the outcome of a requirements analysis endeavor. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: David Coriale, CAE, President, Delcor

Wed 3/20 at 12 p.m. – Database Throwdown: AMS vs CRM

The technology landscape within the association industry is always evolving. While the need for CRM-like functionality has been influenced by market factors to provide a more member-centered experience, associations still need to run their businesses. Explore whether future technology stacks will benefit from an “all-in” investment in the CRM model or if AMS will continue to have staying power. More info/register.

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Speakers: Adam Higgins, CTO, and Chandler Miller, Senior Digital Advisor, HighRoad Solutions

Wed 3/20 at 12 p.m. – How To Master Earned Media For Associations

Discover how to identify compelling stories within your association and strategically target the most effective media outlets. Learn to position your association effectively by crafting a narrative that highlights your unique mission and member stories and create a killer pitch that captures a journalist’s attention. Learn how to amplify media wins through member communication, enrich your press page, creatively repurpose content, and engage in proactive outreach to build sustained momentum and strengthen relationships with journalists. More info/register.

Host: OnWrd & UpWrd

Speakers: Colleen Gallagher, President & CEO, and Keaveny Hewitt, Senior Account Executive, OnWrd & UpWrd

Wed 3/20 at 1 p.m. – Non-profits: Spring Cleaning Your Sponsorship Proposal Strategy

Discover practical tips and best practices to refresh your approach, increase your chances of success, and secure valuable partnerships. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your sponsorship game and attract the support your organization deserves. More info/register.

Host: Lori Zoss Kraska, founder and CEO, Growth Owl

Wed 3/20 at 1 p.m. – Crystal Ball Predictions for the Future of Associations

Hear what the panelists’ organizations are seeing in their professions, with their memberships, and what this means for associations moving forward. Find out about association challenges with workplace culture, knowledge transfer and team member learning experiences, changing business models and resulting opportunities for associations, and the impact on associations with leadership focused on consensus building. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

Lindsay Currie, CAE, Executive Officer, Council on Undergraduate Research
Nick Marzano, CAE, Chief of Strategy, Society of Hospital Medicine
Ben Muscolino, President & CEO, Breezio
Erica Poff, PMP, CAE, IOM, Vice President of Education, ARMA International

Wed 3/20 at 1 p.m. – Disruption and Transformation: What Else Should We Expect?

As the economic environment and hotel structure continue to change at a rapid pace, it is important to understand the current outlook, economic concerns and forecasts that will dictate behavior in all business environments. Hear about the latest trends and the impact in the hotel industry and meeting dynamics. Gain a better understanding of the economic environment, how structural changes will have an impact in 2024 and beyond, identify ways to optimize your ability to maneuver through this quickly changing environment. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Prevue Meetings

Speaker: Mike Dominguez, President & CEO, Associated Luxury Hotels International

Wed 3/20 at 1 p.m. – MasterTHIS: SEO

Hear strategies for identifying why website traffic is down and actionable tips for recovery. Learn how to become more visible in search through a framework that actually makes sense. Get answers to questions like: When should you ignore SEO? Do you really have a shot at that phrase? How can you optimize without sacrificing your visitors’ experience? Get a mini-measurement framework using another of marketing’s most vexing tools: Google Analytics 4. More info/register.

Host: Content Marketing Institute

Speakers:

Andy Crestodina, Co-Founder & CMO, Orbit Media
Zack Kadish, Sr. SEO Strategy Director, Conductor
Stephanie Stahl, General Manager, Content Marketing Institute

Wed 3/20 at 1:15 p.m. – Spring Symposium: A Practical Approach to Cybersecurity in the Age of Hybrid Work and AI-Powered Fraud

It’s not possible for busy association leaders to stay up-to-date with all things cybersecurity, especially as the rate of technological change continues to increase exponentially. Get up to speed on the threats and strategies that matter most to organizations like yours in March 2024—a time when employees and members are more dispersed than ever, and when artificial intelligence is raising at least as many questions as it answers. Hear about practical frameworks, real-life examples, and clear action items to turn a complex and intimidating subject into one you’re ready to tackle head-on. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Heinan Landa, Founder & CEO, Optimal Networks

Wed 3/20 at 2 p.m. – 5 Strategic Tips to Generate Non-Dues Revenue Using an LMS

Learn five strategies for generating non-dues revenue with an LMS: content licensing and partnerships, sponsorship opportunities, online courses and certifications, continuing education units, and customized training programs for member organizations. More info/register.

Host: MapleLMS

Speakers: Matt Peterson, Relationship Director, and Avin Tiwari, Customer Training Manager, MapleLMS

Wed 3/20 at 2 p.m. – A Playbook for the Complex: Executing Your Conference Plan

Using our own conference as a case study, we’ll share insights and best practices from both our experiences and broader industry trends. Gain expertise in event planning timelines and collaborative strategies that align with your organizational objectives. Discover techniques for crafting dynamic, personalized attendee and content experiences. Learn to leverage advanced technology and data analysis for streamlined logistics and improved engagement. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speaker: Alyssa Peltier, Director, Market Insights, Cvent

Wed 3/20 at 2 p.m. – Creating Memorable Off-Site Experiences

Hear about strategies for offsetting the intensity of meetings with extraordinary off-property excursions, ways to source off-site venues and connect with locals to provide authentic experiences, and ideas for accommodating groups of various fitness levels and needs. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speakers:

Shannon DuPont, Director of Program Development, TeamBonding
Lizzy Styles, Senior Director of Creative Strategy and Event Design, Hosts Global
Sarah J.F. Braley (moderator), Managing Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Wed 3/20 at 2:30 p.m. – Spring Symposium: Designing Memorable Experiences: Leveraging Design Thinking and AI in Event Management

Create events that leave a lasting impression by mastering the art of design thinking and AI integration. In the world of event management, the power of a compelling experience cannot be overstated. This comprehensive course will equip you with the design thinking principles that empower human-centric innovation and AI’s advanced capabilities to refine event strategies and enhance engagement. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill McGlade, President, Community Leaders Institute & epIQ Creative Group

Thu 3/21 at 9:30 a.m. – Association Percolator

Join an informal chat about small staff association pain points. What have you experienced? Check in with other association professionals Thursday mornings. What’s percolating in your world? Bring your burning questions and hot topics. And coffee. More info/register.

