Association Brain Food

Association Brain Food Weekly: 2.11.22

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

Marketing, membership and communications awards. The deadline to apply for an ASAE Gold Circle Award is Wednesday, February 16. The Gold Circle Awards recognize excellence in marketing, membership and communications efforts across 15 different categories, and highlight the important role these campaigns have in propelling associations forward. ASAE recognizes and profiles the winning entries from each category across multiple channels, and positions their associations as leaders in the field.

Year-round conference community. It happens every year at ASAE TEC: the last session is over, we say our goodbyes, get our hugs and leave thinking, “I wish it didn’t have to end.” Well, “it” doesn’t. “It” is that feeling of conference community, conversations and intellectual stimulation that WBT Systems says your association can keep going in a year-round learning community.

AMS/CRM software selection. Check out the results of the AMS/CRM Selection Survey conducted by 501Works, in partnership with Branching Knowledge. Find out what over 230 of your peers really think about the AMS/CRM selection process and what they’ve experienced during selection.

Member experience. Amanda Kaiser says member experience must be the new blueprint for engagement. What stands out in the 33 research studies she’s conducted is how much members not just think but also feel about their membership. She advises focusing beyond transactions (join, register, renew) and behaving more human, finding a new balance between professionalism and “engaging warmness,” and expanding your view of what’s possible in service to your members.

Agile governance. Barry Barresi at Association Ventures Playbook says it’s time to redesign association board practices by embracing agile governance. He suggests identifying the sources and magnitude of resistance to innovation within your association and shares an eight-step plan for activating strategic optionality thinking on your board. A lot to digest but important reading.

Metaverse hype. Thanks to Ed Zitron for keeping our eyes wide open. He says Mark Zuckerberg is a liar and is lying to us about the metaverse. He makes a strong case. I imagine something will come of the metaverse someday, but whether it adds or extracts value from our life is the question.

Change agility. Change is constant, so Kathi Enderes at The Josh Bersin Company says, “We need to evolve change management from a sibling of project management to a design discipline that nudges people to adopt new behaviors and transform their work.” Her ten lessons of change agility are a step in that direction. “Rather than treating change as a discrete point in time we can ‘manage,’ we need to build the muscle to adapt and evolve to new realities.”

Brain revelations. Your brain doesn’t work the way you think it does, says neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett. This GQ article by Clay Skipper is a great read about the counterintuitive ways your mind processes reality—and why understanding how your brain works might help you feel and get more in control of your emotions and reactions.

Quick hits

Strategy development and facilitation are not the same thing. Make sure you hire someone who can do the job you need. (Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, VEIP)

How demo days became an online vendor showcase superpower for ASAE. (Mishka Rehak, Matchbox Virtual Media)

Beware of QuickBooks payment scams. (Roger Grimes, KnowBe4)

Good eats

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

Inspired by an old McCormick & Schmick’s recipe, I made almond coconut crusted flounder for dinner. Before baking them, I dredged the fillets in a beaten egg, then topped them with a mix of ground almonds, unsweetened coconut, salt, cayenne, ground ginger and melted butter. On the side, a sauté of broccoli stems, carrots and green onions, and a roasted sweet potato.

Another night, we had an old favorite I forgot about: maple chipotle barbecued chicken thighs and creamed collards deluxe with mushrooms.

My comfort food recipe this week was a Thai-inspired pasta with collards, veggies and striped bass in a spicy peanut butter sauce.

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Here are the educational events scheduled for next week. 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’ll be happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.

Fri 2/11 at 12 p.m.* – Mindful Networking

These intimate, virtual conversations are a chance to form meaningful connections with other women and allies in the association technology community. In 2022, each Mindful Networking will feature one of our amazing AWTC award winners. This month, come meet Beth Schweinefuss, Database Manager at ASTHO. Conversations in the breakout rooms will focus on these topics: keeping up with new technologies, data quality/cleansing cadence, favorite National Park, and favorite recipes. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

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

Fri 2/11 at 12 p.m. – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

Fri 2/11 at 4 p.m. – What To Do If You’ve Been PIP’ed

Being put on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) can feel like a slap in the face. The PIP outlines what an employee has to do to improve and when the employee will be re-assessed to see if the PIP goals were met. Learn how to respond to a Performance Improvement Plan in the best way possible for a win-win outcome. More info/register (must join before registering).

Host: Fridays@4

Presenter: Laura Wood, published author and president/chief HR solutions officer

Mon 2/14 at 1 p.m. – What has Changed about the Member Experience? (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

This series of 15- to 20-minute videos covers hot topics and issues related to 501c organization management. New episodes are posted around 1 p.m. every Monday. Check out Cecilia’s Nonprofit Executive Spotlight series too.

Guest: Joy Duling, CEO of The Joy of Membership, Founder of JourneyCARE Software

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Tue 2/15 at 11 a.m. – 3 in 30: Tools & Tips to Easily Improve Strategic Planning

In 30 minutes, you’ll learn 3 great strategic planning tools you can actually use the next day. If you have to do long-term planning, don’t miss this engaging online session. That might be board-level strategic planning or plotting the direction of your team or department. We’ll cover three do-it-yourself techniques that will: turbocharge how quickly participants generate ideas, choose the best ones, and come to agreement; easily sift through products and services that are winners and losers; and find best options to act on now despite an uncertain future. More info/register.

Host: Lee Gimpel, founder of Better Meetings

Tue 2/15 at 1 p.m. – ASAE HR Conversation with the Experts

COVID has created unpredictability and complex problems in the workplace. There are no best practices established yet to solve these problems and now more than ever we need to lean on our HR colleagues to come up with solutions and share our organization’s experiences. Join a discussion on the horizon of HR for 2022. What are the current issues we are each facing, what have we learned from 2020/2021 and what new skills do we need as HR professionals to operate successfully in this new workplace? 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Finance and Business Operations Advisory Council

Presenters:

Stacey Berk, Founder & Managing Consultant of Expand HR Consulting
Sara Curtis, Director of Human Resources at the American Society of Anesthesiologists and chair of the FBO Council
Patricia (PJ) Trudeau, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at the Association for Corporate Counsel and founder of the HR Roundtable

Tue 2/15 at 2 p.m. – How Do We Remain Strategic In Ongoing Disruption?

What does strategy even mean right now as the conditions in which we do business continue to shift? “Being nimble” is ideal, but how does that work internally for teams? How do you address the energetic toll in redirection? How can we take care of ourselves as leaders? I’m seeing a lot of burnout, departures and shifting seats—how can leaders take care of themselves when we haven’t even reached the “new normal” yet, we’re still in this? If these questions are top of mind for you too, join the conversation. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: InspirEd

Facilitators:

Jamie Notter, co-founder and growth/culture strategist, PROPEL
Shane Feldman, CEO, Innivee Strategies
Cliff Johnson, President, Pipeline Research Council International
Tracy King, InspirEd

Tue 2/15 at 6:30 p.m. – Embrace the Power of Automation for Ongoing Membership Engagement and Growth

Learn how you can use marketing automation to not only better engage with your members but also improve member conversion, reduce the workload of your team and human errors, identify inactive users and errors in your database and more. Discover the benefits of implementing essential automation processes and hear about the typical marketing automation scenarios for associations. More info/register.

Host: MemberBoat

Presenter: Olena Lima, Founder & Principal Consultant of MemberBoat

Wed 2/16 at 11 a.m. – Looking Forward 2022 (Impact): Trends and Analysis

Hear about the findings from Looking Forward 2022 (Impact), a current and comprehensive examination of 75 critical factors affecting association members and the potential impacts on association strategy. Learn how associations are being affected by these outside factors influencing members, their relationship with associations and the challenges they create for strategy. Hear how your peers view and use the data with their volunteer leaders and staff. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Laboratory

Presenters:

Dean A West, FASAE, president, Association Laboratory
Nikki Golden, CAE, strategist, Association Laboratory

Wed 2/16 at 11 a.m. – The Future of the Event Industry Summit 2022

Hear top insights and predictions for 2022 from industry leaders, including the organizers behind major exhibitions, key association executives, agency planners, and venue management companies. Learn how to build back-up plans into event design, contracts, and partnerships. Find out how the principles of experience design are evolving alongside the growth of hybrid. Discover tactics from associations and event tech clients moving to year-round communities. CMP credits. More info/register.

Host: Event MB

Wed 2/16 at 11 a.m. – 2022 Legislative Forecast: Congressional Agenda & the Midterm Elections

Besides funding the government, the to-do list for Congress includes trying to salvage the Build Back Better agenda of climate mitigation and social spending, confirming a Supreme Court justice, making modest changes to voting and elections, and passing a bill to increase competition with China. How will this impact your organization, and how can you strategize and find opportunities accordingly? Hear about the likelihood of current bills on the table being passed and potential breakthrough issues to keep an eye on. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Presenters:

Niels Lesniewski, senior writer and chief congressional and White House correspondent
Stephanie Akin, campaigns and elections reporter
David Lerman, senior writer and author of the CQ Budget newsletter
Jason Dick (moderator), deputy editor for news at CQRC

Wed 2/16 at 12 p.m. – Don’t Get Lost: Navigating the Road to DEI Through Journey Mapping

Association executives are well-aware of the benefits of implementing a DEI program but may be struggling with how to integrate DEI culture. Join Learn how to achieve your DEI goals through journey mapping. This mapping process helps define where association executives are in their journey compared to where they want to go. Hear examples of challenges and successes, as well as how to foster a welcoming environment, build inclusive teams, recognize unconscious bias and develop a diverse workforce at all levels. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Xchange

Presenter: Robin Rone, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, SmithBucklin

Wed 2/16 at 12 p.m. – Unlock Sponsorship ROI with Events

Hear proven strategies for producing lasting event sponsorship success and growing the organizer-sponsor relationship. Learn about the evolution of the sponsorship playbook over the past two years and how to think outside the box with event activations—both pre-, during, and post-event to drive results, how organizers and sponsors can seek out partnerships aligned with shared values with their audience (as attendees are selective with their time, attention, and dollars), and how event technology can unlock data-driven insights to prove sponsorship ROI and help forge lasting and successful relationships with these key partners. More info/register.

Host: Hopin

Presenters:

Alexandra Ames, Director of Marketing, TechCrunch
Matt Wasowski, New Business and Product Development, Events, SAE International
Larry Weil, Founder and CEO, The Sponsorship Guy
Lauren Sommers, VP of Corporate Marketing, Hopin

Wed 2/16 at 1 p.m. – Keynote Speaker Series: Your 5 Options for Growth

Hear about the current state of the M&A market and five growth options for your organization. Learn how to unlock the untapped potential in your organization and avoid the pitfall of overlooking opportunities. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenter: David Braun, CEO and founder of Capstone Strategic

Wed 2/16 at 1 p.m. – 10 Tricks to Take Your Webinars from Boring to Buzzworthy

With the initial email invite, registration page, producing the live presentation, and the post-show playbook, marketers must now seek to create moments that set your webinars apart and drive deeper audience engagement and participation. Hear tips to ensure your webinars are audience-centric, ideas to engage with virtual attendees, and best practices for cohesively weaving webinars into your event channel. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Presenters: Alyssa Peltier, Senior Manager of Event Marketing, and Brock Moreau, Product Marketing Manager, Cvent

Wed 2/16 at 2 p.m. – How Associations Can Make Mission-Critical Connections on LinkedIn

Learn how LinkedIn can elevate your professional value, client engagement and mission delivery. Find out how to create a profile that stands out and attracts mission-critical connections, the impact first level connections have on your network, and the type of content to include in posts to help you engage effectively at a high level. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Presenters:

Colleen McKenna, CEO, Founder, Intero Advisory
Larry Eason, Senior Strategist

Wed 2/16 at 2 p.m. – Keeping Your Members Engaged from Onboarding through Renewal on Your Membership Site

Learn how to make the right impression during the onboarding process, capture the initial enthusiasm of a new member, build relationships over transactions, win back members who do not want to renew, and capitalize on member churn to gather info for improvement. More info/register.

Host: Grype

Presenter: Ronja Francoeur, Member Engagement Specialist

Wed 2/16 at 2:55 p.m. – ESG + DEI in Events: What Planners Need to Consider for 2022

Learn how to assess, develop, and implement ESG and DEI strategies within your company to improve how events are produced and executed. Leveraging their skills as consultants in economic impact, supplier diversity, and digital accessibility, panelists will share recommendations for achieving a culture where people thrive, organizations are empowered, and sustainability efforts are supported. More info/register.

Host: Event Leadership Institute

Presenters:

Samantha (Sam) Evans, CAE, MBA, Certification Manager at IAPP
Tracey Jarmon, Chief of Staff at CapEQ
Shameka Jennings, CMP, CAE, Principal and Chief Events Officer at EventsNoire
Tammy Kockaya, CMP, CMM, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development at Event Leadership Institute
Zoe Moore, CDP®, Instructor, Event Leadership Institute, and Principal, Grow with Zomo
Erika White, CDE, Owner and Principal Consultant at Griffin White Consulting, LLC

Thu 2/17 at 11 a.m. – Work from Anywhere 2022 & Beyond

Learn how to define the role of hybrid-work—in-office and remote 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. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters:

Adam Kuhn, Director of IT for FIA (Futures Industry Association)
Ali Niroo, CNSG Founding Member CNSG, An AppSmart Company
Dave Hopper, Director of Engineering CNSG, An AppSmart Company

Thu 2/17 at 12:30 p.m. – No Community Manager? No Problem.

