Association Brain Food Weekly: 9.15.17

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

free professional development for association management professionals

We’re all Equif*cked. I swiped that word from TechCrunch—it’s a gem. Dave Coriale at DelCor Technology Solutions isn’t one to use that kind of language in public but he did share 12 steps association CEOs can take to avoid becoming the next Equifax—and avoid getting the axe.

If you’re wondering what former Aptify founder Amith Nagarajan has been up to since selling Aptify—because he’s definitely a guy to keep an eye on—Ben Martin CAE talked to him over at theNIRD.org. Keep an eye on rasa.io too—I think it will help shape the future of associations. By the way, NIRD stands for Not-for-profit Investments Research Department—it’s where Ben shared a rumor yesterday about big AMS news…waiting to hear more.

What do you remember from ASAE Annual—besides the good times you had with friends? Did most of the learning stick? I’d wager “no.” WBT Systems has a solution associations can implement to solve that problem: a post-conference learning plan.

This Fortune article explains five ways businesses are already using blockchain. The examples will help you understand what blockchain is all about and how it might apply to your industry.

If you have a hard time keeping up with emerging technology, check out the creative ways these eleven CIOs stay current.

Jimmy Daly says it’s the perfect time to launch a newsletter, and I agree. Because of the growing use of platforms like Slack, Daly believes “email is suddenly enjoyable again.” Slack non-users may not agree, but growing an email list is one of the smartest marketing moves an organization can make.

If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.


Tue 9/19 at 9 a.m.* – Fiduciary Training for Associations/Nonprofits: The How To’s of Investment Oversight (Washington DC)

Learn practical tips that help you gauge whether you’re an effective steward of your organization’s assets. Understand the various steps you can take to ensure your organization’s investments are well-managed. More info/register.

Host: Raffa Wealth Management

Presenters: Dennis Gogarty, President, and Mark Murphy, Chief Investment Officer, Raffa Wealth Management

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.


Tue 9/19 at 10 a.m. – Advocacy in a Social Media World

Explore how associations have become catalysts for change by using social media platforms—and members—to promote key issues to legislators, regulators, and the public. Learn how to galvanize members and other stakeholders to participate in social media campaigns, train and manage members to stay on topic in the age of 140-character debates, and build a social media campaign to maximize cost-effectiveness and political values to advance their cause. More info/register.

Host: MCI Group

Presenters: Rebecca Flick, Associate Vice President, and Chris Williams, Senior Associate, MCI USA


Tue 9/19 at 11:30 a.m. – Using Marketing Automation to Grow Event Registration

Hear about different ways to target, incent, and create buzz about your event through marketing automation. Learn how to get a much better response and how to send smarter and more sophisticated emails. More info/register.

Host: C Systems Global


Tue 9/19 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Washington DC

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway


Tue 9/19 at 12 p.m. – Driving an Innovation Strategy

Associations must innovate or become obsolete. Why is it then that associations seem to be stuck doing things “the way we have always done it?” Explore how an orchestrated strategy, concentrating on how informed leadership, streamlined processes, future facing technology and concierge service can accelerate your movement along the innovation spectrum. More info/register.

Host: NimbleUser

Presenter: Dan Stark, Director of Product Strategy, NimbleUser and former Executive Director of American Public Gardens Association


Tue 9/19 at 1 p.m. – 3 Ways to Personalize your Marketing Campaigns

Learn why you should personalize your campaigns in real-time, how you can leverage deep customer insights to improve your campaigns, and how you can set up a dynamic and automated customer experience. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Presenter: Christian Parker, Marketing and Customer Experience SME, IBM Cognitive Engagement Solutions, Watson Marketing


Tue 9/19 at 2 p.m. – Association Chat

Watch/participate live or view the recording.

Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury


Tue 9/19 at 2 p.m. – Ideas to Keep Meeting Engagement High and Post-Event Satisfaction Even Higher

Learn simple, but highly effective methods to invigorate your agenda and transform it into a positive and rewarding experience. Discover how to leave your attendees with a positive, lasting impression, and keep them coming back for more. Hear about Meet with Purpose, an innovative program that combines sustainable menus coupled with an experiential component worthy of any agenda. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Presenter: Toni Zoblotsky, Director of B2B Marketing, Hilton


Wed 9/20 at 10:30 a.m. – AENC CAE Study Group (Raleigh NC)

This study group was instrumental to many passing the exam. Bring your calendar (dates for future meetings will be set). You can obtain additional hours towards the CAE through this study group. From ASAE website: “Preplanned in-depth group study of specific association management topic(s) with interaction between a minimum of three participants from three different organizations earn 1 CAE credit for each clock hour, up to a maximum of 20 credits per CAE application.” Duration: 1.5 hours. Location: Paragon Bank Board Room (on your immediate left when you enter the bank), 3535 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC. Register/more info.


