The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humor.” ~Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Rule #1: don’t kill attendees. No matter how busy you are planning and running an event, you have time to keep attendees alive. Harsh, I know, but Tracy Stuckrath shared an awful story about Dominique Brown, co-founder of BlackGirlDisney, who died from an allergic reaction at an event. Everyone who has anything to do with F&B should know better, but it’s the association team’s job to make sure they act better and not kill anyone. How heartbreaking and completely preventable.
Attendee connections. I’ve read several posts lately about helping attendees connect, but this one from Jeffrey Cufaude is the best so far. He shares a fantastic list of “tactics to make it easier for people to connect and converse that cost next to no time or money.”
Event AI. Here’s a story about a tool you might not have read about yet. The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery used AI tool Zenus to capture attendee behavioral data during their conference and expo—data their sponsors and exhibitors found valuable, a nice bonus.
Abundant thinking. Don’t roll your eyes! This isn’t a woo-woo Instagram influencer post. Katia Verresen at First Round Review explains how abundant thinking can transform your career and organization. She starts with a scarcity vs. abundant thinking diagnostic and then describes six tools (behaviors) to adopt. There’s a lot to digest here, so a reread is in my future.
Future of associations. In this insightful post at HQ The Association Magazine, Belinda Moore describes the challenges and opportunities associations face now and in the future. I especially liked her take on different “tribes” in associations who each have their own interests and needs.
Microlearning. eLearningDOC explains why microlearning is an ideal learning format for busy professionals and how to add it to your association’s education portfolio.
AI adoption. With AI pervading our workplaces, Sharon Rice at .orgSource says, “How we incorporate this unique ability into our organizations is critically important… We can decide what experiences and relationships to create.” The post explains how to use technology, including AI, to “tap into the powerful emotional drivers that spark engagement across association communities.”
RFPs. I’m sure many association professionals and industry partners will relate to this… Maarten Dalmijn says, “If you truly hate someone, give them an RFP.” He explains why RFPs “suck so much” and suggests a better way.
Snacks
How to develop a B2B content strategy, plus real examples. | Relato
A mind-blowing account of author Tao Lin’s spiritual evolution accelerated by his DMT trips and reading about near-death experiences. Prepare yourself for disembodiment, disquieting somethingness, and a body-riding soul. | Tao Lin, Granta
2025 SEO trends: predictions from 23 industry experts. | Chima Mmeje, Moz
You never grow old at the table
Cold rainy night? Make ground beef paprikash and egg noodles. I adapted my birthday buddy Rachael Ray’s recipe by using beef instead of turkey; adding poblano, jalapeño, and tomato paste, and subbing beef broth for chicken broth.
On the side, green beans sautéed with bacon, mushrooms, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, tarragon, chives, rosemary and chicken broth. I grew tarragon this year so I could have it fresh for dishes like this.
If you love Thanksgiving flavors, sprinkle boneless pork chops with dried thyme, salt and pepper, sear them until nearly done, then add cranberry sauce to pan. On the side, butternut squash mashed with maple syrup, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
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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 12/13 at 11 a.m.* – Step into the New Year with Intention
There’s no better milestone than the start of a new year to take the time to reflect and set intentions for the coming year. Intentions are not New Year’s resolutions, as resolutions typically don’t work because they’re often vague and come with too many unrealistic expectations. A simple trick to keep your intentions front and center throughout the year is choosing a word that represents your vision for 2025. Join this AWTC webinar to pause, reset and assess whether your path is still aligned with your goals and values. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Speaker: Jen Lewi, Design your Next Step, Founder & CEO
*All events are online at Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 12/13 at 12 p.m. – Marketing 2025: Association Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
Join an engaging, interactive discussion about marketing trends and challenges associations will face in 2025. Share insights, exchange ideas, and tackle pressing questions about the future of association marketing. From emerging technologies to engaging members and driving revenue, let’s brainstorm strategies and solutions together. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE Marketing Professionals Advisory Committee
Fri 12/13 at 1 p.m. – Leave a Legacy Like Springsteen: How Digital Accessibility & Gifting Can Secure Your Association’s Future
explore how associations can leverage digital accessibility and legacy gifting to enhance member retention, increase lifetime value, and secure a thriving future. Drawing inspiration from Bruce Springsteen’s perspective on leaving a lasting impact, we’ll delve into strategies that cater to the aging Baby Boomer demographic while creating new revenue streams for your association. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Speakers:
- Mark Wallach, MBA, CEO Emeritus, Mobile Engagement Strategies
- Jesse Shorts, Business Development Representative, Blue Sky eLearn
Fri 12/13 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.