Discover how you can give your members the online community they crave — without a Community Manager on your team. Learn how NANP built a member-driven community by researching and choosing the right technology and partners for its team, designating the right person (or people) on its team to champion its online community, selecting the right online community features to build for its unique membership, and engaging different types of community members. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Personify

Presenters:

Nicole Hodson, Executive Director of National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP)
Erin Sullivan, Director of Marketing at Personify

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – Pandemic Compliance & Safety: The Critical Things Event Organizers Must Know in 2022

Hear a review the lessons learned from live events in 2021 and mission-critical considerations for event organizers in 2022. Get equipped with the knowledge and tools to host safe events, including topics such as PCR vs antigen tests, video proctoring, vaccination verification, onsite testing, at-home testing, mask requirements, state and local mandates, international attendees, and more. 1 CAE/CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Event Farm

Presenters:

Ryan Costello, co-founder of Event Farm and chief strategy officer of MemberSuite
Ari Nisman, president and CEO, Degy Entertainment
Adam Landsman, Head of Enterprise, CLEAR

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – Nonprofit Leadership Roundtable

Leaders often struggle on their own to solve their challenges. But what if you could get coaching from your nonprofit and association peers on your burning issue—not advice, but insightful questions that invite you to think about your challenge or opportunity from a different angle. Join us to be coached and to coach. Not only will you get help with the issues you are grappling with today, you will practice important leadership skills. More info/register.

Host: Carol Hamilton, principal, Grace Social Sector Consulting

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – Ultimate Member Engagement: The Power of Data-Driven Decision Making

If you are like most associations, your AMS contains a seemingly endless amount of historical, financial, social and demographic data on members, former members, prospects and more. But this data is useless unless it tells a story and enhances your ability to drive desired results. Learn how to leverage visualizations and analytics to better understand your data, mine the right data to improve your member’s experience, and determine a successful ROI on your collection and analysis of member data. More info/register.

Host: Impexium

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – Sell Me This Pen: Pivotal Moments that Overcome Member Indifference

Members have so many choices for products and services—how do you get them to choose you? In other words, if everyone sells pens, “Why should they buy YOUR pen?” Learn how to look at your organization in a new way and get you laser-focused on how to use a value proposition as your strongest sales tool. More info/register.

Host: GrowthZone

Presenter: Value Proposition Expert & Author, Melynn Sight

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – MAACME Chat

A virtual, one-hour, peer-to-peer conversation related to our work in continuing medical education, all health education professionals are invited to attend, regardless of your role, experience, or organization. More info/register.

Host: Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Continuing Medical Education (MAACME)

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – AV Equipment You Need for Hybrid Events

As planners conduct a cost-benefit analysis of hosting hybrid events, one large unknown factor is what audio-visual equipment is needed. Learn what changes planners can expect in 2022, required AV equipment, and recommendations to control AV costs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: EVA

Thu 2/17 at 2 p.m. – Effectively Promote Your Organization’s Content Online

We see first-hand that members have extremely high interest in their association’s blogs, articles, and journal publications, but how can they engage with your news and articles if they don’t even know that you have published content? Learn techniques, tips, and tricks for effective content promotion including: foundational onsite and offsite SEO efforts, effective organic social media practices, leveraging your list with email newsletters and newsbrief best practices, obtaining backlinks and other referral links to your content, and seeking opportunities for external stakeholder promotion. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Presenter: Erica Salm Rench, COO, rasa.io

Thu 2/17 at 2 p.m. – The Top Global Policy Issues and Trends You Need to Monitor in 2022

Hear from experts on key trends in global government relations and how you can mitigate risk and uncover opportunities for your organization, including the pivotal global issues and trends to monitor over the next six months, how to stay ahead of global issues and use them to your organization’s advantage, and leveraging technology to monitor risks and opportunities. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Presenters:

Nathalie Errard, SVP, Head of European & NATO Affairs, Airbus
Kendra Brown, Vice President of Public Policy, Mastercard
Chuck Melley, SVP, Global Government Relations and Sustainability, Pearson

Thu 2/17 at 4 p.m. – Top Digital Marketing Trends & Opportunities 2022 (ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap)

Hear about the latest digital media and advertising trends, digital channels and platforms that are growing in popularity, recent research on digital ad effectiveness and consumer preferences, opportunities for your association to capitalize on market trends, and digital marketing strategies to increase recruitment, engagement and retention. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap

Presenter: Bill Sheehan, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

Fri 2/18 at 1 p.m. – A Fireside Chat: Creating an Exceptional Culture, Remote or Not

Whether company culture is better served in an in-person environment or a remote one is irrelevant. Culture is built everywhere and at all times—whether you recognize it or not. So how do you build a thriving organizational culture regardless of location? Explore these questions and more: What is organizational culture? How can you build a rich company culture regardless of your work configuration? What do organizations need to consider during the ongoing uncertainty of reopening offices in 2022? 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Blue Sky eLearn

Fri 2/18 at 4 p.m. – Open Networking: Tips & Tricks for Stress Management

Join your association colleagues for this open networking discussion on managing your stress. Moderated by Regais Wilson, a program and event professional with over 15 years of experience, participants will share their tips for remaining calm under pressure. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Tue 2/22 at 12 p.m. – ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council Crunch and Munch Monthly Chat

We’ll feature different questions from our community and assist each other with best practice sharing and idea generation. Grab your lunch or coffee and join us as we discuss the latest topics on our community board. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council

Wed 2/23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Virtual Event Platforms Demo Days

Join us for the just-in-time virtual event platforms demo days. The two-day event will feature presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer virtual event platforms. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Wed 2/23 at 11 a.m. – Hyper-Personalize to “The Market of One”

Each individual in your community, member or not, has their own set of needs that your association is trying to meet. Traditional marketing has us speaking to segments based on behaviors and transactions. And often, traditional broadcasts are about what the association has to offer rather than what the member actually needs right then and there. See how associations are using a conversational approach to member communications: talking to “The Market of One” to gain member insights and drive action. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenter: Dave Will, Co-Founder and CEO at PropFuel

Wed 2/23 at 12 p.m. – Sending CRPs Some Love: Our Best Chapter Resources

We’re floored by the range of issues that component relations professionals (CRPs) address daily, so we want to help you manage stressful chapter situations and give you strategies to circumvent them. This webinar will address challenges that are unique to CRPs, from chapter succession issues to monitoring component performance, and everything in-between; provide different approaches to solving these tough chapter issues; and highlight our favorite resources, best practices, and tips and tricks. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Presenter: Peggy Hoffman, Mariner Management

Wed 2/23 at 12 p.m. – Content Is King: Is Your Content Strategy Creating Loyal Subjects?

In a member-centric world, your “content” is what brings members to your digital doorstep, but how certain are you that they’ll return for more? Do you have a content plan in place that maps content relative to your member lifecycle? Are you noticing a lot of impressions or downloads with few return views, visits or conversions? Join us as we talk about content strategy and how to map your content so that your members turn into true ambassadors. More info/register.

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Wed 2/23 at 1 p.m. – Credentialing & Continuing Education Post Covid (PDAC Town Hall)

In this town hall, you’ll have a chance to explore what we’ve accomplished (endured?) over the last few years and how our professional development programs can benefit from it in the years to come. Now’s a great time to be strategic and purposeful about what content should be delivered in which format, create “2.0” versions of content that may have been hastily created back then, and consider how we can take advantage of technical, psychological, and bureaucratic barriers that have been broken. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Professional Development Advisory Council

Facilitators:

Diane Elkins, co-owner of E-Learning Uncovered and Artisan E-Learning
David Rozsa, CEO of Metacred

Thu 2/24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Virtual Event Platforms Demo Days

Host: ASAE

Thu 2/24 at 1 p.m. – Results Recharge: Content Strategy Insights with Hilary Marsh

For your organization’s content to be successful, you have to know your audience. Who are you creating content for and why? Hilary will help you focus your content strategy with techniques for: prioritizing your audiences, identifying what they want from your organization, getting every department on the same page, and involving your volunteers. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Results Direct

Presenter: Hilary Marsh, president and chief strategist of Content Company

Thu 2/24 at 2 p.m. – How to Turn America’s Labor Shortage into Non-Dues Revenue: A Roundtable Discussion

Employers are in a war for talent. So how do you help them win, in a way that drives more non-dues revenue, while also growing your role as a career asset to your members? Find out how your association can capture a piece of the hundreds of millions of dollars employers are investing with associations to help them win this war. Learn strategies that will help you drive more non-dues revenue and build a true career center destination for your members in 2022. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Non-Dues-A-Palooza

Presenters: Tristan Jordan, General Manager, and Michael Kumpf, Client Services Manager, YM Careers

Thu 2/24 at 3:30 p.m. – Culture-Driven Technology Decisions for the Hybrid Workplace: Employee Focus

As associations contemplate a return to the office, it’s tempting to start by talking about logistical issues: what days of the week should staff be in the office? What tech do we need? Should we redesign our meeting rooms? Let’s flip the conversation! If we start with answering some underlying culture questions, our technology decisions should be more sustainable, meaningful, and future-focused. This special workshop series will explore how four key culture decisions impact technology decisions for the hybrid workplace. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Presenter: Maddie Grant, founder, PROPEL

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 or Twitter by Wednesday afternoon.

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Creative Commons photo by Yan L. via Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 2.4.22

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

Problem-focused education. WBT Systems continues its Learning Science Made Easy series with an introduction to the instructional design model, Merrill’s Principles of Instruction. This common-sense approach to educational program design is focused on ensuring the learner practices the valuable skills or knowledge they plan to apply at work.

Management fails. Ed Zitron at The Atlantic points out that management failures in remote workspaces are nothing new—they happened in the office too, particularly the failure of managers to coach and train young professionals. He says, “The ‘magic’ of being in the same space that we hear so much about never occurred for me… No break room or management-consultant-driven pablum could compensate for the fact that I was never properly managed.”

Change agility. Josh Bersin released a playbook for change agility, which he describes as “a new roadmap for culture, management, learning, and rewards.” He’s not talking about change management. Instead, he says organizations and their culture must be designed for change. “Your ability to change is one of the most fundamental strengths you have.”

Quick hits

Question your assumptions about members. (Amanda Kaiser, Smooth The Path)

What’s so great about evergreen content? (rasa.io)

The content consumption fallacy associations need to watch out for. (Geoffrey Director, Manifest via Associations Now)

Get more ROI out of your webinars with these 13 repurposing ideas. (Alona Shalieieva, Content Marketing Institute)

Good eats

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

Baked lemon parmesan vermillion snapper is easy to assemble yet delivers lots of flavor. The topping for the fish is a mix of parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, parsley, basil, lemon zest, garlic powder and melted butter.

The next night, we enjoyed sweet and spicy citrus striped bass. On the side for both nights, sautéed green beans with mushrooms, shallot, garlic, tomatoes and chicken broth. We also had roasted butternut squash wedges with maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon and cayenne.

On Sunday, I made eggplant parmesan, a no-fry recipe. I added provolone cheese and basil pesto to the recipe. On the side, a sauté of greens (collards, mustard and turnip) with bacon, onion, red bell, poblano, jalapeño and dried cranberries. I satisfied my craving for garlic bread. My version is filled and slathered with semi-melted butter mixed with garlic powder, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

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Fri 2/4 at 9:30 a.m.* – State of the Association Job Market (NYSAE Engagement Lounge)

We can all agree that COVID has changed the way we work, and this dramatic disruption has created significant anxiety within the association community. There are a lot of barriers to employment out there that are still impacting people. People are evaluating how they spend their time more than they ever did before. Whether you are looking to hire new staff or are in the market for a new position, it’s important to know what to expect in 2022. Hear about the state of the association job market. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: New York Society of Association Executives

Presenter: Myra T. Briggs, CSC, CSSGB, Managing Director for Impact Search Advisors by Nonprofit HR

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

Fri 2/4 at 12 p.m. – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

Fri 2/4 at 4 p.m. – The Great Resignation and How It Can Benefit You

Since July 2021, over 4 million Americans are quitting their jobs each month in what has been called “The Great Resignation.” This mass exodus can benefit you in two ways: employers are seeking new and innovative ways to attract and retain employees, meaning higher salaries, more benefits, and better perks, and they’re finding it difficult to find qualified staff for the seemingly endless list of jobs available right now. If you are looking for a new job, a career change, or simply want to improve your current position, you can use The Great Resignation to your advantage. More info/register (must join before registering).

