Association Brain Food

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

Membership reset. A new report from McKinley Advisors got me thinking about the role of membership in associations. Too often, membership “just is.” Yup. “Membership lacks focus and intentionality in execution.” You’ll nod along as the report describes challenges (especially #2) we’ve put up with for way too long. They also suggest next steps, based on client and for-profit research, for delivering your membership promise, for example, infusing community and connection in everything you do.

Inclusion. Which vibe does your association give off? Velvet rope or come party with me? Inspired by a few evening ramblings, Elizabeth Engel of Spark Consulting asks you to examine the impression your association and membership experience are giving to those on the outside looking in. I know which vibe (and bar) I prefer.

AI and events. eShow describes the impact of AI on events and the challenges you must address when using AI. On the plus side, they explain how AI enhances marketing campaigns, personalizes the attendee experience, improves event security, and assists sustainability initiatives.

Content marketing. At Animalz, Ryan Law describes how to find helpful topics for your blog. When you’ve run out of ideas about “general first-order pain points,” write about “more specific second-order pain points, the ones occurring at the same time as first-order pains for the same people.” Here’s another argument for not publishing generic SEO-driven drivel and, instead, helping people solve problems and envision opportunities.

Association trends. The outlook for associations is optimistic, per Marketing General Inc.’s 2024 Association Economic Outlook Report. But a few data points trouble me. Two-thirds of associations plan to develop new products/services, yet only one-third of them plan to hire more staff. They better be proficient at phasing out programs. Also, most associations have abandoned virtual events—a missed opportunity for extending their reach and demonstrating inclusiveness to people who can’t or won’t attend in-person meetings.

Membership course. Association Brain Food readers can earn up to 10 CAE credits from Chris Gloede’s popular 10-week Association Academy Member Growth Certificate Course—only $499 with Brain Food promo code ACADEMY (a $50 discount). Thanks to this course, over 1,000 association executives have learned how to conduct research, develop relevant benefits, establish member content gates, improve recruitment and retention campaigns, and grow membership. See the full course syllabus for more details. The course meets Thursdays, 1-2pm ET from July 11 to September 12. Class size is limited and has sold out in the past, so please register soon.

Extra credit

50 ways to fuel a conversation. | by Debra Fine via Reads with Ravi

From fire hazards to family trees: the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. | by Tobiah Black, The Public Domain Review

Beautiful. What can we learn from a hospice chef? | by Ann Richardson

You never grow old at the table

Last week, I made pan-seared almaco jack with green curry sauce (keeper!) from Nancie McDermott’s Quick & Easy Thai: 70 Everyday Recipes, along with a package of 90-second jasmine rice. On the side, the standard roasted broccoli and red onion, but this time I tossed it with a spice mix my brother made us for Christmas. I’ve no idea what’s in there, but the broccoli was better than usual.

For Sunday dinner, my southwest skillet—shorthand for a mix of ground chorizo and turkey, sweet potato, spinach and beet greens, onion, poblano, red bell, jalapeño, garlic, black beans, corn, chipotle en adobo, spicy spices, cilantro, and cheese.

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If you’d like to subscribe, please complete the form in the sidebar or at the bottom of this post. I won’t share or sell your email address.

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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.

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Fri 6/21 at 12 p.m.* – How to Accelerate Non-Dues Revenue Growth: Proven Sales Tactics for Association Professionals

Sales comes with the territory if your job includes attracting sponsors, exhibitors, or advertisers for your association. Learn about strategies and tactics to help you attract and convert higher-paying customers with less effort, and without sacrificing member value. Find out how to get a prospect’s attention, convert the right companies, and create a better sales experience for your prospect and for yourself. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Carrie McIntyre, principal, Navigate

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

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Fri 6/21 at 1 p.m. – From Live to Lasting: Transforming Webinars into Engaging eLearning

Learn practical strategies to maximize the impact of your existing webinar content by transforming it into versatile, on-demand courses. Explore effective methods to add interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and discussion boards to keep learners engaged. Understand how to break down webinar content into manageable, bite-sized pieces to facilitate easier consumption and ongoing engagement. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: BlueSky eLearn

Speakers: Jordan Baker, M.Ed., Learning Solutions Advisor, and Dr. Kristen Wall, MA EdD, Director of Learning & Development, Blue Sky eLearn

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Fri 6/21 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

Topic for this month’s networking meeting for association consultants is: business continuity planning for the solopreneur or small practice consultancy—in addition to any immediate concerns of the group, which will be discussed first. This meeting is self-organized by the consultant community, not an official ASAE event. More info.

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

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Fri 6/21 at 4 p.m. – Autism Acceptance at Work

Learn how to create a better work environment, and best support neurodiverse co-workers. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Katie Kinde, Incompass Education Coordinator, and autism self-advocate

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Mon 6/24 at 8 a.m. – DEI and the STEM Workforce (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: Norman Fortenberry, Chief Executive Officer, Great Minds in STEM

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Tue 6/25 at 10 a.m. – 10 Awkward Questions to Ask your Tech Vendor

An AMS salesperson might wow you with all the system’s bells and whistles, but asking key awkward questions will help you determine if you are investing in the right system to meet your association’s needs. Learn how asking the right awkward questions can set you and your association up for success. More info/register.

Host: Ellipsis Partners

Speakers: Jim Pearson, MS Ed, PMP, senior consultant, and Moira Edwards, CAE, president, Ellipsis Partners LLC

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Tue 6/25 at 11 a.m. – To Take a Stand or Not: A Framework to Discuss and Decide

Learn how to rank the importance of polarizing positions based on your brand purpose, how and why certain polarizing issues become part of your brand conversation and how to manage them, the decision-making factors within which companies/associations navigate taking a stand, and how to effectively give leaders common language to determine if an issue is worthy of a campaign or public statement. More info/register.

Hosts: crisis communications experts Adele Gambardella and Chip Massey

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Tue 6/25 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Leadership Technology Award Spotlight with Tracy Petrillo

Join award winner Tracy Petrillo to discuss perceptions in leadership and how to get your work noticed. Discuss practical approaches to demonstrate trust as you advance your career. Explore the unique value you bring to your work. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speaker: Tracy Petrillo, EdD, CAE, Chief Learning Officer, CASBO

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Tue 6/25 at 12 p.m. – Insurance for Associations

Insurance prices have gone up and exclusions have increased. Do you have the right protection? Join us as we chat with broker Jodi Nobel to find out what you need to know about your organization’s insurance coverage. More info/register.

Host: Zzeem Consulting

Speaker: Jodi Nobel

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Tue 6/25 at 3 p.m. – ASAE Quarterly Consultant Community Call

ASAE’s goal for this meeting is to provide updates to the consultant community and to open lines of communication between ASAE staff and consultant members. These calls are joined by ASAE leadership as needed to answer any questions from members. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

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Wed 6/26 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Engagement Platforms Demo Day

See presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer Engagement Platforms. Mobile experts will be showcasing apps and sharing their knowledge with the association market. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Presenters: PropFuel, Accredible, Higher Logic, Clowder, Credivera, SmartJobBoard, eShow, TopClass LMS, Matchbox, Hivebrite

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Wed 6/26 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Unlock Member Loyalty: Volunteer Strategies for Higher Renewals (Arlington VA)

Volunteer (or chapter) programs create a sense of belonging and nudge members into a deeper connection with your association. Learn how to design volunteer programs that tap into members’ aspirations and fuel association loyalty. Discover how fostering a culture of volunteerism both strengthens your association and increases member retention through deeper engagement at all levels. Location: Arlington VA. CAE credits. More info/register (yes, it’s free and lunch is included).

Hosts: Impexium, Billhighway, Mariner Management, and Higher Logic

Speaker: Peggy Hoffman, President & Executive Director, Mariner Management & Marketing

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Wed 6/26 at 11 a.m. – Seizing the Moment: Real-Time Event Data Analysis for Immediate Impact

With the phasing out of online cookies, in-person experiences have become one of the most effective ways to gather first-party data. And with generative AI making audiences question everything they see online, in-person events are taking center stage as the most trustworthy way to connect. Learn how to gather essential attendee data at the registration stage, monitor attendee behavior and evaluate interest level without invading privacy, ensure instant access to leads and their engagement history, use AI to analyze attendee data in real time, and drive the sales pipeline by streamlining data flow to CRMs. More info/register.

Host: Skift Meetings

Speakers:

• Ben Durham-Kilcullen, Vice President of Engineering for Stova
• Angela Tupper, Branded Content Editor for Skift Meetings

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Wed 6/26 at 12 p.m. – Employee Mental Health Check-In

Learn how to appropriately check on the mental health of your team, gain insight into privacy “dos and don’ts,” and consider the perspectives of different workforce communities. Walk away with tips for noninvasive ways of showing you care about your team members’ mental health and well-being. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Xchange (AXC)

Speakers:

• Christine A. Glover, SHRM-SCP, VP of HR, Consulting, Marcum
• Cynthia White, Director of HR, Consulting, Marcum

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Wed 6/26 at 12 p.m. – Unleash the Power of the Voice of Non-Members

Learn how to design and implement effective non-member research despite common challenges, understand the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that motivate professionals within your industry, and the critical differences between non-member and member affinity to your association’s brand and how it influences their sense of belonging. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Halmyre

Speakers:

• Michael Grant, Director of Communications & Marketing, Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Science
• Diane Webb, Finance & Marketing Manager, Nebraska Pharmacists Association
• Christine Saunders, Founder and President, Halmyre

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Wed 6/26 at 1 p.m. – Crystal Ball Predictions for the Future of Associations

Learn what the panelists are seeing in their professions and with their memberships, and what this means for associations moving forward. Hear about the roles of associations in workforce development, new opportunities amidst evolving business models, creating organizational cultures that value agility and flexibility, and fostering strategic partnerships beyond transactional relationships. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

• Meredith Ellison, DBA, CAE, Executive Director, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
• Monica Pemberton, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, American Council on Education
• Tracy Petrillo, Chief Learning Officer, California Association of School Business Officials
• Natasha Rankin, MBA, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Irrigation Association

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Wed 6/26 at 1 p.m. – Using and Creating Legislative Scorecards

Discover how legislative scorecards can transform your organization’s strategy by ranking and categorizing elected officials based on their voting records, committee involvement, and more. Learn how to leverage legislative scorecards to inform the public, energize advocates, identify champions, and influence officials’ actions. Find out how the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. creates and deploys legislative scorecards to elevate its public affairs strategy. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

Speaker: Ryan Jayne, Senior Policy Counsel, Freedom From Religion Foundation

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Wed 6/26 at 1 p.m. – Make your Association’s Value Clear and Compelling

Now, more than ever, your members expect a simple and consistent brand experience to help cut through the content and communications noise they navigate every day. The key to a successful brand lies in having a clear and compelling value proposition. Learn how to use a template to craft a value proposition, write your statement, and apply your value proposition. More info/register.