Host: Association Marketplace

Thu 3/21 at 11 a.m. – Deep Dive: 2024 Membership Performance Benchmark Report

Hear the results of a survey of 1,478 association and membership professionals. Explore how different generations approach membership issues and decision-making. Find out the top three goals and challenges of your peers. Learn actionable strategies for member retention, engagement, and growth. See the top uses for AI to streamline operations and member engagement. More info/register.

Host: iMIS by ASI

Thu 3/21 at 12 p.m. – Inspiring Leaders: A Celebration of Women’s History Month

The journeys of so many women have touched our lives and empowered us—from giant presences to tiny moments. Join a discussion on innovative women who have inspired us in a variety of ways. Focusing on characteristics of female leadership, we are hoping participants share stories that highlight historic figures as well as women warriors we know personally. We will wrap-up our session by tying our cultivated list of characteristics into female leaders in the association world. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Thu 3/21 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

The live discussions will be predominately in CAE education domains related to member ROI on the first and third Wednesdays of the month with some exceptions, like this month. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Thu 3/21 at 12 p.m. – The Future of Advertising: Optimize Your Ad Spend With Audience-Based Buying

Hear about the benefits of incorporating a modern buying, audience centric approach to capture the right customers for your business. Learn how to take advantage of evolving consumer media habits instead of being impaired by them, move beyond age and gender to behaviors and attitudes to target more effectively, and overcome audience fragmentation and target customers across a wide variety of media. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: David Shellhorse, Director of Market Research & Insights at Spectrum Reach

Thu 3/21 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Member Engagement Lab: You Pick Your Adventure

Identify new strategies, solve real problems, experiment, and share ideas on member engagement. Which stakeholder group do you most want to engage? Attendees? Potential volunteers? Sponsors? Exhibitors? Students? Young professionals? You’ll vote on the stakeholder group you most want to engage with, and we’ll experiment with many great ideas you can apply immediately. 1.5 CAE credit. More info/register.

Hosts: Impexium and Billhighway

Facilitator: Amanda Lea Kaiser, keynote speaker and author of Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community

Thu 3/21 at 1 p.m. – 7 Tips for Marketing to Millennials

Studies show that Millennials are now the largest B2B tech buyer group, making 59% of B2B buyers, with over 30% leading the charge and making those purchase decisions. Learn seven practical tips to apply to your marketing strategy to attract this audience and pull them through your buyer’s journey from prospects to advocates. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Sam Bush, Senior Partner Marketing Manager, FloQast

Thu 3/21 at 1 p.m. – Video Accessibility Essentials

Get an overview of video accessibility guidelines, including a comprehensive understanding of the legal requirements and industry standards. Explore a range of solutions and how to streamline your accessibility workflows, making it easier and more efficient to create accessible videos without compromising on quality or compliance. Hear about current trends and challenges in video accessibility so you can stay informed about the latest advancements and best practices in the field. More info/register.

Host: The Viscardi Center

Speakers:

Lily Bond, SVP of Marketing, 3Play Media
Mike Caprara (moderator), CIO, The Viscardi Center

Thu 3/21 at 1 p.m. – Brace for Battle: Demystifying the 2025 Tax Reform Landscape for Associations

Learn about the specific organizational tax increases our community will battle against and implications for your association; actionable steps to prepare your organization for tax reform, including member mobilization and relationship management; and tactics to engage lawmakers and build powerful advocacy coalitions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register (free for ASAE members).

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Lynda Bouchard Patterson, FASAE, CAE, President and Owner, AMPED, Chair of the ASAE Board
Jerald A. Jacobs, Esq., Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP
Sandra Swirski, Founder, Integer, LLC
Mary Kate Cunningham, CAE, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, ASAE

Thu 3/21 at 2 p.m. – Only Marketers in the Building: Successful Campaign Strategies for Small Teams

Discover how to make the most of your resources, leverage digital tools effectively, and craft strategies that punch above their weight. Learn about the different aspects of a marketing campaign strategy, how to set goals, define activities and tactics, uncover risks, discover new opportunities, and manage the campaign. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Mighty Citizen

Speakers: Joi Bass, Director of Marketing, and Alicia Ritchey, Senior Marketing Strategist, Mighty Citizen

Thu 3/21 at 3 p.m. – From Members to Co-Leaders: How to Drive Member Engagement & Mission-Focused Growth

Hear how to master the art of creating future leaders through meaningful member engagement. Learn how to create an environment where diverse ideas shape the future, boosting adaptability and innovation, and how to identify and nurture the visionaries within your association, keeping your strategies ahead of the curve. Explore adaptive strategy frameworks to navigate disruptions and outperform outdated plans, and intertwining leadership with strategy to foster a culture that evolves and thrives on change. More info/register.