Host: Fridays@4

Presenter: Shelly Trent, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CAE, JCTC, JCDC

Mon 2/7 at 1 p.m. – Member Value through Wise Investment Strategy (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: Christopher Olusola

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Tue 2/8 at 12 p.m. – Thinktank | The Future of Sustainability

Sustainability continues to be an important focus of our industry, but how do we provide space for what’s next? How do we create opportunities to discuss what the future of sustainability education will look like? Join us for a think tank dialogue where we idea share and imagine the future of sustainability education. Participants will lend their expertise, insight, and questions in a valuable community dialogue experience. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MPI

Presenter: Nancy Snowden, Manager of Educational Experiences, MPI

Wed 2/8 at 10 p.m. – How to Monetize Virtual and Hybrid Event Content

When it comes to event content and information, virtual and hybrid events are a literal gold mine. How do you make the most out of recorded conference content and potentially monetize them to contribute to your organization’s bottom line? Take a closer look at how to develop the content strategy for your next event, find new ways to measure marketing ROI, and create new opportunities to monetize your conference content. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: PCMA

Presenters:

Atifa Silk, managing director of Haymarket Media Asia
Razlan Manjaji. Head of Global Events, SCMP
Deanna Varga, Founder, Managing Director, Mayvin Global

Wed 2/9 at 11 a.m. – PCI Compliance Workshop 101 for Associations

Learn best practices of associations and nonprofit organizations for implementing PCI compliance. Get a basic overview of what PCI compliance is and what it is designed to achieve. Hear nine practical tips you can implement immediately in your organization to ensure a more secure payment environment. Review the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), and what you should know about it. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp. (UST)

Presenters:

David Schlum, Co-Founder and Software Architect at Added Innovation LLC
Julie Duncan, Association Practice Leader, UST
Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, UST

Wed 2/9 at 11 a.m. – Live Q&A: Storytelling to Supercharge your Event Marketing

In-person events are back, virtual events are popping up everywhere. How do you stand out for your potential attendees? Learn how to infuse storytelling into each step of your event marketing journey. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: PCMA

Presenter: Jess Hopp, CEO, The Planner Collective

Wed 2/9 at 2 p.m. – Can I Afford a Hybrid Conference? Join the Discussion!

Here’s the great event conundrum in 2022: your members say your conference is a can’t miss event and want to attend in person. But our clients are reporting that their in-person registration rates are running about 50-60% of 2019 numbers. Should your meeting go hybrid? While hybrid sounds like a great option, many organizations are struggling with hybrid. The costs can be astronomical, and it’s often double the work, or more, for your staff. So what are you to do? How can you satisfy both groups while still delivering an engaging and profitable event? Is it even possible? More info/register.

Host: Matrix Group

Wed 2/9 at 3 p.m. – How to Create Quick Wins with Analytics

Data projects can seem overwhelming, but there are quick wins you can focus on to get rolling in the right direction. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Presenters:

Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics
Greg Pollack, VP of Sales, Association Analytics

Thu 2/10 at 10 a.m. – Humanizing the Job Seeker Experience: A Conversation

What’s the real story behind DEI data? Madgex answered this question with two extensive surveys focused on professionals with disabilities and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) professionals. The statistics uncovered in these surveys offer a harrowing but honest look at the reality of bias and discrimination within the workplace. Join an in-depth conversation about DEI with leading experts on the topic so your association can help BIPOC professionals advance their careers as well as grow your revenue, boost your membership and drive member engagement. More info/register.

Host: Madgex

Thu 2/10 at 11 a.m. – CEO Update LIVE: Recruiting

The last 12 months have seen enormous turnover in associations, from the corner office all the way down to the staff level, and all signs points to this trend accelerating in 2022. Hear about the tools and tactics organizations are using to recruit and retain top talent. Learn where associations are hiring and what kind of candidates are rising to the top. Find out how the demands on the C-suite are increasing and how the role is evolving to address a rapidly changing environment. More info/register.

Host: CEO Update

Presenters:

Julian Ha, partner at Heidrick & Struggles
Lorraine Lavet, association sector leader for Korn Ferry
James Zaniello, president of Vetted Solutions
Mark Graham (moderator), managing director of CEO Update

Thu 2/10 at 1 p.m. – Returning to the Office? Top 3 Areas to Focus on for an Optimized Post-Pandemic Workplace

Learn best practices gathered from over 2,000 clients and get the information and tools you need to optimize your hybrid work environment, including how to define your user identities and optimize the user experience for remote and onsite participants, key IT and network resources required to optimize user productivity at home and in the office, strategies to adjust your security posture for the new perimeter, and the methodology to maximize your investment and gain organizational support. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters:

David DeCillis, CISSP, Senior Product Specialist, Network & Security at ARG – IT Clarity
John Cooper, Senior Solution Specialist, UCaaS/CCaaS
Jim Begley, Director of Cloud Solutions at ARG, Inc.
Steve Murphy, Vice President, ARG
Michael Shonholz, Chief Revenue Officer at ARG, Inc.

Thu 2/10 at 2 p.m. – From Local to Global: The Effects of Regulations & How to Monitor Them

Learn what changes may be ahead for the regulatory environment and what you can do to prepare now, what regulations will have a major impact in 2022 and beyond, and how to stay ahead of the regulations and legislation that matter to your organization. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Fri 2/11 at 12 p.m. – Mindful Networking

Held the second Friday of each month, these intimate, virtual conversations are a chance to form meaningful connections with other women and allies in the association technology community. In 2022, we are trying something new! Each Mindful Networking will feature one of our amazing AWTC award winners, followed by breakout rooms with changing topics (selected by our featured guest). More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Fri 2/11 at 4 p.m. – What To Do If You’ve Been PIP’ed

Host: Fridays@4

Presenter: Laura Wood, published author and president/chief HR solutions officer

Tue 2/15 at 1 p.m. – ASAE HR Conversation with the Experts

Host: ASAE Finance and Business Operations Advisory Council

Presenters:

Stacey Berk, Founder & Managing Consultant of Expand HR Consulting
Sara Curtis, Director of Human Resources at the American Society of Anesthesiologists and chair of the FBO Council
Patricia (PJ) Trudeau, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at the Association for Corporate Counsel and founder of the HR Roundtable

Tue 2/15 at 2 p.m. – How Do We Remain Strategic In Ongoing Disruption?

Host: InspirEd

Facilitators:

Jamie Notter, PROPEL
Shane Feldman, Innivee Strategies
Tracy King, InspirEd

Wed 2/16 at 12 p.m. – Don’t Get Lost: Navigating the Road to DEI Through Journey Mapping

Host: Association Xchange

Presenter: Robin Rone, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, SmithBucklin

Wed 2/16 at 2 p.m. – How Associations Can Make Mission-Critical Connections on LinkedIn

Learn how LinkedIn can elevate your professional value, client engagement and mission delivery. Hear actionable steps to improve your LinkedIn presence, such as how to create a profile that stands out and attracts mission-critical connections, the impact first level connections have on your network, and the type of content to include in posts to help you engage effectively at a high level. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Presenters:

Colleen McKenna, Author, It’s Business Not Social and CEO, Intero Advisory
Larry Eason, Senior Social Impact Strategist

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – Pandemic Compliance & Safety: The Critical Things Event Organizers Must Know in 2022

Host: Event Farm

Presenters:

Ryan Costello, co-founder of Event Farm and chief strategy officer of MemberSuite
Ari Nisman, president and CEO, Degy Entertainment

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – Ultimate Member Engagement: The Power of Data-Driven Decision Making

Host: Impexium

Thu 2/17 at 1 p.m. – Nonprofit Leadership Roundtable

Host: Carol Hamilton, principal, Grace Social Sector Consulting

Thu 2/17 at 2 p.m. – Effectively Promote Your Organization’s Content Online

Host: ASAE

Presenter: Erica Salm Rench, COO, rasa.io

Thu 2/17 at 4 p.m. – Top Digital Marketing Trends & Opportunities 2022 (ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap)

Host: ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap

Presenter: Bill Sheehan, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

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Creative Commons photo by Stephen Leonardi via Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 1.28.22

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

Registration resistance. If the registration numbers for your educational programs are disappointing, WBT Systems shares several reasons people don’t commit to online courses and conferences. They also explain how to overcome registration resistance.

Connecting while working remotely. Achurch Consulting describes how to build trust and connections with your team while working remotely. They focus on ways to build affective trust—the type of trust that’s required for building solid work relationships.

Crafting an event experience. Event Farm describes two different approaches to crafting event experiences that will wow your attendees and help you achieve business outcomes. They provide low- and high-budget examples to illustrate what they mean.

Metaverse 101. Meagan Loyst spent her holiday vacation researching and writing this comprehensive introduction to the Metaverse, although as a venture capital community founder I’m sure she’s way ahead of the rest of us. Fascinating stuff.

Work in 2022. Josh Bersin is always insightful about the future of work, technology, HR, and learning. Here he shares his predictions for 2022, in short, everything is about to change. Still waiting for the new normal? Bwah ha ha!

Associations and DAOs. Marjorie Anderson at Community By Association explains why she thinks DAOs are not a good fit for associations because of the financial exclusivity upon which membership is based—at least in their current form.

Entrepreneur’s Masters. For entrepreneurs or anyone who wants to develop an entrepreneurial leadership style, John Pence shares his takeaways from MIT’s Entrepreneurial Masters Program. Best read in small doses.

Leadership development. Leadership training shouldn’t be reserved for top performers and senior management, say Navio Kwok and Winny Shen at Harvard Business Review. You could make this same argument for association and chapters. Why not offer leadership training to volunteers who show an interest in taking on new responsibilities so you can fill the pipeline?

Good eats

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

I love trying new recipes, but sometimes I just want to zone out in the kitchen and make quick work of dinner, like blackened fillets of vermillion snapper. The next night, another old standard, Mummy Lorraine baked fish made an appearance—black sea bass fillets topped with a mix of crushed Ritz crackers, lemon zest, garlic powder, and melted butter.

However, I did rouse myself enough to try this new side dish: smoky white beans and Brussels sprouts. First, I roasted the sprouts so they would be nicely caramelized. I also added onion to the dish—onions seem to go in everything around here.

More brassicas and beans: later in the week, we had cabbage, sausage and white bean casserole for dinner. I doubled the sausage, added half an orange bell pepper, half a poblano pepper, a jalapeño pepper, and a small package of sliced mushrooms.

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Fri 1/28 at 12 p.m.* – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

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

Fri 1/28 at 1 p.m. – Take Your Silent Auction to the Next Level: Raise More Money, Free Up Staff Time and Create an Unforgettable Member Experience

Sometimes silent auctions can be pure drudgery and take away from valuable staff time and energy. The superman of silent auctions is going to lead a conversation alongside a few of his clients about how they revolutionized the silent auction experience. Learn how these associations created in-person and online fundraising experiences that generated more money, saved staff hours of time, all while leveling up the fun and excitement. Join us for this game changing silent auction experience and get all insights on why it’s here to stay. More info/register.

Host: Non-Dues-a-Palooza

Presenter: Tony Rissley, Expo Auctions

Fri 1/28 at 1 p.m. – Essential Readings and Advice for Young Professionals

Join this engaging conversation as Vince Caldwell leads us through the latest and best new business books on the market and shares his advice for young professionals along the way. As the manager of the Society of Human Resource Management’s traveling bookstore for over 20 years, he has intel on some of the most powerful business books on the market. More info/register (must join before registering).

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 1/31 at 1 p.m. – Identifying and Recovering from Burnout (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: Fern Carbonell, Midlife Wellness Coach

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Tue 2/1 at 12 p.m. – Analyzing Survey Data at ASHA (Data Analytics Network)

Learn how the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association developed a unified process to manage their annual program participant survey. Hear about their new process, centered around flexible data transformation and modeling, and how it allows for easier compilation of annually collected data for reporting. They’ll also show us how they use analytic tools to report on outcomes and accomplishments of participants, allowing for greater segmentation and insights, while also streamlining the process for staff. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Tue 2/1 at 12 p.m. – 2022 STR Industry Trends

Meeting planners will receive information to help them in the selection of markets and hotels for their meetings, such as where the hotel industry has been and where it’s going for the top US and international cities; key performance metrics including hotel room rate, hotel room demand, and hotel occupancy; markets with a growing pipeline of hotels with meeting space; and factors impacting the industry such as Airbnb, convention/conference center renovations, environmental issues and seasonal impacts. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MPI

Presenter: Chris Klauda, Senior Director, Market Insights, STR

Tue 2/1 at 1:30 p.m. – 5 Tips to Deliver a Better Member Experience: How to Present Your Member Benefits for Max Engagement

Learn about the importance of properly positioning your benefits, how to best communicate the value of your member benefits, drive member engagement and member retention, how to present your benefits for maximum engagement, and how to deliver a better member experience. More info/register.

Host: Grype

Presenter: Ronja Francoeur, Member Engagement Specialist

Tue 2/1 at 2 p.m. – Coach More and Manage Less for Remote Work Success

On a sports team, the best coaches lead, inspire, and motivate their teams to success. Just like on the field, the relationships and deep connections formed with our teams will drive the motivation of all players involved in the effort. Learn what it means to coach instead of manage teams and why that’s so important. Hear about coaching strategies you can implement immediately, including celebrating small wins to see big results on our remote/hybrid teams and incorporating coaching questions into one-on-one conversations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Achurch Consulting

Wed 2/2 at 12 p.m. – Leverage Your Communication Style for Success in the Hybrid Work World

Hybrid work presents challenges and opportunities, requiring greater adaptability in how we send and receive information. By identifying your preferred communication style and understanding others’, you will have more productive relationships. More info/register.