Wed 9/20 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Alexandria VA

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway


Wed 9/20 at 1 p.m. – Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? Working & Meeting Multi-Generationally

While it’s true that Millennials are transforming the business world and the very way we meet and market events, your meeting format must not leave other generations wanting. Explore the impact of generational differences on meetings and in the workplace. Learn how to work well with all generations. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Presenter: Joan Eisenstodt, Friday with Joan blogger and meeting industry stalwart


Wed 9/20 at 1 p.m. – Wake Up Sleepy Subscribers with Marketing Automation

Learn how inactive subscribers bring down the overall health of your email programs, various strategies for re-engaging inactive subscribers based on email domain and last engagement, and ways to leverage marketing automation to turn your inactive subscribers into loyal customers. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Presenter: Mike Madden, Sr. Manager, Marketing, Marketo


Wed 9/20 at 2 p.m. – Association Email Event Promotion Metrics Unveiled

Most marketers lack insight into how their event promotions measure up to their peers. Hear the results of Informz’s first Association Email Event Promotion Microstudy, including key performance metrics for email promotions for large and small events, insight into promotional strategies used by associations and results achieved, and the most successful types of event promotions for conversions, from save the dates to last chances. More info/register. Host: Informz


Wed 9/20 at 2 p.m. – Raise the Roof with Your Sourcing Game

Gain insights on the seismic shifts taking place in events and hospitality and learn best practices to leverage technology to increase efficiency, win in hotel negotiations, and demonstrate proven value to clients and meeting owners. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Pathable

Presenter: Brad Langley, CITE, MBA, Vice President, Global Thirty Party Markets, etouches


Wed 9/20 at 2 p.m. – 7 Secrets to Avoid a Boring Webinar
Learn tips and best practices that can increase the value of your webinars for you and your audience, including: gamification to make complex data digestible and fun, simple ways to add engagement to your webinars, tricks for getting more from video, even if you don’t have a studio, and modern webinar formats. More info/register.

Host: ON24

Presenter: Mark Bornstein, Vice President, Content Marketing, ON24


Wed 9/20 at 4 p.m. – Your Nonprofit IT Budget

Learn how to budget for your IT to perform well, how to integrate IT budget decisions at all levels of management, and how to become comfortable viewing IT decisions as important strategic decisions. More info/register.

Host: Community IT

Presenter: Johan Hammerstrom, President and CEO, Community IT


Thu 9/21 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Reston VA

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway


Thu 9/21 at 1 p.m. – How to Drive Association Success with Continuing Education

Discover how modern learning technology can help you strengthen your position as a relevant, trusted source of continuing education, add value by helping members stay ahead of accreditation requirements, develop and deliver useful content at members’ convenience, offer pricing that appeals to diverse audiences, while optimizing your revenue streams, and apply marketing techniques that differentiate you and increase response from members and non-members, alike. More info/register.

Host: Talented Learning

Presenters:

  • John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst, Talented Learning
  • Tamer Ali, SVP and General Manager of Education Solutions, Community Brands

Thu 9/21 at 2 p.m. – Budgets Roadmaps & MarTech Project Management

1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: HighRoad Solution


Fri 9/22 at 11:30 a.m. – Unleash Your AMS Data (Tyson’s Corner VA)

You’ve written your standard operating procedures, taught staff why data integrity is key, and added tons of user-defined fields to meet the needs of the business units you support. You’ve given your organization the gift that keeps on giving—pristine data that can power your digital marketing campaigns. Learn about the various ways organizations are now leveraging their AMS data to power personalized, automated campaigns. 1 CAE credit. Lunch provided. Duration: 2 hours. Location: Tyson’s Corner VA. More info/register.

Host: benel Solutions

Presenter: Suzanne Carawan, CMO, HighRoad Solution


Save the date: Fri 10/13 – Component Exchange aka CEX (Arlington VA)

CEX is a one-day forum for association professionals who manage, nurture, and work with chapters or components, and a learning community where you can get together with CRP peers to share successes and struggles, strategies and tactics, and ideas and insights. 8 CAE credits. Location: Arlington VA. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management & Marketing


That’s it for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.

Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.


Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Creative Commons licensed photo by Manuel Barroso Parejo on Unsplash.

Association Brain Food Weekly: 9.8.17

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

The barred owl says,

“Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.” It sure is. I heard these wise words from Susan David on an episode of The Good Life Project podcast. She’s the author of Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life which I managed to snag for $1.99 a while back thanks to an alert from BookBub.

I listen to podcasts whenever I have a chance—working out, doing chores, cooking, and driving. I bet many of your members and prospects are podcasts junkies too. That’s one of the reasons why WBT Systems says you may want to add podcasts to your online educational offerings.

Are you ready for GDPR? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, or if any of your databases (systems) contains information for even one European resident, or if you offer products or services to European residents, then you need to read this advice on preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation.

Another must read: McKinley Advisors provides a detailed checklist of sorts to see if your association has adapted to the new marketing reality.

And finally, an optimistic opinion from an economic historian: “A long-wave theory of technological and economic change suggests the financial malaise that began in 2007 may be about to end.” Fingers crossed, we’re on the verge of a new golden age.

If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.


Mon 9/11 at 12 p.m.* – 10 Data Management Tips to Boost Marketing

Regardless of your association size, your data is one of the most valuable assets you can use to create successful marketing strategies. Get a simple assessment to see how well you’re managing data and ten action items you can implement right away to improve your organization’s data management practices. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Presenter: Wes Trochlil, president, Effective Database Management

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.


Tue 9/12 at 11 a.m. – How to Bring Teams Together around Digital Projects with Simple Collaboration Techniques

Learn how to set your compass to a north star for you and your collaborators to navigate towards; how to take responsibility for developing a shared language at any time in the project; how to build momentum that’s fueled by having motivated collaborators; and how to maintain healthy collaborative practices that keep your team together. More info/register.

Host: Gather Content

Presenter: Ellen de Vries, content strategist, Clearleft


Tue 9/12 at 2 p.m. – Six Things You Probably Didn’t Know about the Future of Aging (Association Chat)

The future of aging is a complicated constellation of issues that is in front of us at all times and yet never seems to garner the attention it demands. Join this lively discussion about the duty of foresight and some compelling facts on the future of aging that you probably don’t know. Watch/participate live or view the recording.

Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury

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


Wed 9/13 at 11 a.m. – The Whys and Hows Behind Recent Association Web Projects

Have you ever wished you could be a fly on the wall in another organization’s office as they’re developing their digital strategy or making big decisions about which web technologies and platforms to use? Find out about the strategy behind seven recent web projects and learn how other organizations are developing new and better ways to meet their members’ needs on the web. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Matrix Group


Wed 9/13 at 12 p.m. CDT – Chapter Roundtable (Chicago IL)

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Location: Chicago. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway


Wed 9/13 at 12 p.m. – Is Gamification Right for My Event?

Gamification can be used by event planners in many different ways before, during, and after events to drive effective attendee habits and behaviors. Gain a solid understanding of what gamification is and how it can fit in your current and future event design. Learn five actionable ways to integrate gamification into your events. Receive one game template to try at your next event. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Pathable

Presenter: Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey, CMP, Pathable


Wed 9/13 at 2 p.m. – PCMA Ask Us Anything (about Digital Events)

During this crowdsourced online session, we invite digital event novices and virtuosos alike to ask their most pressing questions to a panel of esteemed industry thought leaders. More info/register.

Host: PCMA

Presenters:

  • Kaila Bongiovanni, DES, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Microsoft
  • Ruud W. Janssen CMM, EDC, DES, Managing Director, TNOC
  • Emma King, Digital Media Engagement Strategist, LearningAlignment

Wed 9/13 at 4 p.m. – Small Association Forum for Executives (Washington DC or call-in)

Join an executive peer roundtable for executives of small staff associations with ten or fewer employees—a free-flowing discussion around pressing issues on a variety of topics. Duration: 1.5 hours. Location: Washington DC or virtual. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Executive Management Section

Facilitator: Shira Harrington, Chief Engagement Officer, Purposeful Hire, Inc.


Thu 9/14 at 12 p.m. – Powering Up Your Chapter Leaders Succession Planning

Join us for a different take on chapter succession planning. We’re shifting from talking about providing succession plan templates to coaching for success. What’s your role at the National association? How can you actively coach your chapter leaders? What resource can you provide that will make a difference? Let’s talk and share! 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway

Presenters:

  • Peggy Hoffman, President, Mariner Management & Marketing, LLC
  • Kyle Bazzy, Director of Growth, Billhighway

Thu 9/14 at 12 p.m. – Community Managers Unite

Come with your questions, your concerns, and your advice. How do you deal with conflict that occurs among members within your community? Do you have a code of conduct? How do you get member buy-in and/or enforce it when need be? How do you maintain the balance with industry partners so they are getting value out of the community, but not crossing the sales line? 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Success

Presenters: Arianna Rehak, Luke Zimmer, and Catherine Hackney


Thu 9/14 at 1 p.m. – Association Learning + Technology

Hear about the key findings from the new edition of the Association Learning + Technology report and how they apply to your association. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Community Brands

Presenters:

  • Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders, Tagoras
  • Anna Toon, product marketing manager for careers & education, Community Brands

Thu 9/14 at 2 p.m. – Network Ninja Training

Learn a new technique to uncover your event’s true high-speed internet access (HSIA) bandwidth requirements. Find out how to evaluate a venue’s ability to provide the three most important requirements in delivering a successful event:  bandwidth, infrastructure, and support. More info/register.

Host: PSAV

Presenter: William Sterling


Fri 9/15 at 1 p.m. – Engage. Inspire. Involve. 

Find out how to engage members, volunteers, and the community in order to involve them in your organization’s mission. Learn strategies for genuine engagement; an approach for building relationships that matter; and a plan to involve key players in a way that propels your mission forward. More info/register.

Hosts: Blue Sky and teamWorks

Presenter: Becky Lunders, teamWorks


Save the dates:

Tue 9/19 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Washington DC

Wed 9/20 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Alexandria VA

Thu 9/21 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Reston VA

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Host: Billhighway

Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Location: Reston VA. More info/register.


That’s it for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.

Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.


Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Creative Commons licensed photo by Massimo Mancini on Unsplash.

Association Brain Food Weekly: 9.1.17

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

free education for association professionals

This week’s photo is a preview of my weekend, but without the chair—can’t fit a chair like that in my backpack. We’re heading out on Sunday for our first backpack camping trip, the first of many, if all goes well. So, what did I enjoy reading this week…

What happens when a membership prospect calls your association? Do you really know? You may want to find out after reading this interesting report from Billhighway about hundreds of calls they made to associations for a market research project.

And now for a more complicated subject but one I felt like I needed to learn more about—blockchain. This Fortune article describes how businesses are trying to harness blockchain and why they (and you) can’t afford to ignore it.

Don’t buy bitcoin because all the cool kids are buying bitcoin, that’s not a good reason, although it does demonstrate the power of social proof. WBT Systems explains how your association can use the power of social proof to market your online learning programs.

I know we’re all sick of the word “silos,” but they’re still an issue so we’re still talking about them. Silos are especially frustrating when you think about all the content produced across a typical association—conference sessions, website, emails, publications, reports, and so on—but they don’t have a coordinated approach to using it. Learn how to tear down silos and create a culture of content from the Content Marketing Institute.

If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.


Tue 9/5 at 2 p.m. – TV Producer’s Association Story on Change Management (Association Chat)

Learn how an association executive leveraged her background as an actor and TV producer to bring a mentality of nimbleness and culture of change management to her association. Watch/participate live or view the recording.

Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury

Guest: Sharon Newport, a TV producer turned association executive

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.


Wed 9/6 at 1 p.m. – What’s Driving Member Loyalty?

Member retention is key to association survival, but why do your members keep coming back? Community Brands asked more than 1,000 association members in the U.S. just that and their answers could make all the difference in understanding how to retain them and better nurture them up the loyalty spectrum. Learn what motivates your most loyal members and the most effective ways to communicate your value to them. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: NimbleUser AMS and Community Brands

Presenters: Amanda Myers and Peggy Smith, Community Brands


Wed 9/6 at 2 p.m. – Webinar Benchmarks Report 2017

You want your webinars to be the best, but what really goes into the best webinars? ON24 looked at over 12,000 webinars to find out, and the results were surprising. Hear about best practices and key industry benchmarks. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Presenter: Mark Bornstein, VP Content Marketing, ON24, Inc.


Thu 9/7 at 9 a.m. – Medical Education in China: Practical Steps to Build Impact

Hear insights from the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) five year effort to improve SCCM engagement and partner strategy for the distribution of its training courses and publications in China. Learn how to navigate the complicated stakeholder landscape, build recognition and buy-in, understand the government’s objectives for the healthcare industry, and get an update on the NGO law with practical examples. More info/register.

Host: MCI

Presenters:

  • David J. Martin, CEO & Executive Vice President, Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM)
  • Maria Tong, Director MCI China, team leader for SCCM in China

Thu 9/7 at 11 a.m. – How to Plan for Content during Website Redesigns

Learn the four types of digital change, and how a website redesign fits within the broader lifecycle, the basics of creating a dynamic content inventory, the six steps of handling content during a migration, and techniques of sequencing multiple sites in a global redesign. More info/register.

Host: Gather Content

Presenter: David Hobbs, David Hobbs Consulting


Thu 9/7 at 12 p.m. – Freedom in the Cloud: A Modern and Flexible Approach to Technology for your Association

Find out what it means to embrace the cloud, what “the cloud” actually is, how it’s used by Fortune 500 companies and associations, and why you should do the same. Learn the pitfalls of monolithic software applications such as Association Management Software (AMS), why you should get out of the closet and into the cloud for data storage, and the freedom and flexibility you can achieve by embracing what modern technology has to offer. More info/register.

Host: Greenfield Services

Presenter: Jeff Horne, Founder & CEO, Industrial


Thu 9/7 at 3 p.m. A Podcaster’s Guide to Podcasting (Loudoun County Idea Swap in Sterling VA)

Podcasting is the perfect communication tool for association professionals with a shoestring budget and lots of content ideas. Craig Sorrell of Results Direct will share his experience and lessons learned in podcasting. Hear what worked and what didn’t work, including format and structure tips, advanced voice and technical techniques, set up, podcast feeds, and ideas to monetize your podcast. There will be time for questions and the opportunity to see a hands-on podcasting demonstration. 1 CAE credit. Location: Sterling VA. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community

Presenter: Craig Sorrell, Marketing Manager, Results Direct


Fri 9/8 at 12 p.m. – Your Member Experience: Have You Called Your Association Lately?

Has your association ever hired a ‘secret shopper’ to evaluate your customer service? Do you know what membership prospects experience when looking for information on your website or calling your association? During a market research project, we learned much more than we anticipated about the membership prospect experience. The results were often so surprising (and disappointing) that we wanted to share them with the association community. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway

Presenter: Kyle Bazzy, director of growth, Billhighway


That’s it for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.

Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.


Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Creative Commons licensed photo on Pexels.

Association Brain Food Weekly: 8.25.17

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

webinars and events for association professionals

Amanda Kaiser (aka Smooth the Path) has partnered with Dynamic Benchmarking on the association community’s first benchmark survey on new member onboarding. Follow that link to Amanda’s blog to learn how your association can participate and find out more about this important survey.

In both my association jobs, I worked closely with our state and local affiliated associations. I only wish I had access to the amazing resources that now exist for component (or chapter) relations professionals, like this cool-looking event from Billhighway and Mariner Management on October 13, CEX, the Component Exchange. Check it out, CRPs!

Something else I could have used—this glossary to AMS lingo from DelCor Technology Solutions plus an explanation of how an AMS works. Now you don’t have to just nod along and pretend you know what IT is talking about.

Not a week goes by that I don’t get excited by the potential of technology. Much of it is out of reach (budget) of associations now but you know how that goes. Start thinking about it because soon it will be here. This week’s example is insight engines. I’m thinking of it as sort of a bionic search capability that pulls on all kinds of data sources across the enterprise and delivers highly context-relevant results, but this article from CMS Wire explains it better.

Look out associations, colleges and universities are discovering that there’s money to be made in the lifelong learning market. WBT Systems describes the different ways they’re hoping to steal your customers and how you can take advantage of the opportunities they’ve missed.

The dog days of summer are here – not too many webinars scheduled next week. If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.


Tue 8/29 at 12 p.m.* – Driving an Innovation Strategy

Associations must innovate or become obsolete. You can’t predict the future but you can make your association future-ready. Explore how an orchestrated strategy that concentrates on how informed leadership, streamlined processes, future facing technology, and concierge service can accelerate your movement along the innovation spectrum. More info/register.
Host: NimbleUser

Presenter: Dan Stark, director of product strategy, NimbleUser (and former executive director of American Public Gardens Association)

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.


