Association Brain Food

Association Brain Food: 6.9.23

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

Woke up this morning with
a terrific urge to lie in bed all day
and read. Fought against it for a minute.

Then looked out the window at the rain.
And gave over. Put myself entirely
in the keep of this rainy morning.

Would I live my life over again?
Make the same unforgivable mistakes?
Yes, given half a chance. Yes.

—Raymond Carver, “Rain”

Non-dues revenue. Associations have a tough road ahead of them. Glass half full: you’ll need a lot more money to invest in new programs and services, hire more staff, and better fulfill your mission. This challenge occupies my mind. I want to share better advice and ideas in the blog posts I write on behalf of clients. That’s one of the many reasons I’m looking forward to attending Non Due$-a-Palooza in early September. Check it out.

Adult learners. This week, WBT Systems focuses on seven practices that can help associations create a learning environment in which adult learners can flourish. They pulled these recommendations from a report by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.

Audience personas. Mercury Creative Group explains why you should have an ideal buyer in mind when crafting marketing content. Actually, this is a good idea when writing any content. They guide you through the steps for creating a persona or avatar who represents a segment of your ideal audience.

Change management. Gartner research says we’re much more resistant to change than we were before the pandemic. MemberSuite explores the reasons behind this resistance. They also share change management strategies for change-fatigued association professionals. Some of these strategies are new to me but look very promising.

Event marketing. This PCMA Convene article by Vanessa Page of mdg is essential and fascinating reading. She says it’s time to retire outdated and insider event marketing jargon. Associations need to speak the same language as their target audiences. We all know that and think we do it, but her examples show us how often we don’t.

Membership engagement. Your AMS should be a utility player on your membership team. Nimble AMS explains how an AMS can help your association recruit, engage and retain members by helping you better understand members, anticipate their needs and deliver personalized emails and content.

Creativity. Never underestimate your power to be creative, intentionally or unintentionally. Every smart person is creative. And since only smart people read this blog, yes, you’re creative. Own it! Dean West at Association Laboratory describes the many paths to creativity you walk every day—paths grounded in competency, experience, competition and dumb luck.

Good listens

On episode 27 of Associations Thrive podcast, Joanna Pineda of Matrix Group spoke with Sharon Kneebone, IOM, FASAE, CAE, a self-described governance geek. They talk about the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s focus on the human aspects of governance, membership model changes to reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of pain medicine, and a cool new program they’re doing in partnership with MIT’s Hacking Medicine.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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 6/9 at 10 a.m.* – Volunteer Engagement Best Practices for Chapter-Based Organizations | Coffee with Innovators: Association Design Circle

You will be interested in this topic if you engage with volunteers in any way. Mike has a unique perspective as an attorney, a certified scrum product owner, and Manager of Community Platforms for the Project Management Institute, the world’s leading project management organization with over 500,000 global members and over 300 local chapters internationally. More info/register.

Host: Product Design Community

Facilitator: Mike Liddy, Global Chapter Platform Lead for the Project Management Institute

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

Fri 6/9 at 12:30 p.m. – Conversations with Champions

Each conversation features an AWTC leader or AWTC Award winner, followed by breakout rooms with changing topics (selected by our featured guest). These intimate, virtual conversations are a chance to form meaningful connections with other women and allies in the association technology community. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Guest: Nicole Araujo, CAE, Client Engagement Director, Mighty Citizen

Fri 6/9 at 4 p.m. – Career Coach Series: Shifting Leadership Style

There’s not one leadership style that works for all contexts. Adjusting your style based on the people you’re managing, the context in which you’re leading, and the outside pressures you’re under requires a good deal of self-awareness. Learn about the business case for leadership style flexibility, whether you tend to be more of a traditional leader or have a more adaptive fluid style, and micro-behaviors you can employ when situations demand you use a different style. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Dr. Nicole A. Bryan, certified leadership career strategist, executive coach, organizational consultant and psychotherapist

Mon 6/12 at 8 a.m. – Sustainability (Radio Free 501c)

Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting (formerly Nonprofit Conversations) features guests from across the nonprofit community and the business world to share expertise on a variety of topics related to the practice of nonprofit management. Episodes are published Monday mornings in both audio and video format on most podcast services.

Guest: Joost Hasperhoven

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC

Mon 6/12 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays

This month’s discussion will be focused on driving engagement for associations with limited budgets and resources, a problem that plagues us all regardless of staff size. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Tue 6/13 at 11 a.m. – Reaching “Best in World” Status for the Content You Need to Attract and Retain Members

Learn how to shift from an article-first to a multimedia publishing organization. Hear about tools to make multimedia publishing possible and affordable, how to determine what mediums to publish your content, and when to use all mediums. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Jeff Baker, Association Solutions, and Dan Stevens, President, WorkerBee.TV

Tue 6/13 at 12 p.m. – Introduction to Wellbeing in the Workplace

How are you focusing on your own wellbeing? How do you create a culture of wellbeing for yourself and your team in the workplace? Hear about wellbeing concepts and take part in a discussion around wellbeing in the workplace. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speaker: Ruth Berkowitz MA, Well-being Coach, Meditation Teacher, and Group Facilitator

Tue 6/13 at 12 p.m. – AI and Tech Strategy. What is IT’s Role and Responsibility? (ASAE Tech Tuesdays)

Come join your colleagues to discuss: What are people experimenting with? What is/should be IT’s role and/or responsibility in their organization’s AI strategy? More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Tue 6/13 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ Community Call

Please join us for this opportunity for association professionals (of all career levels!) to come together to share lunch time and discuss topics that are relevant and timely. Come prepared to join this judgment-free group with questions and issues that are top of mind for you in the LGBTQIA2+ association community. More info/register.

Host: ASAE LGBTQ Association Executives and Supporters

Tue 6/13 at 1 p.m. – Engagement Revolution Panel: Transforming Your Association’s Approach to Outshine the Competition

Associations have fierce competition when gaining the attention of members and potential members, like nimble AI and for-profit membership models. Your association must stay digitally savvy to the latest tech and trends and be able to quickly adapt to meet members where they are. Learn about new ways to define and measure engagement in today’s fast-paced digital landscape, untapped opportunities most associations miss when it comes to engaging their audiences, and five things your association should be doing to boost engagement right now. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers:

Aidan Augustin, CRO & President, Feathr
Alexa Kade, Chief Executive Officer, Clowder
Dan Stevens, President, Workerbee.TV
Brianne Wheeler, Director of Marketing, Propfuel
Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics

Tue 6/13 at 1 p.m. – No Soliciting! But We Want Your Sponsorship

How can an association build non-dues revenue and member engagement all at once? Hhear how an online marketplace can help you build non-dues revenue and member value through year-round relationships with your industry partners without adding so much as a chick pea to your already full plate. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Barbara J. Armentrout, CAE, Managing Partner, Mesa Group
Lucas Cioffi, CTO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat
Sandra Nam, CEO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat

Tue 6/13 at 4:30 p.m. – AWTC Happy Hour at AMS Fest (Chicago IL)

Join AWTC for happy hour at AMS Fest. Come network with the AWTC community of women and allies. You don’t have to be registered for AMS Fest to attend. All are welcome! Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Tue 6/13 at 5 p.m. – Summer Social

Get ready to mix and mingle with fellow nonprofit and association professionals at a complimentary networking happy hour co-hosted by the ASAE FBO Council and FAR. More info/register.

Host: ASAE FBO Council & FAR

Wed 6/14 at 11 a.m. – Sales Enablement for Associations

Legacy strategies and mindsets have aligned association sales teams with traditional sponsorship and advertising goals, leaving membership acquisition and other programs out of the sales function altogether. It’s time to dispel the common myths about sales in associations and learn how to use the right marketing technology to collect insights and develop strategies to power up your sales capabilities, all while aligning your membership, marketing and sales to work in concert, together. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Maneesha Manges, Director of Services, HighRoad Solutions

Wed 6/14 at 11:30 a.m. – Innovating for Impact: The Power of OKRs in Non-Profit Organizations (OKR Champions Roundtable #25)

Learn why defining ‘second-order OKRs’ that speak to the impact of your mission is critical, how to disrupt legacy processes and foster a culture of innovation in long-standing organizations, and why defining big picture themes before OKRs helps create greater executive alignment. More info/register.

Host: Dreams with Deadlines / Quantive

Speakers:

Juan Sanchez, Chief Information Officer, Inteleos
Jenny Herald, VP of Product Evangelism, Quantive

Wed 6/14 at 1 p.m. – Credentialing: Virtual Coffee/Lunch

An opportunity to connect over coffee/lunch. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Credentialing community

Wed 6/14 at 1 p.m. – Leadership Lessons from Martial Arts

Hear five leadership lessons learned from studying two martial arts (TaeKwonDo and HapKiDo): When it’s important to trade your black belt for a white belt. How to take a punch. How to lead and how to follow. Always define the next level of achievement (the next belt). Sometimes, you just have to “do something.” 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Joanna M. Pineda, CEO & Chief Troublemaker, Matrix Group International, Inc.

Wed 6/14 at 1 p.m. – Finance & Business Operations Workshop: Finance/HR

Join a conversation about steps association executives are taking to address issues related to the debt ceiling, banking crisis, looming recession concerns, and any other finance topics of interest that may be on the top of your mind in the current environment. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Finance & Business Operations Section Council

Wed 6/14 at 2 p.m. – How To Make Social Advertising Work For Your Nonprofit

Learn how to maximize results on your social advertising campaigns, raise awareness, inspire action, and cultivate real connections. More info/register.

Host: Feathr

Speakers:

Anne Hamming, Executive Director at Crossroads
Chloe O’Rourke, Meta Senior Digital Specialist at Community Boost

Wed 6/14 at 2 p.m. – Accessibility and Event Technology: A Beginner’s Guide Webinar

As an event organizer, you can expand your attendee base, create richer customer connections, and drive your business goals further by creating an accessibility friendly experience for your events. Gain a deeper understanding of accessibility with facts, figures and definitions; develop an increased awareness of specific types of disabilities and how these can influence your event planning; and learn the surprising consequences of not incorporating accessibility concepts for your attendees. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speaker: Stephen Cutchins, Senior Product Manager – Accessibility, Cvent

Wed 6/14 at 2 p.m. – Selecting the Right Convention City Based on Costs, Safety and More

Get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the data for the 2023 Convention Cities Index, the all-in-one resource to help planners of large events evaluate top cities that are ideally suited to hosting large conventions. Find out which 25 U.S. cities and 25 global cities scored the highest on this year’s list and how key factors like hotel costs and airlift are changing. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speaker: Elise Schoening, Senior Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Wed 6/14 at 5:30 p.m. – Black Association Executives Meet & Greet

If you’re in town for the Conscious Inclusion Summit, come and join us for a bite to eat. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Black Association Executives

Thu 6/15 at 11 a.m. – Culture Change Made Easy: Part 2, Lagging Transparency

Learn about transparency, something most cultures embrace, yet fail to implement with enough speed. Explore concrete actions you can take that will speed up your information flow both vertically and horizontally and improve decision-making organization wide. Get details from a case study organization that has turned this pattern around. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Maddie Grant, CAE, Culture Designer and Digital Strategist, and Jamie Notter, Co-Founder and Culture Strategist, PROPEL

Thu 6/15 at 11:30 a.m. – Tapas Talks for Small Staff Association Executives

Associations often need specialists for essential functions, but the ongoing dedicated time required does not defend the hiring of an FTE. Visit with fractional service specialists in conversational, informative sessions, not a pitch party: “Secret Sauce to Spice Up Non Dues Revenue” with Barbara Armentrout (Mesa Group), “Talent with a Twist” with Jaime Hirschfeld (FlexProfessionals), and “Small, Nimble & Effective: How Smart Nonprofits Outperform the Big Guys” with Misha Getter (501evolved). Then in the Association Marketplace, digital marketing and technical experts, including Allegra Tasaki (National Association of Bond Lawyers), explain how to lead with effective content marketing. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.

Hosts: Sandra Nam and Lucas Cioffi, QiqoChat

Thu 6/15 at 12 p.m. – The Power of Personalization: Tips and Tricks for Driving Member Participation and Retention

Learn about the importance of personalization, especially as it relates to member engagement and building meaningful relationships with members; how to face challenges like limited member engagement, changing member needs, lack of personalization, and competition for attention; and best practices and practical tips for personalizing the member experience, such as segmenting member data and targeting messaging with personalization tokens and smart content. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speakers:

Allison Kral, Senior Consultant, Ready North
Tony Paille, Former Chief Marketing Officer, AIIM

Thu 6/15 at 12 p.m. – The Community Check-In

A weekly community chat on Slack for black professionals working in the events industry. More info/register.

Host: Black In Events Network

Thu 6/15 at 1 p.m. – Reboot Your In-Person Events

Learn how attendee expectations have changed—and ideas you can use to wow attendees; the five pillars of effective, measurable engagement; and ways event tech can support you in navigating social pressures on your events (sustainability, DEI, accessibility). More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Angel Santiago, Director of Sales, Cvent

Thu 6/15 at 2 p.m. – Blockbuster on an Indie Budget: How the Film Festival Alliance Uses Their Tech Stack to Maximize Small Staff Efficiency

Hear how this association maximizes efficiency and achieves blockbuster results, all while operating on a limited staff (and budget). More info/register.

Host: Higher Logic

Speakers:

Gray Rodriguez, Director of Communications at Film Festival Alliance
David Jovel, Director of Sales at Higher Logic

Thu 6/15 at 2 p.m. – Association Investments: What’s the Secret Sauce?

No investor is happy with their returns for 2022 and now we have regional banks failing. Is there any place to put your association’s (or personal investments, for that matter) that is safe from the possible recession ahead? Tune in to hear from advisers who know our industry well talk about where to invest to take advantage of where the market is today. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Ahmed Farruk, CIMA, Principal, Regional Director and Senior Consultant, Fiducient Advisors
Dennis Gogarty, CFP, AIF, President, Raffa Investment Advisers
Dirk Hofschire Senior Vice President, Asset Allocation Research
Mark Murphy, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Raffa Investment Adviser
Betsy Piper/Bach, JD, CFP, CIMA, President, ASAE Investment Services

Fri 6/16 at 4 p.m. – Smart Brevity in the Association World (Book Discussion)

The power of saying more with less. Is it a system, a process, a style, a tool, or software? In Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less, Axios co-founders Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz teach readers how to say more with less in virtually any format. They also share communications lessons learned from their decades of experience in media, business and communications. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Tue 6/20 at 12 p.m. – CRVM June Crunch and Munch

Come prepared to engage, participate and listen as we discuss current topics. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council (CRVM)

Tue 6/20 at 2 p.m. – Decoding Belonging: The Global Belonging Index Transforming Events (Association Chat)

If the value of belonging is so important to association members, why don’t we understand it better? The Belonging Index identifies what Belonging means to people based on 750,000+ surveys in 152 languages across 180 countries. For now, it is a tool to help planners around the world to make inclusive events that resonate deeply with participants. Learn more about the Belonging Index, what it means for associations, and why association executives should care about it. More info/register.

Host: KiKi L’Italien, senior consultant, Tecker International

Guests:

Naomi Clare Crellin, Founder and CEO of Storycraft Lab
Megan Henshall, Global Events Strategic Solutions Lead at Google

Wed 6/21 from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. – Generative AI (Silver Spring MD)

What is generative AI and how can it disrupt and transform credentialing and credentialing testing? What is the current state and the future outlook for content ownership and intellectual property for AI-generated content? What issues in psychometrics and measurement should we be exploring now with respect to generative AI in high stakes assessment? Hear how these new technologies might change our ways of working. Location: Silver Spring MD. More info/register.

Host: Certification Network Group

Speakers:

Ken Alba, Director of Product, Trivie
Kirk Becker, Senior Research Scientist, Pearson VUE
Jennifer Semko, Chair of Washington DC Litigation and Government Enforcement Practice, Baker & McKenzie LLP
Eric D’Astolfo (moderator), Vice President of Professional Business Development, Pearson VUE

Wed 6/21 at 2 p.m. – How to Sell More by Saying Less With the ABT Agile Narrative Framework

Your association and its membership are the source of amazing stories for your content marketing. But storytelling is hard to get right. Learn the proven ABT (And, But, Therefore) agile narrative framework that makes storytelling easy. Hear how to hack through the noise and hook the hearts of your prospects, members, colleagues and the communities you serve using the “The DNA of story,” the ABT… three words that will rock your world. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Speaker: Park Howell, founder, Business of Story

Wed 6/21 at 2 p.m. – How to Protect Your Organization from Cyber Threats

Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, frequent, and destructive than ever before. No organization, regardless of size or industry, is immune. Learn about the most popular cyber attacks and threats in today’s world, the areas that are most vulnerable to hacks and attacks, top 5 ways to keep your organization safe from cyber threats, top 5 things that you can do as an individual to keep you and your family cyber safe, and our favorite tools to help protect against hacks. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Matrix Group

Speakers: Dave Hoernig, Director of Software Engineering; Jessica Parsley, Associate Director; and Joanna Pineda, CEO, Matrix Group

Thu 6/22 at 2 p.m. – Why Member Benefits Matter as Much as Punctuation

When’s the last time you double-checked your member benefit programs and how they align with your membership and the non-dues revenue needs of your organization? In this Expert Series, we will discuss how to create the right mix of member benefit options that keep your members coming back, and which ones provide your organization substantial non-dues revenue year over year. More info/register.