Host: Grype Digital

Speaker: Lowell Aplebaum, CEO of Vista Cova

Thu 3/21 at 4 p.m. – Piloting AI by Starting with Your Association’s Marketing Team (ASAE Reston Loudoun Swap)

AI is the big craze, and everyone is excited about it, but many are skeptical and even concerned about how it may affect our lives and associations. Learn how AI can energize your association’s marketing initiatives, increase your revenue and reduce expenses. Hear how to construct AI policies for your organization, copyright and other AI issues, use cases and experience with various tools, and piloting AI in your association. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Reston Loudoun Swap

Speaker: Cathy Lada, CAE, Fractional CMO

Fri 3/22 at 4 p.m. – Association and Nonprofit Ethics

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Cindy Ziegler, Vice Chair of the ASAE Ethics Committee and the Director of Governance and Special Initiatives at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

Tue 3/26 at 11 a.m. – Strategic Partnership Essentials: 7 Key Elements in High Demand by Corporate Sponsors

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, Founder and Chief Principal, Growth Owl, LLC

Wed 3/27 from 9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. – LMS Demo Days

See presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer learning management systems platforms. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Participants: Enigma Chat, Crowd Wisdom LMS by Community Brands, MapleLMS, Thought Industries, LearnUpon, Cadmium Elevate, BenchPrep

Wed 3/27 at 12 p.m. – Spark Joy, Not Burnout: Tips to Increase Volunteer Satisfaction

Hosts: Impexium & Mariner Management

Wed 3/27 at 12 p.m. – Getting the Most from Your Learning and Development Budget

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Wed 3/27 at 3 p.m. – Navigating the Member Journey Part 3: Using Your Data to Optimize Event Revenue

Host: Association Analytics

Speaker: Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics

Thu 3/28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – LMS Demo Days

See presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer learning management systems platforms. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Participants: D2L, Accredible, Blue Sky eLearn, Cadmium EthosCE, TopClass LMS by ASI, Freestone LMS by Community Brands

Thu 3/28 at 12 p.m. – Podcasting Unplugged: Ready to Amplify Your Association’s Voice?

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers: Colby Horton and Frank Humada, Association Briefings

Thu 3/28 at 1 p.m. (and the following three Thursdays) – Association Creative Marketing Masterclass

Host: Association Academy

Lead instructor: Chris Gloede, Chief Consultant for Ricochet Advisory Services

Thu 3/28 at 3 p.m. – ASAE Q1 Consultant Community Call

ASAE staff provides an update to the ASAE consultant community. A range of topics will be covered. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

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.

Creative Commons licensed photo by Hugo Kruip via Unsplash

Amazon and AssociationBrainFood.com links allow me to earn a royalty on any sales or leads that result from clicking. Thank you!

Association Brain Food: 3.8.24

The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…

2024 association trends. Fíonta shares what they’ve been hearing and seeing lately in the association community and what they suspect is on the horizon. As you might expect, AI is on the list, but they look beyond the usual discussion points. They also give their take on sunsetting, membership models, subscription tactics, community and releasing the need for perfection.

Education program marketing. TopClass LMS published another recap from the recent Learning Business Summit. This time, they suggest eight marketing principles you should revisit or explore, most of them based on behavioral science. Humans… so persuadable!

Mentoring programs. The Art of Mentoring’s guide on association mentoring programs explains how to address potential pitfalls and design issues you might encounter around chapter relations, funding, code of conduct, CE credits, matching and success metrics.

Opportunity or doom. “It’s the end of the world as we knew it,” says Dean West at Association Laboratory. “In 2024, the data continues to show how the historical assumptions that drove association strategy are less and less valid.” The Lab’s recent environmental scan prompted this wake-up call for associations. I only hope everyone pays attention to his warning.

Loneliness. Chavie Lieber at the Wall Street Journal describes how startups are attempting to provide a cure for the loneliness epidemic (gift link). Their solutions will help some people, but can’t association chapters play a role too? Chapters should offer plenty of member-organized social meetups, not just education programs.

Event marketing. You’ve probably seen survey reports about people registering later for events than in the past. Lots of folks stay on the fence and then decide to save their money and time. Your marketing plan has to work extra hard to convince your audience to make the trip. GrowthZone explains what to do before, during and after an event to help increase registrations and attendance.

Association email benchmarks. Higher Logic’s 2023 Association Email Benchmark Report rounds up data and trends based on the emails of 1500 associations. The report also provides information about privacy regulations and Gmail/Yahoo email authentication for bulk senders, along with tips for improving email performance.

Quick hits

“Despite Google’s protestations to the contrary, the reasons for Gemini’s shortcomings are mostly political, not technological.” | by Nate Silver

A reality check about the State of the Culture, 2024. Or a glimpse into post-entertainment society—it’s not pretty either way. | by Ted Gioia

A country shaped by poetry: Somaliland’s poets have toppled governments and ushered in peace. | by Nina Strochlic, Noema

The School of Resentment is ascendant, but ephemeral; the Western Canon may yet endure. It better or people will keep getting dumber. | by Corbin K. Barthold, City Journal

Italian rugby players burst into Nessun Dorma in the locker room after their Under-20s Six Nations win. | via ClassicFM

Yasher Ali’s dog comes home with his buddy—video.

Chillax with the jellyfish cam at Monterey Aquarium.

You never grow old at the table

I get it. You’re not exactly wowed by the idea of fish cakes. But if you like crab cakes and you like fish, what’s not to like? We loved these flounder cakes—a NYT recipe by Sam Sifton, but the link goes to an archive site. I used Emeril’s Essence, Old Bay and ground red New Mexican chile for spices, a mix of Ritz, Saltine and roasted garlic wasa crackers, and cilantro instead of parsley.

For the side, I rounded up most of the vegetables in the kitchen, chopped or sliced them, and spread them on two sheet pans to roast: butternut squash, sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli stems, red onion, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground ancho chile and s/p.

Earlier in the week, tasty and bright citrusy coconut black sea bass with roasted broccoli on the side. And the next night, creamy pesto swordfish, what an excellent idea. I added lemon and orange zest to the pesto cream sauce along with Parmesan cheese.