Tue 8/29 at 1 p.m. – Using Content Strategy to Re-Imagine Your Website

Before you redesign your website, you need to understand who your users are and what they’re looking for. Learn how to develop a content strategy that’s tailored for your association and answers these questions. More info/register.

Hosts: Euclid Technology and ReviewMyAMS


Tue 8/29 at 1 p.m. – Top Social Media Tools to Boost Your Event Marketing

Learn about a carefully curated set of tools that can help you to boost the quality and quantity of your social media output. Find out why these tools are important, get an overview of how they should be used and explore how they can help you to market your events and grow your business. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Event Manager Blog

Presenter: Miguel Neves, head chef, Social Media Chefs Ltd.


Tue 8/29 at 2 p.m. – Association Chat

Watch/participate live or view the recording.

Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury


Tue 8/29 at 2 p.m. – Choosing a Mobile Event App: Find the Best for Meetings & Conferences

Learn about the most important questions to ask when vetting a mobile event app provider to ensure it will be a valuable tool for you and your attendees. Find out what new mobile features are being used to increase engagement. Hear from a planner who recently evaluated providers and learn what they did to make sure they were getting the best, most reliable product at the right cost. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Presenter: Brooke Gracey, senior mobile events app strategist, CrowdCompass by Cvent


Wed 8/30 at 12 p.m. – Increase Employee Engagement & Retention

A 2017 Gallup survey found that 70% of employees in the U.S. are disengaged from their work, while a significant 30% are actively antagonistic towards it. Learn how your leaders can improve their communication skills to make staff members feel valued and committed to the organization’s goals. Explore how strong leadership skills and strategic conversations contribute to increased employee engagement and retention. More info/register.

Host: ASAE/Association Career HQ

Presenter: Bob Dunham, Institute for Generative Leadership


Wed 8/30 at 12 p.m. – Your Member Experience: Have You Called Your Association Lately?

Has your association ever hired a ‘secret shopper’ to evaluate your customer service? Do you know what membership prospects experience when looking for information on your website or calling your association? During a market research project, we learned much more than we anticipated about the membership prospect experience. The results were often so surprising (and disappointing) that we wanted to share them with the association community. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway

Presenter: Kyle Bazzy, director of growth, Billhighway


Wed 8/30 at 1 p.m. – Wellness: The Spa and Beyond

Learn about specific meeting trends in the wellness arena, must-haves for buzzworthy wellness and spa offerings, and effective methods to improve one’s own health and vitality with powerful and effective spa-at-home practices. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Presenter: Theresa Rose


Thu 8/31 at 3 p.m. – 20+ Marketing Hacks to Get More Butts on Seats

A panel of marketing gurus shares their advice on how to reach beyond your current marketing database, tips on getting your marketing emails opened by more, social media do’s & don’ts, and justifying the costs of print vs. digital advertising. More info/register.

Host: Event Tech Tribe

Presenters:

  • Molly Falco, marketing, Swoogo
  • Raime Merriman, marketing, Hubb
  • Lara Simmons, marketing, Event Tech Tribe

That’s it for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.

Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.


Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Creative Commons licensed photo by Andreas Kind on Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 8.18.17

Your weekly list of free webinars and events for the association community…

free professional development for association professionals

It drives me nuts when I hear about associations that don’t give their employees a decent professional development budget. Short-sighted. Hypocritical too. Maybe this article by Thomas Marcetti will help someone get the support they need.

Expeditionary marketing, emotional marketing, and evangelism marketing—three underappreciated yet effective approaches for marketing association educational programs, according to WBT Systems.

Dion Hinchcliffe identifies the enterprise technologies to watch. His article helps you get a feel for what these tools do, imagine how your members will use them, and how you can use them to deliver value.

Here’s a helpful checklist from Andy Crestodina for improving the user experience on your website.

I wrote this post early because I was away this week so the list below may not include all the options for this week, sorry about that. If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.


Tue 8/22 at 12 p.m.* – Chapter Roundtable in Washington DC

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.


Tue 8/22 at 2 p.m. – Association Chat

Watch/participate live or view the recording.

Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury


Wed 8/23 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Alexandria VA

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway


Wed 8/23 at 4 p.m. – We Are All Data Managers: Learn How to Up Your Game

Every person working at a nonprofit shares some data management responsibility. Learn the fundamental skills and mindset you need to be a better manager of data and a more valued employee to your nonprofit organization. More info/register.

Host: Community IT

Presenter: Peter Mirus, partner, Build Consulting


Thu 8/24 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Reston VA

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway


Thu 8/24 at 12 p.m. – The Comedy of Team Building: Build Strong Teams Using Lessons from Improv

Performing improv comedy is one of the ultimate team-building experiences. With no script and no safety net, your troupe can’t be successful unless everyone’s committed to the good of the group and the shared goal to engage and entertain your audience. Learn improv secrets you can use to transform a group of individuals into a highly functioning and supportive team and how to take your teams beyond their comfort zones to spark innovative performances worth rousing applause. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Professional Development Section

Presenter: Cynthia D’Amour, leadership strategist, People Power Unlimited


Thu 8/24 at 1 p.m. – A Beginners Guide to Monetizing Your Learning

Identify strategic and creative ways to price your education programs. Discover packaging and promotional opportunities to drive participation. Explore scenarios from fellow association executives who successfully increased their reach and revenues through their learning portfolios. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: CommPartners

Speaker: Richard Finstein, founder and CEO, CommPartners


Thu 8/24 at 1 p.m. – Building an Agile Team to Drive Amazing Customer Experiences

Marketers need content. Audiences want content. But the question becomes, how to do it, do it well, and get it done on time? Learn how marketing teams have employed sophisticated and agile techniques to deploy content that works. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Presenter: Jeff Julian, co-founder, EnterpriseMarketer.com


Fri 8/25 at 1 p.m. – How to Develop eLearning Pricing Strategies & Winning Value Propositions

Learn how to craft a winning value proposition for eLearning, avoid common mistakes that kill registrations, and explore pricing structures that combat one-offs. More info/register.