Host: Teri Carden, founder, Non Dues-a-Palooza

Guest: Tim McNichols, executive director, Partnerships at LIG Solutions

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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Association Brain Food: 6.2.23

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

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” ―Anne Lamott

If I could teach one marketing lesson. Listen up, my sales and marketing friends. Someone who fills out a form to download content is NOT a lead. They’re interested in the content, that’s it. Don’t have a salesperson call them. Instead, nurture them with related content. That’s my PSA and here’s Erika Heald’s poll and post on the topic.

Analytics. WBT Systems says learning analytics can answer all kinds of questions about your education programs, including their market performance, effectiveness, and value to learners and your association. You can also use this data to find gaps in your educational portfolio and improve member acquisition and retention.

Technology decisions. Achurch Consulting provides guidance for deciding when to add new technology to your staff’s toolkit. They also suggest what to do when you discover staff using tools that have flown under IT’s radar.

Change readiness. Nine times out of ten, humans are to blame when technology doesn’t live up to expectations. Starkweather Association Services shares best practices for change readiness that will help you understand and minimize the complications people bring to technology or any other change project. I’m telling you, change management chops will make a tremendous difference for projects and your career.

AMS. When Impexium describes their latest post as the ultimate guide to association management software (AMS), they’re not kidding. If you plan to shop for a new AMS in the near future, make sure you check this out first.

Membership. Although Amanda Kaiser says this post is about how her book came to be, it’s really a valuable lesson about defining membership value and engagement.

Mentoring. The Art of Mentoring explains why you should consider a mentoring program for your members. They also provide a checklist for implementing or improving a mentoring program.

Good listens

On episode 11 of The Association Mashup, Maddie Grant (Propel) and Rick Bawcum (Cimatri) talk with Amith Nagarajan (Blue Cypress/Sidebar) about his new book, Ascend: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations. Their conversation goes beyond ChatGPT as they discuss the themes in his book and the potential AI can unlock for associations. Amith encourages association professionals to use and discuss AI so your organization can understand and appreciate its impact. He shared the results of a poll: 40% of people use AI at work but 70% of them don’t admit it. Don’t ignore it. It’s here and it’s going to stay, so figure it out.

On the May 30 episode of Reboot IT, DelCor’s Dave Coriale discusses AMS Fest and AMS selection with his colleagues Norma Castrejon and Gretchen Steenstra. If you plan to select a new AMS in the next year, make plans to attend AMS Fest—it’s held twice a year, once in Chicago and once in the DC areas. You should also listen to these three DelCorians whenever and wherever you spot them talking about requirements and selection. Otherwise, your chance of choosing the wrong system goes way up.

Quick hits

Success is a lagging indicator. (Billy Oppenheimer)

There’s a surprising benefit of a daily nap that has nothing to do with your energy levels. Have I ever told you how much I love naps? (Lauren Geall, Stylist)

Good eats

Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.

If you like crab cakes, you’ll like (or maybe love, like me) Sam Sifton’s fish cakes. He’s the guy behind the New York Times recipe section, so you can consider him a reliable culinary source.

As a side, reward yourself with creamed greens with mushrooms and linguiça (or a sausage of your choice).

Emptying a couple of condiment jars, I sprinkled black drum fillets with cumin, ancho chile powder, smoked paprika and garlic powder, topped them with leftover salsa verde and put them in the oven to bake. Another night, I topped fillets of speckled sea trout with a mix of mild curry sauce/paste (sort of halfway between), heavy cream, Kashmiri coconut hot sauce and cilantro. Wow, I impressed myself.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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 6/2 at 1 p.m.* – Dissecting the Chat GPT/Generative AI Disruption: Use Cases, Concerns, Threats & Opportunities for Event Profs

Hear about the top AI use cases for event profs; broader shifts and implications for our industry; 25 smart ways event profs can use ChatGPT & other Generative AI tools; challenges, concerns, and opportunities; and an overview of the top platforms. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: PCMA

Speakers:

Nick Borelli, Marketing Director, Zenus
Matthias Clock, Marketing Director, RX
Anh Nguyen, Founder, Spark Event Management
Jen Santos, Founder & CEO, Smart Event Academy
Howard Givner (moderator), SVP Knowledge & Innovation, PCMA | Founder, Event Leadership Institute

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

Fri 6/2 at 1 p.m. – Virtual Events 101 for Associations: A Guide to Choosing the Best Technology

Hear about the latest trends in virtual event technology, benefits and drawbacks of various platforms, how to choose the right tools to achieve your desired learning outcomes, how to navigate common challenges in virtual event planning, such as technical issues and learner engagement, and best practices for delivering memorable and engaging virtual experiences. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Blue Sky eLearn

Speakers: Ronnie Dudek, Director of Streaming & Production Services; Jesse Pitzler, Senior Virtual Events Producer; and Robbie Shedd, Director of Live Events, Blue Sky eLearn

Fri 6/2 at 4 p.m. – Diversity Discussion Series: Pride Panel

Join us as we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month with a moderated diversity panel discussion. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 6/5 at 8 a.m. – Can DEI Save the World? (Radio Free 501c)

Guest: Francesco Leboffe

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC

Tue 6/6 from 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. – SURGE Ignite

The only virtual conference for fearless association pros, the goal of SURGE 2023 is to learn from the unfamiliar and go beyond the boundaries of what we think is possible. With lessons learned from two years of a pandemic, the Great Resignation and plenty of new technologies changing the way we work, you’ll be prepared for what comes next. Instead of listening to speakers for hours, you’ll be chatting with our keynotes in Q&As or networking with like-minded association pros—our live chat is known to be a hotbed for new ideas. 4 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Tue 6/6 at 12 p.m. – DIY Engagement Modeling (Association Analytics Network)

Get a step-by-step walk-through of ASHA’s new engagement framework, including a deep dive into the intricacies of collecting business logic, aggregation models, and a wealth of hands-on tips on technical implementation and utilization. Hear their first-hand experiences, practical insights, and lessons learned. Take away the knowledge to apply this powerful engagement model within your own organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers: Avneet Matta, Data Architect; Evan Reid, Director of Data Analytics; and Julia Reilly-Edwards, Data Scientist, ASHA

Tue 6/6 at 12 p.m. – Cultivating AI: Sowing the Seeds for Thriving Events

Learn about the secrets of nurturing event success with artificial intelligence, innovative AI tools to enhance event organization and attendee engagement, potential pitfalls of AI and how to address them effectively, best practices for integrating AI into your event management strategy, data sharing, incomplete data, testing, bias, and the essential role of human supervision. More info/register.

Host: Grip

Speakers:

Abi Cannons, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Grip
Matt Coyne, Chief Content Creator, Waves Connects
Panos Moutafis, CEO & Co-Founder, Zenus Inc.
James Swingland, Lead Data Scientist, Grip

Tue 6/6 at 2 p.m. – Addressing AI’s Future Role in the Boardroom

Learn about the potential for AI to fundamentally transform the role of board directors, executives, and professionals; how boards and directors can evaluate the risks and benefits of AI, including data and cybersecurity concerns; best practices for new technology adoption, including readiness, integration planning, training and adoption, and monitoring; and strategic use cases for AI in the boardroom and the organizations they serve, including time-saving automation, benefits of large language model (LLM) computing, and other novel use cases. More info/register.

Host: OnBoard

Speakers: OnBoard CEO Paroon Chadha and Chief Product Officer Martyn Chapman

Tue 6/6 at 2 p.m. – Creating Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Events: More than Words

Using the lens of DEI to color all event decisions will elevate attendee satisfaction, increase brand affinity, and improve your risk mitigation. Learn the real importance of adding diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations to your events and take home 30 DEI actionable items that you can do today in any event. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speaker: Angie Senter, Adjunct Faculty, Washington State University

Wed 6/7 from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. – SURGE Ignite

Host: Sidecar

Wed 6/7 at 11 a.m. – Fully Human Leadership with Propel

What are the hidden cultural patterns that are preventing your organization from evolving to meet a rapidly transforming world? Explore the dimensions and aspects of a healthy culture and why that matters. Learn how integrating culture, strategy, and execution can make things happen in associations that are, frankly, long overdue—like being wildly profitable, attracting the best talent in the world, and being nimble and agile. More info/register.

Host: Kent Frazier, Fully Human

Speakers: Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter, co-founders, Propel

Wed 6/7 at 11 a.m. – The State of B2B Event Technology

Hear about the B2B event tech landscape, industry trends, and key considerations to future-proof your event tech stack. More info/register.

Host: Bizzabo

Speakers:

Conrad Mills, Principal Analyst, Forrester Research and author of The Forrester Wave™: B2B Event Management Technology, Q1 2023 report
Lauren McCullough, VP of Marketing, Bizzabo

Wed 6/7 at 12 p.m. – AI in Action for Professional Development Products in Associations

Learn how your peers are harnessing the power of generative AI to transform their association learning products. See examples of how this technology is revolutionizing the creation and editing of audio, writing compelling marketing copy, transcribing and summarizing meetings, and providing AI-generated feedback to learners. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Professional Development Advisory Council

Wed 6/7 at 12 p.m. – The Chicken or the Egg? Which Is First: Technology or Content?

Which comes first—the chicken or egg is a metaphor for which comes first in associations–content or technology? In this session, a seasoned mar/comm pro and an IT expert debate how both components need to work together strategically to deliver the best communications to its target audiences. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Insights in Old Town

Speakers:

Adam Hostetter, CEO of FuseSearch
Sheri Singer, president of Singer Communications

Wed 6/7 at 12 p.m. – Fyre and Ice: A Candid Conversation with Billy McFarland

Hear about the strategies and missteps behind one of the most controversial events of the decade, the Fyre Festival. Billy explains the influencer campaign that lit the Fyre, the critical failures in execution, and the lessons he learned from the fallout. More info/register.

Host: Boldpush

Speakers:

Billy McFarland, co-founder, Fyre
Cindy Lo, CEO and Chief Event Strategist, Red Velvet
Dave Stevens, Director of Field Marketing, data.world
Keneisha Williams, founder, Black In Events
Julius Solaris (moderator), founder, Boldpush

Wed 6/7 at 1 p.m. – 7 Steps for Selecting a New Association Management System

Learn a time-proven process for helping you identify which association management system will serve you best. Determine what your organization needs, how to prioritize those needs, how to review the products available, and how to select the right system. Walk away with solutions to these issues and more faced by associations of all sizes. More info/register.

Host: Aplusify

Speakers:

Wes Trochlil, President, Effective Database Management, LLC
Paul Burke, Senior Account Executive, Aplusify

Wed 6/7 at 1 p.m. – Events Reimagined: How Digital Transformation is Revolutionizing the Event Industry

Discover the latest trends in blending physical and digital experiences at events, including how people consume content and information. Digital marketing professionals can capitalize on this newly digitized channel to create personalized, engaging experiences that drive business growth. By leveraging the power of events, digital marketers can build personal connections with attendees that drive revenue and achieve digital transformation goals. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Alyssa Peltier, Director, Cvent

Wed 6/7 at 2 p.m. – Powerful Negotiating Techniques for Engaging Your Counterpart

Association professionals negotiate on a daily basis—externally with customers, internally with colleagues, in the room, on a call and over video. But when negotiating with counterparts in real life, how do you use your preparation to the best effect? Learn how to leverage authentic curiosity to create maximum value for you and your counterpart, know where to place focus in a negotiation, specific techniques for engaging more effectively with your counterpart, and how to develop a practice plan to transform concepts into habits. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Speaker: Susan Borke, Principal, BorkeWorks

Thu 6/8 at 9:30 a.m. – Small Staff Percolator

A new interactive online coffee break format designed for you to discover more peers in our dispersed community, bring up a topic that’s brewing in the daily grind, and have a casual chat with others who know your lingo. More info/register.

Host: Qiqo

Thu 6/8 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Summer Symposium: Innovations | Insights | Trends (Washington DC)

Sessions include (see descriptions in online events below): The Future of Associations: 4 Ways to Adapt and Thrive; From Legacy to Modern: Updating Systems for New Technology and AI; The Ultimate Guide to Salesforce for Association Management: Implement, Enable and Engage; Yours, Mine and Ours: Exploring the Many Facets of Cybersecurity Awareness. Location: Washington DC. 4 CAE credits. More info/register. (I’m making an exception to list this $25 event because lunch and happy hour are included in the price.)

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Bill Sheehan, VP, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview
Ali Niroo, Managing Partner, Bridgepointe Technologies and George Breeden, CAE, MBA, NREMT, CIO, Investment Company Institute
Sarah Irwin, Solutions Director, Fionta
Andrew Leggett, CEH, CSSA, CISSP, Director of Cybersecurity Operations, DelCor

Thu 6/8 at 10 a.m. – The Future of Associations: 4 Ways to Adapt and Thrive

How do you grab the attention of your members in a world of decreasing attention span? Learn about the attention economy and how to benefit from integrated media plans; how media companies engage, and how it can benefit your association; and how to change your mindset to always think boldly and evolve with your industry, including members and vendors. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill Sheehan, VP, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

Thu 6/8 at 11 a.m. – Developing International Markets: ASAE World Cafe Panel 1

While no association pursues international growth following the exact same pathway, there are some strategic and tactical considerations each one should consider. Members of the ASAE International Associations Advisory Council will share their experience and lessons learned in what worked and what didn’t when they developed international markets for their associations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE International Associations Advisory Council

Speakers:

Jakub Konysz (host), Global Navigators
Kristin Hodgson (moderator), Project Management Institute
Sylvia Gonner, CAE (moderator), CultureWiz
Joanne H Joham, CMP, CMM, DES (moderator), J Joham Associates
Pietro Macchiarella, Young Presidents’ Organization
Jim Piechowski, HOCK International

Thu 6/8 at 11 a.m. – Early Career Members: Recruitment, Retention and Engagement (Fireside Chat)

Hear about recruiting, retaining and engaging early career members, initiatives associations have either initiated or witnessed, the importance of getting it right for this particular group, and the challenges of doing so. More info/register.

Host: Society Street

Speakers:

Josel Fritz, Senior Manager of Career Development and Services, American Society for Hematology
Celena NuQuay, Vice President of Constituency Programs and Governance, American Gastroenterological Society
Rodneikka Scott, Vice President of Member and Stakeholder Engagement, National Society of Professional Engineers
Erin Landis (moderator), Managing Director, Origin Editorial

Thu 6/8 at 11:15 a.m. – From Legacy to Modern: Updating Systems for New Technology and AI

By utilizing modern technology and AI, you can take your organization from Legacy to Modern with the results of cost savings, increased efficiency and enablement so that you have more time for tasks at hand. Learn how AI/Machine Learning can do more with less and help move your organization from Legacy to Modern, how to transition from legacy systems while remaining cost efficient and increasing productivity, and how to create efficiencies and demystify your options in modernizing legacy platforms. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Ali Niroo, Managing Partner, Bridgepointe Technologies
George Breeden, CAE, MBA, NREMT, CIO, Investment Company Institute

Thu 6/8 at 12 p.m. – Tools to Improve Your Marketing Reach

Promoting your organization’s programs and events is time-consuming and expensive work. Whether you have a comprehensive team or are a department of one, it’s hard to get beyond your audience and reach new people. Learn how to identify great candidates for ambassadors to share your story, choose what types of tools to provide them, and decide what format to deliver your ambassador toolkit. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: GrowthZone

Speaker: Beth Brodovsky, President, Iris Creative Group, Inc.

Thu 6/8 at 12 p.m. – The Community Check-In

A weekly community chat on Slack for black professionals working in the events industry. More info/register.

Host: Black In Events Network

Thu 6/8 at 1 p.m. – Legal Aspects of Associations Working Internationally : ASAE World Cafe Panel 2

From intellectual property to taxation laws, associations working internationally can face much more complicated legal issues than in a purely domestic operation. Learn about strategic and tactical legal considerations associations working internationally should consider. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE International Associations Advisory Council

Speakers:

Jakub Konysz (host), Global Navigators
Matt Riley (moderator), ICS International Conference Services
Sylvia Gonner, CAE (moderator), CultureWiz
Joanne H Joham, CMP, CMM, DES (moderator), J Joham Associates
Kerry Cosby, American Association for Clinical Chemistry
Jefferson C. Glassie, FASAE, Partner, Whiteford Law

Thu 6/8 at 1 p.m. – Become Future Ready (and How Your AMS Can Help)

Learn how to harness data to deliver exceptional value to your members, how your AMS can be a driving force for simplifying complex tasks and streamlining operations, how to unlock the power of a growth mindset, and how to prepare for what’s next—whatever that may be. More info/register.

Host: Impexium

Thu 6/8 from 2 to 4 p.m. – Evolve 23

A space for B2B marketers to come together, prepare, and navigate this monumental shift and a new era with confidence. Industry titans like April Dunford, Rand Fishkin, and Melissa Rosenthal will share relevant insights and strategies on positioning, creative, and content, helping you transform your marketing approach and stay ahead of the curve. Connect with fellow marketers, exchange ideas, and learn how to embrace change and adapt to the evolving B2B landscape. More info/register.

Host: Welcome

Thu 6/8 at 2:30 p.m. – Yours, Mine and Ours: Exploring the Many Facets of Cybersecurity Awareness

Are you feeling paralyzed by all of the cybersecurity buzz in the industry? Hear the nerd word demystified and practical strategies to mitigate, transfer or accept cybersecurity risks. Learn how to evaluate your current security architecture against industry standards, possible next steps in advancing your organization’s IT security, and “IT Tradeoffs” to reduce technical management in exchange for vendor management. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Andrew Leggett, CEH, CSSA, CISSP, Director of Cybersecurity Operations, DelCor

Thu 6/8 at 3 p.m. – Advancing DEI in Highly Intricate Nonprofit Associations: Impact Stories & Lessons Learned

Learn from association leaders who have successfully advanced their DEI strategies and goals, including their challenges and successes in navigating complex structures. Hear about best practices for developing and building inclusive cultures across the organization, ensuring equitable representation of all stakeholder communities throughout the journey. Explore different approaches and tools associations use to assess their DEI progress and track their impact over time. More info/register.