Host: Association Insights in Old Town

Presenter: Carol Vernon, certified executive coach and founder, Communication Matters: Executive Coaching & Team Development

Wed 2/2 at 12 p.m. – Association Lessons From… Stand-up Comedy

Already a professional speaker and podcast host, Thom Singer challenged himself by doing more than 100 open mike nights of stand-up comedy. Come prepared to be engaged and to look at association challenges through a different lens. More info/register.

Host: CQbd

Wed 2/2 at 1 p.m. – Addressing Burnout: Strategies for Leaders During The Great Resignation

Around the world, people are experiencing record levels of burnout and the results are impacting both our workplaces and communities. Burnout is the #1 reason people are quitting their jobs, driving The Great Resignation. Learn about the signs and components of burnout so you can assess how much it’s impacting you and your organization. Hear about strategies you can implement right away to help your organization thrive in 2022 and beyond. More info/register.

Host: Britt Andreatta, CEO, 7^th Mind Inc.

Wed 2/2 at 2 p.m. – 25 Ways to Take Your Newsletter to the Next Level

Hear about a variety of strategic opportunities to utilize AI, strategic creativity and data for a newsletter with high engagement, performance and relevancy for your members. Learn why a newsletter is one of the most important communication channels for associations, how to optimize your newsletter today, and how to utilize data and AI to strengthen your existing newsletter strategy. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Adviser

Presenters:

Erica Salm Rench, MBA, COO, rasa.io
John Bacon, MBA, Vice President of Account Management, Naylor Association Solutions

Wed 2/2 at 6:30 p.m. – Redesign Your Culture for 2022 and Beyond

The changes that the last two years have brought on our association sector are systemic, structural, and permanent. But it’s not all bad news—these changes, such as being able to work remotely, pivot quickly, become more employee-focused and more results-driven—were happening anyway in the digital age, they’ve just been accelerated. Learn about the culture patterns that might be holding you back and how to take some simple but far-reaching steps to help your organization thrive in 2022 and beyond. More info/register.

Host: Answers for Associations Online Community

Presenter: Maddie Grant, co-founder, Propel

Thu 2/3 at 12 p.m. – How Documentaries Are Disrupting the Future of Content Marketing

Authority-establishing, heart-pumping, association-centric documentaries that your members and members-to-be already crave are the future of content marketing for associations. Learn how a docuseries achieves benefits across recruitment, retention and revenue; how it positions your association and members as leaders in your industry; and how associations are using it to capture younger, fresh-to-the-industry audiences. More info/register.

Host: Association TV

Presenter: Dan Stevens, President, WorkerBee.TV

Thu 2/3 at 1 p.m. – LMS Selection in the Evolving Learning Landscape

Learn about the macrotrends driving learntech and how those trends impact the platforms a learning business needs in its ecosystem. Hear about a time-tested process you can use to find a learning management system that will help your learning business thrive. Get a clear understanding of how to lead your organization in choosing the right learning technology. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Leading Learning/Tagoras

Presenters:

Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning
Andy Hicken, VP of technology solutions at Web Courseworks

Thu 2/3 at 2 p.m. – AMS/CRM Software Selection Survey: What People Really Think?

501Works has completed the first-ever survey of more than 230 association professionals, vendors, and consultants on the AMS/CRM software selection process. Find out what the survey revealed and how it relates to your projects. Get valuable feedback from those who have gone through the AMS/CRM selection process and insights from vendors and consultants who took part in the survey. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Presenters:

James Marquis, Chief Innovation Officer and The CIO, 501Works
Teri Carden, Founder, ReviewMyAMS

Fri 2/4 at 9:30 a.m. – State of the Association Job Market (NYSAE Engagement Lounge)

Host: New York Society of Association Executives

Presenter: Myra T. Briggs, CSC, CSSGB, Managing Director for Impact Search Advisors by Nonprofit HR

Fri 2/4 at 4 p.m. – The Great Resignation and How It Can Benefit You

Host: Fridays@4

Presenter: Shelly Trent, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CAE, JCTC, JCDC

Wed 2/9 at 3 p.m. – How to Create Quick Wins with Analytics

Data projects can seem overwhelming, but there are quick wins you can focus on to get rolling in the right direction. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Presenters:

Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics
Greg Pollack, VP of Sales, Association Analytics

Fri 2/11 at 12 p.m. – Mindful Networking

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

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Creative Commons photo by Prajna Amey via Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 1.21.22

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

Membership survey. Please participate in MGI’s 14^th annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey, our industry’s most comprehensive and valuable study on membership marketing. The more data MGI collects for this study, the richer the results for everyone. The survey closes next week so don’t delay.

Marketing, membership and communications awards. The ASAE Gold Circle Awards recognize excellence in marketing, membership, and communications in 15 categories. The deadlines to apply for a Gold Circle Award (2/2) and to volunteer as a GCA judge (1/31) are fast approaching. Learn more about the application process, including tips for a successful submission and insider knowledge about what the judges seek, during a 1/28 webinar—details below.

Sticky learning. Rereading something is no substitute for retrieval practice, says WBT Systems. If you’ve attended a course or session where you’ve had to recall and produce what you’ve been learning, you’ve benefited from retrieval practice. In WBT’s primer on this essential element of instruction, they explain why the brain likes retrieval practice and how to build it into the design of your educational programs.

The member experience. Too much has changed in our world to keep assuming the member experience you provided pre-pandemic is the experience your members and prospective members want, need, and expect now. MemberSuite suggests how to reevaluate the member experience and apply what you learn.

Event trends. Here’s one from Hopin to sink your teeth into, lengthy but well worth reading. All the event trends they mention are spot-on except for #3, hybrid, which doesn’t seem like a practical option for most associations.

Web3. I regret not buying Bitcoin back in 2017 when it was only $1300 (argh), so I’m determined to stay on top of what’s emerging now, starting with this introduction to Web3 by Mike Troiano at G20 Ventures.

Email chains. “Today’s norms of responsiveness are ridiculous. We shouldn’t apologize for failing to meet them,” says Joe Pinsker at The Atlantic. When you work in an office of one, like I do, it’s easy to establish healthy email protocols, like only checking a few times a day so you can focus on work, but I know it’s tough to create these boundaries in the association world. He suggests (and dismisses) options for replying at your convenience.

Quick hits

5 steps to gaining member acceptance, downloads, and engagement for your association’s mobile app. (J. Mark Wallach, Results Direct)

5 key lessons for associations that were shared at digitalNow in December. (Jose Triana, Sidecar)

Forget 9 to 5. These experts say the time has come for the results-only work environment. (Brandie Weikle, CBC Radio)

Good eats

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

A bold fish like king mackerel deserves a bold sauce, like this maple barbecue glaze. I add soy sauce and a hefty amount of hot sauce to it too. On the side, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, onion, orange bell pepper, and garlic, plus roasted sweet potato wedges sprinkled with ground ginger, Japanese seven spice, cayenne, and garlic powder.

The next night we had Marseilles flounder braise. I added red bell pepper to the dish, sliced the celery thinner, used black olives instead of green, and celery leaves instead of cilantro.

Our cold-night comfort meal this week was chicken thighs with cranberry thyme sauce. On the side, kale and collards sautéed with bacon, onion, orange and red bell pepper, poblano pepper, and jalapeño pepper, plus roasted butternut squash with maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon, and cayenne.

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Fri 1/21 at 12 p.m.* – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

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

Fri 1/21 at 4 p.m. – Top Productivity Hacks (Open Networking)

The beginning of a new year brings thoughts of goals, challenges and resolutions. What is it that helps you stay on track? Is it an app that you can’t live without? A specific type of physical tool (planner, calendar) or maybe it’s a daily mantra that keeps you focused. Join your Fridays@4 friends for this open networking session focused on sharing your favorite productivity hacks. More info/register (must join before registering).

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 1/24 at 11 a.m. – Making Community Accessible to All

Hear about accessibility and community—and why community leaders need to step up to the bar in terms of creating an equal space for all. Find out how you can do more to increase accessibility within your community and push boundaries in your organization. More info/register.

Host: Vanilla

Presenters: Majorie Anderson and Shana Sumers

Mon 1/24 at 1 p.m. – The Growth of the Community Career Path

Learn how the community career path is changing in 2022: a change in the structure of the community professional role, an evolution of the community team’s place in an organization, and the rise of the CCO, the Chief Community Officer. More info/register.

Host: Vanilla

Presenters: Carrie Melissa Jones and Erica Kuhl

Mon 1/24 at 1 p.m. – Innovating Meetings & Events: The Way Forward (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: Mark Cooper, CEO, IACC, Chair, Events Industry Council

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Tue 1/25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Marketing Automation Demo Day

Tasked with finding the right marketing technology systems for your organization? Wondering what platforms are out there and what features you should be looking for? Join us to experience seven in-depth demos from industry partners that are standing by ready to help. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Tue 1/25 at 11 a.m. – 5 Key Tactics for Financial Communications to Your Board

Learn how empathy needs to be incorporated into financial problem solving, messaging, and communications. Explore how to better prepare for virtual board and finance committee meetings and improve outcomes. Learn how to provide financial information in a format that is easier to understand and helps with performance and impact assessments. Explore other strategies that will help financial executives to better connect with nonprofit boards to advance strategic planning and innovative change. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters:

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

Tue 1/25 at 1 p.m. – Chapter Performance and Benchmarking Unwrapped

In this workshop consisting of three 90-minute sessions held on consecutive days, hear about, discuss, and explore how your association can apply the data and findings of the 2022 Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Study. Learn how to use benchmarking to create a health-monitoring dashboard for your chapter program, and how to use data to build and create a compelling story about the value of your chapters. Walk away with ideas to strengthen your current chapter programs. Up to 4.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Presenters:

Mark Prevost, Director of Growth at Billhighway
Peggy Hoffman, President & Executive Director at Mariner Management
Peter Houstle, Chief Executive Officer at Mariner Management
Sarah Garrity, Marketing Lead at Billhighway

Tue 1/25 at 1 p.m. – Engaging Your Members, And Future Members, Where They Are

Learn about the different engagement channels you should be using to get your members’ attention, how different age groups respond to communication/marketing messaging, and what you can do to attract new members through social, email and programmatic channels. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters:

Alfred McKelvy, Sr. Director, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview
Michael Candela, EVP, Strategic Partnerships, Multiview

Tue 1/25 at 1 p.m. – Pricing for Association Events

Ever wondered how to price an offering? Or if the current price is right? Are you selling yourself short? Would lowering the price slightly dramatically increase volume? Would raising the price be beneficial to the bottom line and beyond? Get these questions and more answered. More info/register.

Host: AM Planning

Presenter: Dr. Michael Tatonetti, Founder and CEO of Pricing for Associations

Tue 1/25 at 1 p.m. – The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Entertainment in Online Meetings

One way to capture attendees’ attention and keep them glued is by adding an entertainment component to your online meetings and conferences. The key is finding entertainment that encourages attendees to network and connect. Hear about out-of-the-box entertainment options that can be easily implemented in your next virtual conference or meeting. Learn how to select the appropriate virtual entertainer, what will you need to accommodate third-party vendors, and how to encourage participation. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: EVA

Presenters:

Brad Alexander, Co-Owner, Flying Ivories LLC
James Barr, Co-Owner, Flying Ivories LLC
Megan King, Director, Virtual Xperiences
Vinnu Deshetty (moderator), General Manager, EVA

Tue 1/25 at 2 p.m. – The World of Work Has Permanently Changed: How to Engage the Next Generation of Association Leaders

You’ve surely noticed: the next generation of leaders rejects top-down hierarchies, narrow career paths, and conformity. To attract and engage these professionals, associations must provide opportunities for individuals to align their breadth and depth of interests with the goals and objectives of the organization. Learn how to create cultures that engage the next generation of association leaders. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Gather Voices

Presenters:

Connie Steele, Author of Building the Business of You and Principal and Co-Founder of Flywheel Associates
Michael Hoffman, CEO of Gather Voices

Tue 1/25 at 2 p.m. – Secrets to Engaging and Retaining Members

Hear key learnings from association leaders who grew their businesses over the last two years. Learn about event strategies for the new virtual/hybrid world that increase member engagement and successful new member recruitment, how to introduce evergreen member engagement tactics instead of reaching out just one to four times a year, how to refine your business’s operational model to adapt and grow in a virtual-first world, and how new engagement techniques can provide more meaningful experiences for different generations, segments, and regions. More info/register.