Host: Mercury Creative Group

Speakers: Cheri Quinn, Director of Brand Strategy, and Emily Youngblood, Client Services Director, Mercury Creative Group

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Wed 6/26 at 1 p.m. – The State of DEI in the Meetings Industry and Beyond

Hear about the state of DEI at major tourism and meetings organizations and in the industry in general, how incorporating DEI programs that emphasize supplier diversity can create more engaging events, tips for making your meetings and events programs more inclusive to all, and resources for incorporating DEI elements in your meetings and events programs. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speakers:

• Julie Coker, CEO, San Diego Tourism Authority
• Jason Dunn, CEO, National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals
• Elliott L. Ferguson II, President & CEO of Destination DC; Past National Chair, U.S. Travel Association
• Al Hutchinson, President & CEO, Visit Baltimore

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Wed 6/26 at 2 p.m. – Creating Events with AI

Hear about AI technologies on the market and how they can help you save time; how to use AI in the pre-event, live event, and post-event stages; and the value and impact of AI on your events. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speaker: Brooke Gracey, Marketing Director, Cvent

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Wed 6/26 at 2 p.m. – How Hotel Costs, Safety Factors Are Impacting Convention City Competitiveness

Hear about new data and trends impacting the site-selection process from the research team behind the 2024 Convention Cities Index (CCi). Planners can use the CCi to compare destinations and evaluate which markets best meet the unique needs of their group. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the CCi research and a peek at the top 25 U.S. cities and top 25 global cities scoring highest on this year’s list. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Moderators: Loren Edelstein, Vice President, Content Director, and Elise Schoening, Editor, Meeting News, Senior Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

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Wed 6/26 at 2 p.m. – FBO Monthly Virtual Meet Up

Monthly Virtual Meet Ups provide professionals in the Finance, Business, Operations and HR community with an opportunity to share pressing problems they are facing and gather input from their peers. These interactive discussions provide a low stake, engaging and informative experience. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

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Wed 6/26 at 3 p.m. – Navigating the Member Journey Part 6: Using Your Data to Create, Track, & Report Association KPIs

Periodically, associations go through an arduous process of defining strategic goals for the next few years. But very often, associations find it hard to measure progress because they lack clear KPIs to track their goals and/or a way to share them across the association. Learn how to identify the key metrics you can use to measure the progress of your strategic goals, use a snapshot dashboard to view all your KPIs in one place, and ensure you have what you need to track and report on your KPIs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

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

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Thu 6/27 at 12 p.m. – Looking Forward 2024 Challenges: First Look at How the Issues Impact Association Strategy

Thanks to the Looking Forward® Impact survey, we have a sense of how our current environment is impacting association members. Now, let’s examine the logical next question—given the situation members are in, how will this impact association strategy? What are the challenges associations face to their strategies and business model as they endeavor to carry out their mission? Hear about the challenges facing association strategy, the commonalities among associations, and complimentary Looking Forward® Dashboard custom reporting that facilitates conversations unique to your board or staff. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: Association Laboratory

Speakers: Nikki Golden, CAE, strategist, Felicia D. Kenan, JM, MPA, CAE, CMP, strategist, and Dean West, founder and president, Association Laboratory

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Thu 6/27 at 12 p.m. – How to Accelerate Non-Dues Revenue Growth: Proven Sales Tactics for Association Professionals

Sales comes with the territory if your job includes attracting sponsors, exhibitors, or advertisers for your association. Learn about strategies and tactics to help you attract and convert higher-paying customers with less effort, and without sacrificing member value. Find out how to get a prospect’s attention, convert the right companies, and create a better sales experience for your prospect and for yourself. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Carrie McIntyre, principal, Navigate

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Thu 6/27 at 12:30 p.m. – Ten Years in, OMB Makes Significant Changes to the Uniform Guidance: Learn from the Experts

Ten years ago, OMB took the notable step of consolidating a myriad of circulars that regulated federal financial assistance (i.e., grants) into a “super” circular known as the Uniform Guidance. Now, OMB has published the most significant rewrite of this regulation to date. Hear about these changes and how nonprofits can utilize the new flexibilities to their advantage while remaining mindful and vigilant of compliance concerns and obligations. More info/register.

Host: Venable LLP

Speakers:

• Marc Bucalo, Co-Founder, Award Advisors
• Dan Durst, Co-Founder, Award Advisors
• Diz Locaria, Partner, Government Contracts, Venable LLP

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Thu 6/27 at 2 p.m. – Integrations 101

Hear real-world use cases where integrations helped associations improve their business processes and expose new user data and insights. Learn what an integration is and what it is not, why integrations are important for associations, the role of clean data for effective integrations, and what middleware is and whether you need it. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speakers:

• Josh Carlson, Founder & Chief Innovator, PerByte
• Richard Reyes, MBA, Vice President, Digital Strategy, ConnexFM
• James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

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Fri 6/28 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

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Fri 6/28 at 4 p.m. – What Have You Done to Make Your Workplace Equitable, Accessible, and Open to the LGBTQIA+ Community

Join your association and nonprofit colleagues for an open networking discussion and best practices sharing about making our workplaces more inclusive for the LGBTQIA+ community. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Facilitator: David Falchek, CAE IOM CMP, Executive Director, Serving Seniors, Inc.

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Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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

ASAE Annual road trip. If you’re going to ASAE Annual in Cleveland and live in the DC area, join KiKi L’Italien on the Association Chat Road Trip to ASAE Annual. If I lived in the DMV, I’d be on this bus for sure. What a terrific way to start the Annual experience. All together now: one hundred bottles of beer on the wall, one hundred bottles of beer…

Event marketing. Fíonta shares eleven effective marketing strategies for boosting event attendance. You’ll find a few different and intriguing ideas to consider in this one.

AI for associations. In Nimble’s AI success kit, you get four resources: two 30-minute webinar recordings about AI for associations and two white papers, an introduction to AI for associations and a guide to developing an AI strategy.

AI acceleration. At Noema, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses where AI is headed, when to “pull the plug,” and how to cope with China and other evil players. This post resonates with a sometimes scary but excellent book I’m reading now, The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century’s Greatest Dilemma by Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of the AI company DeepMind, which was acquired by Google.

Non-dues revenue. Patti Callahan at Association Analytics describes a data-empowered method for thinking outside the traditional non-dues revenue box and shares examples from associations that are leading the way.

Membership app. Bulletin describes how a membership app helps improve engagement by providing a centralized communication channel for members. A mobile app is a tangible daily reminder of membership value. Plus, unlike social media channels, your association controls your app.

SEO for AI-powered search results. Jim Yu at Content Marketing Institute explains how to adapt your SEO and content strategies for Google’s new AI Overviews and AI-powered search rankings.

Extra credit

Nearly three-quarters of organizations were the target of attempted business email compromise attacks. You might know some of them: several association consultants recently received phishing emails from an association professional with a hacked inbox. | by Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4

Deep reading will save your soul. | by William Deresiewicz, Persuasion

Word and language nerds, this one’s for you. “Like” is a symptom of a lack of confidence in language itself. | by Wilfred M. McClay, The Hedgehog Review

Your boyfriend isn’t your camera man: “Her need for me to catalogue her life is slowly draining my soul.” | by Freya India, After Babel

Enjoy one-minute videos of parks from around the world. | One Minute Park TV <You know about Window Swap, right?>

You never grow old at the table

Last week, we loved deviled bluefish with coconut-spiked coleslaw, recipes from chef Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham NC. I baked the fish instead of grilling it, added red bell and jalapeño pepper to the slaw, used regular (instead of preserved) lemon zest, and omitted the chervil. Next time, I’ll add pineapple and/or orange bits to the slaw.

I thought speckled sea trout with red chili and pecans would go well with our leftover slaw—and it did. The link to the original recipe on Serious Eats no longer works, but this copycat recipe has the details.

Sunday afternoon happy hour at my sister-in-law’s led to a visit on the way home to our local brewery, but luckily I had a quick sheet pan meal in mind for dinner: sheet pan Italian sausages with grapes and broccoli rabe. I added red onion and garlic powder to the mix, and served everything on top of polenta, aka Italian grits. Long ago, I copied the Washington Post recipe to Word since I’m no longer a subscriber. If you’re not a subscriber, check out the archived version.

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If you’d like to subscribe, please complete the form in the sidebar or at the bottom of this post. I won’t share or sell your email address.

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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.

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Fri 6/14 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

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

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Fri 6/14 at 4 p.m. – What Does Juneteenth Mean to You, and How Can Associations Honor or Celebrate It?

Participate in a networking discussion about what Juneteenth means to you and how associations can best honor/celebrate it. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

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Mon 6/17 at 8 a.m. – Leading Change (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: Michael Randel

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Mon 6/17 at 3 p.m. – Finding Focus: Establishing Strategic Priorities that Meet the Moment

Hear how association executives have approached strategy development and prioritization with mission impact in mind. Explore a data-driven, collaborative approach to strategic planning that aligns the board and staff to pursue a shared vision of success. Learn how to identify and establish enduring priorities that align with your organization’s mission, empowering you to drive meaningful impact while staying responsive to change. More info/register.