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 3/8 at 4 p.m. EST* – Movie Discussion on 9 to 5 and Its Relevance in 2024

Join us for a networking discussion about the 1980 movie “9 to 5” and how it is still relevant today. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Facilitator: Marjie George

*All events are online at Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

Mon 3/11 at 8 a.m. – The Duty of Foresight (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Jeff De Cagna, FASAE, executive advisor, Foresight First LLC

Mon 3/11 at 11 a.m. – World Café: Shifting International Growth from Ad-Hoc to Strategic

Explore what triggers associations to shift from an ad hoc to a more intentional approach to international growth. Hear why associations decided to go global and what board conversations and research facilitated their process. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Eryn Carter, CAE, Executive Director, Association of Legal Administrators
Jim Piechowski, CAE, Senior Director, Global Business Development, HOCK International

Moderators:

Jakub Konysz, MBA, CAE, Founder and CEO, Global Navigators
Christine Kokaisel, CAE, Senior Director, Membership, American Academy of Neurology
Donald P Whittle, Director of Membership, International Coaching Federation

Mon 3/11 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays: What Does Member Engagement Mean to You?

What are you looking for when talking about member engagement? What tools have worked/haven’t worked in capturing that information? More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Tue 3/12 at 11 a.m. – Social Media & AI Bootcamp Series 2024: Generative AI in Social Media Marketing: Wins, Pitfalls, and Everything In Between

Learn about the latest social media tools, activating AI-powered capabilities across listening and automation and building an intelligent social enterprise in this disruptive landscape. Find out how generative AI is transforming social media workflows, best practices on leveraging AI for social media marketing, and how brands can benefit from a more unified approach when harnessing gen AI because of better data unification and therefore models.

More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Buddy Waddington, Manager, Insights and AI, Sprinklr

Tue 3/12 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesday Slam Dunk: Successful Strategies to Manage Your IT Project Portfolio

Managing your IT project portfolio is like juggling multiple March Madness brackets—requiring skill, precision, and strategic thinking. Join an interactive discussion around diverse strategies for keeping all your IT projects running like a championship team. Share your own or discover insights on successfully navigating the chaotic yet exhilarating game of IT project portfolio management. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Facilitators: Reggie Henry of ASAE and Dave Coriale of DelCor Technology Solutions

Tue 3/12 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ 2024 Community Call

Openly share and discuss topics that are current and significant to the LGBTQIA2+ association community. Whether you have burning questions, pressing issues, or insightful experiences to share, this judgment-free zone welcomes your valuable contributions. Support, learn from each other, and build a stronger, more inclusive community. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Tue 3/12 at 1 p.m. – 7 Tips for Marketing to Millennials

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Sam Bush, Senior Partner Marketing Manager, FloQast

Tue 3/12 at 1 p.m. – Ethical Blind Spots of AI in Education: Reimagined

AI promises revolutionary learning experiences, but without careful consideration, it can also perpetuate harmful biases and inequalities. Learn how to identify and mitigate the ethical risks of AI in their classrooms, including bias in data sets, algorithmic transparency, and strategies for human-centered AI implementation. Explore practical solutions for promoting fair and responsible AI use in your teaching practice, ensuring every student benefits from the potential of this powerful technology. More info/register.

Host: D2L

Speakers:

Van Davis, Chief Strategy Officer at WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies
Robert MacAuslan, Interim Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Southern New Hampshire University
Robbie Melton, Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Technology Innovation at SMART Global Technology Innovation Center
Cristi Ford (moderator), Vice President of Academic Affairs at D2L

Tue 3/12 at 2 p.m. – 5 Digital Engagement Trends for 2024

Hear about emerging trends in digital experiences, new insights about audience behavior and top tips for how to successfully drive digital engagement throughout the year. Learn about new types of digital experiences to try, delivering fresh content formats across the funnel, the next phase of live, on-demand and hybrid events, and opportunities to improve personalization and sales conversion. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Mark Bornstein, VP, Content Marketing and Chief Evangelist, ON24

Tue 3/12 at 3 p.m. – Tools and Tactics to Attract New Members in Your Association: Insights for Unprecedented Growth

Discover proven strategies to attract new members and boost your membership growth, including: understanding the needs and behavior of your target audience for effective messaging, the power of storytelling on your public website to attract and engage potential members, identifying the strongest tools in your current membership to attract new members, and best practices to communicate your value proposition to potential members. More info/register.

Host: Grype Digital

Speaker: Farhad Khan, CEO and member strategist, Grype Digital

Wed 3/13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Beyond the Numbers: A Psychometric Q&A

If you’ve ever had a burning question for your psychometric partner this session is for you. We will begin with a breakout session, where participants can sit with panelists to ask specific questions about their exam development, and experience—and get a response from a psychometric point of view. We’ll then transition to a panel discussion format to discuss the full test development life cycle from soup to nuts. More info/register.

Host: Certification Network Group

Breakout speakers:

Exams and Technology – Marcus Bolton
Assessment Integrity – William Luse
Exam Assembly – Frank Williams
Competency Modeling – Troy Brightson
Credential Monetization – Christopher Sanders

Wed 3/13 at 11 a.m. – Top 8 Insider Cybersecurity Threats and How to Stop Them

Learn about insider threats—a menace that often eludes conventional IT security tools. Discover how these threats can compromise your organization’s sensitive data and operations, understand why traditional security measures fall short in detecting these threats, and more importantly, learn effective strategies to mitigate them. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Stacey Campbell, Director of Business Development, and Chris Rounds, Senior Solutions Architect, Express Info

Wed 3/13 at 12 p.m. – Elevate Your Team Using CliftonStrengths

Learn about CliftonStrengths and how it helps teams become 6x more likely to engage in their jobs and 3x more likely to report having an excellent quality of life. Discover how teams apply CliftonStrengths to communicate more effectively, engage more actively, and achieve their goals. Hear about examples of learning content and exercises teams use to know themselves better and to identify and fill strengths-gaps. More info/register.