Host: Hubilo

Presenters:

Tonya Almond, CMP, Vice President, Knowledge and Experience Design PCMA
Chandra M. Champion, MSSA, CNM, Conference and Events Director, National WIC Association
Irina Graf, Founder of The MICE Blog, and Event Planners Talk

Tue 1/25 at 2 p.m. – Ask the Experts: Best Practices for Board Skills Tracking & Performance Assessment

Learn how board skills tracking can help you identify critical gaps and engage in more strategic board member recruitment. Hear about the value of measuring the board’s performance against their responsibilities and the organization’s goals, as well as tips and tactics for deploying a board assessment. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Presenters: board management experts from OnBoard

Tue 1/25 at 2 p.m. – Lessons from the Experts for 2022

Join this roundtable discussion of event experts from all facets of event management including meeting planning, contract negotiations, AV solutions, and attendee health and safety. They’ll explore the best way to plan and execute events that gives you the flexibility you need in our ‘never-normal’ landscape. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Presenters:

Simon Melser, Vice President, Business Development, Image Audiovisuals
Allison Kinsley, CMM, CMP, CED, Chief Meeting Architect, Kinsley Meetings
Brenda Rivers, JD, HMCC, CIS, President, SAFE LLC Event Risk Management
Jennifer Haisten, CMP, Vice President, GlobauxSource
Carolyn Strauss, CSP, Professional Emcee and Explainer in Chief

Tue 1/25 at 3 p.m. – Building Communities via NFTs

This event will be held on Twitter Spaces, so registrants will need a Twitter Account. Description coming soon. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenter: Austin McHenry, Crypto Practice Leader, U.S. Transactions Corp.

Wed 1/26 at 11 a.m. – Gaining Leverage: Where AI Driven Content Management and Marketing Automation Join Forces

AI is delivering huge technology advances in the content management, marketing automation and search space. We are going to discuss and demonstrate how these technologies can be put to use by your association today. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters:

Adam Hostetter, CEO, FUSE Search
Johnny Clayton, Chief Growth Officer, FUSE Search

Wed 1/26 at 12 p.m. – Behind the Curtain of ASAE’s Gold Circle Awards: What You Need to Know Before You Apply

Learn about the Gold Circle Awards, including the benefits of applying for an award, how to apply, what the judges are looking for, hHow to become a GCA judge, and tips for success. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Wed 1/26 at 12 p.m. – The 2022 Leadership Shift

The past few years have been challenging for leaders. With so much uncertainty in the workforce and employment landscape, expectations have increased for association staff, volunteers and business partners. How must your leadership style change to continue to have a positive impact on the people and organizations we serve? Hear about the future of association leadership and the characteristics of a great 2022 association leader. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community

Presenters:

Shawn Boynes, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director, American Association for Anatomy
Natasha Goodwin, CAE, MS, Senior Director, Marketing and Membership, Information Technology Industry Council
Marci Thompson, DES, Chief Strategy Officer, Society for Marketing Professional Services

Wed 1/26 at 12 p.m. – ASAE International Associations Advisory Council Book/Podcast Club: The Culture Map

In today’s interconnected world we all work and live across cultures. Maybe you’re part of an international team, have a boss or co-worker from another country, or a partner or in-laws from a different culture. We all seek ways to understand and navigate some of our cultural differences to create greater intercultural harmony and inclusion. Join us for a discussion on what you learned from The Culture Map and wish to share with your peers to better manage across the diverse cultural aspects of today’s workplace. More info/register.

Host: ASAE International Associations Advisory Council

Wed 1/26 at 12 p.m. – Tips, Tricks, and Trends: Nailing Your 2022 Events

Hear from a lineup of seasoned event planners who have turned uncertainty into opportunity by orchestrating a range of impactful events for their organizations. They walk us through helpful event planning strategies and tactics and dive into top event trends to have on your radar for 2022. Learn how virtual events have rewritten the playbook for events professionals over the past two years and how we can apply these learnings in 2022; the importance of engagement strategies that foster community and connection among attendees across virtual, in-person, and hybrid events; and how to build stronger relationships with key event partners and unlock sponsorship ROI. More info/register.

Host: Hopin

Presenters:

Karen Hartline, Director of Corporate Events, GitLab
Keneisha Williams, Founder, Black in Events Network
Spenser Gegan, Senior Event Producer, Hopin
Brianna Haag, Director of Demand Generation, Hopin
Emelyn Williams, Regional Manager, Event Services, Hopin
Brian Wilson, Internal Events Manager, Hopin

Wed 1/26 at 1 p.m. – Chapter Performance and Benchmarking Unwrapped

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Presenters:

Mark Prevost, Director of Growth at Billhighway
Peggy Hoffman, President & Executive Director at Mariner Management
Peter Houstle, Chief Executive Officer at Mariner Management
Sarah Garrity, Marketing Lead at Billhighway

Wed 1/26 at 1 p.m. – System Selection: Understand the Basics of APIs

With many associations adopting a “best-of-breed” approach to their online tools, the ability to integrate those different tools is essential. We will review how the average business user can take a look at an API to help make sure they are purchasing a system that will support everything they need from an integration standpoint. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters:

Hans Stechl, Principal Architect, Founder, Meta-Dao
Justin Burniske, Principal Consultant, Co-Owner, Meta-Dao

Wed 1/26 at 1 p.m. – Ensuring Continuity in the Era of the Great Resignation

“The Great Resignation” has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. In November, 4.5 million workers quit their jobs. With so much staff turnover, does your association have the right processes in place? Learn how to ensure continuity in your pipeline, ways to help your members through your job board, and how to leverage automation to maintain renewals, onboarding, and prospect nurturing. More info/register.

Host: Higher Logic

Presenters:

Beth Arritt, Association Evangelist at Higher Logic
Josh Slyman, Director of Product Strategy at Web Scribble

Wed 1/26 at 1 p.m. – A Meetings Cost-Saving Primer

With minimal budget increases year over year, and hotel fees and surcharges increasing exponentially, meeting professionals are tasked to do “more with less.” Learn how to avoid hidden fees and discover creative cost savings techniques to impact your bottom line, and how to communicate these savings to their stakeholders in an impactful way. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Presenter: Robyn Mietkiewicz, strategic partner for INNOV8 Meetings + Events

Wed 1/26 at 2 p.m. – Top 3 Priorities for Taking Your Workforce Hybrid or Remote

Many organizations are making the decision to go either permanently remote or hybrid. Regardless of which workforce model you choose, the #1 most important thing you need to do is be intentional in your approach. Setting your team up for success involves consideration of staff and member/customer needs. You will want to fully evaluate the processes and tools you use daily to determine what you can outsource and what you need to keep “in house.” Get a high-level overview of the top three things you need to concentrate on to be successful in a remote or hybrid workplace. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Achurch Consulting

Wed 1/26 at 2 p.m. – State of Engagement Sponsorship Study Results

The Partnership Professionals Network teamed up with Dynamic Benchmarking on a new survey designed to help associations understand the needs and preferences of sponsors. The findings from this survey will help you understand why companies sponsor associations, whether companies are increasing or decreasing their sponsorship expenditures and the number of associations they sponsor, what benefits are of greatest value to sponsors, and how companies measure sponsorship success. More info/register.

Host: Dynamic Benchmarking and Partnership Professionals Network

Presenters:

Ray McDonald, President, Dynamic Benchmarking
Dan Kowitz, Founder and CEO, JSB Partnership Consultants and Co-convener of the Partnership Professionals Network
Bruce Rosenthal, Principal, Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC and Co-convener of the Partnership Professionals Network

Wed 1/26 at 4 p.m. – Association Women Technology Champions Awards Ceremony

The AWTC Awards program was setup to further our mission of empowering, advancing, and recognizing women who champion technology in associations. In this ceremony, we will be recognizing the recipients of the AWTC Technology Champion Award, AWTC Technology Impact Award, and AWTC Technology Leadership Award. We’ll be using the Wonder.Me platform to host the awards ceremony, allowing us to chat, laugh, and celebrate together. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)

Thu 1/27 at 11 a.m. – Boosting Registration to Your 2022 Virtual and Hybrid Events

Event organizers across the board are reporting a drop-off in registration to their hybrid events, and a rise in cost per acquisition. As the novelty of lockdown wears off and Zoom fatigue sets-in, how can event marketers continue to excite and entice attendees to their hybrid events? Learn which tactics other organizers are finding most impactful in growing registration numbers, the impact your registration process is having on your sign-ups and what to do about it, the tech solutions used to amplify reach organically, where organizers are spending their budget for the best return, and the secret sauce—top tips, tricks and tactics organizers are using to boost registration in 2022. More info/register.

Host: Virtual Event Institute

Thu 1/27 at 12 p.m. – The Next Generation Association Focuses on Solving

Problem solvers are unique in your membership, and they can be your most powerful asset. Designing and fostering a community of the best problem-solvers will help your association co-create impactful solutions to major industry challenges. In this session, three presenters will share their own experiences intentionally building communities of problem solvers that subsequently build better associations. More info/register.

Host: .orgCommunity

Presenters:

Arianna Rehak, Chief Executive Officer, Matchbox Virtual Media
Garth Jordan, Chief Executive Officer, American Animal Hospital Association
Allen Lloyd, Executive Director Montana Society of CPAs

Thu 1/27 at 12 p.m. – Breaking the Monotony with Energizing Virtual Events

Virtual events can turn a tad monotonous, and you just can’t fix that by introducing virtual happy hours. Learn about methods you can use to energize your audience at your next event. Find out how to upgrade your sessions with well-produced content and diverse speakers, different tactics you can use to create energizing moments in between sessions, and the truth about energizer breaks—what you need to factor in before designing your agenda. More info/register.

Host: Airmeet

Presenter: Melissa Jones Clark, Director of National Accounts and Brand Experience at Meeting Tomorrow

Thu 1/27 at 12 p.m. – An Employer Survival Guide: 8 Tips for Managing Your Organization’s Retirement Plan

The retirement plan is only a tiny fraction of your responsibilities as an employer. Between the investments, compliance, and day-to-day administration, it’s complicated, but it doesn’t have to be painful or time-consuming. Learn about your most important plan responsibilities and how best to tackle them, what we’ve seen work to meet your obligations, and how to navigate your retirement headwinds successfully. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Presenter: Shelly Howard-Horwitz

Thu 1/27 at 1 p.m. – Chapter Performance and Benchmarking Unwrapped

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Presenters:

Mark Prevost, Director of Growth at Billhighway
Peggy Hoffman, President & Executive Director at Mariner Management
Peter Houstle, Chief Executive Officer at Mariner Management
Sarah Garrity, Marketing Lead at Billhighway

Thu 1/27 at 1 p.m. – 7 Non-Negotiable Web Strategies Every Association Needs in 2022 (and Beyond)

Learn about five critically important strategies every association should implement this year, beyond just sitemaps and good design. Find out how to instantly increase engagement with a couple of quick tweaks, how to be more inclusive and avoid potential legal pitfalls in the process, why you need to re-think your homepage immediately and what to do instead, and how to create better content by doing less. In addition, we’ll analyze real-world examples of organizations that are doing things well and how to learn from them. More info/register.

Host: Yoko Consulting

Presenters: Chris Bonney, Director of Client Partnerships, and Ray van Hilst, Director of Client Results, Yoko Co

Thu 1/27 at 1 p.m. – 7 Proven Video Tactics Association Leaders Are Using to Drive Engagement

Video is not a tool that should be reserved for your marketing and communications departments. Associations that incorporate authentic video content in their strategy create more loyal communities, deliver year-round engagement, and drive critical non-dues revenue. Hear about seven video campaigns from association leaders across departments from membership to continuing education to internal communications to marketing to advocacy. Learn how to translate lessons learned from these cases into your own high-value video campaigns. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenter: Michael Hoffman, co-founder and CEO of Gather Voices

Thu 1/27 at 1 p.m. – Engagement Driven Event Data: Fueling Your Marketing Tech Stack

Did you know that event data can be more reliable than third-party cookie data? What if your audience not only attended an event, but was meaningfully engaged throughout the event? Discover the value of engagement driven event data and how to leverage events as a key channel of your marketing strategy in 2022. More info/register.

Host: Accelevents

Presenters:

Jonathan Kazarian, CEO @ Accelevents
Denise Hibbard, Manager, Events Marketing @ Zapier
Melissa Park, Founder & CEO @ Melissa Park Events
Cory Travalena, Founder & Chief Creative Officer @ Redtail Creative
Andrew Leighton, Director of Sales @ Accelevents
Alex Kazarian, Senior Account Executive @ Accelevents
Ashton Pike, Editorial Director @ BizBash

Thu 1/27 at 3 p.m. – Reducing Member Churn with Predictive Analytics

Learn how data science and predictive analytics tools can inform your member retention and renewal efforts. We’ll share common methods to measure member engagement, talk about how predictive analytics tools can complement your membership retention efforts, and give you some pointers on how to get started. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Presenters:

Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, Association Analytics
Katy Burns, CFO & Analytics Strategist, Fíonta

Fri 1/28 at 1 p.m. – Take Your Silent Auction to the Next Level: Raise More Money, Free Up Staff Time and Create an Unforgettable Member Experience

Host: Non-Dues-a-Palooza

Presenter: Tony Rissley, Expo Auctions

Tue 2/1 at 12 p.m. – Analyzing Survey Data (Data Analytics Network)

This opportunity is for association professionals to engage in peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Tue 2/1 at 2 p.m. – Coach More and Manage Less for Remote Work Success

Host: Achurch Consulting

Wed 2/2 at 12 p.m. – Leverage Your Communication Style for Success in the Hybrid Work World

Host: Association Insights in Old Town

Presenter: Carol Vernon, certified executive coach and founder, Communication Matters: Executive Coaching & Team Development

Wed 2/2 at 12 p.m. – Association Lessons From… Stand-up Comedy

Host: CQbd

Wed 2/2 at 2 p.m. – 25 Ways to Take Your Newsletter to the Next Level

Host: Association Adviser

Presenters:

Erica Salm Rench, MBA, COO, rasa.io
John Bacon, MBA, Vice President of Account Management, Naylor Association Solutions

Thu 2/3 at 12 p.m. – How Documentaries Are Disrupting the Future of Content Marketing

Host: Association TV

Presenter: Dan Stevens, President, WorkerBee.TV

Thu 2/3 at 1 p.m. – LMS Selection in the Evolving Learning Landscape

Host: Leading Learning/Tagoras

Presenters:

Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning
Andy Hicken, VP of technology solutions at Web Courseworks

Thu 2/3 at 2 p.m. – AMS/CRM Software Selection Survey: What People Really Think?