Host: McKinley Advisors

Speakers:

• Deborah Bowen, FACHE, CAE, President & CEO, ACHE
• Sherrif Karamat, CAE, President & CEO, PCMA and CEMA
• Christie Tarantino-Dean, FASAE, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, IFT
• Jay Younger, FASAE, President & CEO, McKinley Advisors

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Mon 6/17 from 3 to 5 p.m. – Unveiling UX Insights: A Hands-On Exploration (Rockville MD)

Get hands-on experience with user research techniques and see how to collect insights that shape your member’s digital experiences so you can run your own UX research and usability tests to improve your association’s digital presence. Learn how to conduct usability tests to enhance UX functionality and user satisfaction from developing your research goals, building a test plan, executing your testing, and analyzing your results. Location: Rockville MD. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

• Anisah Kabli, Director of Web Development at AVIXA
• Rhoni Rakos, Director of Digital Strategy at fusionSpan
• Ray van Hilst, Director of Client Results at Yoko Co.

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Tue 6/18 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits

This webinar will teach you about Generative AI and Large Language Models, how they work, and 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

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Tue 6/18 at 12 p.m. – Membership to Leadership: Recruiting Millennial and Gen Z members to the Leadership Pipeline (CRVM June Crunch and Munch)

An active volunteer leadership pipeline and succession planning are integral to healthy, thriving chapters. But how do you keep the pipeline going when younger members aren’t joining the association or aren’t stepping up into leadership roles? Let’s brainstorm solutions together as we contemplate the motivations and barriers for joining associations among younger generations, share our challenges and successes in recruiting younger members to chapter leadership roles, and how chapters can encourage younger members into leadership. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council

Facilitators: Eva Przygodzki and Michelle Runge

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Tue 6/18 at 12 p.m. – Grade Your MSP: Ensuring Your Nonprofit Receives Optimal Service

Learn to pinpoint essential services your Managed Service Provider (MSP) should be providing and assess the quality and scope of services received versus what is promised in SLAs. Find out about common warning signs that your MSP may not be fully serving your organization’s best interests and questions to ask your provider to ensure they’re aligned with your nonprofit’s goals. More info/register.

Host: ClearTone Consulting

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Tue 6/18 at 12 p.m. – Designing for Impact: Mastering the Art of Strategic Event Design

Discover how strategic event design captivates and connects attendees on a deeper level, transforming ordinary events into extraordinary experiences. More info/register.

Host: Bizzabo Studios

Speakers:

• Kacie Finance, VP of Enterprise Sales, Bizzabo
• James Howitt, Director, Client Experience & Development, Smyle
• Sophie Hulf, Senior Creative Strategist, Smyle
• Nick Thomas, Technical Director, Smyle

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Tue 6/18 at 1 p.m. – Mapping the Cookie Crumbs: A Hands-On Approach to Process Mapping

Learn about the fundamentals of process mapping. Find out how to create and interpret process maps and apply process mapping to improve business operations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Gary Harpenau, COO, Innovia Consulting

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Tue 6/18 at 1 p.m. – Positioning your Credentialing Program for Success

Learn how to build credentialing programs that meet the needs of stakeholders (now and as they evolve in the future), are consistent with best practices, and are legally defensible. Hear how to gather evidence to make decisions, define members’ needs, find cost-effective solutions for key steps and services in the credentialing process, and create a product portfolio of diverse offerings that address professional development needs and drive revenue. 1 CAE credit. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

• Cynthia Allen, ICE-CCP, President, SeaCrest Consulting
• Amanda Dainis, PhD, MPA, CEO & Lead Psychometrician, Dainis & Company, Inc.
• Michael Mayer, President, Prolydian

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Tue 6/18 at 2 p.m. – Supplier Diversity: The Untapped DEI Strategy that All Associations Need to Implement

the benefits of supplier diversity but more importantly your role in building and growing a supplier diversity program within your company that will transform lives and create true economic equity. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

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Wed 6/19 at 11 a.m. – Charting the Course Beyond Membership: The Essential Role of Non-dues Revenue in Association Success

Learn how associations can strategically leverage non-dues revenue opportunities to ensure financial stability and long-term success. Hear about practical strategies, best practices, and real-life examples to maximize revenue potential and drive success beyond traditional membership models. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill Sheehan, Global Head, Association Strategy, D2L

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Thu 6/20 at 12 p.m. – Association Reserves (Alexandria VA)

Bring your top-of-mind questions to this “IRL” exchange in Alexandria with Matt and association peers on investment policies, the role of volunteers, best uses of cash assets and positioning reserves as more than a “rainy-day fund.” Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Host: NoVA Association Senior Executives

Speaker: Matt O’Lone CIMA® of Raffa Investment Advisers

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Thu 6/20 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

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Thu 6/20 at 12:30 p.m. – Behind the Screens: TMA’s Website Makeover

Hear about the “behind the screens” experiences leading TMA’s successful website redesign including what worked (and didn’t): designing the RFP and finding the right partner, streamlining navigation and introducing modern branding, creating member journeys and personalized experiences, and empowering TMA’s small staff and creating efficiencies. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: .orgSource

Speakers:

• Jodi Talley, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, Turnaround Management Association
• Laura Graham, Senior Solutions Consultant, Results Direct | RD Mobile

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Thu 6/20 at 1 p.m. – How to Build an Effective Business Continuity Plan

An effective business continuity plan (BCP) seeks to minimize downtime and lost goodwill in the event your operations are disrupted. This spans everything from identifying potential losses to drawing up recovery plans to designing system and personnel redundancies to simulating various incidents. Learn why business continuity plans still matter in the age of remote work, the anatomy of a comprehensive BCP according to current best practice, and hw to go about building your association’s unique plan. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Chris Abel, Manager of Consulting Services, and Heinan Landa, Founder & CEO, Optimal Networks

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Thu 6/20 at 2 p.m. – Developing Brand Identity for Events

Deciding how to develop a brand for an event brings up a lot of questions, like how much or how little it should look like your organization’s brand. Hear about event brands the speakers have worked on, and what path they chose and why. Learn about the different styles available when branding your organization’s event, what makes a good event brand, and how to get started at creating a look for your event. More info/register.

Host: Iris Creative Group

Speakers: Beth Brodovsky, president, and Meghan Reilly, art director, Iris Creative Group

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Thu 6/20 at 2 p.m. – How to Plan Must-Attend Healthcare Conferences

In a world where healthcare workers have their choice of ways to earn continuing medical education (CMEs), how do you plan a healthcare conference they will travel to attend? Learn how AI is changing the job of the healthcare conference planner; how to market and design an event that accounts for sustainability, wellness and inclusivity; and how to elevate your medical meetings program. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speaker: Ariana Reed

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Fri 6/21 at 1 p.m. – From Live to Lasting: Transforming Webinars into Engaging eLearning

Learn practical strategies to maximize the impact of your existing webinar content by transforming it into versatile, on-demand courses. Explore effective methods to add interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and discussion boards to keep learners engaged. Understand how to break down webinar content into manageable, bite-sized pieces to facilitate easier consumption and ongoing engagement. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: BlueSky eLearn

Speakers: Jordan Baker, M.Ed., Learning Solutions Advisor, and Dr. Kristen Wall, MA EdD, Director of Learning & Development, Blue Sky eLearn

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Fri 6/21 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

Topic for this month’s networking meeting for association consultants is: business continuity planning for the solopreneur or small practice consultancy—in addition to any immediate concerns of the group, which will be discussed first. This meeting is self-organized by the consultant community, not an official ASAE event. More info.

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

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Fri 6/21 at 4 p.m. – Autism Acceptance at Work

Learn how to create a better work environment, and best support neurodiverse co-workers. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Katie Kinde, Incompass Education Coordinator, and autism self-advocate

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Tue 6/25 at 10 a.m. – 10 Awkward Questions to Ask your Tech Vendor

An AMS salesperson might wow you with all the system’s bells and whistles, but asking key awkward questions will help you determine if you are investing in the right system to meet your association’s needs. Learn how asking the right awkward questions can set you and your association up for success. More info/register.

Host: Ellipsis Partners

Speakers: Jim Pearson, MS Ed, PMP, senior consultant, and Moira Edwards, CAE, president, Ellipsis Partners LLC

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Tue 6/25 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Leadership Technology Award Spotlight with Tracy Petrillo

Join award winner Tracy Petrillo to discuss perceptions in leadership and how to get your work noticed. Discuss practical approaches to demonstrate trust as you advance your career. Explore the unique value you bring to your work. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speaker: Tracy Petrillo, EdD, CAE, Chief Learning Officer, CASBO

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Tue 6/25 at 3 p.m. – ASAE Quarterly Consultant Community Call

ASAE’s goal for this meeting is to provide updates to the consultant community and to open lines of communication between ASAE staff and consultant members. These calls are joined by ASAE leadership as needed to answer any questions from members. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

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Wed 6/26 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Engagement Platforms Demo Day

See presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer Engagement Platforms. Mobile experts will be showcasing apps and sharing their knowledge with the association market. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Presenters: PropFuel, Accredible, Higher Logic, Clowder, Credivera, SmartJobBoard, eShow, TopClass LMS, Matchbox, Hivebrite

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Wed 6/26 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Unlock Member Loyalty: Volunteer Strategies for Higher Renewals (Arlington VA)

Volunteer (or chapter) programs create a sense of belonging and nudge members into a deeper connection with your association. Learn how to design volunteer programs that tap into members’ aspirations and fuel association loyalty. Discover how fostering a culture of volunteerism both strengthens your association and increases member retention through deeper engagement at all levels. Location: Arlington VA. More info/register.

Hosts: Impexium, Billhighway, Mariner Management, and Higher Logic

Speaker: Peggy Hoffman, President & Executive Director, Mariner Management & Marketing

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Wed 6/26 at 3 p.m. – Navigating the Member Journey Part 6: Using Your Data to Create, Track, & Report Association KPIs

Periodically, associations go through an arduous process of defining strategic goals for the next few years. But very often, associations find it hard to measure progress because they lack clear KPIs to track their goals and/or a way to share them across the association. Learn how to identify the key metrics you can use to measure the progress of your strategic goals, use a snapshot dashboard to view all your KPIs in one place, and ensure you have what you need to track and report on your KPIs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

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

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Thu 6/27 at 2 p.m. – Integrations 101

Hear real-world use cases where integrations helped associations improve their business processes and expose new user data and insights. Learn what an integration is and what it is not, why integrations are important for associations, the role of clean data for effective integrations, and what middleware is and whether you need it. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speakers:

• Josh Carlson, Founder & Chief Innovator, PerByte
• Richard Reyes, MBA, Vice President, Digital Strategy, ConnexFM
• James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

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Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Creative Commons licensed photo by Irina Iriser via Unsplash

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

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

Humans vs AI. At The Atlantic, Tyler Austin Harper highlights the big AI risk not enough people are seeing: “We need to adopt a more sophisticated approach to artificial intelligence, one that allows us to distinguish… which uses of artificial intelligence expand our basic human capabilities, and which cultivate incompetence and incapacity under the guise of empowerment.”