Host: Blue Sky eLearn

Presenter: Tracy King, founder, InspirEd


That’s it for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.

Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.


Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Creative Commons licensed photo by Cameron Oxley on Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 8.11.17

professional development for association staff

Look out associations, now that LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, you can expect it to become a professional development and networking behemoth. This week it launched a new service that identifies potential mentors and people who might be looking for mentorship in a specific location, and then helps them connect. Hmm, sounds like a souped-up association mentoring program.

According to research, Millennials and Generation Z are more likely to stick with employers that provide opportunities for professional development and growth. WBT Systems explains why and how associations can design online learning programs that will appeal to young professionals and their employers.

45 million voice-assisted devices are now in use in the U.S. and that number will rise to 67 million by 2019. Here’s what you need to know about Voice AI, “the next frontier of brand marketing.” And that means association marketing too.

Switch by Chip and Dan Heath, is one of those books I’ve always meant to read but never have. Now I’m getting the gist of it from Mike Guerreri, CAE, of DelCor Technology Solutions. He explains how to use the Switch framework when planning for change management.

The first event on my list this week is a happy hour at ASAE Annual for CRPs—component relations professionals—hosted by my friends at Billhighway and Mariner Management. But there’s more fun to be had in Toronto—just check out this list of #asae17 events collected by KiKi L’Italien. She does this every year, such a doll.

The list of this week’s free webinars and other learning events is shorter than usual, probably because of Annual. If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.


Sun 8/13 at 5 p.m. – Chapters Only Happy Hour at ASAE Annual (Toronto, ON)

It’s free and we’ll have an open bar tab! Now that we have your attention… Got chapters? We know chapters add a whole new layer of complexity to your organization. We also recognize that there isn’t a place or online community just for component-based associations to converse. Wouldn’t it be nice to be face-to-face with other association professionals that understand what you’re going through? So why not join us for a drink…or two? After all, it’s on us! Call us crazy…but we’re not going to sell you while we’re there. We simply want to help those who work at associations with chapters be able to network, share challenges, wins, and more. Duration: 2 hours. Location: Toronto, ON. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management & Marketing

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.


Tue 8/15 at 2 p.m. – Green Meetings: Creating Sustainable Planners & Attendees

As social and environmental awareness increase, brands big and small must examine green factors surrounding their events, ranging from diversity of speakers and healthy menu options, to readily-accessible recycling. These green-meeting elements can make or break even the most popular events, so it’s critical to market them strategically and advantageously. Learn how sustainability can drive creativity at your events and what the top 10 hottest trends for creative, sustainable events are. More info/register.

Host: SmartMeetings

Presenter: Nancy J. Zavada, president & founder, MeetGreen


Tue 8/15 at 2:30 p.m. – Association Chat Live from #ASAE17

This won’t be like other Association Chats! KiKi, Nabil, and Tamela will be on site to give you their insights from the conference, highlights from the show floor, and live interviews with special guests. If you are watching online, you’ll get to hear different perspectives on the conference and a glimpse of what you may not see elsewhere online. If you want to participate in the live show on site, there’s limited seating, so RSVP to KiKi ASAPWatch/participate live or view the recording.

Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury


Wed 8/16 at 1 p.m. – How the Dyslexia Training Institute (DTI) Launched Its First Virtual Conference

Learn how DTI set up the conference, secured the keynote speaker and workshop presenters, created content, and spread the word about the event. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: iCohere

Presenters: Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley and Tracy Block-Zaretsky, founders, Dyslexia Training Institute


Wed 8/16 at 2 p.m. – Getting and Staying Strategic

Strategic management is an ongoing process that goes beyond the formal meeting you hold every 3-5 years. It’s a way of life. Learn how your board can become strategic and more importantly, how to stay strategic, all without outside facilitation. Understand how to prepare for a strategic board meeting; how to identify, measure, and track key data points that help boards and executive teams make strategic decisions; and how to implement tactics that help leadership focus on strategic issues. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Headquarters


Thu 8/17 at 1 p.m. – Life Stage Marketing: Audience Targeting from Graduates to Retirees

​Learn how affinities and more evolve throughout the life stages. Understand how you can use this data to develop a powerful targeting strategy. Hear about the typical day individuals in each major life stage have and what they’re talking about. Listen to case studies about how major companies are finding new ways to use life stage marketing to unleash more effective targeted content programs. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Presenter: Dan Neely, CEO and founder, Networked Insights


Fri 8/18 at 11:30 a.m./12 p.m. – AENC CEO Round Table/Luncheon (Raleigh NC)

For association CEOs/executive directors only, come hear a presentation by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis. 1 CAE credit. Location: Raleigh NC. More info/register.

Organizer: AENC


Save the dates:

Tue 8/22 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Washington DC

Wed 8/23 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Alexandria VA

Thu 8/24 at 12 p.m. – Chapter Roundtable in Reston VA

Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Host: Billhighway

Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Location: Reston VA. More info/register.


That’s it for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.

Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.


Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Creative Commons licensed photo by Cara Fuller on Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 8.4.17

Your weekly list of free webinars and events for the association community…

professional development for the association community

For the first time in several years, I’m not attending ASAE Annual. Instead, in case you’re dying to know, I’m heading to Massachusetts for a family gathering. Living apart from family is tough, especially with one brother on the west coast and the other on the east coast, so I try to take advantage of every opportunity to see them together. I wonder if I’ll still have #asae17 envy.

Just in time for all of you who are heading north to Toronto for the big show, here’s an article about hackers targeting hotel Wi-Fi with malware and another about knowing whether your Wi-Fi connection is private. Be safe.

After the AMS Fest in Chicago, I gathered my thoughts about the future of the AMS in a guest post for ReviewMyAMS. I’d love to hear yours.

If you’ve ever implemented an AMS or led up some other type of change effort, you know how much your success depends on understanding why your colleagues resist change. Aptify explains how to get buy-in for your great new idea by understanding and leveraging the psychology of change.

High school teachers have been flipping the classroom for a while now but associations haven’t all caught on. WBT Systems explains why you should flip the conference session room and how to use your LMS to do that.

It’s fun to read about how things might change in the future because of AI, including how we network. Here’s something I wasn’t expecting so soon: Node, a predictive match-making platform that surfaces “the right person, at the right company, at the right time, and even suggesting the right message to reach out [with].” Right now it’s helping SaaS marketers determine who their next best customer might be, but its founder imagines all kinds of potential uses.

Back from the future, here’s what I predict you came for—the list of this week’s free webinars and other learning events. If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.


Tue 8/8 at 1 p.m.* – Winning with Gamification: How to Engage your Attendees & Increase Mobile Adoption

Hear how to use social media and in-app gamification to help your attendees get the most of your event. Learn from a planner who’s used gamification to increase attendee engagement by leveraging their mobile app to improve networking, education, and social interactions. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Presenter: Brooke Gracey, senior mobile events app strategist, CrowdCompass by Cvent

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.


Tue 8/8 at 2 p.m. – ASAE Technology Section Virtual Roundtable: Business of IT

In this online, interactive discussion we’ll discuss how a CIO can create value for his or her organization as well as communicate that value to stakeholders and fellow leaders. To prepare for the discussion, please read the first chapter of Gartner’s book on the Business of IT. Duration: 1.25 hours. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Technology Section


Tue 8/8 at 2 p.m. – Association Chat

Watch/participate live or view the recording.

Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury


Wed 8/9 at 12 p.m. – The Buried Truth in Your Chapter 990s and How You Can Access It

Do you actually know if all of your chapters filed their 990s last year? Without tons of manual work to track them down, it’s hard to know the status of your chapters or if they are in compliance with IRS tax code guidelines. We built out a tool to help speed up the data collection process and would love your feedback to make it even better. Duration: 1 hour. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway

Presenter: Kyle Bazzy, director of growth, Billhighway


Wed 8/9 at 2 p.m. – Office 365: Easily Optimize Operations – Leverage Features You Didn’t Know You Had

Most organizations are striving to streamline operations and maximize the use of their personnel’s time by using Microsoft Office 365, but aren’t using many of its most practical features. Learn how to optimize your operational investment and infrastructure with 365 tools including Microsoft Flow, Office Groups and Office Lens. More info/register.

Host: Altai Systems


Thu 8/10 at 12 p.m. CDT – Chapter Roundtable (Chicago IL)
Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway


Thu 8/10 at 2 p.m. – 10 Common Webinar Mistakes…and How to Avoid Them

Learn some simple things you can do to ensure a slam-dunk webinar, every time, such as driving webinar registration, delivering engaging presentations, enhancing the audience experience, and getting the most out of webinar leads. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Presenter: Mark Bornstein, vice president, content marketing, ON24, Inc.


Fri 8/11 at 1 p.m. – 5 “Must Haves” for an Effective Email Campaign

Find out about segmentation strategies to get the right message, to the right person, at the right time. Learn how to get a prospect to open your email instead of moving it to the trash right away, increase engagement through personalization, and create campaigns that get your readers excited (or even look) when they hear their email “ping” with a new message from your organization. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Presenters: Rachel Rosin, senior manager, digital marketing, and Caitlin Flask, digital manager, Act-On


That’s all I have for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.


Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.


Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Creative Commons licensed photo by Bill Williams on Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 7.28.17

Your weekly list of free webinars and events for the association community…

association management educational events

Every association should be figuring out how they can use Alexa and her cousins to deliver value to members. Buzzfeed is introducing a morning news briefing on Alexa—can you? Tim Ebner at Associations Now thought up some other ways associations can put Alexa to work.

Look out, associations, higher education institutions are starting to realize they also need to be in the lifelong learning business. “Education needs a dramatically new approach, in which learning is a lifelong pursuit, not an endeavor limited to a few years in early adulthood,” says Amy Burroughs of EdTech Magazine: Focus on Higher Education.

You can get ahead of your competition by understanding the digital readiness gap and helping members get across that gap and into your online learning programs. WBT Systems takes a look at the recent findings of a Pew Research Center report on the digital readiness gap.

“Look how great, Forbes gives me a quote of the day and a FREE BANNER AD before I am able to read the article I came here to read,” said no user ever. That’s just one of many user experience fails listed by Fabricio Texeira in an article titled “Said no user ever.” Then, Ray van Hilst, director of client results at Yoko Consulting, shared the article on ASAE Collaborate (members-only) and a bunch of people came up with even more. Let the chuckling ensue.