Host: 501Works

Presenters:

James Marquis, Chief Innovation Officer and The CIO, 501Works
Teri Carden, Founder, ReviewMyAMS

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Creative Commons photo by Bob Brewer via Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 1.14.22

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

CAE survey. Calling all CAEs! Please take five minutes to participate in the “Why I Sat for the CAE” survey. The researcher hopes to identify what most motivates association professionals to sit for the CAE exam and the relationship between those motivations and demographic variables. The results should be interesting.

Future of work trends. WBT Systems discusses seven emerging trends shaping the future of work, careers, and professional development. I can’t help thinking that many of these trends align with the mission of most associations. But can associations respond nimbly to them?

Feedback loops. Annual performance reviews have few fans—the data confirms it. Achurch Consulting has a better idea: feedback loops. Particularly in remote/hybrid workplaces, managers need a method for checking in, coaching, and sharing feedback with employees.

The next big things. Nikhil Basu Trivedi gathered insight from 50 of technology’s top thinkers on what they see coming in the year ahead. Honestly, some of this went right over my head, but the more I read about the metaverse, web3, and crypto, the more it’s sinking in. If you want to get a handle on the wild world awaiting us, start with this piece.

Decentraland. De-what? Here’s a briefing by Mario Gabriele on a metaverse called Decentraland. His piece gives you a general flavor for what’s going on out there.

Volunteer recruitment. Why do some associations have a tough time recruiting volunteers and others don’t? Because the successful ones have responded to the changing needs and interests of volunteers and “others are still wedded to the traditional, term-based volunteering,” says Peggy Hoffman, FASAE, CAE, of Mariner Management. On the Event Garde blog, she explains what’s gone wrong for many associations and how to fix it.

Good eats

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

Here’s one of my favorites, Shrimp with Coconut Red Curry Sauce—yes, I have lots of favorites. You can also make it with chicken or fish. Serve it over jasmine rice—Uncle Ben’s 90-second rice is fine for those nights when one dish to make is more than enough.

Get out that pressure cooker for Korean-style spicy pork shoulder barbecue. If you don’t have one, no worries, you can make it in a slow cooker or bake it low and slow in the oven. On the side, pickled cucumbers (from the NYT barbecue recipe) plus a slaw made with green cabbage, carrots, sweet onion, red bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and more gochujang.

Can you tell I’m not a dieter? Another night we had beef stroganoff with egg noodles. I doubled the mushrooms, quadrupled the paprika, and added garlic, flour and beef broth to make a gravy, and Worcestershire sauce. On the side roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, red onion, and garlic. Can’t get enough of those while they’re in season.

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Fri 1/14 at 12 p.m.* – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

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

Fri 1/14 at 4 p.m. – Moving to Mind SPACE!

Based upon the book Where’s the Office? Moving Today’s Leaders from What IS to What CAN BE, author and event industry expert Heather Hansen O’Neill will provide a deeper dive into one of the primary concepts and tools. When association professionals move from an attachment to physical space into the concept and tool of Mind SPACE, you realize that you can expertly lead meetings and events from ANY location- in person, virtual, hybrid- because you know that the ‘office’ resides WITHIN You! More info/register (must join before registering).

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 1/17 at 1 p.m. – Ethics in Times of Change and Crises (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: R. Jai Krishna, Secretary-General, News Broadcasters Federation-India

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Tue 1/18 at 12 p.m. – Component Relations and Volunteer Management Crunch and Munch Monthly Chat

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council

Tue 1/18 at 12 p.m. – Global Contracting Trends in 2022: Vaccine Mandates & More

As we enter year three of the pandemic and work to battle against the Omicron variant, many questions still remain. Often, ones that pose challenging contracting situations. Join us for a striking discussion to ensure you have all the information you need to be prepared this year. 1 CMP credit. More info/register (possible fee for MPI non-members).

Host: MPI

Presenter: Joshua Grimes, Esq., Attorney at Law, Grimes Law Offices, LLC

Tue 1/18 at 1 p.m. – Combating Burnout: How Marketing Teams Are Burning Bright

Burnout is a major contributor to The Great Resignation. Your marketing team could be at risk. Hear about the factors that lead to workplace exhaustion, isolation, and even trauma, specifically within the context of the marketing industry. Discover the tools you need to combat burnout on your marketing team and build a healthy and productive working environment. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Tue 1/18 at 1 p.m. – Best Budgeting Practices: Beginning to End

Learn the best practices for establishing corporate wide budgets, forecasting, controlling and monitoring budgets. An overview of the budgeting process will drive the topics from the initial creation of budgets to successful execution of the budget. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenter: Mike Canniff, CEO, PyanGo

Tue 1/18 at 1 p.m. – What the Great Resignation Means for Your Certification Program in 2022 and Beyond

Learn about the tailwinds behind the “Great Resignation” and how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity in 2022 and beyond. Find out why your organization needs learning technology focused on competency-based learning if mastery is critical to your learners’ success, the benefits of having learning technology designed for certification training and test prep in your tech stack, and actionable tips to effectively grow certification and licensing programs. More info/register.

Host: BenchPrep

Presenter: Ashish Rangnekar, CEO, BenchPrep

Tue 1/18 at 1 p.m. – Engagement Is More Than a Coffee Break or Open Bar

Despite the high-value attendees and exhibitors place on meeting other people, events largely leave this to chance. We set out coffee and hope it connects people. We offer an open bar and assume it will be a magical lubricant to generate great partnerships. Alas, people often walk away from events feeling like those magical moments didn’t happen. Learn easy, practical ways to build in real networking and human engagement to your events be they online or in-person—and therefore add significant value that keeps people coming back over and over. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: EVA

Presenter: Lee Gimpel, president, Better Meetings

Tue 1/18 at 2 p.m. – Engaging Your Virtual and Hybrid Audience in 2022

In current business conditions, your virtual audience can’t be an afterthought. Engagement across all platforms is critical. Learn how to improve virtual engagement and collaboration between live and online audiences through creative new approaches to networking, education and collaboration. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Presenters:

Bob Mitchell, Principal, Mitchell Partnership Alliances
Ben Chodor, President, Notified
Michael Shapiro (moderator), Executive Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Tue 1/18 at 2 p.m. – Planning with Purpose: How to Position for a Powerful Year with Purpose at the Forefront

Learn uncommon strategies that will help you move forward with more confidence, more certainty, and more purpose in 2022. Imagine being able to decipher between opportunities and shiny time sucks. Imagine knowing when to say yes or no more quickly so that you can stay on track longer and/or make adjustments more powerfully. Get tools to help you avoid exhaustion and learn the art of building in your own rewards as you go. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Presenter: Jade Simmons

Tue 1/18 at 3 p.m. – Non-Dues Revenue: How Associations Can Diversify Their Revenue

Learn what constitutes non-dues revenue, why non-dues revenue is so important to associations, how to analyze if you are doing well or not and if non-dues affects your member model/pricing strategy, some key non-dues revenue areas, and the importance of partnerships. More info/register.

Host: Grype

Presenter: Edward Byers, Director, Membership & Business Development, Canadian Society of Association Executives

Wed 1/19 from 9 to 11:15 a.m. – AI Summit: 2022 and Beyond

Hear about all elements of AI: debunking AI myths, sharing cutting-edge robotics research, discussing the real timeline for self-driving cars, and debating the ethical implications practitioners and researchers of AI must keep top of mind. We aim to foster thought-provoking conversations at the cutting edge of what is possible. What does the public often get wrong about AI? What advanced language research could change the way we engage with animals? How should you be thinking about the next advancements in AI as we enter 2022 and beyond? More info/register.

Host: Index Ventures

Presenters: Fei-Fei Li, Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, Kevin Scott, Cade Metz, Pieter Abbeel, Alexandr Wang, and many more

Wed 1/19 at 11 a.m. – Looking Forward 2022 (Impact): First Look at Trends and Analysis

Lessen your uncertainty heading into 2022 with the latest data in the Looking Forward® Impact survey, the most current and comprehensive examination of 75 critical factors affecting association members and the potential impacts on association strategy. The research covers factors affecting the association environment in six domains, including economic, information and technology, workforce, government, global and stakeholder perceptions. Understand the factors impacting association strategy and identify what associations are doing to strategically adapt. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: Association Laboratory

Presenters:

Dean West, FASAE, founder and president, Association Laboratory
Bob Moore, MA, CAE, executive director, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
Nikki Golden, CAE, strategist, Association Laboratory
Nikki Haton Shanks, MBA, CAE, strategist, Association Laboratory

Wed 1/19 at 11 a.m. – Solving The Employee Training, Motivation and Retention Challenge

Learn the two main causes of employee turnover and how to remedy it, how to adapt the leadership characteristics of successful business leaders and coaches, how to drive up performance in a win-win manner, and how to create enthusiastic, engaged employees. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenter: event speaker, coach, and author, Bruce Lee

Wed 1/19 at 12 p.m. – Association Lessons From… A Family’s Global Sabbatical

Alex Mouw and her family took a trip around the world for nearly a year. She shares their experiences and the lessons for associations. In this video chat series, the first 15 minutes or so will be a presentation or interview of the guest. followed by a highly interactive discussion and/or Q&A. Come prepared to be engaged and to look at association challenges through a different lens. More info/register.

Host: Jay Daughtry, Chief Communications Officer/Owner, CQbd

Presenter: Alexandra Mouw, CAE, Principal Digital Strategist, Results Direct | RD Mobile

Wed 1/19 at 2 p.m. – How to Mitigate Risk with Local Government Monitoring in 2022 and Beyond

As more decisions are made at municipal and county levels, a robust local government monitoring strategy is essential for mitigating risk, seizing opportunity, and beating the competition. Learn how to mitigate risk and gain competitive intelligence through local government monitoring, and best practices to follow local government in 2022. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Presenters:

Jay Dick, Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs, Americans for the Arts
Holly Gross, Associate, Benesch Law
Charles Hahn, President, Southlake Public Affairs
Taralinda Willis, Managing Director of Municipal Data Strategy and Operations, FiscalNote

Wed 1/19 at 3 p.m. – New Year, New You: How to (Finally) Make Analytics a Priority

Budget, resources and knowing exactly what to do can make it challenging to finally prioritize analytics, but there’s good news. It actually takes a lot less to get started than you think, and the results will make you wonder why you waited so long. Learn why analytics should be your top priority and ways you can build a business case for data initiatives you’ve been considering, understand the short-term and long-term ROI in your data, and create a phased approach for smaller staff and budgets. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Presenters: Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, and Greg Pollack, VP of Sales, Association Analytics

Wed 1/19 at 3 p.m. – Making the Case for Data Hygiene

As someone who interacts with your membership data every day, you see the number of duplicated and outdated records that are crowding your database. Do you want to invest in a data clean-up project but aren’t sure how to convince your team? Find out how to get a pulse check on the health of your data, see how your data quality compares with other associations, and walk away with the tools you need to communicate the importance of data hygiene to your team and stakeholders. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters:

Brittany Carter, President, Association TRENDS
Lisa Staal, Product Manager, Data Services at Association TRENDS

Wed 1/19 at 3 p.m. – State of the Event Industry 2022

With uncertainty once again facing event organizers, producers, and suppliers, hear the latest insights and predictions about planning now and in the months to come. This webinar will cover: what we got right and wrong in our 2021 predictions; the Omicron impact and adaptive recovery; the looming battle between corporate ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies and restrictive state/local laws; the state of virtual and hybrid; inflation, supply chain and managing client expectations; innovative ideas and disruptive players; and talent development, managing burnout, and skill shifting. More info/register.