Connections. When flying, my nose is usually buried in my Kindle. But last week, I enjoyed chatting with the mature 12-year-old sitting next to me who was enjoying her book while traveling home on her own. Amanda Lea Kaiser describes how these conversations with strangers are often deep, meaningful, and life-changing. I’m looking forward to the rest of her series about helping strangers (members) connect—and wonder what my young seatmate took away from our chat.

Membership renewals. Impexium dives deep into the details of membership renewals, such as the difference between retention and renewal, metrics, reasons members don’t renew, and, best of all, solutions for your association’s renewal challenges.

Sunsetting. Hannah Carvalho at Associations Now shares the advice of Jennifer Blenkle of the American Physiological Society and Ankur Ponda of McKinley Advisors on how to build a smart sunsetting strategy for products and programs. So important if you want to make space for new initiatives.

Event design. At The Meeting Magazines, Lee Gimpel of Better Meetings and other planners offer excellent advice for using intentional design to improve your events. Lee said, “Being intentional requires thought, but a lot of events skip true intention-setting and then spend a lot of time and thought on details that aren’t connected to the purpose.”

Association videos. VideoRequest describes how associations use video to increase brand awareness, raise funds, engage volunteers, and promote events.

Content workflow. Jodi Harris at Content Marketing Institute explains how to map workflows for each content format and variation your team regularly produces. She also describes content processes that remove friction, confusion, and inefficiencies and make production more manageable.

Quick hits

Toward a politics of beauty. We can dream, right? | by John de Graaf, Front Porch Republic

Why don’t southern homes have basements? I wonder about this whenever we have a tornado warning. | by Jeremy Markovich, North Carolina Rabbit Hole

You never grow old at the table

It’s worth dragging out your slow cooker for this recipe from The Complete Slow Cooker by America’s Test Kitchen: Thai green curry with shrimp and sweet potatoes. So good. My adaptations: double the amount of green curry paste and add red bell and jalapeño pepper, onion, garlic, spinach, and a garnish of chopped peanuts. Serve over brown rice.

Here’s one for leftover jars of salsa. Sprinkle filets of speckled sea trout with garlic powder, s/p, and lime juice. Top with salsa and guacamole salsa. Bake. Garnish with chopped cilantro. On the side, the usual roasted broccoli with red onion, garlic powder, and s/p.

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If you’d like to subscribe, please complete the form in the sidebar or at the bottom of this post. I won’t share or sell your email address.

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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.

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Fri 5/31 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

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

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Fri 5/31 at 4 p.m. – Open Discussion/Best Practices Sharing: Dealing with Disruptive or Disengaged Board Members

Come prepared to share your stories about disruptive or disengaged board members and how your organization handled the situation. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

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Tue 6/4 at 12 p.m. – Rethinking Data Priorities: Preparing Associations for an AI-Driven Future

Historically, associations have primarily focused on capturing revenue-related data points, sometimes overlooking non-revenue data in the process. In the age of AI, this narrow approach to data collection and management can limit an organization’s ability to leverage AI tools effectively. Learn about the impact of a non-holistic approach to data and hear actionable insights on how associations can adjust their mentality and data practices to thrive in an AI-driven future. More info/register.

Host: fusionSpan

Speakers:

• Rebecca Achurch of Achurch Consulting
• Tobin Conley of Delcor
• Stephen St John of fusionSpan

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Tue 6/4 at 12 p.m. – Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Essentials: Data Analytics Network

GA4 is now the default web analytics for all websites as of July 2023. Learn GA4 essentials, like how to install and configure it so you can manage your web analytics and unlock custom insights. Find out what makes GA4 different, how to configure basic and advanced tracking, set goals and conversions, and build basic reports via Google Looker. Get a jump start from experts who have assisted associations in implementing best practices to confidently manage the GA4 transition. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Speakers:

• Ray van Hilst, Director of Client Strategy, Yoko Co
• Justin Scott (moderator), VP Innovation & Analytics, Metals Service Center Institute

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Tue 6/4 at 1 p.m. – Beyond ChatGPT: Elevating Marketing with AI-Generated Graphics, Audio, and Video

Discover a range of powerful use cases and AI tools designed to elevate your marketing efforts. Learn how AI can help you cultivate new skills and drive more impact for your organization. Understand how to evaluate AI’s efficacy and impact on marketing by measuring cost, time, performance, and creativity. Discover how AI is empowering marketers to generate high-impact video content without technical expertise. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers:

• Clement Desmouceaux, Head of Marketing at PlayPlay
• Natalie Lambert, Founder and Managing Partner at GenEdge Consulting / ex-Googler

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Tue 6/4 at 2 p.m. – Before You Go: An Insider’s Guide to AMS Fest

If you are attending AMS Fest this year or thinking about a new AMS/CRM system in the next few years, it’s time to start preparing. Get the inside scoop on getting the most out of the AMS Fest experience and the AMS selection process. More info/register.

Note from Deirdre: If your association is planning to get a new AMS or CRM in the coming years, you will save time, money, and headaches and make the best choice possible by attending AMS Fest.

Hosts: 501Works and PerByte

Speakers:

• James Marquis, CIO, 501Works
• Olivia Wilkins, Business Analyst/Project Manager, PerByte

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Wed 6/5 at 12 p.m. – Balancing Innovation with Governance to Meet Member Expectations

Learn practical strategies to meet your members’ needs in the digital era. Find the correct balance between innovation and governance to provide value to your members. Gain valuable insights to rally stakeholder support and refine your strategies. More info/register.

Host: WorkerBee.TV

Speakers:

• Tom Morrison, CEO, Metal Treatment Institute
• Marcus Leite, Director, Sales and Marketing, WorkerBee.TV

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Wed 6/5 at 12 p.m. – It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad Association-Vendor World: How to Improve the Association-Vendor Relationship

Discuss the hurdles associations encounter during vendor selection. Hear about best practices for engaging busy association executives. Learn how to manage the flood of supplier outreach that bombards association leaders daily. Learn about the importance of vendors gaining insights into the daily challenges faced by association executives and get actionable advice on forging genuine connections with these decision-makers. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: AIOT

Speakers:

• Kelli Baxter, Executive Director, ATA
• Chuck Bowen, VP of Communications and Member Relations, OPEI
• Dianne Vance, Director of Sales, AOTA
• Dave Schulman (moderator), Associations Rewired
• Bill Sheehan (moderator), D2L

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Wed 6/5 at 1 p.m. – Demystifying SOPs: From Groan to Game-Changing

Learn how to identify appropriate formats and tools for your SOP needs, create a plan for usable and effective SOP storage, and maintain up-to-date SOPs with an ongoing program. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

• Vanessa Dennison, CAE, CBAP, Principal, Dennison & Associates
• Erin Lemons, Vice President of Marketing, Association Solutions, Fonteva & Protech

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Wed 6/5 at 1 p.m. – AI Made Easy: Practical Tools for Marketing Transformation

Hear about the concept of AI in marketing and a variety of accessible, low-cost tools that will set you on the path to AI integration without overwhelming your budget or your schedule. These tools are specifically designed to enhance marketing, advertising, and communications functions within your organization. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Erica Salm Rench, Chief Operating Officer, rasa.io

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Wed 6/5 at 2 p.m. – Positioning Your Digital Initiatives to Mission-Driven Decision Makers

Struggling to get sponsorship for your initiatives? Learn how to connect with the right people who care about your mission. Hear how to find and reach out to the right contacts in companies, not just the top executives; build meaningful relationships with those who support your mission; and improve your sponsorship proposals to attract interest. More info/register.

Host: Matchbox

Speakers:

• Lori Zoss Kraska, founder, Growth Owl
• Michelle Brien, vice president marketing, Matchbox

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Wed 6/5 at 2 p.m. – Insights from ASAE’s Global Toolkit and Survey

Hear key insights from ASAE’s comprehensive toolkit designed to help U.S.-based associations move from ad-hoc to strategic as they develop or expand their international efforts. Learn about frameworks for assessing market potential and other action-oriented tips to help associations grow their international operations. More info/register (free for ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

• Sylvia Gonner, CAE, President and Owner, CultureWiz
• Amy Hissrich, CAE, Vice President, International Affairs, ASAE: The Center For Association Leadership

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Thu 6/6 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

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Thu 6/6 at 1 p.m. – The Power of Connection: The Foundations of Conversation

In a world driven by relationships, the ability to engage authentically and meaningfully with others is a fundamental asset. Delve into the art and science of conversation and become an adept conversationalist. Learn how to hone active listening skills, foster empathy, and master the dynamics of engaging dialogue. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Kate Coffey, VP of Marketing and Events, US Transactions Corporation/UST Education

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Fri 6/7 at 4 p.m. – Online Communities Series: Part 2 – Creating an Impactful Onboarding Campaign for an Association’s Online Community

1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Catherine Hackney, online community consultant specializing in association member communities

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Tue 6/11 from 12 to 2 p.m. – AI Policy, Practice & Communication (Washington DC)

Hear three association case studies on using AI to create content, develop a special magazine issue on AI, and put together an internal AI use policy. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: AM&P Next community

Speakers:

• Matthew Cibellis, Learning First Alliance
• Cecily Garber, associate vice president, communications and member relations, NBOA: Business Leadership for Independent Schools
• Dani Gudakunst, managing editor, Police Chief, International Association of Chiefs of Police

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Tue 6/11 at 4:30 p.m. CDT – AWTC AMS Fest Chicago Welcome (Chicago IL)

Come network with the AWTC community of women and allies. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

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Wed 6/12 at 12 p.m. – Prepping Your Team for a Migration Journey

Migrating to new systems requires not only tactical planning and training, but knowing when to rally staff as they adopt new processes and manage change. Since technology, and more importantly, data is owned by more than one team, associations also have to figure out how best to move forward while maintaining business continuity. Learn what to watch out for and how you can update your association technology stack while minimizing disruption and ensuring continued ownership and improvements. More info/register.