Host: Nonprofit HR

Speakers:

Pro Brewer, Sr. Manager, DEI Leadership and Development, Office of Equity and Inclusion, BECU
Antonio Cortes, PhD (moderator) Managing Director, EDIJ
Steven Krzanowski, MA, Senior Consultant, EDIJ
Sonya G. Smith, Ed.D, J.D., M.Ed., M.A, Chief Diversity Officer, American Dental Education Association
Bert Ruiz, MS, Managing Director, Impact Search Advisors by Nonprofit HR

Fri 6/9 at 10 a.m. – Volunteer Engagement Best Practices for Chapter-Based Organizations | Coffee with Innovators: Association Design Circle

Every month, an association leader leads a conversation on an association innovation topic. Our topic this month is association chapters. More info/register.

Host: Product Design Community

Facilitator: Mike Liddy, Global Chapter Platform Lead for the Project Management Institute, with over 300 local chapters internationally

Fri 6/9 at 12:30 p.m. – Conversations with Champions

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Guest: Nicole Araujo, CAE, Client Engagement Director, Mighty Citizen

Mon 6/12 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays

Welcome to the second year of Membership Monday. A poll will be sent to determine this month’s topic. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Tue 6/13 at 11 a.m. – Reaching “Best in World” Status for the Content You Need to Attract and Retain Members

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Jeff Baker, Association Solutions, and Dan Stevens, President, WorkerBee.TV

Tue 6/13 at 12 p.m. – Introduction to Wellbeing in the Workplace

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speaker: Ruth Berkowitz MA, Well-being Coach, Meditation Teacher, and Group Facilitator

Tue 6/13 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesdays

Keep an eye out for more information. I thought it was going to be the second Tuesday of each month, but nothing is posted yet.

Host: ASAE

Tue 6/13 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ Community Call

Host: ASAE LGBTQ Association Executives and Supporters

Tue 6/13 at 1 p.m. – Engagement Revolution Panel: Transforming Your Association’s Approach to Outshine the Competition

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers:

Aidan Augustin, CRO & President, Feathr
Alexa Kade, Chief Executive Officer, Clowder
Dan Stevens, President, Workerbee.TV
Brianne Wheeler, Director of Marketing, Propfuel
Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics

Tue 6/13 at 1 p.m. – No Soliciting! But We Want Your Sponsorship

How can an association build non-dues revenue and member engagement all at once? Hear how an online marketplace can help you build non-dues revenue and member value through year-round relationships with your industry partners without adding so much as a chick pea to your already full plate. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Barbara J. Armentrout, CAE, Managing Partner, Mesa Group
Lucas Cioffi, CTO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat
Sandra Nam, CEO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat

Tue 6/13 at 4:30 p.m. – AWTC Happy Hour at AMS Fest (Chicago IL)

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 6/14 at 11 a.m. – Sales Enablement for Associations

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Maneesha Manges, Director of Services, HighRoad Solutions

Wed 6/14 at 1 p.m. – Credentialing: Virtual Coffee/Lunch

Just an opportunity to connect over lunch coffee/lunch. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Credentialing community

Wed 6/14 at 1 p.m. – Leadership Lessons from Martial Arts

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Joanna M. Pineda, CEO & Chief Troublemaker, Matrix Group International, Inc.

Wed 6/14 at 5:30 p.m. – Black Association Executives Meet & Greet

If you’re in town for the Conscious Inclusion Summit, come and join us for a bite to eat. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Black Association Executives

Thu 6/15 at 11 a.m. – Culture Change Made Easy: Part 2, Lagging Transparency

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Maddie Grant, CAE, Culture Designer and Digital Strategist, and Jamie Notter, Co-Founder and Culture Strategist, PROPEL

Thu 6/15 at 11:30 a.m. – Tapas Talks for Small Staff Association Executives

The first half-hour is about fractional services. Associations often need specialists for essential functions, but the ongoing dedicated time required does not defend the hiring of an FTE. You can visit with several fractional service specialists and pick the topics that interest you. Each session will be conversational and informative, not a pitch party. Then, get set up in The Association Marketplace with a team of digital marketing and technical experts. More info/register.

Host: Qiqo

Thu 6/15 at 12 p.m. – The Power of Personalization: Tips and Tricks for Driving Member Participation and Retention

Host: Sidecar

Speakers:

Allison Kral, Senior Consultant, Ready North
Tony Paille, Former Chief Marketing Officer, AIIM

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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Association Brain Food: 5.26.23

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

Reflection. “To navigate change, companies need fear-free cultures of diverse people and mindsets led by leaders who continuously learn, incentivize and train for change and worship no sacred cows.” ―Rishad Tobaccowala

Competing for members’ time. Good intentions are nice, but they mean nothing if they don’t turn into action. WBT Systems shares strategies for convincing people to commit time to their own professional development.

501Works acquires ReviewMyAMS. Big news! Teri Carden, founder of Non-Dues-A-Palooza, sold the AMS review site ReviewMyAMS to 501Works. “Through this acquisition, 501Works will leverage and re-energize the ReviewMyAMS experience and extend the existing platform with new tools and resources that will help associations through the challenging task of selecting, implementing, and adopting AMS solutions.”

In other news, Forj acquired community platform Mobilize after gobbling up LMS platform Web Courseworks earlier in the year.

Websites. Brightfind’s guide to association websites is loaded like a baked potato with advice on essential web elements for acquiring, engaging, retaining and converting users into loyal website visitors and members.

Education. Rex Woodbury looks at the shortcomings of the U.S. educational system—”still designed for an Industrial Revolution-era world,” not an AI-empowered one. He sees potential in educational trends such as edutainment, reskilling and upskilling; skill-based learning outside of the university system—hello, associations; and personalized learning.

ChatGPT. Jose Triana at Sidecar describes concerns with ChatGPT as well as ways associations can use this tool.

Conference/abstract management. Ex Ordo takes you through the steps of implementing conference and abstract management software for medical, technical, scientific, and academic events. They discuss configuring software for abstract submission and peer review, issuing the call for papers, designing the conference program and more.

Good listens

Sean Soth, chair of the Leadership Advisory Board for Professionals for Association Revenue (PAR), talks with Jeff Cobb, co-host of the Leading Learning podcast, about revenue issues, the need for a business development role in associations, and why people join PAR.

Dave Coriale, president of DelCor and host of the Reboot IT podcast, says a fired-up Jeff De Cagna is his favorite Jeff De Cagna. That’s what we get in Revisiting AI parts 1 and 2 (March 16 and April 4) as Jeff, executive advisor of Foresight First, talked about the very real limitations of and big picture concerns about ChatGPT.

I agree with Jeff that we’re at a crucial moment here. As representatives for the industries and professions they represent, associations (volunteer leaders, members and staff) should put the Power of A to work. Find mutual places of agreement and concern—and put a deadline on that. I can already imagine the jokes about slow deliberation. Then, be a collective voice for their millions of human employees and stakeholders.

If you’re a ChatGPT enthusiast, I get it. I’ve heard and read many stories about how it helps jumpstart tasks and comes up with creative feedback. But understand its limitations. For example, it lies (“hallucinates”). ChatGPT doesn’t “know” things, it just links likely word sequences together. Understand what you’re playing with and always provide the final human touch. Don’t let your intellectual muscles atrophy.

Quick hits on time wasters

Office brainstorms are a waste of time. Research says alone time could yield more innovation. (Callum Borchers, Wall Street Journal)

Meet context switching, the number one productivity killer in the workplace, and find out how to overcome it (Danielle Ezell, TechSmith)

Good eats

Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.

A simple fish recipe, like garlic parmesan crusted sheepshead, never disappoints as long as your fish is fresh. Garlic powder works just fine.

We enjoy Taco Fridays on occasion in this house—not Tuesdays so no trademark concerns there. I dredge chunks of monkfish in a mix of spices: ground ancho chile pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. Top each taco with coleslaw (made with slaw mix, sweet onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, rice wine vinegar and grapeseed oil), salsa verde and avocado. So good.

For a Sunday potluck dinner, I brought over a veggie and pearl couscous pesto dish. Make it with sautéed zucchini, broccoli stems and florets, carrot, onion, and red bell pepper tossed with pearl couscous, homemade basil pesto and extra parmesan cheese.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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 5/26 at 12:00 p.m.* – Exam Development Session-II

Learn how to design and administer exams that are valid and reliable, while incorporating best practices in assessment design. Hear about good test construction, types of exams, item analysis, the role of feedback in exam development, and test security. Get hands-on experience in constructing exams. More info/register.

Host: Leverage Assessments, Inc.

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

Tue 5/30 at 12 p.m. – How to Contract with and Manage State Lobbyists

Does your organization have a strong grassroots presence or is your board a team of grasstops influencers? Do you work in a state, a region or across the country? Learn the right questions to ask and the best practices to put in place to set your association up for success. Hear the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Find out how to identify, hire and manage the professional lobbying presence that works best for your association. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Government Relations and Advocacy Professionals Community

Speakers:

Jim Leahy, CAE, Managing Director, Regional & Federal Programs for Liberty Square Group
Lorrie Trogden, CAE, President/CEO of the Arkansas Bankers Association
David Lusk (moderator), Founder of Key Advocacy

Thu 6/1 at 7:30 a.m. – Leading with Inclusion: How to Build Impactful & Resilient Associations | Global Virtual CollabSphere

Hear the insights of leaders, trailblazers, and change-makers who champion diversity, equity, and inclusion through their daily work. Start building on our shared know-how in one of four break-out sessions focusing on: inclusive secretariats, inclusive member engagement, inclusive governance, or inclusive advocacy and outreach. More info/register.

Host: DGA Association Labs

Thu 6/1 at 12 p.m. – The Community Check-In

A weekly community chat on Slack for black professionals working in the events industry. More info/register.

Host: Black In Events Network

Thu 6/1 at 1 p.m. – Leadership & Learning: Leadership Development at the Executive Level

While many organizations have leadership development programs for their staff or partners, few have dared to venture into the world of executive-level leadership. And even fewer have succeeded in a program that enlightens and empowers executive-level leaders. Drawing from our experience developing and implementing our new Executive Leaders Academy, we will share the lessons we’ve uncovered, insights and practical strategies for connecting with these leaders exactly where they are and uncover what to look for when creating or participating in high-level leadership. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Ryan MacTaggart, PhD, Associate Director, Professional Learning, and Sarah Brinker-Good, Manager, Professional Learning, EDUCAUSE

Thu 6/1 at 2 p.m. – AMS or CRM: A Candid Conversation

Hear about the different approaches between platforms, key features that all associations need in their AMS/CRM and tips for a successful selection regardless of the platform you choose. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: 501Works, LLC

Speakers:

Moira Edwards, President, Ellipsis Partners
Jennie Koss, Senior Consultant, Cooper Consulting
Wes Trochlil, Founder, EDM – Effective Database Management

Fri 6/2 at 10 a.m. – Association Chapters | Coffee with Innovators: Association Design Circle

Every month, an association leader leads a conversation on an association innovation topic. Our topic this month is association chapters. More info/register.

Host: Product Design Community

Facilitator: Mike Liddy, Global Chapter Platform Lead for the Project Management Institute, with over 300 local chapters internationally

Fri 6/2 at 1 p.m. – Dissecting the Chat GPT/Generative AI Disruption: Use Cases, Concerns, Threats & Opportunities for Event Profs

Host: PCMA

Speakers:

Nick Borelli, Marketing Director, Zenus
Matthias Clock, Marketing Director, RX
Anh Nguyen, Founder, Spark Event Management
Jen Santos, Founder & CEO, Smart Event Academy
Howard Givner (moderator), SVP Knowledge & Innovation, PCMA | Founder, Event Leadership Institute

Fri 6/2 at 1 p.m. – Virtual Events 101 for Associations: A Guide to Choosing the Best Technology

Host: Blue Sky eLearn

Speakers: Ronnie Dudek, Director of Streaming & Production Services; Jesse Pitzler, Senior Virtual Events Producer; and Robbie Shedd, Director of Live Events, Blue Sky eLearn

Fri 6/2 at 4 p.m. – Diversity Discussion Series: Pride Panel

Join us as we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month with a moderated diversity panel discussion. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Tue 6/6 from 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. – SURGE Ignite

Host: Sidecar

Tue 6/6 at 12 p.m. – DIY Engagement Modeling (Association Analytics Network)

Join association professionals for peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Wed 6/7 from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. – SURGE Ignite

Host: Sidecar

Wed 6/7 at 12 p.m. – AI in Action for Professional Development Products in Associations

Host: ASAE Professional Development Advisory Council

Wed 6/7 at 12 p.m. – The Chicken or the Egg? Which Is First: Technology or Content?

Host: Association Insights in Old Town

Speakers:

Adam Hostetter, CEO of FuseSearch
Sheri Singer, president of Singer Communications

Wed 6/7 at 2 p.m. – Powerful Negotiating Techniques for Engaging Your Counterpart

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Speaker: Susan Borke, Principal, BorkeWorks

Thu 6/8 at 9:30 a.m. – Small Staff Percolator

Host: Qiqo

Thu 6/8 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Summer Symposium: Innovations | Insights | Trends (Washington DC)

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Bill Sheehan, VP, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview
Ali Niroo, Managing Partner, Bridgepointe Technologies and George Breeden, CAE, MBA, NREMT, CIO, Investment Company Institute
Sarah Irwin, Solutions Director, Fionta
Andrew Leggett, CEH, CSSA, CISSP, Director of Cybersecurity Operations, DelCor

Thu 6/8 at 10 a.m. – The Future of Associations: 4 Ways to Adapt and Thrive

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill Sheehan, VP, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

Thu 6/8 at 11 a.m. – Developing International Markets: ASAE World Cafe Panel 1

Host: ASAE International Associations Advisory Council

Speakers:

Jakub Konysz (host), Global Navigators
Kristin Hodgson (moderator), Project Management Institute
Sylvia Gonner, CAE (moderator), CultureWiz
Joanne H Joham, CMP, CMM, DES (moderator), J Joham Associates
Pietro Macchiarella, Young Presidents’ Organization
Jim Piechowski, HOCK International

Thu 6/8 at 11:15 a.m. – From Legacy to Modern: Updating Systems for New Technology and AI

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Ali Niroo, Managing Partner, Bridgepointe Technologies
George Breeden, CAE, MBA, NREMT, CIO, Investment Company Institute

Thu 6/8 at 1 p.m. – Legal Aspects of Associations Working Internationally : ASAE World Cafe Panel 2

Host: ASAE International Associations Advisory Council

Speakers:

Jakub Konysz (host), Global Navigators
Matt Riley (moderator), ICS International Conference Services
Sylvia Gonner, CAE (moderator), CultureWiz
Joanne H Joham, CMP, CMM, DES (moderator), J Joham Associates
Kerry Cosby, American Association for Clinical Chemistry
Jefferson C. Glassie, FASAE, Partner, Whiteford Law

Thu 6/8 at 1 p.m. – Become Future Ready (and How Your AMS Can Help)

Host: Impexium

Thu 6/8 from 2 to 4 p.m. – Evolve 23

Host: Welcome

Thu 6/8 at 2:30 p.m. – Yours, Mine and Ours: Exploring the Many Facets of Cybersecurity Awareness

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Andrew Leggett, CEH, CSSA, CISSP, Director of Cybersecurity Operations, DelCor

Fri 6/9 at 12:30 p.m. – Conversations with Champions

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Guest: Nicole Araujo, CAE, Client Engagement Director, Mighty Citizen

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

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

Association Brain Food: 5.19.23

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

Reflection. “I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.” ―William Penn

Chapter events. Here’s a conundrum: How can members ever feel like part of their chapter community if they don’t attend chapter events? Billhighway explains how to get reacquainted with post-pandemic chapter members and design a chapter event experience that’s worth their time.

Leadership training. Members aren’t willing to dedicate as many volunteer hours as they once did—that’s the word on the street. WBT Systems suggests offering something valuable in exchange for their time: free leadership training they can apply at work and at your association.

Event apps. You’d think every attendee would use your event app, but that’s not always the case. However, their event experience—and your sponsors’ satisfaction—would improve if they did. EventMobi explains how to increase event app usage, including a plan for roll-out, understanding attendee personas, value-focused messaging, and engagement. Good stuff.

Users group. Wes Trochlil of Effective Database Management points out the power of users groups—a must-read if you work regularly with an AMS. He compares them to associations: both are designed to “bring together like-minded people to address similar challenges.”

Chat GPT. Tiffany Moule at Higher Logic explains what associations should know about ChatGPT. She warns that “careful human oversight, editing, and institutional knowledge is still required,” but suggests how to use it for research and content creation.

Non-dues revenue partners. Navigate CES describes how to improve the customer journey for sponsors, exhibitors and advertisers. They share tactics for the six stages of that journey and for dealing with churn (boo!) and expansion (yay!).

Association growth mindset. Association executives want their organizations to evolve and take advantage of new opportunities, but something is holding them back. Amith Nagarajan at Sidecar makes the diagnosis: they need to build a growth mindset into their culture—and he explains how to do that.

Community censoring. Aaron Terr at Persuasion makes a free speech case for Section 230, which prevents owners of social media platforms and online communities from being sued for user-generated content. However, the SAFE TECH Act would eliminate this protection. Will this legislation have consequences for risk-averse associations and their communities? Politicians want to beat up on social media platforms because people are saps, but what are the downstream effects? And, yes, I wrote to ASAE about it last weekend, but haven’t heard back.