Host: Event Leadership Institute

Thu 1/20 from 9 to 11:45 a.m. – AI Summit: 2022 and Beyond

Host: Index Ventures

Presenters: Fei-Fei Li, Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, Kevin Scott, Cade Metz, Pieter Abbeel, Alexandr Wang, and many more

Thu 1/20 at 11 a.m. – Disruptive Next Gen Association Tech Stacks

Learn about a new blueprint for your association’s technology stack—one that can help your organization dynamically adapt to market and member needs—the concept of horizontal, best of breed systems, and how they can easily be verticalized through integration and configuration. Using the Association for Intelligent Information Management as a case study, hear how an association can implement a base CRM platform and weave in other technologies and applications for specific functions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Presenter: Johanna Snider, former Vice President of Enterprise Sales at Community Brands

Thu 1/20 at 11:30 a.m. – Kickstarting a Great Member Loyalty Program

Furthering member loyalty requires providing ongoing member value and delivering a great experience throughout each member’s relationship with your organization. Hear about member loyalty insights found in the 2021 Association Trends study, tips and best practices to identify loyal members, and how to create an ambassador program by turning satisfied members into ambassadors. More info/register.

Host: YourMembership

Presenters: Michelle Schweitz, Marketing Director, and Christine Bergeron, Marketing Coordinator, Community Brands

Thu 1/20 at 1 p.m. – APIs and Your AMS: Benefits of an API Integration

By integrating your AMS with APIs, you can save time, reduce manual tasks, and streamline business operations. However, it’s important to sit back and evaluate if your organization is ready for the new system so you can get the best out of this dynamic integration. Learn about various segments and steps of API integration, the top reasons why you should go for this integration, checklist to avoid pitfalls, and areas of concerns to be aware of at different steps of integration. More info/register.

Host: Aplusify

Presenter: Neeraj Garg, COO, Aplusify

Thu 1/20 at 1 p.m. – Best of Both Worlds: Mastering Hybrid Work Environments

The Great Resignation is proving that employees have little tolerance for hasty returns to our offices. Employers, too, have seen that remote work doesn’t just work—it offers measurable benefits. Now the challenge for association leaders is this: maintaining productivity, security, and engagement as we settle into hybrid work. Learn how your organization can refine its approach to hybrid work and capitalize on the benefits that both in-office and remote work have to offer. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters: Heinan Landa, Founder & CEO, and David Campbell, COO, Optimal Networks

Thu 1/20 at 2 p.m. – Winter Tapas Talks: A Celebration of Quality

Wish you knew how (or why) to reinvent your membership options? How to get volunteers excited? Transform bits and pieces of content into a functioning knowledgebase? Narrow AMS selections to a manageable batch? In this unique and highly interactive session, meet and speak with leading subject matter experts on these and other trending topics in eight simultaneous 15-minute conversations that start with brief storytelling by the expert then open up for your questions and group discussion on that topic. More info/register.

Host: Qiqochat

Presenters:

Tony Rossell of MGI
Adam Hostetter of FUSESearch
Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE of Vista Cova
Nicole Araujo, CAE of Mighty Citizen
Cheryl Ronk of SoRight LLC
Teri Carden of ReviewMyAMS
Suzanne Pine, FASAE, CAE of Bloch & Reed Association Advisors
Peggy Hoffman, FASAE, CAE of Mariner Management

Thu 1/20 at 2 p.m. – What’s Working Now: Jump-Starting Your Website Redesign

Hear best practices for redesigning your website to provide more value, grow revenue, and better connect your members. These tips will save you countless hours and dollars: getting the team ready for a successful redesign, reimagining the user experience, choosing the right technology and partner, organizing content to create impact, and creating a roadmap to guide continued success. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Results Direct

Presenter: Alexandra Mouw, CAE, Principal Digital Strategist, Results Direct | RD Mobile

Thu 1/20 at 2 p.m. – Event Predictions for 2022

While we may not have a crystal ball or fortune teller on standby, we do closely monitor the event landscape and keep our finger on the pulse of new trends and innovations. To help you stay ahead of the curve for 2022, our panel of experts in events and marketing will l share their predictions on the return of in-person, the use of hybrid events, evolution of virtual events, including webinars, and trends around your total event program. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Presenters:

Mike Dietrich, Vice President, Product Marketing, Cvent
Rachel Andrews, Senior Director, Meetings & Events, Cvent
Mylissa Patterson, Senior Director of Demand Generation for the Event Cloud, Cvent

Thu 1/20 at 4 p.m. – Critical Tips for Keeping a Positive Culture in 2022 (ASAE Idea Swap)

Hear about best practices for creating a successful organizational culture that works. From small tips that make a difference to a longer-term perspective, The GA Team has spent years focusing on the value of culture for both the success of organizations and their clients. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap

Presenters:

Annette Summers, President, The GA Team
Sheila Crowley, CMP, VP of Client Relations, The GA Team
Torrie Nickerson, Client Services Executive, The GA Team
Betsy Roberts, Account Executive, The GA Team

Tue 1/25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Marketing Automation Demo Day

Host: ASAE

Tue 1/25 at 1 p.m. – Chapter Performance and Benchmarking Unwrapped

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Presenters:

Mark Prevost, Director of Growth at Billhighway
Peggy Hoffman, President & Executive Director at Mariner Management
Peter Houstle, Chief Executive Officer at Mariner Management
Sarah Garrity, Marketing Lead at Billhighway

Wed 1/26 at 12 p.m. – The 2022 Leadership Shift

Host: ASAE Greater Washington / National Capital Community

Presenters:

Shawn Boynes, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director, American Association for Anatomy
Natasha Goodwin, CAE, MS, Senior Director, Marketing and Membership, Information Technology Industry Council
Marci Thompson, DES, Chief Strategy Officer, Society for Marketing Professional Services

Wed 1/26 at 12 p.m. – ASAE International Associations Advisory Council Book/Podcast Club: The Culture Map

Host: ASAE International Associations Advisory Council

Wed 1/26 at 1 p.m. – Chapter Performance and Benchmarking Unwrapped

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Presenters:

Mark Prevost, Director of Growth at Billhighway
Peggy Hoffman, President & Executive Director at Mariner Management
Peter Houstle, Chief Executive Officer at Mariner Management
Sarah Garrity, Marketing Lead at Billhighway

Wed 1/26 at 2 p.m. – Top 3 Priorities for Taking Your Workforce Hybrid or Remote

Host: Achurch Consulting

Wed 1/26 at 2 p.m. – State of Engagement Sponsorship Study Results

Host: Dynamic Benchmarking and Partnership Professionals Network

Presenters:

Ray McDonald, President, Dynamic Benchmarking
Dan Kowitz, Founder and CEO, JSB Partnership Consultants and Co-convener of the Partnership Professionals Network
Bruce Rosenthal, Principal, Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC and Co-convener of the Partnership Professionals Network

Wed 1/26 at 4 p.m. – Association Women Technology Champions Awards Ceremony

Host: Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)

Thu 1/27 at 12 p.m. – The Next Generation Association Focuses on Solving

Host: .orgCommunity

Presenters:

Arianna Rehak, Chief Executive Officer, Matchbox Virtual Media
Garth Jordan, Chief Executive Officer, American Animal Hospital Association
Allen Lloyd, Executive Director Montana Society of CPAs

Thu 1/27 at 1 p.m. – Chapter Performance and Benchmarking Unwrapped

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Presenters:

Mark Prevost, Director of Growth at Billhighway
Peggy Hoffman, President & Executive Director at Mariner Management
Peter Houstle, Chief Executive Officer at Mariner Management
Sarah Garrity, Marketing Lead at Billhighway

Fri 1/28 at 1 p.m. – Take Your Silent Auction to the Next Level: Raise More Money, Free Up Staff Time and Create an Unforgettable Member Experience

Host: Non-Dues-a-Palooza

Presenter: Tony Rissley, Expo Auctions

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Creative Commons photo by Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 1.7.22

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

Invest in you. WBT Systems suggests ten ways to invest more time in activities that will help you grow personally and professionally. True to their mission, their first one is “make space for learning,” but some of the others might surprise you.

Reflection questions. Dr. Britt Andreatta shares ten powerful questions to guide your goals and intentions this year. First, she asks you to review 2021 and then think about your life in 2022 and beyond. I started this exercise last weekend and look forward to working on it this weekend.

Employee experience. You won’t be surprised by this prediction from Forrester about emerging employee experience (EX) challenges: one-third of organizations will fail at “work anywhere” because leaders will allow hybrid work but still design meetings, roles, and opportunities around face-to-face interactions.

Chapter coaching. Coaching at work is having its long overdue moment. I keep seeing articles advising managers to coach, not command. Mariner Management explains why you should also adopt a coaching mindset when working with volunteer chapter leaders.

Online education volunteers. How’s the volunteer experience at your association? If you’re looking for more enjoyable and rewarding volunteer opportunities for members, WBT Systems suggests ways they can help with your online education programs, for example, as coaches.

Brainstorming. Stowe Boyd shares excerpts from a Harvard Business Review article about three creativity fallacies, including practical advice for preventing brainstorming sessions from going off the rails.

Email marketing automation software. Rasa.io explains the costs associated with email marketing automation software and the factors affecting those costs. They also provide a brief overview of pricing for some of the most popular email marketing automation software.

Quick hits

The essential guide to SEO for associations. (Chris Bonney, Yoko Consulting)

Seven daily habits to make you a more consistent content creator. (Mark Schaefer)

Should this meeting be an email? (Dylan Sather and Danny Roosevelt)

A site that lets you access articles behind paywalls. (12ft)

Good eats

Skip down to the list of free webinars if you prefer takeout—this is a long one.

Shrimp cocktail is a Christmas Eve tradition: poach North Carolina shrimp in a shell-based court bouillon, chill them in an ice bath, and serve with a heavy-on-the-horseradish cocktail sauce. Until now, I didn’t realize how much time I spent over the holidays this year with Ina Garten. We enjoyed the shrimp alongside her ham and cheese puff pastry bars. Our main course on the Eve was her baked rigatoni with lamb ragu—talk about comfort food. The previous weekend, I made Ina’s ground lamb pastitsio, yes, we love lamb—a fantastic recipe for a chilly evening.

For Jim’s birthday on New Year’s Day, I made his favorite slow-roasted corned beef topped with lots of spices and a cabbage sauté with bacon, carrots, red bell and poblano pepper, and garlic.

Other tasty dinners during our holiday break:

Roasted striped bass with cannellini beans and green olives

Geppetto’s white pizza—the best (and legendary) white pizza—one of them topped with hot banana peppers

One-pot creamy mushroom and spinach orzo

Portobello steaks au poivre—oh my, I can’t believe how good this was.

Some favorite sides from the last few weeks:

Broccoli salad with cheddar and warm bacon vinaigrette—I used a combo of asiago and sharp cheddar cheese.

Collards and kale sauté with bacon, red bell, onion, and cranberries

Kohlrabi sauté with carrots, broccoli stems, red bell, red onion, garlic, and basil pesto

Roasted broccoli with garlic, lemon zest, and parmesan

Highly recommended for dessert:

Pecan praline bars

Apple pie bars

Gramercy Tavern’s gingerbread

I managed to gain six pounds during the last few weeks. Nice, huh? I give some of the credit to my homemade eggnog—a legendary recipe in Arlington VA and Sacramento CA, but the NC crowd aren’t eggnog fans so I made only half a batch for my personal indulgence.

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Fri 1/7 at 12 p.m.* – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

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

Fri 1/7 at 4 p.m. – What Are You Serving as a Leader?

As a leader, what are you serving today? Answer this question with brutal honesty and you will arrive at the core of your intention and motivation as a leader. Learn what it means to be a servant leader and explore the critical characteristics essential to being one. Gain a sense of your own development as a servant leader. Applying this knowledge will help you create a better, more caring organizational culture. More info/register (must join before registering).

Host: Fridays@4

Presenter: Dr. Hope Zoeller, Founder and President of HOPE (Helping Other People Excel)

Mon 1/10 at 1 p.m. – Effective Governance: What Works Best (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: Megan Motto, CEO, Governance Institute of Australia

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Tue 1/11 at 10:30 a.m. – Tackling the Loneliness of the Long-Distance Association Leader (Association Leaders’ Forum Focus)

Many association leaders are plagued with feelings of loneliness. Leadership by its very nature requires a degree of distance from colleagues, but too much distance makes it difficult to call on others. It’s easy to make the mistake of trying to solve problems alone; after all, you’re the Chief Executive, you should be executing things. But a strong support network is vital to both allow you to do the job, and stave off the loneliness that can impact your work and home life. More info/register.

Host: Institute of Association Leadership

Presenter: association CEO and IAL Almanac author, Simon Forrester

Tue 1/11 at 12 p.m. – Election Year Considerations for Nonprofits: What Your Organization Needs to Know

Hear about key rules and issues nonprofits need to be aware of to be politically active with confidence, including federal and state campaign finance requirements; contributions; independent expenditures; disclosure and disclaimers; House and Senate Ethics rules; and federal tax issues, restrictions, and requirements for 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organizations. More info/register.

Host: Venable LLP

Presenters:

Ronald M. Jacobs, Partner and Co-Chair, Political Law Practice, Venable LLP
Lindsay M. Nathan, Partner, Political Law Practice, Venable LLP
James E. Tyrrell, III, Partner, Political Law Practice, Venable LLP

Tue 1/11 at 12 p.m. – What’s New in 2022? Research & Trend Highlights for the Year

Learn about the top trends coming up that can help you think strategically about everything from event design, to branding and more. 1 CMP credit. More info/register (possible fee for non-members).