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Speaker: Chandler Miller, Sr Digital Advisor, HighRoad Solutions

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Wed 6/12 at 1 p.m. – Lessons From Amazon: Mastering Data Analytics for Unmatched Customer Experience

Members expect personalized, responsive service that anticipates their needs and preferences. Amazon has set the gold standard by leveraging data analytics to create ultra-curated experiences for each customer. But how do they do it? Hear about Amazon’s strategies and actionable insights for organizations aspiring to deliver similar excellence. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Rachel Mace, Director of Client Experience, Association Analytics

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Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Creative Commons licensed photo by Abstral Official via Unsplash

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

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

AMS/CRM community. After a successful April gathering in Alexandria VA, 501Works, PerByte, and Adage Technologies are hosting another Ven-Con for AMS/CRM vendors and consultants in Chicago on Tuesday, June 11. Ven-Con’s goal is to drive positive change in the AMS/CRM and technology systems selection space. In facilitated conversations, participants will explore how the industry can come together to develop helpful resources for all stakeholders in the AMS/CRM selection process.

Gen Z. TopClass LMS explains why Gen Z is the most entrepreneurial generation and how associations can attract and support them with education, networking, and other membership benefits.

RFPs. Impexium published a really good guide to creating a request for proposals (RFP) for association management software, which includes advice from technology consultants Tobin Conley of DelCor Technology Solutions, Moira Edwards of Ellipsis Partners, George Rears of Achurch Consulting, and Wes Trochlil of Effective Database Management.

Event engagement. 360 Live Media explores three elements shaping the future of events: technology, sustainability, and a culture of trust. They describe how to embrace these trends to create future-focused experiences that empower your attendees and strengthen your community.

Marketing. In a recent episode of the Leading Learning podcast, Celisa Steele of Tagoras talked to Michelle Brien of Matchbox about authenticity and value in marketing, content marketing, generative AI, and more.

Events. Julius Solaris of Boldpush is a good follow on LinkedIn if you’re interested in event planning and marketing. He provides his own insights plus wise words from other experts, like “If you can do it on Zoom, don’t do it in the room.”

Credentialing prep groups. TopClass LMS describes the advantages of credentialing exam study groups for candidates and associations, such as boosting pass rates, introducing people to your other programs, and generating new revenue. They also share association examples of effective program elements.

Association 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, identify the best time for a redesign, decrease costs, and increase revenue.

Association boards. Ten years ago, Jeff De Cagna introduced a new charge for association boards: the duty of foresight. At Naylor’s Association Adviser, he explains why this essential responsibility is still seen as a radical idea. Associations won’t survive the next ten years unless their boards take this duty seriously.

Member engagement. Julie Sciullo of Association Analytics describes three data-informed strategies for improving member engagement, with examples from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.

Quick hits

The loneliness epidemic has given rise to a new crop of startups aiming to help people connect in real life. | by Lauren Johnson and Sydney Bradley, Business Insider

How to get past a paywall to read an article for free. | by Pranay Parab, Lifehacker

Like it or not, the age of the employee social ambassador is here. | by Katie Hicks, Marketing Brew

How to AI-proof your career as a knowledge worker. | by Henley Wing Chiu, Bloomberry

You never grow old at the table

Nothing to report because I was hiking with my family last week in Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado—highly recommended if you love the high desert and red rocks like I do. Besides frying eggs for breakfast, making breakfast burritos, prepping salad, and cutting up veggies for dip, I didn’t do any cooking. But that all changes tonight! Tune in next week.

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If you’d like to subscribe, please complete the form in the sidebar or at the bottom of this post. I won’t share or sell your email address.

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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.

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Wed 5/29 at 12 p.m.* – Elevating Excellence: Chapter Benchmarking for Organizational Growth

If your association is looking to boost chapter performance, optimize operations, and elevate membership engagement, consider the power of benchmarking. Hear how AGC launched a chapter self-assessment and benchmarking program to enhance the performance and success of their 89 chapters. Learn about the role of benchmarking for chapters, some self-assessment techniques to identify strengths and areas of improvement, how to leverage benchmarking data to set goals and strategies, and identify benchmarking and assessment tools for chapters. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: AXC / Association Xchange

Speaker: Christi Beatty, Vice President of Chapter Services & Member Engagement at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)

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

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Wed 5/29 at 12 p.m. – Nonprofit Governance Transformation: Leveraging Catalyst Points for Deep Change

Explore new perspectives and cutting-edge practices in governance, with a strong emphasis on bridging the gap between research and practical application. More info/register.

Host: ARNOVA Governance Section

Speakers:

• Beth Gazley, Ph.D., Professor, O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
• Claudia Lach, M.A., Principal, Lach Training and Consulting

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Wed 5/29 at 12 p.m. – The Messaging Campaign Model: Organize and Execute

Learn how to connect the channel assessment, comms policy, and content calendar; design multiple pieces of content from one root message; and create a cadence that prevents message overlap and inbox overwhelm. Hear about distribution channels and how they relate to audience segments. More info/register.

Host: L-12 Services Corp

Speaker: Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, Founder & CEO, L-12 Services Corp.

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Wed 5/29 at 1 p.m. – The World of Wellness in Meetings and Events

Beyond practical tools and techniques, this program aims to provide insight into creating immersive, engaging and wellness-centric event experiences that prioritize the well-being of attendees while aligning with the client’s event goals and themes. Learn about the emerging trends of interactive game play such as virtual reality, forest bathing and more, and explore cutting edge techniques such as the spiral, neurological rewiring and more. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Kristine Iverson, founder and president of Crow Practice

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Wed 5/29 at 4:30 p.m. – MMC+Tech Welcome (Washington DC)

Come network with the AWTC community of women and allies. This IRL opportunity to socialize and network with your industry peers is brought to you by the generous support of our sponsors. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

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Thu 5/30 at 12 p.m. – 5 Ways to Boost Email Responses from Sponsorship Decision Makers

Learn how to stand out in crowded inboxes with five actionable tips that nonprofit organizations can use to help improve email response rates from sponsorship decision makers. Discover proven strategies to both craft compelling emails and encourage engagement. More info/register.

Host: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, founder/CEO, Growth Owl

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Thu 5/30 at 1 p.m. – Strategic Stakeholder Engagement in an Election Year

Navigating the extra challenges of an election year requires a strategic and thoughtful approach to stakeholder engagement to capitalize on the momentum of the election to achieve your goals before November and be ready with a robust post-election strategy. Learn how to build and prioritize relationships before the election rush, make a plan for every electoral outcome, leave a positive first impression with new lawmakers, and use meeting tracking tools to gauge (and boost) your influence. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

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Fri 5/31 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

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Fri 5/31 at 4 p.m. – Open Discussion/Best Practices Sharing: Dealing with Disruptive or Disengaged Board Members

Come prepared to share your stories about disruptive or disengaged board members and how your organization handled the situation. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

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Tue 6/4 at 12 p.m. – Data Analytics Network

1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

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Tue 6/4 at 2 p.m. – Before You Go: An Insider’s Guide to AMS Fest

If you are attending AMS Fest this year or thinking about a new AMS/CRM system in the next few years, it’s time to start preparing. Get the inside scoop on getting the most out of the AMS Fest experience and the AMS selection process. More info/register.

Hosts: 501Works and PerByte

Speakers:

• James Marquis, CIO, 501Works
• Olivia Wilkins, Business Analyst/Project Manager, PerByte

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Thu 6/6 at 1 p.m. – The Power of Connection: The Foundations of Conversation

In a world driven by relationships, the ability to engage authentically and meaningfully with others is a fundamental asset. Delve into the art and science of conversation and become an adept conversationalist. Learn how to hone active listening skills, foster empathy, and master the dynamics of engaging dialogue. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Kate Coffey, VP of Marketing and Events, US Transactions Corporation/UST Education

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Thu 6/6 at 2 p.m. – Integrations 101

Hear real-world use cases where integrations helped associations improve their business processes and expose new user data and insights. Learn what an integration is and what it is not, why integrations are important for associations, the role of clean data for effective integrations, and what middleware is and whether you need it. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speakers:

• Josh Carlson, Founder & Chief Innovator, PerByte
• Richard Reyes, MBA, Vice President, Digital Strategy, ConnexFM
• James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

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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.

---

---

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

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

Association Brain Food won’t be in your inbox next Friday (May 17) because I’m hiking in northern Utah next week. You might see the next edition, if I can get it all together in two days, on Friday, May 24.

Magazine awards. Are you proud of your association publication? Enter it in the CMI Content Marketing Awards by May 19. Presented by the Content Marketing Institute, they’re the “largest and longest-running international content marketing awards program recognizing the best in strategy, content creation, and visual & audio storytelling.”

Association rituals. TopClass LMS dives into an unexpected topic: rituals. They explain why rituals matter, what’s happened because we’ve lost so many communal rituals, and how associations can introduce rituals that encourage learning, engagement, and belonging.

Workplace challenges. This excellent member research report from Halmyre Strategies describes the challenges faced by various professions as a new generation enters the workforce: burnout, work-life balance, client demands, questioning the value of credentials, diversity, and evolving workforce roles. They describe how associations can address these issues while meeting the changing needs of professionals.

Engagement. It’s not just you. Amanda Kaiser says engaging members, attendees, writers, speakers, and volunteers is harder these days because everyone feels pressed for time. She advises appealing to your members’ emotions and making their decision to engage easier.

In-person events. The best line of the week is from Ken Holsinger of Freeman: “If you can do it on zoom, don’t do it in the room.” Julius Solaris of Boldpush shared Ken’s message and suggested improvements for in-person events.

Small-staff membership marketing. YourMembership offers guidance on membership marketing for small associations, including personalized communication, simplified joining and renewing procedures, onboarding experiences, online communities, and online career centers.

Content marketing. At Managing Editor, Paul Chaney explains why you need an editorial calendar for content marketing, what to put in it, and how to create and maintain an effective one.