Onto the show—the list of this week’s free webinars and other learning events. If your organization has a webinar scheduled in the near future, please send me the link. I’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.


Tue 8/1 at 2 p.m.* – Association Chat

Watch/participate live or view the recording.

Hosts: KiKi L’Italien, Tamela Blalock and Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.


Wed 8/2 at 12 p.m. – Attract New Members with the Influencer Method (Washington DC)

Learn how to become an influencer and engage your biggest influencers as a recruitment tool. Find out how to engage students and millennials and lead them to the membership funnel. Lunch provided. Duration: 2 hours. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: Cue Career

Presenters:

  • Ryan Williams, author, The Influencer Economy
  • Nick Hare, CEO and co-founder, Cue Career
  • Heather Wetzler, COO and co-founder, Cue Career

Wed 8/2 at 2 p.m. – Hack Your Conference: Connections Between Classrooms and Session Rooms

Stop thinking about adult education as different from anyone else’s education. Hack your conference by unlearning what you know to be true, just as our rock star educators are doing in today’s classrooms. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: PCMA

Presenter: Elizabeth Glau, CMP, attendee experience manager, International Society for Technology in Education


Wed 8/2 at 3 p.m. – Associations Tableau User Group (Alexandria VA)

Connect with other association professionals using Tableau. Whether you’re new to Tableau or an advanced user, learn the latest best practices and tips, including real-time dashboarding, survey data and web connectors. Duration: 2 hours. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Host: Icimo


Thu 8/3 at 1 p.m. – Creating a Social Media Policy

Learn why a written social media policy is so valuable and how to begin creating one for your nonprofit. Find out how to kick off the process, decide what to say and not to say, handle positive and negative comments, maintain privacy, understand copyright and authorship, figure out the blurring of personal and professional spaces, and get everyone to adopt the policy. Duration: 1 hour. More info/register.

Host: Idealware

Presenter: Sarah Beaulieu, senior advisor, GreenLight Fund


Thu 8/3 at 1 p.m. – CAE Informational Brown Bag

Learn about various aspects of obtaining the CAE, including: what is a CAE, benefits of a CAE, application process, eligibility requirements, obtaining and tracking CAE hours, preparing for the exam, what’s on the exam, Association Forum study course, CAE expenses, and CAE scholarships. Duration: 1 hour. More info/register (Association Forum members only).

Host: Association Forum CAE Working Group


Thu 8/3 at 2 p.m. – Learn How to Take Your Email Game to the Next Level

With marketing being more metric-driven than ever before, the importance of understanding how your organization measures up has escalated. Learn about key findings, including marketing automation performance metrics, from the Informz 2017 Association Email Marketing Benchmark Report. Find out how your email processes stack up to your peers. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: YourMembership

Presenter: Vivian Swertinski, strategic services manager, Informz


Thu 8/3 at 2 p.m. – Simple Questions for Success: How to Properly Evaluate Mobile Event App Providers

Learn what mobile event app features will help save you time and what questions to ask to make sure the app will be a valuable tool for both you and your attendees. Find out what new mobile features are being used to increase engagement and how you can ensure your mobile provider is giving you these features. Hear about a planner who recently evaluated providers and learn what they did to make sure they were getting the best, most reliable product at the right cost. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Presenter: Brooke Gracey, senior mobile strategist, CrowdCompass by Cvent


Thu 8/3 at 2 p.m. – Strategic Meetings Management

The idea of centralizing and controlling meeting and event spend has been around for many years, and is now commonly referred to as strategic meetings management or SMM. Get insights into the key components of SMM, such as stakeholder management, meeting registration, strategic sourcing and data analysis. Understand the key objectives and outcomes of a SMM program (SMMP), identify best practices for high SMM adoption and compliance, and recognize the return on investment (ROI) of an SMMP. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Presenter: Betsy Bondurant, CMM, CTE, HMCC


Thu 8/3 at 3 p.m. – Questioning the Orthodox Beliefs of Association Governing (Reston VA Idea Swap)

Come discuss the idea that association boards and CEOs need to stop coping with board under-performance and dysfunction and start designing a different and more generative future of governing. Duration: 2 hours. Location: Reston VA. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community

Presenter: Jeff De Cagna, FRSA, FASAE, xxx, Foresight First LLC


Thu 8/3 at 4 p.m. – Professional Development Virtual Book Club

Join the discussion of Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Duration: 45 minutes. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Professional Development Section


Save the date: Wed 8/9 at 12 p.m. – The Buried Truth in Your Chapter 990s and How You Can Access It

Do you actually know if all of your chapters filed their 990s last year? Without tons of manual work to track them down, it’s hard to know the status of your chapters or if they are in compliance with IRS tax code guidelines. We built out a tool to help speed up the data collection process and would love your feedback to make it even better. Duration: 1 hour. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway

Presenter: Kyle Bazzy, director of growth, Billhighway


Save the date: Thu 8/10 at 12 p.m. CDT – Chapter Roundtable (Chicago IL)
Connect with fellow Component/Chapter Relations Professionals (CRPs) to network and discuss current chapter challenges, such as how to measure and increase the health of chapters; best practices for chapter operations (volunteer tools, processes, etc.); and how to get the right statistics to prevent national and chapter level members from leaving. Lunch provided. 1 CAE credit. Duration: 1 hour. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Billhighway


That’s all I have for this week. If you can’t attend a live webinar, go ahead and register if the topic interests you. Most webinar hosts send registrants a link to the recording.

Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email or Twitter.


Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Photo by Nitish Kadam on Unsplash