Host: Achurch Consulting

Speaker: Rae Ann S. Johnson, Esq., legal advisor for Achurch Consulting

Wed 3/13 at 1 p.m. – Your Ads Suck: The Transformation Playbook for Skyrocketing Conversions

Get a no-nonsense, actionable guide to overhauling your social ad strategies for Meta, Google, LinkedIn, and more. Discover insider tips and strategies for crafting ads that don’t just attract eyes but actively convert them into leads and sales, ensuring your business stands out in the crowded digital landscape. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill McGlade, President, Community Leaders Institute & epIQ Creative Group

Wed 3/13 at 1 p.m. – What an Event Attendee Wants

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Kirstin Sargent, Meetings & Events Team Lead, Cvent

Wed 3/13 at 2 p.m. – Special Panel: Women’s Leadership Through the Generations

While the meetings and events industry is nearly 70% female—and more than 85% female in the U.S.—women represent only 20% of C-level positions such as CEO and chairs of boards. Hear from four generations of women in meetings and events about their experiences in the industry, what they’ve learned about the roles women play and their biggest pieces of advice in relation to women empowerment. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speakers:

Baby Boomer: Laura Purdy, CEM, CMM, General Manager, Exhibition Place
Gen X: Twyler Jenkins, President & Chief Strategist, Strategic Event Solutions; CEO and Founder, I Am That Woman Movement
Millennial: Liz Smith, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Partner, Eight One Eight Events
Gen Z: Nikki Gonzales, Chief of Staff, Soundings

Thu 3/14 at 11 a.m. – Beyond Certifications: Core Principles of Membership and Corporate Recognition Programs

Hear about three membership recognition program types. Learn how to implement best practices aligned with international standards; develop recognition requirements through stakeholder engagement, industry validation, and professional review; and achieve transparency in programs through collaboration between industry leaders, professionals, and association staff to ensure fair requirements. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jeffrey Greenwald, President, Operative Greenwald, Inc.

Thu 3/14 at 11 a.m. – Designing Collaborative Experiences with Breakout Rooms

Learn how to design breakout experiences that will fully engage your learners and boost active participation, create collaborative exercises that encourage engagement and knowledge sharing, and moderate multiple breakout sessions at once. More info/register.

Host: eLearning Industry

Speaker: Alistair Lee, Adobe

Thu 3/14 at 12 p.m. – Managing Volunteers in a New Environment

ASAE’s Research Foundation’s latest research looked at effective models for volunteer management and organizational success based on input from about 700 association executives in 49 associations. to map out a new vision of association volunteer systems. Find out how associations are embracing volunteer management in a changing environment. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Xchange

Speaker: Peggy Hoffman, FASAE, CAE, president of Mariner Management & Marketing, LLC

Thu 3/14 at 12:30 p.m. – Hidden Keys to Success for the First-Time Chief Staff Executive

Hear priceless lessons learned that are perfect for anyone newly appointed or aspiring to the top spot, such as the professional and personal challenges, rewards, and surprises the panel encountered—including some that are not often discussed. Find out what they wished they’d known before taking on their roles, what surprised them, and what sustains them in their work. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Executive Management Professionals Advisory Council

Speakers:

Shawn E. Boynes, FASAE, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, American Counseling Association
Grant Carpenter, Executive Director, Indiana Society of Association Executives
Ona Alston Dosunmu, J.D., CAE, President & CEO, National Association of College and University Attorneys
Sharon Kneebone, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director, American Academy of Pain Medicine
Cynthia Young (moderator), CAE, Executive Director, American Art Therapy Association

Thu 3/14 at 2 p.m. – Contract Clauses You Need in 2024

Learn about what to include—and not include—in venue contracts, real-world force majeure clause triggers in a post-Covid world, and tips for managing AI and data privacy concerns. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speaker: hospitality law attorney Darryl Cohen

Fri 3/15 at 1 p.m. – AI Policy Expert Exchange

Host: Quorum

Speakers:

Reggie Babin, Senior Counsel
Hans Rickhoff, Partner, Akin
Ryan Thompson, Senior Advisor

Fri 3/15 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

Organizer: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Tue 3/19 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio

Tue 3/19 from 3 to 6 p.m. – 2024 AWTC Awards Ceremony (Washington DC)

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 3/20 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Spring Symposium (Washington DC)

Session 1: Navigating the Transformation of Successful Member Engagement

Session 2: Everyone, Every Role has IT Systems Requirements Responsibilities

Session 3: A Practical Approach to Cybersecurity in the Age of Hybrid Work and AI-Powered Fraud

Session 4: Designing Memorable Experiences: Leveraging Design Thinking and AI in Event Management

4 CAE credits. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Dave Will, Co-Founder and CEO, PropFuel
David Coriale, CAE, President, Delcor
Heinan Landa, Founder & CEO, Optimal Networks
Bill McGlade, President, Community Leaders Institute & epIQ Creative Group

Wed 3/20 at 10 a.m. – Spring Symposium: Navigating the Transformation of Successful Member Engagement

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Dave Will, Co-Founder and CEO, PropFuel

Wed 3/20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – What Association Leaders Need to Know about AI (Vienna VA)

Host: designDATA

Speakers:

Kraig Conrad, CEO of NCMA
Bob Corlett, CEO of Staffing Advisors
Erik Haas, VP at designDATA
Greg Starling, Head of Emerging Tech at DTG

Wed 3/20 at 11:15 a.m. – Spring Symposium: Everyone, Every Role Has IT Systems Requirements Responsibilities