Good listens

Earlier this year, Amanda Kaiser was on the Radio Free 501c podcast hosted by Cecilia Sepp. She talked about elevating engagement, including what’s going on in members’ heads during the six stages of member engagement.

Quick hits

Improve responsiveness to your emails by implementing these four principles. (Gino Silva-Payne, Email Meter)

For goodness’ sakes, do not use your credit card with Venmo. (Saving Money with Andrew)

What a story. How Christopher Burney discovered mindfulness in a Nazi solitary confinement cell. (Ted Gioia)

Good eats

Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.

I’m cooking again! Here’s an easy one: pan-seared yellowfin tuna with avocado, soy, ginger and lime. Add a little sesame oil too.

On the side, sweet and spicy zucchini. Cross hatch squash halves, then brush them with a glaze of honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sambal oelek (hot chili paste). Bake until softened, brushing with glaze every now and then.

I adapted my Portuguese fish skillet recipe from UK and US recipes. I make mine with linguiça. This time, I used ribbonfish and sheepshead, a strange combo, I know, but they were in a bag together in the freezer.

On the side, sautéed Brussels sprouts greens—yes, you read that correctly. We had a sad sprout harvest because Jim thinks he planted them too close together, but we love the greens. They remind us of frost-kissed (sweeter) collards. I added red onion, red bell pepper, carrots, garlic, slivered dried figs and chicken broth to the greens.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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 5/19 at 11 a.m.* – Do This, Not That! Q2 Email Marketing Tips

Hear insights from six of the industry’s leading email marketing experts. Discover the latest email tips, trends and tactics for both business and consumer markets that will take your campaigns to the next level. More info/register.

Host: GURU Events

Speakers:

Chase Dimond – Top Ecommerce Email Marketer, EmailUp
Nancy Harhut – Chief Creative Officer, HBT Marketing
Brian Minick – Chief Operating Officer, ZeroBounce
Steffen Schebesta- CEO & VP of Corp Development, Sendinblue
Jay Schwedelson, Founder of SubjectLine.com
Pierce Ujjainwalla – Co-founder & CEO, Knak

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

Fri 5/19 at 4 p.m. – Hope, Inclusion, Support, & Strategies to Maximize Mental Health

Learn about the resources and strategies available to boost our mental wellbeing and support our colleagues, friends, and family members, and

mental health awareness month and how to participate. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Mental Wellness Coach Sarah Larrabee

Mon 5/22 at 8 a.m. – Consuming Research Responsibly (Radio Free 501c)

Guests:

Elizabeth Engel, M.A., CAE, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting, LLC
Polly Karpowicz, MBA, CAE, Nonprofit Consultant

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC

Mon 5/22 at 1 p.m. – Community Connect Panel Continuation

Join us for the 30-Minute Monday series where a subject matter expert and moderator sit down for a hard-hitting, jam-packed 30-minute conversation about the topics you need to know to start your week. No slides, no long lectures, just facts, tips, and tricks to help you take your events and business to the next level. Last month we had our first Community Connect. Join us back with our panelist as we continue the conversation. 0.5 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MPI

Tue 5/23 at 11 a.m. – Membership Experience: What’s Cloud Got to Do with It?

For many years, association technology teams have been talking about move to the cloud. Learn what the cloud is, how member expectations have been transformed by the cloud, and how your association can leverage cloud technologies to deliver a superior membership experience. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Alex Mouw, Principal Strategic Advisor, Amazon Web Services

Tue 5/23 at 2 p.m. – Diverse Leadership in Associations: Strategies for Overcoming Systemic Barriers to CEO and C-Suite Roles

Learn how systemic biases, discriminating practices and antiquated policies and structures limit opportunities for BIPOC professionals to access leadership roles within associations; best practices for building more inclusive and equitable leadership pipelines, including recruitment, mentorship and professional development programs; and strategies for fostering a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice within associations and promoting accountability and transparency in leadership pipelines. More info/register.

Host: Nonprofit HR

Speakers:

Antonio Cortes, PhD, Managing Director, EDIJ
Steven Krzanowski, MA, Senior Consultant, EDIJ
Danisha Martin, MBA, CSC, Team Leader & Senior Consultant, Impact Search Advisors by Nonprofit HR
Bert Ruiz, MS, Managing Director, Impact Search Advisors by Nonprofit HR

Tue 5/23 at 2 p.m. – Navigating the Complex World of Event Technology: Strategies for Choosing the Right Tech for Your Event Needs

Explore the best practices and strategies for selecting the right event tech for your specific event needs. Learn how to navigate the complex world of event tech and select the right tools for your event needs. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speaker: Huong Nguyen, CEO and Head of Client Services at Shiloh Events

Wed 5/24 at 7 a.m. – Negotiating Contracts: Essentials for Associations

Learn about the key elements of contract negotiation, such as contract terms, indemnification, force majeure, and dispute resolution. Hear about best practices for preparing for negotiations, identifying and assessing potential risks, and establishing effective communication and negotiation strategies, insights into negotiating contracts, and practical guidance on how to protect the interests of their association and avoid common pitfalls. More info/register.

Host: Association of Association Executives

Speakers:

Nadia Rubtsova, Founder, Business & Events Academy
Paul Walsh, EMIAM (Seminar Chair), Seminar Programme Manager, Association of Association Executives

Wed 5/24 at 9:30 a.m. – Small Staff Percolator

Host: Qiqo

Wed 5/24 at 12 p.m. – Corporate Sponsorship Brainstorming Session

Ever wished you had a roundtable of association leaders and experts to brainstorm corporate sponsor support for your members’ needs? Bring a specific project you are trying to find corporate support for—or a challenge your members face—for a brainstorming discussion to generate ideas you can put to use. More info/register.

Hosts: Alexandria Association Execs with AIOT

Speaker: Corporate Partnership & Sponsorship Consultant Bruce Rosenthal

Wed 5/24 at 12 p.m. – 2023 Event Trends Study: Advancing the Next Generation of Events

Hear about the findings of the 2023 Event Trends Study, a study of 500+ professionals who plan events for corporations, government organizations, nonprofits, and associations. Learn about planners’ outlooks, goals, and concerns about the future of their organizations’ events; how they use event technology and how technology adoption impacts event strategies; technology’s impact on driving event growth; and action items for big-time event growth. More info/register.

Host: Community Brands

Speakers: Jason Daiger, Vice President of Product & Client Services, Events, and Tirrah Switzer, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Community Brands

Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – Let’s Talk About… Your Monthly Chance to Connect with Association Peers

During this meetup, you’ll have the chance to break into tables based on the topics that you’re interested in. This month, we’re covering: volunteer management and creating a culture of volunteerism, artificial intelligence and how we’re implementing it, and event planning and contracting. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – Hybrid Board Meetings Are Here to Stay

While hybrid meetings offer advantages, they also come with potential challenges. Learn from experts in governance and technology solutions about best practices for maintaining engagement and purpose in hybrid meetings, structuring them effectively, and leveraging the virtual component to increase productivity. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Jordan Castel, Nonprofit and Association Consultant, OnBoard Meetings
Matthew McEwan, Vice President, Minute Solutions
Eileen Murray, American Epilepsy Society
David Bergeson, PhD, CAE (noderator), Vice President, Association Management Center

Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – Future of Work from Anywhere

Learn how to define the role of hybrid-work in your organization and the best technology approaches to ensure security, productivity, collaboration and cost-effectiveness. Hear about the “why” behind unified communications (UC), key features and benefits as well as the top considerations when selecting a UCaaS or collaboration platform. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Dave Hopper, Solution Architect, Bridgepointe Technologies
Adam Kuhn, Director of IT for FIA (Futures Industry Association)
Ali Niroo, Managing Partner, Bridgepointe Technologies

Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – Prepare for the AI Revolution: Tips, Trends, and Strategies for Event Profs

Learn about the benefits and limitations of AI-powered chatbots and how you can leverage data insights to maximize their impact on your event marketing efforts. Hear about real-world examples of successful AI-driven event marketing campaigns and explore the tough questions about what artificial intelligence means for the events industry. More info/register.

Host: Bizzabo

Speakers:

Liz Caruso, CEO, techsytalk, Inc
Dahlia El Gazzar, Tech Evangelist + Idea Igniteur, Dahlia+ Agency
Oren Berkovich, Head of Experience Lab, Bizzabo

Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – Grow, Engage, Delight! Creating Content On LinkedIn to Grow Our Brands and Influence

Learn the formula for creating a healthy balance of content on LinkedIn, three effective content formats that will “stop the scroll” and engage with your audience, and LinkedIn algorithm hacks that will get more eyes on your content. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Leanne Calderwood, CMP, LinkedIn Expert

Wed 5/24 at 3 p.m. – 5 Changes that Will Expand Your Content’s Reach

Learn how to turn your association’s content into effective drivers of engagement. Find out how to create a Content Hub that ties together disparate content into a more cohesive presentation with more context, control, and analytics; how content visualizations can “up” your engagement game and drive discovery across all your bases of knowledge; and how to know what your “customers” want and ensuring you’re delivering the right content to the right people at the right time. More info/register.

Host: Aplusify

Speaker: Paul Burke, Senior Account Executive, Aplusify

Thu 5/25 at 11 a.m. – Taking Charge of Your Digital Transformation Strategy

Hear about the importance of leading and implementing an effective digital transformation strategy for your association. Learn how effective digital transformation is led from the top and what strategies to consider when starting your journey. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: iMIS by ASI

Thu 5/25 at 11 a.m. – A Not So Quiet Conversation About Quiet Hiring

Quiet hiring is when employers fill talent gaps by shifting employees around and hiring contractors or part-time workers. Learn how to gain in-demand talent and utilize part-time and contract workers as a critical workforce development strategy. Get specific tools and templates to help you manage the hiring process, including How to Create a Great Job Description, Situational Interview Questions, and a sample assessment/interview scorecard. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jaime Hirschfeld, Director of Client Sales, FlexProfessionals, DC

Thu 5/25 at 12 p.m. – Looking Forward 2023 Solutions: The Association Strategies Essential to Success

Looking Forward® 2023 Solutions is yearly research that tests 120 strategies currently implemented by associations. Get a first look at research data and learn about strategies that associations believe are critical to success, principal challenges facing association strategy as the sector continues to change in relation to current events, and how to access and filter the Looking Forward Dashboard for the specific information and reports you need. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Laboratory

Speakers:

Leo Baran, Director of Membership and SEA Engagement, National Council of Structural Engineers Associations
Jeanette Gass, Senior Program Manager, Global Market Development, International City/County Management Association
Nikki Golden, CAE, strategist, Association Laboratory
Dean West, FASAE, founder and president, Association Laboratory

Thu 5/25 at 12 p.m. – Enhance the Board Member Lifecycle: Experiences Create Impact

Learn how the Board Member Lifecycle prepares new board members for successful leadership; how to create pathways for effective, continuing board leadership; how to maximize your board’s contribution to your organization; and how to leverage past presidents, chairs, and board members as a powerful resource for years to come. More info/register.

Host: Hight Performance Group

Speakers:

Michael Gellman, CPA, CGMA, co-founding principal partner for Fiscal Strategies 4 Nonprofits, LLC and co-founder for Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits
Cathi Hight, President of Hight Performance Group

Thu 5/25 at 12 p.m. – Beat the Burnout

According to a study, event planning is the third-most stressful job in the world for 2023. Hear strategies to beat burnout and achieve a better approach to our workload. Learn tips to manage stress, prioritize self-care, and set boundaries that will help you stay energized and focused. More info/register.

Host: Black In Events Network

Speakers: The Health Institute

Thu 5/25 at 1 p.m. – Cybersecurity: A Team Sport

We all know how crucial cybersecurity is in today’s digital world, but are you fully aware of the risk and legal ramifications of a breach? Hear how to assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks in your organization. Get a better understanding of the cybersecurity risks your organization faces, the tools available to manage those risks, the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about cybersecurity risk management, and to communicate those risks to stakeholders. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

David DeCillis, CISSP, Senior Product Specialist, ARG
David Kuchar, Managing Partner, ARG, Inc.
Trey Mauck, CEO & Founder, Integrated Insurance Solutions

Thu 5/25 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.– CEX 2.0 Virtual: Building Component Success

Explore three critical challenges for component relations professionals (CRPs): helping chapter leaders be CEOs (Chief Engagement Officers); getting chapter leaders’ attention; and data, data, data. Come for the content and go home with a community. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Speakers:

Peggy Hoffman, Mariner Management
Peter Houstle, Mariner Management
Sarah Robertson, Billhighway
Sheri Singer, Singer Communications

Thu 5/25 at 2 p.m. – Findings from Interviews with 100 Corporate Sponsors That Can Help Associations Improve Their Sponsorship Program Success

Learn the top trends Bruce learned from interviews with corporate sponsors, including actual quotes from sponsors. Understand how to use what we learn from corporate sponsor interviews to improve association sponsorship programs. Hear about best practices you can use to interview your sponsors, plus five key questions to ask. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Non-Dues-a-Palooza

Speaker: Bruce Rosenthal, corporate sponsorship consultant and co-founder of the Partnership Professionals Network

Thu 5/25 at 2 p.m. – Key Contact Programs

Hear advice on effectively identifying, educating, and mobilizing your grasstops advocates. More info/register.

Host: Aristotle

Fri 5/26 at 12:00 p.m. – Small Staff Percolator

Host: Qiqo

Tue 5/30 at 12 p.m. – How to Contract with and Manage State Lobbyists

Host: ASAE Government Relations and Advocacy Professionals Community

Speakers:

Jim Leahy, CAE, Managing Director, Regional & Federal Programs for Liberty Square Group
Lorrie Trogden, CAE, President/CEO of the Arkansas Bankers Association
David Lusk (moderator), Founder of Key Advocacy

Thu 6/1 at 2 p.m. – AMS or CRM: A Candid Conversation

Host: 501Works, LLC

Speakers:

Moira Edwards, President, Ellipsis Partners
Jennie Koss, Senior Consultant, Cooper Consulting
Wes Trochlil, Founder, EDM – Effective Database Management

Fri 6/2 at 1 p.m. – Dissecting the Chat GPT/Generative AI Disruption: Use Cases, Concerns, Threats & Opportunities for Event Profs

Host: PCMA

Speakers:

Nick Borelli, Marketing Director, Zenus
Jen Santos, Founder & CEO, Smart Event Academy
Howard Givner (moderator), SVP Knowledge & Innovation, PCMA | Founder, Event Leadership Institute

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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Association Brain Food: 5.12.23

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

Non Dues-a-Palooza (NDP). It’s not until early September, but put NDP on your radar. I’m tired of experiencing FOMO for this one, so I’ve already got my flight booked for Denver. I love the idea of a small, focused conference where you can actually get to know people, so I hope to meet many of you there.

Learning business. WBT Systems describes how for-profit learning platforms, like the MOOCs Coursera and EdX, make their money. The corporate market is a growing profit center for them—and could be for your association too. WBT shares seven MOOC business model strategies you should definitely steal.

Membership tiers. Impexium explains how your association and members could benefit from offering a tiered membership model. They describe several examples of general and specialized membership tiers and discuss factors to consider before moving forward, like your AMS and market research.

Newsletters. I bet members interact with your newsletters more regularly than any other product or service, which means your association should carefully plan and design each edition. But do you? Rasa.io shares 15 ways to improve your newsletter content and delivery.

Virtual for in-person attendees. Arianna Rehak at Matchbox Virtual Media encourages you to design engaging virtual experiences that strengthen your in-person events. She shares examples of a pre-event virtual program and one that takes place after an in-person event, both adding more value to the attendee experience.

Demystifying API. Wow. If you’re selecting any type of technology that relies on integration, you must read this non-technical guide on API for association leaders. Amith Nagarajan at Sidecar explains the basics of API—“the communication bridge between different software applications”—the problem with misleading “integrates with anything” claims and questions to ask vendors during the software evaluation process.

State of the association industry. There’s no lack of survey reports in our industry, but a few challenges stand out in the 2023 Association Survey Results Report from GrowthZone: non-renewals by members who don’t have time to participate and the lack of plans or processes for goals such as member engagement, lapsed member reengagement, young professional recruitment and retention, and membership value innovation. No plan, no progress.

Good listens

I love listening to smart people having interesting conversations. With podcasts, I’m like a ghost in the room. Think about that when you hit “record,” boo.

Jeff De Cagna joined the hosts of The Association Podcast—Ben Muscolino (AMS Geek, Breezio, Data Sangria), Gretchen Steenstra (DelCor) and Jake Toohey (Adage)—to talk about boards and flawed governance systems, the return to complacency, the low bar of relevance, and generative AI.

On episode 32 of the Association Thrive podcast, host Joanna Pineda of Matrix Group shares the mic with Dan Berger, CEO of the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU). NAFCU made the decision to focus only on advocacy, compliance and education—their members’ priorities. They stopped doing everything else. As you might suspect, that didn’t go over too well with everyone on staff. He mentioned this cool member benefit: peer-to-peer learning networks for people in the same job role, for example, CEOs, CFOs, HR, marketing, etc.

Good eats

Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.