Lead facilitator: DeeJay Hastings, CAE, Executive Consultant, Lewis Association Consultants
Fri 12/13 at 2 p.m. – 2025 Gear Up! 14 NEW Quick Tips to get EMAILS Opened & Clicked
Discover the latest in email marketing and see what new trends are increasing open rates and setting you apart from the crowd. Learn actionable tips/tricks that will make a huge impact in your overall campaign performance. More info/register.
Host: GURU Media Hub
Speakers:
- Pierce Ujjaninwalla, co-founder and CEO, Knak
- Jay Schwedelson, founder, SubjectLine.com and GURU Media Hub
Fri 12/13 at 4 p.m. – Fridays@4 Farewell & Holiday Gathering
Join your Fridays@4 friends and colleagues as we say “farewell” to the last four years of great connections and learning. This will be the final meeting of Fridays@4 and will be our holiday networking event. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Mon 12/16 at 8 a.m. – Meetings and Events: USAE News (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: Kevin Tuuaga, LeadingAge California
Mon 12/16 at 3 p.m. – Membership Mondays: Winter Meet & Greet (Washington DC)
Join us for a fun afternoon of networking with the ASAE Membership Professionals Community. Connect with your peers and celebrate another year of Membership Mondays sessions with light refreshments and winter-inspired snacks. Location: Washington DC. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE
Tue 12/17 at 11 a.m. – Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations
Explore the transformative potential of AI for associations. Gain insights into AI readiness, learn how to build a strategic AI roadmap, and understand the financial implications of AI adoption. Hear about the importance of ethics and governance in AI implementation, ensuring responsible and sustainable AI usage within associations. Get equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively integrate AI into their organizations, driving innovation and efficiency. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speaker: Rick Bawcum, CAE, CISSP, CEO and Founder, Cimatri
Tue 12/17 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits
Learn 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. Find out 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 12/17 at 12 p.m. – CRVM Crunch and Munch: Volunteer Onboarding
Our volunteers are our most engaged members. We can ensure their volunteer experience is a positive one by setting them up for success. Join this peer-to-peer idea exchange on ways to orient, train, and prepare our volunteers for their roles. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council
Facilitators:
- Jessica Lombardo, Vice President, Member Engagement, ASIS International
- Michelle Runge, CAE, Director of Chapter Relations, American Inns of Court
Tue 12/17 at 12 p.m. – Predictions for the New Year & How to Prepare
Hear predictions for the new year and exactly what you need to do to prepare. Find out how to develop a winning AI strategy (Hint: No more throwing things at the wall!), AI implications for the workforce—and how to talk about it, and specific steps you can take now to stay ahead. More info/register.
Host: Charlene Li, Founder & CEO, Quantum Networks Group
Tue 12/17 at 12:30 p.m. – Association Rockstars Roundtable: Reflections and Predictions
A cadre of this past year’s Rockstars will talk about the year that has been and the year that will be. More info/register.
Host: Lowell Aplebaum, founder, Vista Cova
Speakers:
- Lindsay Currie, CAE
- Jeff De Cagna AIMP FRSA FASAE
- Matt Gruhn
- Christina Lewellen, MBA, CAE
- Hester Ndoja, CAE
- Samyuktha Neeraja, MPH, CAE
- Joanna Pineda
Tue 12/17 at 1 p.m. – Generative AI: Going from Experimentation to Deployment
Explore how Generative AI has evolved from an experimental concept to a powerful tool reshaping the future. Hear about its practical applications and the impact it can have on association engagement, operations, and member value today. See how adopting Generative AI can propel your association’s mission forward in transformative ways. More info/register.
Host: Momentive Software
Speaker: Jake Juby, Director of Engineering, Momentive Software
Tue 12/17 at 2:30 p.m. – The Future of Association Boards Community Dialogue
Discuss the problems geographic composition creates for seating high-performing association boards and other issues. More info/register.