Host: UST Education

Speaker: David Coriale, CAE, President, Delcor

Wed 3/20 at 12 p.m. – Database Throwdown – AMS vs CRM

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Speakers: Adam Higgins, CTO, and Chandler Miller, Senior Digital Advisor, HighRoad Solutions

Wed 3/20 at 1 p.m. – Non-profits: Spring Cleaning Your Sponsorship Proposal Strategy

Host: Lori Zoss Kraska, founder and CEO, Growth Owl

Wed 3/20 at 1 p.m. – MasterTHIS: SEO

Host: Content Marketing Institute

Speakers:

Andy Crestodina, Co-Founder & CMO, Orbit Media
Zack Kadish, Sr. SEO Strategy Director, Conductor
Stephanie Stahl, General Manager, Content Marketing Institute

Wed 3/20 at 1:15 p.m. – Spring Symposium: A Practical Approach to Cybersecurity in the Age of Hybrid Work and AI-Powered Fraud

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Heinan Landa, Founder & CEO, Optimal Networks

Wed 3/20 at 2:30 p.m. – Spring Symposium: Designing Memorable Experiences: Leveraging Design Thinking and AI in Event Management

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill McGlade, President, Community Leaders Institute & epIQ Creative Group

Thu 3/21 at 11 a.m. – Deep Dive: 2024 Membership Performance Benchmark Report

Host: iMIS by ASI

Thu 3/21 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Member Engagement Lab: You Pick Your Adventure

Hosts: Impexium and Billhighway

Facilitator: Amanda Lea Kaiser, keynote speaker and author of Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community

Thu 3/21 at 2 p.m. – Only Marketers in the Building: Successful Campaign Strategies for Small Teams

Host: Mighty Citizen

Speakers: Joi Bass, Director of Marketing, and Alicia Ritchey, Senior Marketing Strategist, Mighty Citizen

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.

Creative Commons licensed photo by Erda Estremera via Unsplash

Amazon and AssociationBrainFood.com links allow me to earn a royalty on any sales or leads that result from clicking. Thank you!

Association Brain Food: 3.1.24

The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…

Education programs. TopClass LMS shares another recap of a session from the Learning Business Summit. They describe how to apply best practices in cognitive, learning and behavioral sciences when designing education programs, so learners are more likely to retain and apply new competencies on the job.

Sponsorships. Bruce Rosenthal and Dan Kowitz offer a reality check about sponsorships. When associations canceled their conferences during the pandemic, sponsors and exhibitors found other ways to achieve their marketing goals. Companies still have money to spend, but they might not spend it with you, unless you offer what they really want. They’re looking for year-round partnerships, not just a name drop and logo display at an annual event.

Advertising. Have you heard of Connected TV (CTV) advertising? I hadn’t. Marketing General Inc. (MGI) explains how CTV reaches viewers, especially cord-cutters, that traditional advertising can’t because it appears on streaming services, smart TV apps and on-demand video platforms. It costs about the same as other digital advertising tactics.

AMS onboarding. Janna Marks at Matrix Group shares six tips for introducing new staff to your AMS. Share this one with colleagues who can build these tips into new employee onboarding. I’ve got one more tip: have them join your AMS users group and go to its events. If your AMS doesn’t have a users group, find other users and start your own.

Member expectations. Hannah Carvalho at Associations Now recaps a report from Forj that surveyed association members to better understand the expectations they have for their associations and how well their associations are living up to them. Education and community are the top priorities for members. Community-driven learning, like online cohort programs, meets both those member expectations.

AI for associations. In this success kit from Nimble AMS, you get four resources: two half-hourish webinar recordings about AI for associations and two white papers, one an introduction to AI for associations and one on developing an AI strategy.

Quick hits

Sitting for too long is bad for your health. I know you know that, but Allie Volpe at Vox shares ideas for moving your body throughout the day.

Just what you need to pretend you’re elsewhere, a bald eagle cam from Big Bear Valley in California. Nice view, too!

You never grow old at the table

Monkfish might be my favorite fish, although it’s tough to beat fresh wild salmon, which I was lucky enough to enjoy seasonally, thanks to a generous neighbor, when I lived on the west coast. Last week, we got a gigantic piece of monkfish in our seafood share. All I did was pan-fry it in a mix of butter and grapeseed oil (heavy on the butter) and squeeze lemon over it at the end. The nerve-wracking part is not overcooking monkfish. It will toughen up if you do, but I didn’t, phew.

On the side, roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato with red onion, bacon, garlic powder, thyme and s/p. The next night, Mummy Lorraine speckled sea trout fillets topped with a mix of crushed Ritz crackers, lemon zest, garlic powder, ground New Mexican chile and melted butter.

On Sunday, I made braised chicken thighs with salami and olives, a recipe from New Orleans chef Donald Link. So good. I served it over polenta. Here’s an easy, quick way to make polenta in the microwave.

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 3/1 at 4 p.m.* – Panel Discussion: Issues Women Face at Work That Men Don’t, and How Men Can Be Allies

Our panel members will discuss issues they have faced in the workplace simply because they are women. Our discussion will also include how men can be allies at work when they see women treated differently. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speakers: Jennifer Baker, Anuja Miner, Jennifer Poff, LaToya Tapscott, and K. Malaika Walton

*All events are online at Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.