This past week, I was still on a “softer” foods diet thanks to periodontal surgery, so nothing outstanding to report. If you missed my PSA for irregular flossers in last week’s edition, take a moment, please, to read it.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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 5/12 at 12:00 p.m.* – Small Staff Percolator

Host: Qiqo

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

Fri 5/12 at 12:30 p.m. – Conversations with Champions

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Guest: Elizabeth Santana, MBA, CAE, ICE-CCP, CPTD, Director, Conceptual Research & Design, Inteleos

Fri 5/12 at 4 p.m. – Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community (Book Discussion)

Members’ needs are changing—they require more than value to engage with your association; they also want memorable, positive experiences. Learn how engagement builds from our member’s points of view. No matter the size or type of your association, and no matter your current role, see how you, too, can distinguish and propel your organization. Using uncommon strategies from her book Elevating Engagement, learn how to create an energized and highly motivated membership. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Amanda Lea Kaiser

Mon 5/15 at 8 a.m. – The Endless Search for Program Funding (Radio Free 501c)

Guest: Gail Kulp, Sea Tow Foundation

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC

Mon 5/15 at 2 p.m. – Artificial Intelligence Idea-Thon: Building the Association of the Future

Imagine the power of multiple brains collaborating and innovating with one goal in mind: solving the most pressing association challenges using Artificial Intelligence (AI). We’re bringing this vision to life with our first ever Idea-thon. Participants will brainstorm the biggest challenges that associations face today and then team up to create a pitch for an AI-fueled solution to one of those challenges. More info/register.

Host: Blue Cypress

Tue 5/16 at 11 a.m. – Membership Engagement and the Power of Transitioning Suppliers and Vendors to Thought Leaders

Your members likely view you as the authority on your industry. But for them to continue to look to you as a thought leader, you need to keep your finger on the pulse of the latest developments and trends. One way to do this is by transitioning your suppliers and vendors into thought leaders. Learn what becoming a thought leader entails for your suppliers, what the benefits are of turning them into thought leaders, and how to begin the process of transition for them. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Alfred McKelvy III, Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

Tue 5/16 at 11:30 a.m. CDT – AWTC Pop-Up Lunch: Chicago

Join AWTC for our new, nationwide monthly pop-up lunch! Each month, we’re planning a pop-up lunch in various locations around the U.S. on the same day. These intimate, informal gatherings are designed to help you build your network and connect with the AWTC community. Space is limited so RSVP soon. Lunch costs are on your own. All are welcome, including our allies. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions

Tue 5/16 at 12 p.m. – Component Relations and Volunteer Management May Crunch and Munch

Come prepared to engage, participate and listen as we discuss current topics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Professionals Community

Tue 5/16 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Pop-Up Lunch: Fairfax VA

Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions

Tue 5/16 at 1 p.m. – Writing an RFP for Merchant Services

When releasing an RFP to evaluate new merchant service providers, knowing how the credit card industry works is crucial. Your fiduciary obligation and reputation are on the line. Learn about the credit card processing flow, players, terminology, and musts to consider. Become prepared to write your RFP and evaluate your perspective merchant service providers based on the criteria most important for your organization. Learn how to identify the gaps in your current payments ecosystem and what to ask to reduce these issues in your future state. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Julie Duncan, Association Practice Leader, US Transactions Corporation
Jenni Glaze, COO, US Transactions Corporation

Tue 5/16 at 3 p.m. – Current Trends in Policy and Politics

Hear the latest quarterly analysis of trends in policy and politics. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

Speaker: Bruce Mehlman, Founding Partner at Mehlman Consulting

Wed 5/17 at 9 a.m. CDT – How Do Credentialing Organizations Enhance Their Value to the Professions They Serve? (Chicago IL)

Learn about options for adding to your certification a workforce skills program or a more durable maintenance of certification program; best practices for implementing models that enable partnerships with higher education to start candidates on the path to your credentials and profession sooner; ways to prove the value of your program in ways business understands, increasing relevance to the profession you serve; and possibilities for creating lifelong relationships with certificants. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Certification Network Group

Speakers:

Katie Hall, Founder and CEO of Claira
Jasmine Rockett, Deputy Director of the Inteleos Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy
Bill West, MBA, ICE-CCP, EVP, Global Skills X-Change, and Chief Credential Services Officer, Cornerstone Strategies
David Wilcox, M.S., P.E., founder, President & CEO of Global Skills X-Change

Wed 5/17 from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. – Healthcare Day 2023: From Local Policy to Global Markets

A day of insights, discussions, and analysis on global issues, federal policy, advocacy, and state and local policy, global leaders, policymakers, and healthcare experts examine the latest trends and strategies for navigating the healthcare landscape in 2023 and beyond. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Wed 5/17 at 11 a.m. – How to Boost Productivity by Overcoming Conflict Avoidance

Associations tend to run lean, which means we’re doing more with less, all while striving to meet the high standards of our members. Yet, we often fall short of our own expectations. It’s not due to a lack of effort or expertise—it’s because we’re avoiding our conflicts. Hear the most common ways conflict avoidance gets in the way of performance. Learn concrete tips and approaches for dealing with conflict directly and without all the drama, including some ideas on how to build conflict resolution capacity inside your culture so productivity gains stick around. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Jamie Notter, growth strategist, Propel

Wed 5/17 at 11 a.m. – Creating Actual Exciting Engagement – Virtually!

Conferences and meetings are vital to our arsenal to inspire change, to advance mission, and to support the individuals and organizations we serve. While we are experiencing a boomerang to in-person events, it is likely that both funding and accessibility will drive us back to the screen. Learn what connections mean in a virtual context so as to define HOW we can create those authentically, how to support sponsors and vendors in a virtual space that results in achieving their goals and expectations, and how to find a tech partner that understands what it means to advance mission and support individuals and organizations respectively. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Lucas Cioffi, CTO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat
Peggy McElgunn, CEO and Founder, Global Professional Services PC
Sandra Nam, CEO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat

Wed 5/17 at 12 p.m. – Facets of Diversity

Discuss a variety of topics on diversity in the meeting and events industry, including: DEI fatigue; women, particularly Black and Brown women, leading the way; and diversifying your employee base. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MPI

Moderator: Dani Kloap, Manager of Curriculum, Meeting Professionals International

Wed 5/17 at 12:30 p.m. – 8 Tips for Turning Trade Show Content into Marketing Gold

In just 8 minutes, learn how to give your trade show content a new life, extend the reach and ROI of your event beyond the show dates, save valuable time and resources better spent elsewhere, and maintain momentum in-between scheduled events. More info/register.

Host: Swapcard

Speaker: Megan Saad, Senior Account Executive at Sessionboard

Wed 5/17 at 1 p.m. – The New Age of Analytics: How to Successfully Transition to GA4

Google Analytics is the Holy Grail for many organizations, giving them the data they need to make more informed and strategic business decisions. But big changes are coming in just a couple of months with the forced switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which turns Google Analytics as we know it, on its head. Hear about GA4 and how to navigate the new GA4 interface, the questions you should ask to identify your organization’s key metrics and how to track them in GA4, our recommendations for the top reports associations should build in GA4 and how to do it, how to track and report on your most important member journeys in GA4, and how to identify the many other places you collect analytics. More info/register.

Host: Matrix Group

Wed 5/17 at 1 p.m. – From Boomer to Zoom-er: Leading 4 Generations in the Workplace

Hear about strategies for relationship building across generations, including communication strategies for remote/hybrid environments that bridge generational divides. Learn how to build trust across generations through clarity, communication, and belonging. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

Rebecca Achurch, PgMP, PMP, CSM, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Achurch Consulting
Erin Lemons, Vice President, Marketing, Fonteva & Protech

Wed 5/17 at 1 p.m. – How to Generate Revenue for Advocacy Efforts

Learn about strategies and best practices for generating revenue for association advocacy efforts. Hear about various revenue streams, including sponsorships, advocacy funds, and events, and tips on how to optimize each of these revenue channels. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Government Relations and Advocacy Professionals Community

Speakers:

Michelle Ly, Director of Advocacy Programs for NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association
John Nothdurft, Director of Government Affairs for ISSA

Wed 5/17 at 1 p.m. – Creativity in the Time of AI

Learn techniques to inspire your teams’ creativity. Hear about the intersection of innovation and artificial intelligence; how to leverage creativity to achieve business goals; the main ingredients for creative success; the power of inquiry, improvisation and intuition; and the role of creativity in the hybrid workplace and the future of work. More info/register.

Host: Big Think+ Book Club

Speaker: Natalie Nixon, PhD., author of The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work

Wed 5/17 at 2 p.m. – In or Out: Staffing and Managing a Successful Sales Team

32% of associations say their greatest obstacle to sales performance is staffing/resources. Deciding on a sales team that is in-house, outsourced or a combination is an important step toward finding success. Learn about the pros and cons of each staffing option, how to ensure teams are set up to succeed, and how to measure performance. Receive tactical checklists to support the session’s learning objectives. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Speakers:

Jodi Ashcraft, Director of Media & Event Sales, American Psychological Association
Addy Kujawa, CAE, CEO, American Alliance of Orthopedic Executives
Carrie McIntyre, Principal, Navigate

Wed 5/17 at 2 p.m. – Reboot Your In-Person Events

Learn how attendee expectations have changed and get ideas you can use to wow attendees. Hear about the five pillars of effective, measurable engagement, and ways event tech can support you in navigating social pressures on your events (sustainability, DEI, accessibility). 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speaker: Angel Santiago, Director of Sales, Cvent

Wed 5/17 at 3 p.m. – Beyond Basic Learning Metrics: Using Analytics to Uncover Insights & Education Gaps

Pulling reports and getting basic learning metrics from your LMS can be a struggle. Besides the time it takes to pull data from different systems, the reports are often limited in the insights they can offer. Learn how to use analytics to uncover education gaps you didn’t know you had, discover which course topics do better live or online, and know if learners have a positive or negative tone in course reviews. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers: Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions; Rachel Mace, Sr. Developer, Data Visualizations; and Greg Pollack, Vice President of Sales, Association Analytics

Thu 5/18 at 7 a.m. – Dangers and Dealing with False Information Online

Nearly all associations manage online communities, either on common platforms (e.g., LinkedIn or Facebook) or private ones for members. Defamation or libel against an organization or member on your platforms is potentially very harmful and costly in defending litigation and compensation. Learn about the challenges of combating false information and disinformation; best practices for identifying, verifying, and responding to false information; and media literacy, fact-checking, crisis communications and online reputation management. More info/register.

Host: Association of Association Executives

Speakers:

Andy Burman, Managing Director, SEBCO Consulting
Paul Walsh EMIAM (seminar chair), Seminar Programme Manager
Association of Association Executives

Thu 5/18 from 9 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. – Community Platforms Demo Day

Community experts will showcase platforms and share their knowledge with the association market. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Thu 5/18 at 11 a.m. – 15 Ways To Take Your Email Newsletter To The Next Level

Learn how to use email newsletter marketing to engage your members about current topics and industry trends, newsletter best practices, increasing engagement, curating outside content, and automation. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

Thu 5/18 at 11:30 a.m. – Spring Tapas Talk: Been There Done That

Through (virtual) f2f conversations, connect with peers at other small-staff associations, and chat with supportive professionals who understand and excel at working with smaller teams. Partners will provide free resources for you to grab as well as hosting small conversations in breakout rooms. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Qiqo

Thu 5/18 at 12 p.m. – The Community Check-In

A weekly community chat on Slack for black professionals working in the events industry. More info/register.

Host: Black In Events Network

Thu 5/18 at 1 p.m. – How to Grow Your Credentialing Business: Protect, Expand, Diversify

Growing your credentialing business means more revenue and more impact for the learners you serve and fields and industries they work in. Learn about three core strategic actions—protecting your base, expanding your base, and diversifying your offerings—that position you for growth. Hear about creating an accurate competitive awareness, aligning with workforce and employer needs, positioning for price increases, entering new markets, and developing new products and services. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Leading Learning

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

Thu 5/18 at 1 p.m. – Workshop: Build a Video Campaign to Promote Your Upcoming Event

Learn best practices for developing a member-driven content strategy, gathering the video content you need at in-person events, and using it across your communication channels to improve performance of campaigns as varied as: advocacy, membership renewal and acquisition, event promotion, and more. Walk away with an actionable, step-by-step workbook you can use to get started building your campaigns. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

Thu 5/18 at 1 p.m. – New Kid on the Block: The Event Technologist

Technology use at events has exploded in recent years, bringing about a new role within many event organizations–the event technologist. Whether the role is staffed internally or externally through an agency, 47% of organizations now have a clearly defined job description within their team. Hear about the roles and responsibilities of the event technologist, measurements of success around event technology, and expectations for the future of the event technologist. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speakers: Julie Haddix, Senior Director, Solutions Marketing, and Taylor Bohn, Event Technology Lead, Cvent

Thu 5/18 at 1 p.m. – Site Selection & Contract Negotiation in a Seller’s Market

In this unprecedented era of disruption, we will share strategies to help you cope with rising costs from inflation, supply chain issues, and hotel staffing challenges. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Prevue Meetings

Speakers:

Anne Gorman, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, streamlinevents
John Klukan, CHA, Market Director of Sales + Marketing, JW Marriott Dallas Arts District
Terry Matthews-Lombardo, CMP, TML Services Group, LLC

Thu 5/18 at 2 p.m. – Get More from Your Board’s Committees

Learn how to make committees the workhorse of the board, leverage the executive committee, and directors and staff can best support committee work. More info/register.

Host: OnBoard

Speaker: Erik Hanberg, Author of The Little Book of Boards

Thu 5/18 at 3 p.m. – Need a Winning Event Strategy? Look at the Data!

As a meeting planner, arming yourself with an understanding of what data can tell you about your event is key to maximizing ROI and effectively engaging with guests. Learn about different methods of data collection; strategies for successfully leveraging collected data; the impact of data on event marketing, attendee engagement, and long-term growth; analyzing data to drive success with future events; advanced data analysis techniques to identify areas of improvement and maximize event potential; and real-world case studies to apply the principles of data-based decision-making for effective event planning. 1 CAE/CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: EVA Event Tech Hub

Speakers:

Joe Colangelo, CEO and Co-Founder, Bear Analytics
Joe Federbush, President/Chief Strategist, EVOLIO Marketing
Vinnu Deshetty, CEO & Founder, EVA Event Tech Hub

Thu 5/18 at 4 p.m. – ASAE Idea Swap: What Were You Thinking? Ethics in Association Management

Walk through a series of scenarios to learn how to recognize an ethical issue, apply ASAE’s Ethical Decision Making Model in your organization, and work through the ethical issues in the workplace. Hear about the elements needed to ensure your association fosters ethical decision-making practices. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap

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

Fri 5/19 at 11 a.m. – Do This, Not That! Q2 Email Marketing Tips

Host: GURU Events

Speakers:

Chase Dimond – Top Ecommerce Email Marketer, EmailUp
Nancy Harhut – Chief Creative Officer, HBT Marketing
Brian Minick – Chief Operating Officer, ZeroBounce
Steffen Schebesta- CEO & VP of Corp Development, Sendinblue
Jay Schwedelson, Founder of SubjectLine.com
Pierce Ujjainwalla – Co-founder & CEO, Knak

Tue 5/23 at 11 a.m. – Membership Experience: What’s Cloud Got to Do with It?

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Alex Mouw, Principal Strategic Advisor, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Wed 5/24 at 9:30 p.m. – Small Staff Percolator

Host: Qiqo

Wed 5/24 at 12 p.m. – Corporate Sponsorship Brainstorming Session

Hosts: Alexandria Association Execs with AIOT

Speaker: Corporate Partnership & Sponsorship Consultant Bruce Rosenthal

Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – Let’s Talk About… Your Monthly Chance to Connect with Association Peers

Host: Sidecar

Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – Hybrid Board Meetings Are Here to Stay

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Jordan Castel, Nonprofit and Association Consultant, OnBoard Meetings
Matthew McEwan, Vice President, Minute Solutions
Eileen Murray, American Epilepsy Society
David Bergeson, PhD, CAE (noderator), Vice President, Association Management Center

Wed 5/24 at 1 p.m. – Future of Work from Anywhere

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Dave Hopper, Solution Architect, Bridgepointe Technologies
Adam Kuhn, Director of IT for FIA (Futures Industry Association)
Ali Niroo, Managing Partner, Bridgepointe Technologies

Thu 5/25 at 11 a.m. – A Not So Quiet Conversation About Quiet Hiring

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jaime Hirschfeld, Director of Client Sales, FlexProfessionals, DC

Thu 5/25 at 1 p.m. – Cybersecurity: A Team Sport

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

David DeCillis, CISSP, Senior Product Specialist, ARG
David Kuchar, Managing Partner, ARG, Inc.
Trey Mauck, CEO & Founder, Integrated Insurance Solutions

Thu 5/25 at 2 p.m. – Findings from Interviews with 100 Corporate Sponsors That Can Help Associations Improve Their Sponsorship Program Success

Host: Non-Dues-a-Palooza

Speaker: Bruce Rosenthal, corporate sponsorship consultant and co-founder of the Partnership Professionals Network

Fri 5/26 at 12:00 p.m. – Small Staff Percolator

Host: Qiqo

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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Association Brain Food: 5.5.23

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

Meaningful meetings. Achurch Consulting says it’s time to rethink and repair your organization’s broken meeting culture by adopting meaningful and mindful meeting practices. They suggest steps for stopping the meeting madness and responsibilities of meeting conveners and participants.

Corporate learning. Coursera, EdX and LinkedIn Learning are going all in on the corporate market and increasing revenue as a result. WBT Systems explains how your association can stand out from the for-profit crowd by offering a corporate learning concierge service to industry employers—a good way to spread market awareness, strengthen relationships, and generate additional revenue.

AMS requirements. Impexium shares the most in-demand requirements on the AMS wish lists of association executives. I’m pleased to see that most of these go beyond technical functionality to more strategic considerations that position an association for the future. If you’re looking for a new AMS, put these eight requirements at the top of your list.