Host: Jeff De Cagna, executive advisor, Foresight First LLC
Wed 12/18 at 11 a.m. – 2025 Event Trends and Predictions: Discover What’s Next in the Events Industry
Hear our expert panel’s key insights, actionable strategies, and innovative ideas that will help you stay ahead of the curve. We’ll cover emerging event tech from GenAI meeting agendas to augmented reality; meeting trends, including how ecosystem events are driving new meeting formats; monetization trends, such as unlocking new sponsorship opportunities and maximize ROI; and the future of 24hr experiences where your 6pm-2am schedule is as important as 10am – 4pm. More info/register.
Host: Grip
Speakers:
- Enrico Gallorini, Co-Founder & CEO of GRS Research and Strategy; President, Info Salons; and Partner, Explori
- Devon Montgomery Pasha CMP, CED, Director of North America, Event Design Collective
- Tim Groot, Founder and CEO, Grip
- Hew Leith, SVP of Marketing at Grip
Wed 12/18 at 12 p.m. – Design Your Leadership Philosophy
Create your personalized Leadership Philosophy using my WHO-BE-DO framework so you can lead with peace and ease from the inside out. This isn’t just for people with “manager” in their job title — it’s for anyone who wants to lead with more clarity and confidence. More info/register.
Host: Andrea Raggambi, PCC, CBC, Founder, PerforMore Coaching & Consulting, and Organizational Development Consultant, Korn Ferry
Wed 12/18 at 2 p.m. – SEO Glow-Up: Web Growth Tactics to Start and Stop in 2025
SEO isn’t what it used to be, and neither are the results. We’ll explore a long list of SEO tactics, both new and old, and give our verdict: adopt it or drop it. Hear which SEO tactics are worth your time in 2025, what recent changes in SEO could mean for your business, a new perspective on familiar SEO tactics, inspiration to try newer tactics for optimizing your site, and actionable tips for making your site findable. More info/register.
Host: Content Marketing Institute
Speakers: Jane Bartel, Dir. of Search & Content Marketing, and Nick Nelson, Associate Content Director, TopRank Marketing
Wed 12/18 at 2:30 p.m. – Event Contracts Exposed: The Truth About “Hidden Fees”
Supplier fees are rarely “hidden.” Spotting fees requires strengthening your contract acumen. Learn about fees planners may miss, what to look for in fee-related language, and how you can negotiate better terms for your hidden fees. More info/register.
Host: Planner Protect
Speaker: Heather Reid, CEO and Founder, Planner Protect
Wed 12/18 at 3:30 p.m. – 7 Measures of Success Town Hall
Hear about the research project’s goals, strategies for gathering community input, and tools and resources for implementation. The event will conclude with an open Q&A and a link to an interest form for continued engagement. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE
Facilitator: Paul Borawski
Thu 12/19 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group: Membership Is Everybody’s Business
The live discussions will predominately be about 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, Rigsbee Research
Thu 12/19 at 12 p.m. – AFP Microsoft Copilot Implementation Journey
Join us over the course of a few webinars as we follow Galina Kozachenko and her team at AFP along their Microsoft Copilot implementation journey. Discuss how organizations arrive at the decision to jump into the world of AI. Learn the difference between Teams Premium, Copilot, Copilot Studio, and how they all interact with humans, data, systems, and each other. Together with AFP we will go over lessons learned and practical ways to get AI working for associations like yours. More info/register (ASAE members only).
Host: ASAE
Speakers:
- Galina Kozachenko, Managing Director, Strategy, Analytics and Technology, Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
- Misha Getter, Vice President, Systems and Technology at the Global Cold Chain Alliance
Thu 12/19 at 4 p.m. – AI Assistants and Agents: Smart Responses, Seamless Automation
With the right approach, AI can save your staff hours of repetitive tasks and increase the value provided. Hear about the growth and limitations of large language models (LLMs), fine tuning and retrieval augmented generation (RAG), agents and agentic AI, and where your community members fit in. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Speaker: Rob Wenger, CEO of Higher Logic
Fri 12/20 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza
This monthly networking meeting is for full-time consultants who work with non-profits and associations. You don’t have to be an ASAE member to attend this consultant-organized event. This month, we’ll look ahead to 2025 and talk about special projects and activities like promoting the Google Directory, creating resources, and developing the business continuity/crisis situation back up network. Bring your ideas. Plus, we’ll share good news and cover topics and questions from the group. More info.
Organizer: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting
Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If you’re offering free professional development to the association community, please send me the link via email by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.
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