Mon 3/4 at 8 a.m. – Stop the Nonprofit Board Blame Game (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Hardy Smith, keynote speaker, trainer, consultant, author, Hardy Smith Consulting, LLC

Tue 3/5 at 12 p.m. – Generative AI and Analytics, Part 2 (Data Analytics Network)

Explore generative AI and analytics. Planned topics include: AI rollout—introduction and implementation with your staff, policies, etc.; content attribution—copyrights, legal ramifications, etc.; custom LLMs—how to explore, implementation, etc.; and other AI besides LLMs—what other technologies should you be considering, use cases, etc. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Speaker: Conor Sibley, CTO, Higher Logic

Tue 3/5 at 2 p.m. – Association Chat: The Inner Lives of Effective Leaders

You may think most high-performing professionals work harder. Network more. Perform from a deep well of confidence. But could the truth be that the most effective leaders—the top 10-15%—are the most self-aware? Explore the inner lives of leaders and leadership. Discover why inner work matters more than ever in the workplace; three practices that can dramatically change how you think, what you do, and how you feel; and how to recalibrate your mindset for more ease, flow, and authentic confidence. More info/register.

Host: KiKi L’Italien, VP of Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M

Guest: Zovig Garboushian, Executive Coach, Speaker & Trainer, PCC, ELI-MP, Certified Change & Transitions Expert

Tue 3/5 at 1 p.m. – Drive Engagement Using Ancient Myth, Social Media and User Generated Video

The Hero’s Journey powers your favorite movies and books, and has become a key to modern marketing. In a world of intense technology change, this ancient story framework can guide us to effective member engagement and communications. Learn where technology is going and why it matters for your organization; what is the Hero’s Journey and how it applies to companies, products, brands, and member engagement; how video content is dominating the online landscape and how that changes your strategy; and how state-of-the-art tools and technology can give you access to the kinds of stories that move people to action. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Michael Hoffman, Co-Founder and CEO, Gather Voices

Wed 3/6 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. – Beyond the Hype: Harnessing the Power of AI and BI in Your AMS (Washington DC)

Explore strategic insights and practical applications of Artificial Intelligence and Business Intelligence you need to transform your association. Learn how AI and predictive analytics are transforming association processes, including membership renewal, dues processing, and reporting; how to fuel data-driven insights across every team; and how to use intelligent recommendations to drive faster decisions. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Hosts: Fíonta, FusionSpan, Nimble, RSM and Salesforce

Wed 3/6 at 11 a.m. – Master Employee Onboarding with Thoughtful IT: Top 7 Tips

One of the quickest ways to tarnish a new employee’s perception of your association is to throw them into a sloppy technology setup. Technology will make or break the employee onboarding experience. As top talent becomes more and more difficult to attract and retain, mastering this process becomes mission critical. Learn about IT’s critical role in a positive onboarding experience; best practices to maximize productivity, engagement, and security; and equipment recommendations to empower hybrid and remote workers. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Heinan Landa, Founder & CEO, Optimal Networks

Wed 3/6 at 12 p.m. – Leverage Your Intranet to Supercharge Knowledge Sharing

Hear best practices to help you break down silos and create greater collaboration and higher organizational awareness. Use code L-12DReid2024 for free registration.

Host: Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, CEO, L-12 Services Corp.

Speaker: Matthew Koon, engineer, Workplace Engineering

Wed 3/6 at 12 p.m. – Five Steps to Unlock the Power of Your Association’s Research

Discover how to amplify your association’s research impact with a proven five-step strategy, transforming insights into action and influence across your industry. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: AIOT

Speaker: Colleen Lerro Gallagher, CEO, OnWrd & UpWrd

Wed 3/6 at 1 p.m. – Marketing in the AI Era: Tools and Techniques for Strategic Advantage

Discover a range of easy-to-use AI tools tailored for marketing, membership, and communication roles. Delve into an array of AI marketing tools, from SEO optimization using NLP for enhanced semantic analysis and search volume insights, to email tools that optimize content curation. Learn about innovative solutions in content generation, inline editing, image creation, and AI-driven audio editing tools. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Erica Salm Rench, MBA, COO, Rasa.io

Wed 3/6 at 2 p.m. – The 7 Deadly Sins of Fly-ins & How to Overcome Them

Hear about mistakes to avoid when planning and executing your next fly-in, best practices for maximizing your fly-in impact, and tools and techniques to help you amplify the outcome of your event. More info/register.

Host: VoterVoice

Speakers:

Mike Fulton, Public Affairs and Advocacy, The Asher Agency
David Lusk, Founder, Key Advocacy
Stephanie Vance, Managing Partner, Advocacy Associates
Joshua Habursky (moderator), Deputy Executive Director and Chief Lobbyist, Premium Cigar Association

Thu 3/7 at 9:30 a.m. – Association Percolator

Check in with other association professionals every other Thursday. Here’s your chance to ask that burning question or commiserate with your peers about your latest crazy board member. More info/register.

Host: Association Marketplace

Thu 3/7 at 11 a.m. – Unleashing Transformation: Assessing Your Association’s AI Potential

Ready to automate processes, free up time for mission critical work, and ignite a spark of innovation? Assessing the maturity level of your AI tactics is essential to achieving your goals. Learn how to identify where your association falls on a scale from unaware to transformative and learn about the key characteristics that define each category. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Rick Bawcum, CEO and Founder of Cimatri

Thu 3/7 at 12 p.m. – Cultivate Your Association Advantage: Your People

From engaging members to attracting top talent, learn techniques to counter workplace culture challenges, address staff exhaustion or burnout, and explore ways to activate your busy membership. More info/register.

Host: GrowthZone

Speaker: Holly Duckworth, mindful leadership advisor, Leadership International

Thu 3/7 at 12 p.m. – The CEO and the Board: Building and Maintaining a Thriving Relationship

One of the secrets of a high-performing organization is the synergy between the CEO and the board of directors. This doesn’t happen by accident. Are your directors working well together? Do they share the same vision as the chief executive? Find out what your organization can do to keep your team on point and working like a well-oiled machine. More info/register.