Virtual connections. Amanda Kaiser describes how virtual connections can ease attendees’ anxiety about going to in-person events. She suggests ways to help attendees connect with each other before and during the event—and recalls the joy of tweet-ups. Remember those? Ah, the old days.

Employee volunteering and DEI. When association professionals think about volunteering, members naturally come to mind. But what if your employer gave you time to volunteer? Submittable explains how employee volunteering can help strengthen your organization’s DEI efforts.

Workplace culture. By now, we understand the influence of culture on an organization’s success. But where and how do you even begin to improve your culture? Propel explains how a culture assessment that evaluates eight primary culture patterns reveals your organization’s change readiness and place on the cultural spectrum from traditional to contemporary to futurist.

Quick hits

My eight best techniques for evaluating character. (Ted Gioia)

Competency vs. skill: why you need to know the difference. I didn’t. (Haley Wilson, D2L)

Dogma, doubt and Jane Austen, today. “Who is telling you what to think, who is peddling certainty and outrage; and who on the contrary is encouraging thought and reflection, open debate, consideration and conscience?” (Austen Connection)

Good eats

Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.

My Good eats section is on hiatus because I had periodontal surgery last week, specifically pocket reduction or osseous surgery. Unless you want to hear about my fascinating soft food diet of puréed soups, mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli purée, smoothies and ice cream. My immersion blender has earned its keep.

Now, all you irregular flossers, I implore you to read my PSA. You’re indulging in a high-cost bad habit! Before it’s too late, establish a daily oral hygiene habit that includes flossing and purple Listerine, or pay the price. Surgery on my bottom molars was $3K and the dental anesthesiologist was another $2K. Going under was optional, but I couldn’t stomach the idea of being awake with only local anesthesia for two hours.

TMI, I’m sure, but I wish someone had told me all this long ago, including what I was risking by not flossing regularly. Let’s just hope surgery did the trick and I can keep my cute molars—one of them is at risk. PSA over.

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If you have a free webinar or event coming up, please send me the link by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled. I’m happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.

Fri 5/5 at 10 a.m.* – Coffee with Innovators: Association Design Circle

On the first Friday of each month, an association leader leads a conversation on an association innovation topic. Our topic this month is association engagement with Amanda Lea Kaiser, author of Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community. She is an in-demand speaker for association leaders worldwide and is at the forefront of exploring how member and attendee engagement is rapidly changing. More info/register.

Host: Product Design Community

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

Fri 5/5 at 4 p.m. – Diversity Discussion Series: Celebrating Inclusion and Diversity

In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we continue our Diversity Discussion Series. Join us to explore how leaders can create a more inclusive work environment and celebrate diversity. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speakers:

Maisha Hoque, Membership Specialist for the National Quality Forum
Jen Mehltretter, Education Program Manager at The Optical Society
Jolene Jang (moderator), Asian inclusivity consultant

Mon 5/8 at 8 a.m. – Successful Rebrand (Radio Free 501c)

Guest: Gwyn Donohue, CAE, Vice President Communications and Membership, Pet Advocacy Network

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC

Mon 5/8 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays

A chance to collaborate with association peers on the challenges and opportunities you face in your organization. This month’s topic: the member journey. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Mon 5/8 at 1 p.m. – International Planners | 30-Minute Monday

International events are an important part of connecting us across the world. As one of the top destinations and home to a diverse and international population, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau knows all about international audiences. Join us for a conversation on how we can have successful events for international populations. 0.5 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MPI

Wed 5/9 at 11 a.m. – Using Member Insights to Power Your Engagement

Knowledge is power especially when it comes to understanding, serving and keeping your members for years to come. Learn what common data challenges are present in the member experience and affect an association’s ability to provide an individual level of service and value, how to identify gaps in what you know about your members currently, and what insights you should be looking to capture today for better member engagement and action. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Brianne Wheeler, Director of Marketing at PropFuel

Tue 5/9 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesdays

A gathering of IT and IT- interested folks to discuss topics related to the IT challenges facing associations today. During the May 9th kickoff, we will go through a process to surface and prioritize topics for the first few Tech Tuesday gatherings. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Moderators:

Reggie Henry, ASAE
Dave Coriale, DelCor

Tue 5/9 at 12 p.m. – Mental Health and Meetings: A Whitepaper Discussion

By prioritizing attendees’ wellness and mental health, many meeting professionals are finding that events can be critical to a person’s overarching wellbeing. Forward-facing professionals are looking beyond a commoditized approach to wellness and gravitating to an integrative approach, where wellness and mental health are baked into every aspect of a gathering. Discover how wellness should play a critical role in the design of meaningful experiences for participants, and how events could offer a key to overarching wellbeing for individuals. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MPI

Speaker: Nancy Snowden, M.A., Manager of Educational Experiences, MPI

Tue 5/9 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ Community Call

Share lunch time and discuss topics that are relevant and timely. Come prepared to join this judgment-free group with questions and issues that are top of mind for you in the LGBTQIA2+ association community. More info/register.

Host: ASAE LGBTQ Association Executives and Supporters

Tue 5/9 at 2 p.m. – How Your Association Can Prepare for Economic Uncertainty

In a challenging economy, it’s more important than ever for associations to think about how they can diversify their revenue streams. Hear ideas for collecting non-dues revenue (sponsorship, job boards, merch, etc.), how technology can support your non-dues efforts, and how to get a sponsorship up and running (plus tips for adjusting existing programs). More info/register.

Hosts: Higher Logic and Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE)

Speakers:

Edward Byers, CHRP, CMP, CAE, Business Development at CSAE
Emily Stamm, Senior Sales Engineer at Higher Logic
Kelly Whelan, Content Marketing Manager at Higher Logic

Tue 5/9 at 3 p.m. – Keeping the Focus on Financial Health, Sustainability, and Operating Reserves

Learn how to help senior management better understand the balance sheet and operating reserves’ impact on financial health, options and strategies for managing overhead expenses and allocation of indirect costs, the hidden benefits from expanded segregation of duties, the benefits of short and intermediate cash management strategies and monthly distribution of financial reports, how enhancing communications between the finance and development departments is critical to compliance and meeting donor expectations and promises. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

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

Tue 5/9 at 3 p.m. – Our Space: Strategies for Shaping the Culture of Your Association

Creating an inclusive and well-established culture within your association can play a significant role in member engagement and retention. It promotes collaboration and teamwork. Hear about a range of strategies and practical tips to help you shape the culture of your association and foster a more engaging and collaborative environment for your members. More info/register.

Host: NXUnite

Speakers:

Michael Hoffman, Co-Founder & CEO at Gather Voices
Ashley Perkins, People & Culture Manager at Minutes Solutions
Colleen Carroll (moderator), Content Publishing Coordinator, Nexus Marketing Agency

Wed 5/10 at 9 a.m. – Associations’ Role in Climate Change: The UN Climate Conference, COP27, and Beyond

Either as part of ESG initiatives or looking at impact and legacy, associations are increasingly grappling with the role sustainability plays in supporting their work and advancing their missions. Hear from associations who were at the UN’s 2022 Climate Change Conference, COP27 to learn how they set objectives, progress made, and how associations can play a role at COP28 in Dubai, UAE. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Amanda Clinton, MEd, PhD, Senior Director, Office of International Affairs, American Psychological Association
Janice Lachance, JD, FASAE, Executive Vice President, Strategic and Organizational Excellence, American Geophysical Union
Derek Washam, Director, International Relations, The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
COP28 UAE Spokesperson
Jakub M. Konysz, MBA, IOM, CAE (moderator), Founder and CEO, Global Navigators

Wed 5/10 at 9:30 a.m. – Small Staff Percolator

Host: Qiqo

Wed 5/10 at 11:30 a.m. – Nonprofit Consultants Think Tank (Washington DC)

Join your nonprofit professional consultant colleagues for a deep dive discussion into building a stronger Professional Nonprofit Consultants Community segment. We will share ideas, ask questions that are vexing us, and build stronger referrals. Most importantly we will build camaraderie while expanding our knowledge base. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Nonprofit Consultants Think Tank

Wed 5/10 at 2 p.m. – Generative AI: Understanding the Real-World Implications for Your Association

As a follow-up to his April 4 open letter to the association community on generative AI, Jeff De Cagna will help association staff develop an empathic and hype-free understanding of generative AI’s real-world implications for their organizations, stakeholders, and successors. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: Jeff De Cagna FRSA FASAE, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC,

Wed 5/10 at 2 p.m. – How to Use Influencer Marketing to Do Good

Learn how to use influencer marketing to raise awareness, inspire action, and do good. More info/register.

Host: Feathr

Speakers:

Paul Katz, CEO of Entertain Impact and author of Good Influence: How to Engage Influencers for Purpose and Profit
Noah Barnett, VP of marketing, Feathr

Wed 5/10 at 3 p.m. – Nonprofits after the Great Resignation: Overcoming the Workforce Shortage

Nonprofits are facing shortages in their workforce in all functions and levels. Some call it the Great Resignation, but it is a mistake to think about it as a short-term trend. Hear about the data behind these labor shortages and strategies to overcome them, current overall workforce trends in the US, the next few years of workforce trends and how they will impact nonprofits, and solutions for overcoming labor shortages in the nonprofit sector. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Matt Haggerty, Senior Analyst, Nonprofit & Education, RSM

Thu 5/11 at 7 a.m. – Data Protection for Associations: Key Considerations

In today’s digital age, associations handle a large amount of personal data, ranging from member information to financial records. Holding this data comes with important concerns around privacy and security. Learn about the critical issues of information rights and what to do if data is compromised, as well as best practices for data collection and use. More info/register.

Host: Association of Association Executives

Speakers:

Luke Dixon, Partner, Freeths
Paul Walsh EMIAM (moderator), Seminar Programme Manager, Association of Association Executives

Thu 5/11 at 11 a.m. – Unleashing AI for Better Marketing and Audience Engagement

Get a framework for thinking holistically about AI and practical strategies, tools and tips for leveraging AI in your organization. Learn how to start planning for AI and its biggest challenges, how to staff for AI, what prompt engineers are, what legal considerations you should keep in mind when working with AI, and how you can better position yourself and your team to adapt to and take full advantage of AI. More info/register.

Host: Renewd

Speakers:

Mitch Eisen, Founder/CIO, Contentware
Tom Pines, CEO, Contentware
Erica Salm Rench, COO, rasa.io
Kim Mateus (moderator), Interim Executive Director, Renewd

Thu 5/11 at 11 a.m. – Top Not-for-Profit Risks

An appropriate assessment of a not-for-profit’s key risks is critical for management to mitigate risks, instill confidence in their Board and ensure that compliance issues do not interfere with their mission. Learn about the top risks faced by any not-for-profit, sources to review to determine if the risk applies to your organization, strategies and tools to specifically mitigate each of these risks, and a controller’s toolkit to ensure compliance risks are addressed. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Bianca Domally, Chief Financial Officer, Associated Builders and Contractors
Kathy O’Connor, President, O’Connor Consulting Services

Thu 5/11 at 12 p.m. – 5 Ways Technology Is Positively Impacting (and Improving) Your Culture

Technology champions in the workplace lead to increased productivity, better collaboration, improved employee satisfaction, and more. Learn what it means to be a technology champion, strategies for identifying and developing technology champions within your organization, how technology champions help drive digital transformation initiatives, and the role technology plays in shaping the overall culture of the organization. More info/register.

Hosts: Impexium and .orgCommunity

Speakers:

Sara G. Greene, National Automated Clearing House Association
Mark Prevost, Impexium

Thu 5/11 at 12 p.m. – Associated Growth: Professional Development for Your Association

Strategically planning your association members’ professional development is one of the best ways to retain current members and engage new members. Learn how associations can most effectively go about professional development, build out their current member development programs, and generally promote a culture of growth. More info/register.

Host: NXUnite

Speakers:

Jennifer Alluisi, Account Executive at Custom Management Group
Laurelle Jno Baptiste, Vice President of Professional Services at Vocalmeet
Patti Schutte, CEO/Founder & Principal Coach at Be Brilliant Presentation Group
Dan Streeter, Vice President of Learning & Development at Blue Sky eLearn
Colleen Carroll (moderator), Content Publishing Coordinator, Nexus Marketing Agency

Thu 5/11 at 12 p.m. – The Community Check-In

A weekly community chat on Slack for black professionals working in the events industry. More info/register.

Host: Black In Events Network

Thu 5/11 at 12:30 p.m. – SECURE 2.0 Act – New Retirement Plan Provisions

SECURE 2.0, major legislation impacting 403(b), 401(k), and other tax-favored plans containing over 90 provisions, was enacted on December 29, 2022. The legislation includes changes relating to catch-up contributions, required minimum distributions, required coverage of part-time employees, and many other important topics. Learn about the key provisions of interest to nonprofit organization retirement plan sponsors.

More info/register.

Host: Venable LLP

Speakers: Harry Atlas, Partner, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, and Lisa Tavares, Partner, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Venable LLP

Thu 5/11 at 1 p.m. – The 3 Rs of Membership | Retain: Mastering Engagement Scoring & Personas

With measurement and evaluation tools now accessible to associations of all sizes, engagement scoring allows you to better use data to inform engagement strategies and drive organizational improvement. Learn how to define an engagement scoring strategy that supports your organizational goals, including: identifying and nurturing future committee volunteers and leaders, encouraging more activity in programs, and enhancing loyalty. More info/register.

Host: iMIS by ASI

Thu 5/11 at 2 p.m. – Boost Your Member Engagement with Sponsorships

Learn how to include sponsorship in your overall fundraising, include sponsors to engage and create value, leverage content from your corporate sponsors to grow your membership, meet your sponsor’s goals, and develop an effective sponsorship program. More info/register.

Host: Grype

Speaker: Bruce Rosenthal, corporate sponsorship consultant and co-convener, Partnership Professionals Network

Thu 5/11 at 6:30 p.m. – BAE DMV Monthly Dinner

More info/register.

Host: ASAE Black Association Executives

Fri 5/12 at 12:00 p.m. – Small Staff Percolator

Host: Qiqo

Fri 5/12 at 12:30 p.m. – Conversations with Champions

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Guest: Elizabeth Santana, MBA, CAE, ICE-CCP, CPTD, Director, Conceptual Research & Design, Inteleos

Fri 5/12 at 4 p.m. – Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community (Book Discussion)

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Amanda Lea Kaiser

Mon 5/15 at 2 p.m. – Artificial Intelligence Idea-Thon: Building the Association of the Future

Host: Blue Cypress

Tue 5/16 at 11 a.m. – Membership Engagement and the Power of Transitioning Suppliers and Vendors to Thought Leaders

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Alfred McKelvy III, Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

Tue 5/16 at 11:30 a.m. CDT – AWTC Pop-Up Lunch: Chicago

Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions

Tue 5/16 at 12 p.m. – Component Relations and Volunteer Management May Crunch and Munch

Come prepared to engage, participate and listen as we discuss current topics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Professionals Community

Tue 5/16 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Pop-Up Lunch: Fairfax VA

Organizer: Association Women Technology Champions

Tue 5/16 at 1 p.m. – Writing an RFP for Merchant Services

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Julie Duncan, Association Practice Leader, US Transactions Corporation
Jenni Glaze, COO, US Transactions Corporation

Wed 5/17 at 9 a.m. CDT – How Do Credentialing Organizations Enhance Their Value to the Professions They Serve? (Chicago IL)

Host: Certification Network Group

Speakers:

Katie Hall, Founder and CEO of Claira
Jasmine Rockett, Deputy Director of the Inteleos Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy
Bill West, MBA, ICE-CCP, EVP, Global Skills X-Change, and Chief Credential Services Officer, Cornerstone Strategies
David Wilcox, M.S., P.E., founder, President & CEO of Global Skills X-Change

Wed 5/17 at 11 a.m. – How to Boost Productivity by Overcoming Conflict Avoidance

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Jamie Notter, growth strategist, Propel

Wed 5/17 at 11 a.m. – Creating Actual Exciting Engagement – Virtually!

Conferences and meetings are vital to our arsenal to inspire change, to advance mission, and to support the individuals and organizations we serve.

While we are experiencing a boomerang to in-person events, it is likely that both funding and accessibility will drive us back to the screen. Learn what connections mean in a virtual context so as to define HOW we can create those authentically, how to support sponsors and vendors in a virtual space that results in achieving their goals and expectations, and how to find a tech partner that understands what it means to advance mission and support individuals and organizations respectively. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Lucas Cioffi, CTO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat
Peggy McElgunn, CEO and Founder, Global Professional Services PC
Sandra Nam, CEO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat

Wed 5/17 at 1 p.m. – The New Age of Analytics: How to Successfully Transition to GA4

Host: Matrix Group

Wed 5/17 at 2 p.m. – In or Out: Staffing and Managing a Successful Sales Team

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Speakers:

Jodi Ashcraft, Director of Media & Event Sales, American Psychological Association
Addy Kujawa, CAE, CEO, American Alliance of Orthopedic Executives
Carrie McIntyre, Principal, Navigate

Wed 5/17 at 3 p.m. – Beyond Basic Learning Metrics: Using Analytics to Uncover Insights & Education Gaps

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers: Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions; Rachel Mace, Sr. Developer, Data Visualizations; and Greg Pollack, Vice President of Sales, Association Analytics

Thu 5/18 from 9 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. – Community Platforms Demo Day

Community experts will showcase platforms and share their knowledge with the association market. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Thu 5/18 at 11 a.m. – 15 Ways To Take Your Email Newsletter To The Next Level

Host: UST Education

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

Thu 5/18 at 11:30 a.m. – Spring Tapas Talk: Been There Done That

Host: Qiqo

Thu 5/18 at 1 p.m. – How to Grow Your Credentialing Business: Protect, Expand, Diversify

Host: Leading Learning

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

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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Association Brain Food: 4.28.23

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

Credentialing programs. Before developing a certification exam or any type of education program or pathway focused on a specific job role, you must do a job analysis. WBT Systems explains what’s involved and what associations need to know about using a job analysis to design and market programs.