Hybrid work. Business school dean Michael Arena did the research slog for you by recapping dozens of studies on the effectiveness and future of hybrid work.

Off-topic

Best off-topic line I read all week: “Who gives a fuck what college kids think?” (Shalom Auslander, Persuasion)

The 20 “new Ivies”—glad my alma mater made this list. (Emma Whitford, Forbes)

Another good one: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Those who do learn from history are doomed to watch others repeat it.” (Konstantin Kisin)

What if you dug a hole all the way to the other side of the Earth? Would you end up in China like we thought when we were kids? (Antipodes Map)

You never grow old at the table

I needed a tailgate-friendly meal on Sunday so I’d have leftovers for Tuesday night’s Foo Fighters show—which was FANTASTIC. Bratwursts! First, sauté red cabbage with bacon, onion, and garlic until it’s wilted. Put the bratwurst on top. Pour half a can of beer over it, cover and simmer until the sausages are done, then brown them in a separate pan. Serve the sausages on pretzel rolls with Muenster cheese, spicy mustard, and a sauté of green and red bell pepper, poblano pepper, and red and yellow onion. Cabbage goes on the side or on the sausage.

An old standby, blackened flounder with cheesy grits. My blackened spice mix includes smoked paprika, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, ground ancho chile, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. On the side, roasted broccoli with red onion and garlic powder—buying garlic powder from a spice shop is definitely worth it.

Another favorite is creamy swordfish piccata. I love having this sauce take over the plate and invade the brown rice and roasted broccoli.

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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.

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Fri 5/10 at 4 p.m.* – Networking Discussion: What Has Your Organization Done to Prepare for Crisis or Disaster?

May is Disaster Preparedness Month. What has your organization done to prepare? Do you have challenges to share with colleagues who may be able to help you solve problems? Are you well-versed in disaster planning or have you experienced a crisis at work that you can share with others? Join your association and nonprofit colleagues for an open discussion about disaster preparedness. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Facilitator: Shelly Trent, Fridays@4 president

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

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Mon 5/13 at 8 a.m. – Learning the Language of Associations (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: Mariel Solomon, Associate Director, Practice Portal, The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

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Mon 5/13 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays: Build Your Membership Meet-Up at the Upcoming MMC +T

For anyone that is going to the Marketing, Membership, Communications, +Technology Conference on May 30-31, 2024, come discuss and plan your membership meet- up agenda. We will be looking through the sessions available and discussing what people are interested in. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Membership Professionals Advisory Council

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Tue 5/14 at 10 a.m. – The Global Impacts of the 2024 US Election

Hear about the potential impact of the U.S. election on trade agreements and international relations; geopolitical implications of the possible election results on various regions around the world, including the EU, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East; and actionable strategies to navigate the global landscape before and after the 2024 U.S. election. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Speakers:

• Lucas Machado, global policy analyst, FiscalNote Professional Services
• Antonio Martinez, head of the Americas and Global Economics research practice, FrontierView, a FiscalNote company
• Rachel Oswald, foreign policy reporter, CQ Roll Call
• Thomas Adlam (moderator), senior manager of client engagements, global, FiscalNote

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Tue 5/14 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesdays: The Makings of a Large Language Model

Generative AI has propelled Large Language Models (LLMs) into the mainstream spotlight. Yet, the question remains: How do you effectively train one for your organization? Learn about the essential elements behind crafting a powerful LLM. Gain actionable insights and strategies to kickstart your organization’s LLM journey. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Technology Professionals Advisory Council

Speakers: Reggie Henry of ASAE, Dave Coriale of Delcor, and Thomas Altman of Tasio

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Tue 5/14 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ 2024 Community Call

This event is 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 LGBTQ Association Executives and Supporters

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Tue 5/14 at 1 p.m. – Productivity Tool Shootout

You’re probably in some kind of spreadsheet Hades, where your processes have slowed down and the data has become unruly—a common business challenge. You want to drive efficiency and automation with productivity tools, but which productivity tool is right for you? Experience a thorough comparison between SmartSheet, SmartSuite, and Airtable. More info/register.

Host: ClearTone Consulting

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Tue 5/14 at 1 p.m. – No Attendee Left Behind: Making Events Accessible to All

Did you know one out of four event attendees is likely to have a disability? Events that aren’t designed with attendees that have disabilities in mind can exclude a large part of your audience and erode ROI. Everyone should have access to high-quality events, regardless of their abilities. Hear an overview of key accessibility trends, best practices on disability etiquette, and tips, tricks, and strategies. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Stephen Cutchins, Product Manager and Accessibility Expert, Cvent

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Wed 5/15 at 11 a.m. – How to Do a Finance Assessment & Find Process Improvement

Learn about the signs for needing a finance and accounting team assessment, how to approach the assessment with team members, ideal times to perform the assessment, and steps performed during an assessment. Hear about the types of observations that may come out of an assessment along with recommendations, including new organization charts. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Jared Basco, Senior Manager, and Colleen Smith, Principal, O’Connor Consulting Services

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Wed 5/15 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Technology Innovation Award Spotlight with Megan Cottrell

The AWTC Technology Innovation Award honors an individual in an association for their novel use of technology or introduction of innovative technological solutions. This recognition spotlights those who have found inventive applications for technology that substantially impacts internal or external stakeholders and moves their association forward. Join us to learn about the Digital Strategy Project that CREW Network embarked on and how the 2023 Honoree, Megan Cottrell, led her organization through this incredible transformation. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

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Wed 5/15 at 12 p.m. – Visualizing Your Data Reality with Dashboards

Staring at excel spreadsheets wondering how you’re supposed to show ROI, LTV, CAC and the rest of the alphabet ratios when asked how things are going with your marketing efforts? The challenge isn’t figuring out what you want to measure—you’ve got that down pat—the trouble is figuring how to build the right reports easily. Walk through a simple framework pairing strategy with application and see how to build sophisticated reports and dashboards connecting your association data to marketing behavioral data effortlessly. More info/register.

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Speakers: Chandler Miller, Sr Digital Advisor, and Aimee Pagano, Director of Programming, HighRoad Solutions

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Wed 5/15 at 12 p.m. – The Art of Member Retention: Proven Strategies for Associations

Explore practical strategies to keep members satisfied and loyal. Hear about personalization and why engagement is so critical, navigating member engagement challenges, strategies for engaging and retaining members, and value creation for lasting member retention. More info/register.

Host: NX Unite / Nexus Agency

Speakers:

• Jay Daughtry, Client Engagement and Content Creation at Fonteva & Protech
• Amanda Lea Kaiser, Member Engagement Speaker and Author at Kaiser Insights LLC
• Scott Oser, President at Scott Oser Associates
• Isabelle Perreault, Founder and CEO at Differly

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Wed 5/15 at 12 p.m. – Virtual Panel: Everyday Ethical Dilemmas for Early Career Association Executives

Per research, middle-level managers report experiencing pressure to compromise ethical standards more than top management. Join a discussion about commonly encountered ethical dilemmas and develop skill in ethical decision-making. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Ethics Committee and Young Professionals Advisory Committee

Speakers:

• Lynette R. Bradley-Baker, PhD, CAE, RPh, Senior Vice President, Chief Engagement Officer, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
• Naema Mallick, Assistant General Counsel, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Richard E. Shermanski, Esq., Associate Director, Ethics Adjudication, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Cindy Ziegler, Director of Governance and Special Initiatives, APIC – Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
• Shawna Strickland (moderator), PhD, CAE, Associate Executive Director, Programs, American Epilepsy Society

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Wed 5/15 at 2 p.m. – Putting Wellness on the Agenda

Being stressed isn’t an ideal state for engagement and learning. Learn about simple and powerful relaxation and focus techniques that can be woven easily into meetings and events and how to plan menus for maximum performance. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speakers:

• Linda Yoonjin, Lead Content Creator, Brain Education TV
• Loren Edelstein (moderator), Vice President, Content Director, Northstar Meetings Group

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Thu 5/16 at 12 p.m. – Actualizing Your Authentic Self vs. Executive Presence

Maneuvering the balance between bringing your true self vs. cultivating executive presence in today’s competitive landscape is crucial for personal and career success. Join us to unlock your full potential and thrive authentically as we explore the deeper meanings and offer practical strategies to navigate and integrate both aspects effectively. More info/register.

Hosts: ElevateHER: Advancing Women in Leadership and Innovation, a collaboration by Black Association Executives, Association Latinos, and Achieve More, LLC: Consult. Plan. Train.

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Thu 5/16 at 12 p.m. – NoVa Association Senior Execs Roundtable (Alexandria VA)

Join a discussion on committees and governance. Bring your top-of-mind questions, or just your insights and business cards, to this off-the-record exchange with association peers. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Host: NoVa Association Senior Executives

Speaker: Richard Yep, CAE, FASAE, founder of Ocean Vista Advisors

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Thu 5/16 at 12 p.m. – Finance for Associations Masterclass: Telling Your Story Through Numbers

Are your financial statements valuable management tools or are they just a list of numbers? How well do your financial statements represent the story of your association? Get tips and best practices to ensure your financial statements are highly useful and informative. More info/register.

Host: Zzeem

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Thu 5/16 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

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Thu 5/16 at 1 p.m. – How to Maximize Learner Engagement in Continuing Education and Professional Development

Learn about the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of learner engagement and techniques to foster engagement along all three dimensions before, during, and after learners interact with your professional development programs. Get ideas for activities and approaches to foster engagement as you promote your offerings; as you design, develop, and deliver them; and as you work to support ongoing learning and retain those individuals as customers. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Tagoras / Leading Learning

Speakers:

• Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning
• Thomas Melum, senior customer success manager at BenchPrep

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Thu 5/16 at 1 p.m. – Implementing AI Tools for Marketers & Advertisers

Learn about intuitive, powerful AI tools designed specifically for the unique challenges of marketing & advertising, including search optimization, email, content generation, dynamic imaging, and audio editing. These tools are crafted to enhance your effectiveness in marketing, advertising, and communications across diverse members and markets. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

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Thu 5/16 at 1 p.m. – Back to the Future: The Status of 2024 Event Industry Trends

Take a look back at the event industry trends we anticipated late last year and reflect on how they’re shaping up so far in 2024. Delve into the trends and insights identified by Gartner in its inaugural Magic Quadrant for Event Technology Platforms. Explore conscious conferencing, micro-events, the impact of AI, and the changing landscape around event data and technology—including smart name badges. Discover how these trends are reshaping the events industry and what they mean for the rest of the year and the future of event success. More info/register.