Host: Zzeem

Thu 3/7 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

The live discussions will be predominately in CAE education domains related to member ROI on the first and third Thursdays of the month with some exceptions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Thu 3/7 at 12 p.m. – Election Year Compliance Tips for Nonprofit Organizations: Avoiding Legal Compliance Missteps

As this election year heads into full gear, many nonprofit organizations will have questions about the types of advocacy, policy, lobbying, fundraising, outreach and electoral activities they and their employees may undertake to promote their mission and policy objectives. All these activities can present legal compliance challenges relating to IRS requirements, campaign finance and lobbying rules and employment laws. Learn what kinds of activities are impermissible for 501(c)(3) and other nonprofit organizations, what kinds of activities could result in in-kind political contributions or trigger reporting obligation, and what kinds of political activity are nonprofit employees prohibited from engaging in or permitted to engage in. More info/register.

Host: Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP

Thu 3/7 at 1 p.m. – Elevating Your Leadership: A Call to Learn from Your Team’s Wisdom (Part 2 of 2)

Dive into leadership practices through original research focused on one organization that harnessed the wisdom of those they lead to elevate their culture and practice. This session serves as both a guide and a case study, offering tangible takeaways and illustrating the profound wisdom leaders can extract from those they lead every day. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Ryan MacTaggart, PhD, Associate Director, Professional Learning, EDUCAUSE

Thu 3/7 at 1 p.m. – How Digital Marketers Should Prepare for 3rd-Party Cookie Deprecation

The deprecation of 3rd-party cookies on Chrome is a massive change for digital marketers. Targeting prospective customers, personalizing experiences, and tracking across different platforms will soon all work differently (and in some cases, simply not be possible). Learn about what’s changing, the impact on digital marketers, and what you should be doing now to prepare. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers:

Karen Bellin, VP, Data, Analytics and Insights, NP Digital
Cameron Cowan, Senior Director of Product Strategy, ObservePoint
Dave Smith, Chief Technology Officer, ObservePoint

Thu 3/7 at 2 p.m. – Improving Email Deliverability

Hear about a practical approach to improving email delivery and best practices when constructing emails, including what to avoid and how to beat spam filters. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speaker: Ron McGrath, CEO and Co-founder of HighRoad Solutions

Thu 3/7 at 2 p.m. – Navigating AI and Data Privacy in the US: Policy Developments to Watch in 2024

With the landscape of data privacy and AI policy rapidly evolving, the coming months will be crucial in determining the shape of future regulations and the balance between technological innovation and individual privacy rights. Hear about the latest on data privacy and AI policy at the federal level, including executive actions and the Senate’s AI forum. Learn about actions being taken at the state level and how they could impact future policies, and the top AI issues to watch in 2024 and beyond, and what they might mean for your organization. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Speakers:

Gopal Ratnam, Senior Staff Writer, CQ and Roll Call
Neil Suri, Consultant, FiscalNote
Andrew Gamino-Cheong (moderator), CTO & Co-Founder, Trustible

Fri 3/8 at 4 p.m. – Movie Discussion on 9 to 5 and Its Relevance in 2024

Join us for a networking discussion about the 1980 movie “9 to 5” and how it is still relevant today. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Facilitator: Marjie George

Tue 3/12 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesday Slam Dunk: Successful Strategies to Manage Your IT Project Portfolio

Host: ASAE

Facilitators: Reggie Henry of ASAE and Dave Coriale of DelCor Technology Solutions

Tue 3/12 at 1 p.m. – 7 Tips for Marketing to Millennials

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Sam Bush, Senior Partner Marketing Manager, FloQast

Tue 3/12 at 1 p.m. – Ethical Blind Spots of AI in Education: Reimagined

Host: D2L

Speakers:

Van Davis, Chief Strategy Officer at WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies
Robert MacAuslan, Interim Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Southern New Hampshire University
Robbie Melton, Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Technology Innovation at SMART Global Technology Innovation Center
Cristi Ford (moderator), Vice President of Academic Affairs at D2L

Wed 3/13 at 11 a.m. – Top 8 Insider Cybersecurity Threats and How to Stop Them

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Stacey Campbell, Director of Business Development, and Chris Rounds, Senior Solutions Architect, Express Info

Wed 3/13 at 12 p.m. – Elevate Your Team from the Madness Using CliftonStrengths

Find out exactly what “CliftonStrengths” is. Learn how CliftonStrengths helps teams become 6x more likely to engage in their jobs and 3x more likely to report having an excellent quality of life. Discover how teams apply CliftonStrengths to communicate more effectively, engage more actively, and achieve their goals. Hear examples of the learning content and exercises teams use to know themselves better and to identify and fill strengths-gaps within the team. More info/register.

Host: Achurch Consulting

Speaker: Rae Ann S. Johnson, Esq., legal advisor for Achurch Consulting

Wed 3/13 at 1 p.m. – Your Ads Suck: The Transformation Playbook for Skyrocketing Conversions

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill McGlade, President, Community Leaders Institute & epIQ Creative Group

Thu 3/14 at 11 a.m. – Beyond Certifications: Core Principles of Membership and Corporate Recognition Programs

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jeffrey Greenwald, President, Operative Greenwald, Inc.

Thu 3/14 at 12 p.m. – Managing Volunteers in a New Environment

Host: Association Xchange

Speaker: Peggy Hoffman, FASAE, CAE, president of Mariner Management & Marketing, LLC

Fri 3/15 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

Organizer: Cecila Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Creative Commons licensed photo by John Fowler via Unsplash

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You never grow old at the table

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Quick hits

You never grow old at the table

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.

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Quick hits

You never grow old at the table

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.

Share this:

Quick hits

You never grow old at the table

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.

Share this:

Quick hits

You never grow old at the table

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.

Share this:

Quick hits

You never grow old at the table

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.

Share this:

Quick hits

You never grow old at the table

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.

Share this:

Quick hits

You never grow old at the table

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.

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