Member recruitment. Membership marketing has come a long way since I first started in associations. Frankly, we’re smarter about it now. We need to be to rise above the competition for attention, time and wallets. Impexium suggests member recruitment strategies that will successfully drive your marketing efforts in this very different marketplace.

Audience avatar. Mercury Creative Group explains why you should have an individual ideal buyer in mind when crafting marketing content—actually, this is a good idea when writing any content. They guide you through the steps for creating a persona or avatar who represents someone in your ideal audience.

AI, again. Peter Diamandis—the guy being the X Prize and Singularity University—explains why AI is exploding now and why you should care. “By the end of this decade, there are going to be two kinds of companies: those that are fully utilizing AI and those that are out of business.”

The future of scientific societies. AAAS asked young scientists from around the world, “How have scientific societies affected your career, and how can societies best support scientists in the future?” Although their opinions are most relevant for scientific societies, I wonder how much they reflect the thoughts of other young scholarly types.

Online community. You can no longer give your online community a half-hearted effort. Online communities are extremely popular with younger audiences—the toughest ones to recruit and retain. If your association doesn’t offer an online community for members, Nimble AMS may change your mind. Learn how an online community can help you attract, engage and retain members, and read their useful plan for launching and managing a community.

Quick hits

You don’t need to be “the Boss” to be a leader. (Matt Mayberry, Harvard Business Review)

How to increase email open rates: 13 key success factors with examples. (Andy Crestodina, Orbit Media Studios)

Good eats

Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.

I could eat this sauce all day: speckled sea trout with choo chee Thai curry sauce. The recipe comes from Nancie McDermott’s Quick & Easy Thai: 70 Everyday Recipes. My adaption includes red onion, red bell, mushrooms, coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm (or brown) sugar, green onions or garlic chives, and a mix of these: cilantro, Vietnamese coriander, basil and Thai basil.

On the side, roasted broccoli with red onion, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and a Kashmiri coconut hot sauce.

A cooler Sunday called for corned beef. I cook it low and slow in the oven for four hours or until it’s wicked tender. First, I rub a mix of spices all over the top: ground allspice, mustard, coriander, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, Aleppo or red pepper flakes, and bay leaves.

On the side, roasted potatoes, red onions and carrots with bacon and garlic powder, and a sauté of cabbage with bacon, red onion, red bell, garlic, red pepper flakes and dried apricots.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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 4/28 at 11 a.m.* – Learn to Maximize Volunteer Engagement

Learn best practices for recruiting volunteers, including outreach strategies and messaging; strategies for managing volunteers, including training, supervision, and recognition; leveraging technology for volunteer management and engagement; and tips for building a culture of volunteerism in your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Meagan Gallagher, Director of Programs at OCA, A Special Place for Special Needs

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

Fri 4/28 at 12 p.m. – Exam Development

Learn how to design and administer exams that are valid and reliable, while incorporating best practices in assessment design. Gain an understanding of the principles of good test construction, explore the different types of exams, and get hands on experience in constructing exams. Learn the importance of item analysis, the role of feedback in exam development, and the need for test security. More info/register.

Host: Leverage Assessments, Inc.

Speaker: Maxwell E. Uduafemhe, PhD.

Fri 4/28 at 4 p.m. – Career Management Toolkit: Best Practices for Leveraging the Power of Professional Coaching

Ever wondered what it’s like to work with a professional coach? Unsure what to expect or how they can help? Want to maximize a professional coaching relationship you already have? Meet five professional coaches, experience two focused sessions, and learn how, when done right, working with a professional coach can help you navigate change, level-up your leadership, map out an action plan to achieve a goal, and much more. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speakers:

Jaya Koilpillai Bohlmann, MA, APR, MSMOB, ACC
Tina Erickson
Kathy Kiernan, MBA, PCC
Jeff Koziatek
Parker Mabry, MA, PCC, BCC

Mon 5/1 at 8 a.m. – Nonprofit Career Internships (Radio Free 501c)

Guest: Shannon McCracken, CAE

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC

Tue 5/2 at 12 p.m. – Quick Wins (Association Analytics Network)

Join association professionals for peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Tue 5/2 at 12 p.m. – Three Things Organizations Must Do to Stay Safe with ChatGPT

Who isn’t using ChatGPT, Bing AI and Bard these days? The general advice coming from all corners is to just get online and “play with it”. But are you keeping your data and information safe? Are your employees using the outputs in responsible ways? In this livestream, we’ll be talking about what you and your organization must understand to safely use these amazingly powerful tools. More info/register.

Host: Charlene Li, Chief Research Officer at PA Consulting

Tue 5/2 at 1 p.m. – Ideas and Inspiration for Healthier Meetings

Hear hands-on advice and real-life examples from expert industry panelists of how groups have integrated wellness activities and experiences into their meetings and incentive programs and what’s possible on Florida’s Paradise Coast (Naples, Marco Island, Everglades). 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Prevue Meetings

Speakers:

Jeniffer Bello, CMP, President/CEO, JB Experiences
Paul Gabriel Nunez, Director of Spa, Fitness and Wellness, JW Marriott Marco Island, Spa Advisory Council of the Americas
Rachael Riggs, CMP, DES, SEPC, Maritz Global Events, General Manager
Maura Zhang, CIS, CITP, RYT, Midwest Sales Representative for Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB, Synergy-Connect

Tue 5/2 at 1:30 p.m. – Event Manager’s Master Class – A Tool Kit for Events in 2023

From industry data and survey feedback, it is clear that audiences have new (and higher) expectations. As events are more judiciously considered on their return on time, value, and investment, organizers must adjust for this new normal (your 2019 tool kit won’t cut it). Hear about what’s hot and what’s not in 2023, key data and insights for strategic planning, leveraging and maximizing expectations of today’s exhibitors and sponsors and attendees and speakers, generating new opportunities for community and connections, creating memorable experiences for new and younger audiences, and, most important, generating revenue for your event. More info/register.

Host: Personify

Speakers:

Marlys Arnold, Author and Host of the Trade Show Insights Blog & Podcast
Rich Vallaster, CEM, DES, Director of Marketing and Events at A2Z Events by Personify

Tue 5/2 at 3 p.m. – Consultant Members’ Town Hall with ASAE Leadership

A virtual conversation between ASAE consultant members and ASAE leadership, the agenda topics include: Looking Back to Inform the Future—The KCC, Consultant Membership and Engagement; Destination 2026 and You—Review of Destination 2026, 2024 Priorities; and Q&A. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Facilitator: Don Dea

Wed 5/3 at 7 a.m. – Dealing with False Information Online

Learn about the challenges of combating false information and disinformation, as well as best practices for identifying, verifying, and responding to false information. Find out about media literacy, fact-checking, crisis communications and online reputation management. Hear experiences and insights into how associations can navigate the complexities of false information online and mitigate the risks to their reputation and credibility. More info/register.

Host: Association of Association Executives

Speakers:

Andy Burman, Managing Director, SEBCO Consulting
Paul Walsh EMIAM (seminar chair), Seminar Programme Manager, Association of Association Executives

Wed 5/3 at 9 a.m. – Best Practices for Managing a Sales Team and Outcomes (PAR Member Meet-Up)

Whether you lead a sales team of one or many, this PAR Member Meet-Up will help you generate ideas on best practices for sales team management. Join us as PAR members share metrics their teams are tracking, effective reporting practices and accountability tactics that lead to successful outcomes. More info/register (members only).

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Wed 5/3 at 11 a.m. – Successful Volunteer Leadership: The Ultimate Balancing Act

How can you encourage and develop passionate volunteers that make values-centered decisions and put the association and its members first? How can you win as an individual, professional, a volunteer member of an association, all with the same amount of time as the rest of us? Learn the critical leadership skills needed to thrive as a volunteer in all domains of life; the fundamentals behind balancing the needs of the volunteer member, local/chapter, and national organization to achieve maximum synergy and drive excellent results; how to avoid burnout as a volunteer and as a leader; and the art of achieving balance in all areas of life. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Brian Haney, Founder and CEO, The Haney Company

Wed 5/3 at 11 a.m. – Why Event Organizers Are Deploying Pre-Scheduled Meetings in 2023

Learn why pre-scheduled meetings are taking off now, the benefits of pre-scheduled meetings, how much additional revenue organizers should expect by adding pre-scheduled meetings to their events, which events are doing pre-scheduled meetings well, and why pre-scheduled meetings don’t always mean you need a ‘hosted buyer’ event format. More info/register.

Host: Grip

Speakers:

Dahlia El Gazzar, Founder, DAHLIA+Agency
Hew Leith, VP of Marketing, Grip

Wed 5/3 at 12 p.m. – The Operational Value of Paying Attention to Culture

Learn how to diagnose unrest and disengagement within your workforce and implement strategies to retain high-caliber talent. Hear how to leverage your teams’ knowledge and personal investment to create solutions tailored to your organization’s needs, deploy effective surveys that mine critical information from your team, what tools to deploy to address various levels of burnout, and how to use this pre-Return to Work Movement moment to build a culture of attraction and employee evangelists who recruit high-caliber talent. More info/register.

Host: Association Insights in Old Town

Speaker: Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, Founder and CEO of L-12 Services

Wed 5/3 at 2 p.m. – Effective Strategies for Sustainable Events

Collaboration is the key to making progress on sustainability in the events industry. A growing number of meeting professionals are working with experts and one another to craft sustainability policies and action plans. Hear practical advice and best practices about what’s been put in place and what action we must take now to design more sustainable events and create a more sustainable industry. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speakers:

Marley Finnegan, Founder, Purpose Net Zero and Purpose Sustainability Strategy
Jaime Nack, President, Three Squares Inc.
Michael J. Shapiro (moderator), Executive Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Thu 5/4 at 7 a.m. – How Artificial Intelligence Can Enhance Association events

Learn about the AI tools and applications that can improve event planning, participant engagement, and overall event experience, including chatbots, facial recognition, personalized recommendations, and data analytics. Hear experiences and insights into how associations can leverage AI to streamline event management, increase participant satisfaction, and generate valuable insights into attendee preferences and behavior. More info/register.

Host: Association of Association Executives

Speakers:

Marie Dubost, Facilitator, Zoom Queen, Trainer, Moderator, facilitation.dev
Paul Walsh EMIAM (seminar chair), Seminar Programme Manager, Association of Association Executives

Thu 5/4 at 11 a.m. – What Do Sponsors Really, Really Want?

Many planners don’t know how to drive the onsite engagement sponsors crave—jeopardizing the financial support, credibility, and added value they bring to events. Logos and banner ads are a great start, but a home-run sponsor engagement program will guarantee sponsors will return over and over. Learn how to create engaging digital sponsorship opportunities, increase sponsor value by keeping them top of mind in between sessions, drive attendee-sponsor engagement by manipulating show floor traffic, and help sponsors smash their lead goals by more efficiently qualifying leads onsite. More info/register.

Host: EventMobi

Speakers: Alistair Fernandes, Event Tech Manager; Thorben Grosser, VP of Product Marketing; and Christine Mack, Manager, Customer Success, EventMobi

Thu 5/4 at 12 p.m. – The Community Check-In

A weekly community chat on Slack for black professionals working in the events industry. More info/register.

Host: Black In Events Network

Thu 5/4 at 1 p.m. – Membership Experience: What’s Cloud Got to Do with It?

For many years, association technology teams have been talking about moving to the cloud. For those outside of the tech team, you may just be beginning to ask, “What is the cloud?” and “What value does the cloud deliver for my team and our members.” Learn how member expectations have been transformed by the cloud and how your association can leverage cloud technologies to deliver a superior membership experience. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Alexandra Mouw, Principal Strategic Advisor, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Thu 5/4 at 2 p.m. – Unleashing the Power of Data: Debunking Myths and Maximizing Impact

Learn how to make sense of managing and realistically using your data to power your organization. See how a data analytics expert works with an association executive to make it all happen. Discover how the live data you have on hand now is worth more per record today than any other time in your organization’s history, how good data management is driving member-led product improvement, get a mindset that data is truly an asset—and it’s appreciating, and how data can be your crystal ball to success. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speakers:

Joe Colangelo, CEO and Co-Founder of Bear Analytics
Chris Love, Vice President, Information Technology, Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed)
James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

Thu 5/4 at 2 p.m. – Tips & Tricks to Growing an Online Community with Limited Personnel

MoveOn, a nonprofit organization focused on political advocacy, has one paid resource dedicated to community management. Hear how MoveOn has created a thriving online community with limited internal personnel. Learn the best practices MoveOn leverages to manage and grow their thriving online community, with limited internal resources, and tips and tricks for how MoveOn follows a distributed leadership model to enable peer to peer learning and boost engagement. More info/register.

Host: Mobilize Networks

Speakers:

Sana Shahid, Organizing Community Manager, MoveOn
Kirsten Moss, Director of Sales, Mobilize Networks

Thu 5/4 at 3:30 p.m. – The Top Five Challenges Facing Nonprofit CEOs Today (Washington DC)

The changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the remote work explosion, employee shortages and migration, generational changes in the workplace, revamped business and revenue models, and rollercoaster financial markets have made running a nonprofit more difficult than at any time in recent memory. Hear strategies for dealing with these most difficult challenges, including flexible and remote work arrangements, board relations and member relationships, employee talent management and retention, public policy challenges, new revenue models and budgeting in times of uncertainty and uncertain financial markets. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Hosts: The Nonprofit Advisory Board and FAR (previously The Finance & Administration Roundtable)

Speakers:

Kate Fry, Chief Executive Officer, America’s Blood Centers
Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO, National Restaurant Association
Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Jonathan Webb, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Lakisha Woods, Chief Executive Officer, American Institute of Architects
Jeffrey S. Tenenbaum, Esq. (moderator), Managing Partner, Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC

Fri 5/5 at 10 a.m. – Coffee with Innovators: Association Design Circle

Host: Product Design Community

Mon 5/8 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays

A chance to collaborate with association peers on the challenges and opportunities you face in your organization. This month’s topic: the member journey. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Tue 5/9 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ Community Call

Host: ASAE LGBTQ Association Executives and Supporters

Tue 5/9 at 3 p.m. – Keeping the Focus on Financial Health, Sustainability, and Operating Reserves

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

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

Wed 5/10 at 9 a.m. – Associations’ Role in Climate Change: The UN Climate Conference, COP27, and Beyond

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Amanda Clinton, MEd, PhD, Senior Director, Office of International Affairs, American Psychological Association
Janice Lachance, JD, FASAE, Executive Vice President, Strategic and Organizational Excellence, American Geophysical Union
Derek Washam, Director, International Relations, The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
COP28 UAE Spokesperson
Jakub M. Konysz, MBA, IOM, CAE (moderator), Founder and CEO, Global Navigators

Wed 5/10 at 11:30 a.m. – Nonprofit Consultants Think Tank (Washington DC)

Join your nonprofit professional consultant colleagues for a deep dive discussion into building a stronger Professional Nonprofit Consultants Community segment. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Nonprofit Consultants Think Tank

Wed 5/10 at 2 p.m. – Generative AI: Understanding the Real-World Implications for Your Association

Host: Jeff De Cagna FRSA FASAE, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC,

Thu 5/11 at 11 a.m. – Unleashing AI for Better Marketing and Audience Engagement

Host: Renewd

Speakers:

Mitch Eisen, Founder/CIO, Contentware
Tom Pines, CEO, Contentware
Erica Salm Rench, COO, rasa.io
Kim Mateus (moderator), Interim Executive Director, Renewd

Thu 5/11 at 11 a.m. – Top Not-for-Profit Risks

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Bianca Domally, Chief Financial Officer, Associated Builders and Contractors
Kathy O’Connor, President, O’Connor Consulting Services

Thu 5/11 at 12 p.m. – 5 Ways Technology Is Positively Impacting (and Improving) Your Culture

Hosts: Impexium and .orgCommunity

Speakers:

Sara G. Greene, National Automated Clearing House Association
Mark Prevost, Impexium

Thu 5/11 at 1 p.m. – The 3 Rs of Membership | Retain: Mastering Engagement Scoring & Personas

Host: iMIS by ASI

Thu 5/11 at 2 p.m. – Boost Your Member Engagement with Sponsorships

Host: Grype

Speaker: Bruce Rosenthal, corporate sponsorship consultant and co-convener, Partnership Professionals Network

Thu 5/11 at 6:30 p.m. – BAE DMV Monthly Dinner

More info/register.

Host: ASAE Black Association Executives

Fri 5/12 at 12:30 p.m. – Conversations with Champions

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Guest: Elizabeth Santana, MBA, CAE, ICE-CCP, CPTD, Director, Conceptual Research & Design, Inteleos

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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Amazon affiliate links allow me to earn a tiny commission on any sales that result from clicking. Thank you!

Association Brain Food: 4.21.23

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

Free member education. Should associations list education programs as a membership benefit if members have to pay for them like everyone else does? I don’t think so and neither does WBT Systems. They suggest options for offering members a selection of free education programs as a true membership benefit or as part of a membership tier.