Host: Bizzabo

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Thu 5/16 at 2 p.m. – Using AI in Advocacy: The Dos and Don’ts

Learn how AI can streamline your daily advocacy tasks and create more impactful campaigns, the potential pitfalls in using AI and how to avoid them, and real-life applications of AI in advocacy without losing the personal touch. More info/register.

Host: VoterVoice / FiscalNote

Speakers:

• Mark Ames, Chief Advocacy Officer, American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Anne Madison, SVP, Global Strategic Communications and Marketing, Cruise Lines International Association
• Brian Rubenstein, President, Rubenstein Impact Group
• Adam Campbell (moderator), Senior Support Specialist, FiscalNote

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Thu 5/16 at 4 p.m. – Increasing Sponsorship Revenue During Uncertain Times

Your association has made major shifts over the last few years. From live in-person events to virtual and now back to in-person. Yet, you know turning back the clock and setting up your sponsorships the way you previously did is no longer viable. Hear how to specifically improve your sponsorship results and approach your sponsors to re-imagine your sponsorship program. Learn about the three sponsorship levels (hint: they are not gold, silver, and bronze) and how to move to the next level. You’ll be surprised at how quickly a few changes can help raise additional revenue. More info/register.

Host: Reston Loudoun Swap

Speaker: Lewis Flax, Flax Associates

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Fri 5/17 at 11 a.m. – 10 Must Try Tactics to Unleash Email’s Power in Relationship Marketing

Learn tactics to win the hearts, minds and wallets of your customers by putting more “relationship” in your marketing with email. Hear about instant new tests to try, pitfalls to avoid that most marketers are messing up, and new ideas you haven’t heard anywhere else. More info/register.

Host: GURU Media Hub

Speakers:

• Michele Fitzpatrick, VP of Global Strategic Services, Marigold
• Jay Schwedelson, Founder of SubjectLine.com/GURU Media Hub

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Fri 5/17 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

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Fri 5/17 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: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

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Fri 5/17 at 4 p.m. – Online Communities Series: Part 1 – General Online Community Management for Associations and Why It’s Different from For-Profit Online Community Management

More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Catherine Hackney, online community consultant specializing in association member communities

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Mon 5/20 at 8 a.m. – Being Present: In Person Opportunities to Learn and Lead (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, Vice President of Education, LeadingAge California

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Tue 5/21 at 9 a.m. – Future-Focused Strategies for Association Leaders: Engage Your Membership for Sustainable Impact

Explore current trends impacting associations and strategies like DEI and inclusive leadership that can be leveraged to boost member engagement and the sustainability of your association. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: The Diversity Movement

Speakers:

• David S. Cade, Chief Executive Officer, American Health Law Association
• Kerry B. Hoggard, CAE, CDE, Vice President of Membership, American Health Law Association
• Courtney H. Knoll, Board President, North Carolina Association of CPAs
• Maunda G. Land, MBA, CMP, CAE, Senior Consultant, Conscious Inclusion, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
• Jamie Ousterout, CDE, Chief Experience Officer, The Diversity Movement

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Tue 5/21 at 12 p.m. – Unmasking the Bologna of AI for Associations: Discovering Real Opportunities Beyond Generative AI

While developing and manipulating content through AI is great, in today’s climate, it’s critical that AI has a direct impact on revenue and growth. Learn about the association AI trends you need to be aware of and how your association measures up; how AI is delivering on its revenue potential and is the future of member acquisition, engagement, and retention.; and lessons learned from years of experience with AI of what’s working and what’s bologna. More info/register.

Host: Community Brands

Speakers: Jason Daiger, Andrew Huling, Matt Rist and Tirrah Switzer

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Tue 5/21 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits

Learn what Generative AI and Large Language Models are, how they work and how an actual AI expert uses these tools in real-world scenarios. See generative AI in action and take away the knowledge and confidence to responsibly implement AI in your workflows. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio

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Tue 5/21 at 12 p.m. – CRVM May Crunch and Munch

Join an interactive discussion about the tech tools you’re using to support and empower your association’s volunteers. Crunch and Munch is a chance to come together once a month with peers for a casual conversation on hot topics relevant to the component relations and volunteer management community. Come prepared to share your successes, challenges and ideas. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council

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Tue 5/21 at 1 p.m. – Behind the Scenes with ASAE Demo Days

Launching a new digital initiative shouldn’t be a puzzle to solve on your own​. Get a look at the secrets behind ASAE’s smash hit, Demo Days—their most successful digital initiative yet and learn how to replicate their success. More info/register.

Host: Matchbox

Speaker: Reggie Henry of ASAE

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Tue 5/21 at 1 p.m. – Integrated Campaigning: Quantifying Impact and Demonstrating ROI

Multichannel campaigns. Data-driven strategy. Boosting your ROI. If any (or all) of those sound daunting, have no fear—the answers to all your questions are here. Join this interactive “Ask Me Anything” to help boost your public affairs campaigns. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

Speakers: communications experts Chris Golden, Kesi Lumumba, Bryce Ballard, and Khadija Butt from Rational 360

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Wed 5/22 from 9 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. – Community Platforms Demo Day

Hear presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer online community platforms. Community experts will be showcasing platforms and sharing their knowledge. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Presenters: CommUnity by Personify, Next Gen Peer Groups, Clowder, Breezio, Higher Logic Thrive, and Forj

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Wed 5/22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Destination Experience Summit 2024

Join an engaging and enlightening two-hour journey into the world of innovation, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion within the meetings and events industry. Learn how trends are shaping destination selection. Hear about a socially conscious alternative to event and destination boycotts, navigating security at a high-stakes event, how intentional meetings start with the destination, and how it’s crunch time for destination sustainability. 2 CMP credits. More info/register.

Host: Skift Meetings

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Wed 5/22 at 11 a.m. – Unlocking the Secrets to LinkedIn: 3 Insider Strategies for Maximizing Growth and Engagement

LinkedIn is a very powerful platform for attracting inbound leads. But most companies and individuals don’t use it well. Learn how to avoid the top mistakes make on LinkedIn. Hear about three insider strategies to turn LinkedIn in to a lead-generating machine: posts that attract your ideal audience, newsletters that increase your reach and improve engagement, content loops that build your email lists. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jon Rivers, COO, Marketeery

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Wed 5/22 at 1 p.m. – How the Competitive Landscape has Changed for Associations and What to Do About It

Learn why competition for sponsorships has increased for associations, the value sponsors and members find in alternatives to associations, the advantages associations should be capitalizing on and promoting, and how associations can successfully navigate these challenges. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

• Mary Augsburger, Chief Executive Officer, Ohio State Bar Association
• Mary Byers, CAE, CSP, Author of Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations
• Tina DeNeen, EdD, Associate Executive Director, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
• Bruce Rosenthal, Corporate Partnership & Sponsorship Consultant, Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC

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Wed 5/22 at 2 p.m. – FBO Monthly Virtual Meet Up

An opportunity to share pressing problems you’re facing and gather input from your peers. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Finance, Business Operations & HR Professionals Community

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Wed 5/22 at 2 p.m. – No Attendee Left Behind: Making Events Accessible to All

Did you know one out of four event attendees is likely to have a disability? Events that aren’t designed with attendees that have disabilities in mind can exclude a large part of your audience and erode ROI. Everyone should have access to high-quality events, regardless of their abilities. Hear an overview of key accessibility trends, best practices on disability etiquette, and tips, tricks, and strategies. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speaker: Stephen Cutchins, Product Manager and Accessibility Expert, Cvent

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Wed 5/22 at 3 p.m. – Using Your Data to Move Away From One-Size Fits All Renewal Campaigns (Navigating the Member Journey Part 5)

Limited resources, set budgets and competing priorities can make it difficult to go outside your comfort zone and try something new during renewal season. But the keys to better retention results are in the data you already have. Learn how to use your data to segment members during renewal season by demographics, behavior, tenure, type, and engagement; find out how each of your member segments interacts with you and what they value most; and uncover your biggest retention gaps so you can focus your efforts on what will move the needle most. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers:

• Chris Gloede, Chief Consultant, Ricochet
• Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics

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Thu 5/23 at 11 a.m. – Turning Point. The Future of The Event Industry

Reggie is an industry giant, having managed Cvent for the past 25 years through a dot-com bubble, mortgage crisis, and pandemic. Blackstone recently acquired Cvent for $4.6B. No event technology company has been able to achieve what Cvent has. More info/register.

Host: Julius Solaris, founder, Boldpush

Guest: Reggie Aggarwal, CEO and founder, Cvent

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Thu 5/23 at 12 p.m. – Association Health Insurance 101: What Are the REAL Options for Association Staff and Members in 2024?

This webinar is not just about providing information, but about empowering you with practical tips and solutions. By the end of this session, you will feel confident in your ability to make informed decisions about health coverage for your employees and members. Explore a wide range of health coverage options available today for individuals/families and employees as part of an employer-sponsored solution, including major medical plans, Medicare, groups, ICHRA, and supplemental and voluntary health benefits like dental, vision, and hospitalization. Look at the status of some of the recent changes announced by HHS, DOL, and IRS that impact Association Health Plans, Short-Term coverage, and even how the American Rescue Plan (COVID relief) continues to impact health coverage options with ACA subsidies and the unwinding of Medicaid. More info/register.

Host: LIG Solutions

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Wed 5/29 at 12 p.m. – Elevating Excellence: Chapter Benchmarking for Organizational Growth

If your association is looking to boost chapter performance, optimize operations, and elevate membership engagement, consider the power of benchmarking. Hear how AGC launched a chapter self-assessment and benchmarking program to enhance the performance and success of their 89 chapters. Learn about the role of benchmarking for chapters, some self-assessment techniques to identify strengths and areas of improvement, how to leverage benchmarking data to set goals and strategies, and identify benchmarking and assessment tools for chapters. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: AXC / Association Xchange

Speaker: Christi Beatty, Vice President of Chapter Services & Member Engagement at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)

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Thu 5/30 at 12 p.m. – 5 Ways to Boost Email Responses from Sponsorship Decision Makers

Learn how to stand out in crowded inboxes with five actionable tips that nonprofit organizations can use to help improve email response rates from sponsorship decision makers. Discover proven strategies to both craft compelling emails and encourage engagement. More info/register.

Host/speaker: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, founder/CEO, Growth Owl

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Fri 5/31 at 4 p.m. – Open Discussion/Best Practices Sharing: Dealing with Disruptive or Disengaged Board Members

Come prepared to share your stories about disruptive or disengaged board members and how your organization handled the situation. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

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Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Creative Commons licensed photo by Angela Loria via Unsplash

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

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

Workforce development. If you want to attract Gen Z to your association and industry, TopClass LMS suggests hosting a career exploration website and offering introductory education and credentialing programs. They share association examples of both for your inspiration.

Online education. Fíonta explains why it’s time to invest in online learning and microcredentialing programs. They also offer advice on differentiating your online education programs from the growing competition.

AMS data security. Aptify describes how association management software (AMS) should support your cybersecurity efforts and protect member data. Their guide suggests technical criteria to consider when researching AMS vendors and putting together an RFP, plus a reminder about good security practices.

Association boards. Ten years ago, Jeff De Cagna introduced a radical idea to the association community. He advised association boards to adopt a new and essential responsibility: the duty of foresight. At Naylor’s Association Adviser, he recalls the genesis of this idea (remember Blackberries?) and why its adoption was (and is still) necessary.

SEO. Last week, I featured a post about the ranch-style SEO strategy by Bernard Huang at Clearscope. Ranch-style SEO focuses on granular (not general), targeted and thoughtful pieces of content—my specialty, by the way. In his follow-up post, Bernard explains how to implement ranch-style SEO.

Education revenue. 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 online learning programs and portfolio.

“Greater good” value proposition. Here’s one to mull over. Sherry Budziak at .orgSource shares snippets of a conversation between Garth Jordan of AAHA and Sharon Rice of .org Source about shifting an association’s purpose and value from member self-interest to greater societal good—especially important in a time of declining trust in traditional institutions.

You never grow old at the table

Get your hands on tilefish if it’s caught in your area. Substantial and tasty, although the bones are a bitch to pull out. We enjoyed this recipe for pan-seared tilefish with mushrooms. I omitted the potatoes but went way heavy on the mushrooms, onion and asparagus. Cook them all at once in one pan, there’s no need for the recipe’s fussiness. I also added garlic, herbes de Provence and fennel pollen.

One of our standbys when yellowfin tuna is in our weekly seafood share: pan-seared tuna with avocado, soy, ginger and lime. Skip the sugar in the recipe. On the side, the ubiquitous roasted broccoli with red onion and garlic powder—making it again tonight.

On Sunday, I made a big batch of pork Milanese for unexpected dinner guests, plus had some left over for tailgating sandwiches at the Canes successful playoff game 5. On the side, roasted sweet potatoes and butternut squash with red onion, smoked paprika, cayenne and garlic powder. Plus, a sauté of chard and radish greens with red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, dried cranberries and ham broth.

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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 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

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

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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

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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

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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

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Mon 5/6 at 8 a.m. – The Leadership Journey of Khanh Vu (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: Khánh Vũ, CEO, Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers

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

Hear tips for getting started with PowerBI and making the most of your data. Watch advanced visualization demos. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Speakers: Evan Reid with ASHA and Christin Berry with ASAE

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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

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Tue 5/7 at 2 p.m. – What is AI Good for Anyway: Meeting Planner Edition

Learn about specific applications of Generative AI in the meetings space, using AI to improve event outcomes, managing AI and data privacy concerns, and steps to take to protect privacy and proprietary data. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speakers:

• Alexa Berube, co-founder, Reposite
• Nick Borelli, instructor, PCMA Event Leadership Institute, and marketing director, Zenus Inc.
• Amy Kramer, Innovation Leader, Maritz

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Wed 5/8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Revenue Driving Learning Strategies: How to Engage and Maintain Candidates and Members with the Right Learning Programs (Chicago IL)

Hear how organizations are effectively cultivating revenue-generating lifelong learning ecosystems and resources. Learn about integrating a comprehensive learning framework into your revenue strategies and various learning tools and techniques to support candidate and membership goals. Location: Chicago IL More info/register.

Host: Certification Network Group

Speakers:

• Jessica Dangles, Executive Director at the Certification Board of Infection Control & Epidemiology
• Katie Hoenicke, Senior VP of Product Management at CompTIA
• Kathy Kelly, Chief Assessment Officer at Inteleos
• Ashish Rangnekar, CEO and Co-Founder of BenchPrep
• Jake Schoch (moderator), Enterprise Account Executive at BenchPrep

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

Generative AI is here to stay—and it is already changing the way we all work–but how you choose to use it can make all the difference in the world. Learn how best to take advantage of recent advances in generative AI by thoughtfully applying such tools to help solve real world problems and advance your organization’s mission and vision. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

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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.

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Wed 5/8 at 1 p.m. – The Art of Hotel Negotiations

Understand what parts of pricing are negotiable and non-negotiable. Learn how to secure the best deals for your events. From room service to maid service, discover strategies to align hotel services with your event’s needs for an optimal guest experience. Learn crucial questions to identify and avoid surprise fees, and protect your budget and streamline your negotiation process. Hear how to effectively collaborate with hotel sales teams, even if they’re industry newcomers, and ensure your negotiation process remains smooth and successful. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Prevue Meetings

Speakers:

• Victoria Batten, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, North America, Langham Hospitality Group
• Jaclyn Bernstein, President & Partner, Empire Force Events
• Anne Gorman, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, streamlinevents

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Wed 5/8 at 2 p.m. – 2024 CQ Election Watch: US Senate Campaigns

Get insights about what to watch in the Senate race this year, key players, and how to prepare. More info/register.

Host: CQ

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

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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

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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

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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

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Thu 5/9 at 1 p.m. – Overcoming Committee Challenges with Governance Technology

Hear about traditional committee management challenges and pitfalls. Learn how governance technology can be used to empower committees to make their crucial contributions to an association’s overall governance with ease. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

• Jordan Castel, Association Governance Consultant at OnBoard
• Kevin Karas, Board Governance Manager of the Yoga Alliance

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Fri 5/10 at 4 p.m. – Networking Discussion: What Has Your Organization Done to Prepare for Crisis or Disaster?

May is Disaster Preparedness Month. What has your organization done to prepare? Do you have challenges to share with colleagues who may be able to help you solve problems? Are you well-versed in disaster planning or have you experienced a crisis at work that you can share with others? Join your association and nonprofit colleagues for an open discussion about disaster preparedness. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Facilitator: Shelly Trent, Fridays@4 president

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Wed 5/15 at 11 a.m. – How to Do a Finance Assessment & Find Process Improvement

Learn about the signs for needing a finance and accounting team assessment, how to approach the assessment with team members, ideal times to perform the assessment, and steps performed during an assessment. Hear about the types of observations that may come out of an assessment along with recommendations, including new organization charts. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Jared Basco, Senior Manager, and Colleen Smith, Principal, O’Connor Consulting Services

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Wed 5/15 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Technology Innovation Award Spotlight with Megan Cottrell

The AWTC Technology Innovation Award honors an individual in an association for their novel use of technology or introduction of innovative technological solutions. This recognition spotlights those who have found inventive applications for technology that substantially impacts internal or external stakeholders and moves their association forward. Join us to learn about the Digital Strategy Project that CREW Network embarked on and how the 2023 Honoree, Megan Cottrell, led her organization through this incredible transformation. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

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Wed 5/15 at 12 p.m. – Visualizing Your Data Reality with Dashboards

Staring at excel spreadsheets wondering how you’re supposed to show ROI, LTV, CAC and the rest of the alphabet ratios when asked how things are going with your marketing efforts? The challenge isn’t figuring out what you want to measure—you’ve got that down pat—the trouble is figuring how to build the right reports easily. Walk through a simple framework pairing strategy with application and see how to build sophisticated reports and dashboards connecting your association data to marketing behavioral data effortlessly. More info/register.

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Speakers: Chandler Miller, Sr Digital Advisor, and Aimee Pagano, Director of Programming, HighRoad Solutions

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Wed 5/15 at 12 p.m. – The Art of Member Retention: Proven Strategies for Associations

Explore practical strategies to keep members satisfied and loyal. Hear about personalization and why engagement is so critical, navigating member engagement challenges, strategies for engaging and retaining members, and value creation for lasting member retention. More info/register.

Host: NX Unite / Nexus Agency

Speakers:

• Jay Daughtry, Client Engagement and Content Creation at Fonteva & Protech
• Amanda Lea Kaiser, Member Engagement Speaker and Author at Kaiser Insights LLC
• Scott Oser, President at Scott Oser Associates
• Isabelle Perreault, Founder and CEO at Differly

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Thu 5/16 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

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Thu 5/16 at 1 p.m. – How to Maximize Learner Engagement in Continuing Education and Professional Development

Learn about the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of learner engagement and techniques to foster engagement along all three dimensions before, during, and after learners interact with your professional development programs. Get ideas for activities and approaches to foster engagement as you promote your offerings; as you design, develop, and deliver them; and as you work to support ongoing learning and retain those individuals as customers. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Tagoras / Leading Learning

Speakers:

• Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning
• Thomas Melum, senior customer success manager at BenchPrep

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Thu 5/16 at 1 p.m. – Implementing AI Tools for Marketers & Advertisers

Learn about intuitive, powerful AI tools designed specifically for the unique challenges of marketing & advertising, including search optimization, email, content generation, dynamic imaging, and audio editing. These tools are crafted to enhance your effectiveness in marketing, advertising, and communications across diverse members and markets. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

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Fri 5/17 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: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

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Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Creative Commons licensed photo by Wes Hicks via Unsplash

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

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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Creative Commons licensed photo by Gennady Zakharin via Unsplash

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