Gen Z communities. Well, this is a slap in the face. Meagan Loyst, founder of Gen Z VCs—“a global collective of 22,000+ Gen Z VCs, founders, angel investors, operators and aspiring VCs,” so, yeah, cred—writes about the amazing success of paid membership communities with Gen Z audiences in nearly every industry. Sadly, associations only merit one mention—as has-beens. Don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but we have work to do.

Mentoring program. “While starting a mentoring program isn’t rocket science, there’s certainly an art to it.” With 20 years of experience developing mentoring programs, Art of Mentoring knows both the art and the science. They describe the seven steps of starting a successful association mentoring program from pre-evaluation and research to planning, design, recruitment, matching, training, support and evaluation.

Membership marketing. MemberSuite reminds us why data-informed content marketing is such a powerful tool for associations. They describe how webinars, blog posts, podcasts, YouTube, social media and influencer content can help you attract and retain members.

AI and associations. Tori Miller Liu, CAE, president and CEO of AIIM International, offers advice to her fellow association executives about the wild west era of AI. She suggests you become familiar with AI tools and their output and have discussions about how your organization will and won’t use AI.

After Tori’s article, read the open letter Jeff De Cagna, FASAE, executive advisor of Foresight First, wrote to the association community in which he shares six critical questions and six essential actions to take in response to the rapid adoption of generative AI. He strongly encourages association leaders to engage their boards in conversations about the impact of AI on the industries they serve and to always ask yourselves: “What will our successors say about us?”—the preoccupying question of his professional life.

Change readiness. Nine times out of ten, new systems fail because of the human factor. Starkweather Association Services’ guide to best practices for change readiness helps you “understand and control the complications that people bring to a change project.” You can’t overestimate the importance of change management knowledge and skills.

Coaching learners. Many associations and for-profit education providers offer coaching sessions as part of their online learning programs, either built into the program design or offered as a premium upgrade. WBT Systems explains why this is becoming more popular and how it’s done.

Quick hits

Beyond the rainbow—build a diverse board of independent thinkers. (Sherry Budziak, .orgSource)

Neurodiverse candidates increase productivity and growth—here’s how to support them. (Lindsey Galloway, Chief)

Use the 30-90 rule to take the perfect nap. (Jessica Stillman, Inc.)

Good eats

Skip down to the list of free educational events if you prefer takeout.

My kitchen report this week will only interest you if you’re looking for fish recipes.

Blackened almaco jack
Blackfin tuna with roasted red bell pepper sauce
Black drum and black sea bass au gratin

On the side, the usual roasted broccoli with red onion, garlic powder and Parmesan. Another night, green beans with caramelized red onions—sort of like this recipe, but I added quartered grape tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, herbes de Provence instead of tarragon, and Parmesan cheese.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

If you have a free webinar or event coming up, please send me the link by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled. I’m happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.

Fri 4/12 at 11 a.m.* – Generative AI for Associations – How to Use ChatGPT and AI Tech Right Now

Learn about AI fundamentals—what it is, how it works, and where you can use it; generative AI and how it works; mainstream apps like ChatGPT, DALL·E 2 and others; 8+ association-specific use cases that will give you paths to implementing right now in your organization; what’s likely to happen with AI in the next 12-24 months; and what you can and should do next to experiment and take your organization forward. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speakers:

Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer, ASAE
Dray McFarlane, Co-Founder, Taiso
Amith Nagarajan, Founder and Chairman, Blue Cypress

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

Fri 4/21 at 12:30 p.m. – ASAE Young Professionals Advisory Committee Ask Me Anything (AMA)

Applications are now open to join the ASAE Young Professionals Advisory Committee (YPAC). If you have some questions or want to learn more about our work, join us for a quick discussion and ask me anything (AMA) with YPAC Chair Lori Granich, Vice Chair John Losh, and current committee members. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Young Professionals Advisory Committee

Mon 4/24 at 8 a.m. – Quarterly Wellness Session (Radio Free 501c)

Guest: Fern Carbonell

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC

Tue 4/25 from 8:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Association Management System (AMS) Demo Days

Hear presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer AMS platforms. AMS experts will be showcasing platforms and sharing their knowledge with the association market. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Tue 4/25 at 11 a.m. – Why Futures-Thinking Helps Leaders Make Better Decisions Today

Learn how you and your volunteer leaders can best prepare for environmental ambiguity and unexpected developments. Hear how to proactively lead your board and staff colleagues toward a futures mindset, the power and importance of scenario planning and creating a future-focused organizational culture, overcoming resistance to change, contingency planning, and risk mitigation. 1.0 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Lindsay Currie, CAE, Executive Officer, Council on Undergraduate Research
Melody Jordan-Carr, Vice President, Membership Operations, American Trucking Associations
Kristine Metter, CAE, President at Crystal Lake Partners LLC
Donté P. Shannon, FASAE, CAE, Non-profit Exec., Strategist, Public Speaker, Author, PMA Nonprofit Leadership and Vista Cova

Tue 4/25 at 1 p.m. – Catalyst for Navigating Change

Learn how to manage change effectively and boost your chances of reaching every one of your transformational goals. Find out how to secure and maintain executive sponsorship, encourage employee involvement to empower change agents, and drive awareness and excitement with honest and timely feedback. Hear about the key components of IIN’s successful digital transformation. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: D2L

Speakers:

Nora McCaffrey, Chief Academic Officer at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)
Joanne Struch, Learning Strategy Consultant, D2L

Tue 4/25 at 2 p.m. – Virtual Panel Discussion: What’s (Really) on the Event Horizon? Takeaways from the 2023 Conference Industry Report

Omnipress’ 2023 Conference Industry Report, based on a survey of over 200 event and association professionals, explores what “back to normal” actually means in 2023 and whether the events of the past three years have permanently transformed event delivery and attendee expectations. Hear key findings from the report, including how the role and format of conferences is evolving in 2023 and beyond, how they’re planning more “purposeful” meetings, what they’re doing to attract new attendees—especially young professionals, and what they see as the greatest challenges for the conference industry in the next 1-3 years. More info/register.

Host: Omnipress

Speakers:

Joan Eisenstodt, Principal, Eisenstodt Associates – Meetings & Hospitality Consultant
Devon Montgomery Pasha, CMP, CED, Founder, DMP Creative
Beth Surmont, FASAE, CMP-Fellow, CAE, 360 Live Media

Wed 4/26 at 7 a.m. – Maintaining Your Staff’s Passion For Your Association

Hear from association executives who have successfully motivated and inspired their staff to stay committed to their association’s mission and vision. The session will cover topics such as employee recognition, career development, work-life balance, and fostering a positive and supportive work culture. Learn practical tips and strategies for maintaining staff passion and engagement, whilst creating an environment that promotes staffs well-being and professional growth. More info/register.

Host: Association of Association Executives

Speakers:

Huan Japes, Membership Director, English UK
Martin Reid, Director of Professionalism and Customer Experience, Education and Training Foundation
Paul Walsh EMIAM (Seminar Chair), Seminar Programme Manager, Association of Association Executives

Wed 4/26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Association Management System (AMS) Demo Days

Host: ASAE

Wed 4/26 at 11 a.m. – Event Planning for Associations & Nonprofits

The biggest challenge small to medium sized associations and non-profits face when organizing events in-house is the limited time and resources available to them. Learn the three keystone questions for all successful events, 12 concrete and cost-effective tips on how to elevate your events, the best method to capture data and measure the results of your events to create long-term impact, and solutions available for associations and non-profits looking to create impactful large-scale events in-house. 1.0 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Sharon Ashton, Open Academy & Events Director, EURORDIS
Ksenija Polla, CMP, North America Regional Director, International Congress and Convention Association

Wed 4/26 at 11 a.m. – Journey to the Metaverse (Breakfast Club 2023)

For learning, the metaverse can allow people to practice (even tasks or roles that are rare, dangerous or expensive) in collaborative digital environments, from the comfort and safety of their own home or workplace. It can bring information to people in the flow of work, and it allows the practice of both hard skills and more human skills, such as empathy. But the metaverse is still shrouded in mystery for many, especially those who aren’t sure where to begin their journey. How are L&D leaders leveraging immersive technologies to further their learning efforts? And how do you determine when it’s the right option for learning—and when it’s not? More info/register.

Host: Chief Learning Officer

Speakers:

Christopher Lind, Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, ChenMed
Allison Sadler, Chief Learning Officer, Sales & Service, USAA
Rob Lauber (moderator), CEO Founder, XLO Global LLC

Wed 4/26 at 12 p.m. – The New Must-Have Skill: How to Think Like a Product Developer

Your event is a product, and it should be designed to meet the needs of your audience. Hear about an exciting new approach to enhancing your events. Learn core design constructs to help you think about your event in new ways and break into interactive groups for prototyping. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Xchange

Speaker: Bill Zimmer, Vice President of Strategy, 360 Live Media

Wed 4/26 at 1 p.m. – 5 NEW Ideas to Transform Your Auction. It Might Not Be What You Think (Expert Series)

Auctions are not new to the fundraising scene but hosting an auction can be overwhelming. Hear about five unique ways to ensure your auction raises more non-dues revenue, reduces the amount of staff time needed to produce a well-rounded event, and gives your attendees and sponsors the best mobile-friendly, easy-to-use auction experience. Transforming your auction might not be as hard as you think. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Non Dues-A-Palooza

Speaker: Tony Rissley, owner and CEO, Expo Auctions

Wed 4/26 at 1 p.m. – The Future Life Cycle of Event Planning | Community Connect

MPI Community Connect experiences provide the platform for global members of MPI’s affinity communities to commune, engage and learn together across borders. Join us for an interactive conversation discussing the challenges and pitfalls of planning in our current landscape. You’ll gain tips and tools to help you from the vision to the execution of your next event. 2 CMP credits. More info/register.

Host: MPI

Speaker: Lindsay Plath, CMP

Wed 4/26 at 1 p.m. – Site Selection & Inspection: Recalculating the Basics

You’ve heard the GPS “recalculating” when your car goes in a not-expected direction. That’s where we are now and will be for the foreseeable future—headed in not-previously-expected directions when we select destinations and sites for upcoming meetings. We will briefly review basics of demographics and budgets, and move into new calculations for safety, security, laws and policies, staffing, service, and charges. Learn what to provide in RFPs and responded to by CVBs and venues to provide what we need to know that can impact contract negotiations and meeting and event outcomes. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Joan Eisenstodt, Principal, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC

Wed 4/26 at 1:30 p.m. – Leveraging the Power of AI: A Guide for Association Executives

Learn how AI can enhance member engagement, streamline operations, and drive growth for your association. Walk away with a list of things you can immediately implement to boost productivity. See how AI can be viewed as a tipping point for associations to achieve even greater relevance with niche data models. Hear about the ethical implications and how they can translate into a more significant opportunity for associations. More info/register.

Host: Insight Guide

Speakers:

Conor Sibley CTO of Association Analytics (Former CTO of Higher Logic)
Andy Steggles CEO & Founder of Insight Guide (& Founder of Higher Logic)

Wed 4/26 at 2 p.m. – The Planning Power Play: Using Event Types to Drive ROI

Hear about power plays you can use to make your event program more impactful by using the right event types, deploying the right technology, wowing attendees, and proving ROI. Learn how to analyze event objectives, metrics, and KPIs; build your event program matrix; use different event types to achieve your goals; and develop your event execution toolkit. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speakers: Allyson Keenan, Senior Manager, Event Technology and Operations, and Olivia Pelzer, Senior Client Success Manager, Cvent

Thu 4/27 at 7 a.m. – Innovations in E-Learning

Learn how associations can leverage e-learning to improve the engagement and learning outcomes of their members. The session will cover topics such as gamification, microlearning, personalized learning, and social learning, and attendees will learn about best practices and innovative approaches to e-learning design and delivery. More info/register.

Host: Association of Association Executives

Speakers:

Lara Le Noan, Project Manager Education, European Psychiatric Association
Daniel Phillips, Senior Account Executive, Savion Ray
Paul Walsh EMIAM (Seminar Chair), Seminar Programme Manager, Association of Association Executives

Thu 4/27 at 11 a.m. – Leadership and Learning Series: The Importance of Authenticity as a Leader

Learn what authenticity is and why it’s important, traits of authentic leaders, and next steps for being your authentic self and creating a culture that encourages others to be authentic. 1.0 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Julie Broadway, President & CEO, American Horse Council & American Horse Council Foundation
Sherry Essig, Executive and Life Coach, Flow Dynamix

Thu 4/27 at 11:45 a.m. – AI & Advocacy: Promise & Pitfalls

Explore the rapidly expanding world of artificial intelligence and its impact on advocacy efforts in today’s digital landscape. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Hosts: ASAE’s Government Relations and Advocacy Professionals Advisory Council and Technology Professionals Advisory Council

Speakers:

Mark Ames, Director of Government Relations, AIHA
Carlos Cardenas, Cofounder of Association Latinos and Senior Director of Information Technology, National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists
Mary Kate Cunningham, Senior Vice President of Public Policy, ASAE
Gretchen Steenstra, Director, Client Strategy, DelCor Technology Solutions
Sherry Stanley Whitworth, Managing Director, FiscalNote

Thu 4/27 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Salon: Servant Leadership

Join an interactive exploration of servant leadership. What does it mean to be a servant leader? What is the value of servant leadership? How do you become a servant leader? What resources are available to those who want to learn more? More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Moderators:

Amreetha Nagaraj, Head of Consulting, East Coast and Canda, Box
Rhoni Rakos, Director of Digital Strategy, FusionSpan
Juan Sanchez, CIO, Inteleos

Thu 4/27 at 12 p.m. – The Community Check-In

A weekly community chat on Slack for black professionals working in the events industry. More info/register.

Host: Black In Events Network

Thu 4/27 at 12 p.m. – Real Membership Growth: Leverage Data to Predict and Prevent Churn

Although membership churn is somewhat expected, you can anticipate where it will happen and lower the churn rate. Learn which factors have the highest impact on retention, how to use data mining to create predictive modeling for member churn, and how to reduce member churn through targeted recruitment, effective onboarding, engagement tracking, and retention practices. More info/register.

Host: Hight Performance Group

Speaker: Cathi Hight, President of Hight Performance Group

Thu 4/27 at 2 p.m. – Brain Fog HQ: Memory Enhancement Techniques for Professional Development

At best, brain fog makes you slower and less efficient. At worst, your performance and cognitive functions are impaired, resulting in memory, management, and task completion problems. Learn life-changing skills that will greatly enhance your professional development and lifelong learning. Discover your mind’s untapped potential to recall information such as names, numbers, presentations, instructions, proverbs, foreign languages, software commands, technical terms, laws, statutes, training material, and even more. More info/register.

Host: Association Universe

Speaker: Chester Santos, Author, Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, Corporate Trainer, Memory Expert, U.S. Memory Champion

Thu 4/27 at 2 p.m. – 118 Days into the 118th Congress: What’s Happened So Far & What to Expect Next

Hear about key legislative and regulatory priorities for the 118th Congress that can impact your organization in 2023, obstacles that could impede any legislative and regulatory changes in the near-term, and potential cuts to spending and what that means for your organization. More info/register.

Host: CQ

Speakers:

Peter Cohn, Deputy Editor, CQ and Roll Call
Jason Dick, Editor in Chief, CQ and Roll Call
Lindsey McPherson, Senior Reporter, CQ and Roll Call

Fri 4/28 at 11 a.m. – Learn to Maximize Volunteer Engagement

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Meagan Gallagher, Director of Programs at OCA, A Special Place for Special Needs

Fri 4/28 at 12 p.m. – Exam Development

Host: Leverage Assessments, Inc.

Speaker: Maxwell E. Uduafemhe, PhD.

Fri 4/28 at 4 p.m. – Career Management Toolkit: Best Practices for Leveraging the Power of Professional Coaching

Host: Fridays@4

Speakers:

Jaya Koilpillai Bohlmann, MA, APR, MSMOB, ACC
Tina Erickson
Kathy Kiernan, MBA, PCC
Jeff Koziatek
Parker Mabry, MA, PCC, BCC

Tue 5/2 at 12 p.m. – Quick Wins (Association Analytics Network)

Join association professionals for peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Wed 5/3 at 9 a.m. – Best Practices for Managing a Sales Team and Outcomes (PAR Member Meet-Up)

Host: Professionals for association Revenue

Wed 5/3 at 11 a.m. – Successful Volunteer Leadership: The Ultimate Balancing Act

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Brian Haney, Founder and CEO, The Haney Company

Wed 5/3 at 12 p.m. – The Operational Value of Paying Attention to Culture

Host: Association Insights in Old Town

Speaker: Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, Founder and CEO of L-12 Services

Thu 5/4 at 11 a.m. – What Do Sponsors Really, Really Want?

Host: EventMobi

Speakers: Alistair Fernandes, Event Tech Manager; Thorben Grosser, VP of Product Marketing; and Christine Mack, Manager, Customer Success, EventMobi

Thu 5/4 at 11 a.m. – Streamline and Simplify: Multimedia Publishing Made Easy for Associations

Learn how to shift from an article first to a multimedia publishing organization. Hear about tools to make multimedia publishing possible and affordable, how to determine what mediums to publish your content, and when to use all mediums. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Jeff Baker, Association Solutions, and Dan Stevens, President, WorkerBee.TV

Thu 5/4 at 2 p.m. – Unleashing the Power of Data: Debunking Myths and Maximizing Impact

Host: 501Works

Speakers:

Joe Colangelo, CEO and Co-Founder of Bear Analytics
Chris Love, Vice President, Information Technology, Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed)
James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

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, Twitter or LinkedIn by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.

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Creative Commons licensed photo by Rodion Kutsaiev via Unsplash

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