Host: MPI

Presenter: Jessie States, CMP, CMM, Vice President, MPI Academy, Meeting Professionals International

Tue 1/11 at 2 p.m. – 2022 Hospitality Predictions

After the massive disruption of 2021, how are hotels adjusting to meet the needs of groups? Hear where the industry is going and what smart meeting professionals are doing to reassure attendees and meet their goals. Learn methods to optimize your relationships with hotels, skills you need to thrive in the coming market, and what is myth vs. reality in today’s meeting environment. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Presenter: Michael Dominguez, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International

Wed 1/12 at 2 p.m. – How to Craft User Journeys to Keep Your Members Engaged

Learn how to experience your website and member portal through the eyes of your user; to predict what they are looking for and anticipate what they will find relevant and helpful. This strategic exercise goes beyond intuitive navigation into creating an impressive user experience that is satisfying and brings the user to a higher place of knowledge. More info/register.

Host: Grype

Presenter: Ronja Francoeur, Member Engagement Specialist

Thu 1/13 at 1 p.m. – Virtual Events are Delicious

There are some things about in-person experiences that simply cannot be replicated online. We feel the same way about some things that only virtual experiences can bring! Hear about uncovering new unlocked value that is only possible when your community convenes online. Explore the new opportunity that hybrid events bring: leaning in to what each medium does best for its respective audience, while finding meaningful ways to connect your virtual and in-person attendees so both have an enhanced experience. More info/register.

Host: Matchbox Virtual Media

Presenters:

Arianna Rehak, Co-Founder & CEO, Matchbox Virtual Media
Beth Surmont, VP of Event Strategy & Design, 360 Live Media

Thu 1/13 at 2 p.m. – How to Make 2022 Your Most Successful Advocacy Year Yet

There are a myriad of opportunities for you to get momentum on your issues and have your organization’s mission represented by the elected officials who win this year’s midterms. As we prepare for 2022, new workflows for digital advocacy have become the norm as organizations have shifted to a hybrid virtual/in-person environment while continuing to advocate for their members and clients. Hear from advocacy experts about the lessons they learned last year and the best practices and tools they’re bringing into 2022. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Presenters:

Sherry Whitworth, Managing Director, Public Affairs and Advocacy, FiscalNote
Kristin St. John, Deputy Director, National Grassroots Advocacy, National Association of Community Health Centers
Steve Reynolds, Director of Advocacy Mobilization, World Vision
Angela Lee, Manager of Advocacy Outreach and Engagement, Goodwill Industries International

Fri 1/14 at 12 p.m. – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

Fri 1/14 at 4 p.m. – Moving to Mind SPACE!

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 1/17 at 1 p.m. – Ethics in Times of Change and Crises (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: R. Jai Krishna, Secretary-General, News Broadcasters Federation-India

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Wed 1/19 at 11 a.m. – Looking Forward 2022 (Impact): First Look at Trends and Analysis

Lessen your uncertainty heading into 2022 with the latest data in the Looking Forward® Impact survey. The research covers factors affecting the association environment in six domains, including economic, information and technology, workforce, government, global and stakeholder perceptions. Understand the factors impacting association strategy in the coming year and facilitate strategic conversations with your team and volunteer leaders on how your association can respond. In addition, hear from your peers their thoughts on the data and their plans to use it in conversation with their Boards. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: Association Laboratory

Presenters:

Dean West, FASAE, founder and president, Association Laboratory
Bob Moore, MA, CAE, executive director, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
Wendy Kavanagh, CAE, president, Georgia Society of Association Executives

Wed 1/19 at 12 p.m. – Association Lessons From… A Family’s Global Sabbatical

Host: Jay Daughtry, Chief Communications Officer/Owner, CQbd

Presenter: Alexandra Mouw, CAE, Principal Digital Strategist, Results Direct | RD Mobile

Thu 1/20 at 2 p.m. – Winter Tapas Talks: A Celebration of Quality

Wish you knew how (or why) to reinvent your membership options? How to get volunteers excited? Transform bits and pieces of content into a functioning knowledge-base? Narrow AMS selections to a manageable batch? In this unique and highly interactive session, meet and speak with leading subject matter experts on these and other trending topics in eight simultaneous 15-minute conversations that start with brief storytelling by the expert then open up for your questions and group discussion on that topic. More info/register.

Host: Qiqochat

Presenters:

Tony Rossell of MGI
Adam Hostetter of FUSESearch
Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE of Vista Cova
Nicole Araujo, CAE of Mighty Citizen
Cheryl Ronk of SoRight LLC
Teri Carden of ReviewMyAMS
Suzanne Pine, FASAE, CAE of Bloch & Reed Association Advisors
Peggy Hoffman, FASAE, CAE of Mariner Management

Thu 1/20 at 2 p.m. – What’s Working Now: Jump-Starting Your Website Redesign

Host: Results Direct

Presenter: Alexandra Mouw, CAE, Principal Digital Strategist, Results Direct | RD Mobile

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Creative Commons photo by Theo Eilertsen Photography via Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 12.17.21

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

This is the last edition of Association Brain Food for the year. I’ll see you again on Friday, January 7, 2022. Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas and a festive, fun holiday season.

AMS/CRM software selection survey. 501Works, in partnership with Branching Knowledge, is inviting association staff, vendors and consultants to participate in a survey whose purpose is to improve this industry’s friction-ridden and fractured process for selecting, implementing and using AMS/CRM solutions. The goal is to better understand pain points and consequently uncover best practices that would lead to better buying decisions, processes and systems for associations and non-profits. Please participate before the survey closes on Friday, December 31, 2021.

Change fatigue. We’ve all experienced more than enough change in the past two years, yet we know more lies ahead. MemberSuite explains how to help your team overcome change fatigue when you’re planning an AMS or other technology implementation.

Sponsorship. WBT Systems shares ideas inspired by Bruce Rosenthal and Tracy King for a new approach to sponsorship. This strategy allows sponsors to meet their marketing goals while contributing valuable information and education to your members and market. Now what could anyone find wrong with that?

Strengths. After reading this post from Achurch Consulting, I’ve put CliftonStrengths on my holiday break to-do list. I did the assessment back in 2009, but I’m curious to see if I’d take the test differently (more honestly) and if my strengths change as a result. The post explains how this tool can help organizations, especially those with hybrid and remote teams, build understanding and trust, and improve communication and collaboration.

Ostrich employers. By now you’ve probably seen several headlines about the disconnect between employers and employees on remote/hybrid work. McKinsey & Company dives into the impact of employers’ wishful thinking and suggests what they should do instead. The problem is: many employers don’t know how to adjust to and manage in this new hybrid/remote reality and don’t want to learn how. They rather return to familiar ways of working than provide a more flexible workplace.

Busyness badge. I hope one of the pandemic’s silver linings is the end to wearing busyness as a badge. Tim Denning says, “Bragging about a calendar full of meetings is a tragedy.” It’s a tragedy for the person doing the bragging but hopefully they will recognize themselves in this article.

Personalization. Preeti Kotamarthi at The Decision Lab dives into using tech to personalize the customer experience: why it works, when it works, when it fails, and, if you decide to use it, how to ensure it works.

Empowerment. SwissMiss found a quote that struck me: “Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become.” What if you spoke to your employees that way?

Browser bookmarks. The Literature Clock brings up a passage from a book that cites the exact time of your visit. It reminds me of another fun site, WindowSwap, where you can take in the view from someone else’s window—perhaps on the other side of the world. At Drive and Listen, you can drive down the streets of whichever city you pick while listening to one of its local radio stations—vicarious traveling. Boa viagem!

Quick hits

Ask the experts you’re working with (especially on big projects) the stupid, obvious questions you’re worried about asking. (Austin Kleon)

Here’s another one in favor of stupid questions and fostering a beginner’s mindset and curiosity. (Jennifer Payne, Voice of HR/IA)

How to improve your content marketing SEO. (Jim Yu, Content Marketing Institute)

The next time you’re stuck in a worthless meeting, think about this possibility: an anonymous “vote to end meeting” button where if 50% of participants press it, the meeting ends immediately. (Joey Lorich)

Good eats

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

Blackened pan-fried fish fillets is a quick dinner to get on the table—this time I made it with dogfish. I haven’t had dogfish in quite a while and boy oh boy is it good. I’ve read it’s used for fish and chips over in the UK. On the side, a sauté of greens (collards, kale, and spinach) with bacon, onion, red bell pepper, and dried apricots, plus a nuked sweet potato.

I can imagine using this creamy jalapeño sauce for all kinds of dishes but we love it with fish, this time, amberjack, an underappreciated fish that’s like a cross between swordfish, yellowfin, and mahi.

I made my new favorite stuffed pepper recipe for my first festive gathering, a Sunday afternoon party at my sister-in-law’s: smoked gouda and chorizo jalapeño poppers. Every single one was eaten, so if you need a new app recipe, give this one a try. I used half a pound of ground chorizo instead of the two links.

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Fri 12/17 at 12 p.m.* – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

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

Fri 12/17 at 4 p.m. – Open Networking-Ugly Sweater Party

Join your Fridays@4 colleagues as we celebrate a successful year of building our professional networks and improving our career and professional development. We’ll discuss the Fridays@4 accomplishments in 2021 and future plans for 2022 and beyond. Don’t forget to wear your ugliest holiday sweater; there just might be a prize! More info/register—must join before registering.

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 12/20 at 1 p.m. – Looking Ahead to 2022: Preferred Futures (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: Cheryl Ronk, CAE, FASAE, President/Owner at So Right, LLC

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Tue 12/21 at 12 p.m. – Crunch and Munch Monthly Chat

Join a discussion session featuring different questions from our community and helping each other with best practice sharing and idea generation. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council

Tue 12/21 at 12:30 p.m. – Meetings of Membership Minds

These impromptu, casual discussions about membership concepts, issues, and challenges are conducted live online and open to membership professionals to comment and offer insights. More info/register.

Hosts: Dan Ratner, The Business of Membership, and Scott Oser, Scott Oser Associates

Tue 12/21 at 1 p.m. – Association Fundraising Brown Bag

For association fundraising professionals (or not yet professionals) who are responsible for fund raising and donor development within membership associations, come together in a free-flowing environment to share your lunchtime and discuss relevant topics. More info/register.

Wed 12/22 at 11 a.m. – Live Q&A: What Hybrid Events Will Look Like in 2022

Hybrid events—as we’re currently defining them—are a lot of work! Is this the right engagement model for your customers and employees? Or is there a better way to engage in-person and online audiences? Hear about the foundation of business event engagement, event business models, and why hybrid events in 2022/23 may not be what you think they are today. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: PCMA

Presenter: Cheri Hulse, Head of Strategy, ON24

Thu 12/23 at 11 a.m. – How to Write an RFP (Request for Proposal) 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. With compliance standards to meet and risks to mitigate, there is much to understand. We will demystify the credit card processing flow, players, terminology, and musts to consider. Learn how to identify the gaps in your current payments ecosystem and find out what questions to ask to reduce these issues in your future state. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters: Julie Duncan, Association Practice Leader, and Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, U.S. Transactions Corp.

Thu 12/30 at 11 a.m. – U.S. GAAP Knowledge Series: Implementing ASC 842 Accounting for Leases

Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 842—Leases is almost effective for nonpublic companies and certain not-for-profits. We’ll cover the scope, adoption method, key provision and why any of this matters to you, including impacts on the statement of financial position, financial ratio, and covenants. Learn what you need to know to make sure you understand how leases are classified under ASC 842 and provide examples and illustrations on how to initially calculate and subsequently measure leases under this new standard. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenter: Mark Robins, CPA, Partner, Assurance Services at Aronson LLC

Mon 1/3 at 1 p.m. – Association Meeting Planners: from Tactics to Strategy (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: Stuart Ruff-Lyon, CMP, DES, VP, Events & Exhibitions, RIMS

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Wed 1/5 at 12 p.m. – Better Engage Your Members and Attendees to Solve Association Challenges

As an association, job #1 is solving the problems your members face. Your meeting attendees, whether in-person or virtual, want to help. Help them help you! At the same time, engage your attendees and energize your meetings. We’re not going to just be talking about it—we’re going to rolling up our sleeves and doing it! As a proof of concept—we’ll be collaborating, as member-attendees, to identify ways to generate non-dues revenue. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Insights in Old Town aka Monthly Events in Cyberspace

Presenter: Lee Gimpel, founder, Better Meetings

Thu 1/6 at 2 p.m. – Shaping Conversations Utilizing Your Communities

Explore how you can use your community to shape conversations your association members are having or should be having around key issues, such as regulations, hot topics, market trends, education and training. The new age of community has expanded forums to be engaging professional networks. Learn how you can use new tools and methodologies to enrich members online experience to increase engagement and lead important member and industry conversations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Presenters:

Wes Goldstein, MBA, PMP, CSPO, Re-Founder & COO, Mobilize
James Marquis, Chief Innovation Officer and The CIO, 501Works

Thu 1/6 at 3 p.m. – How to Prepare a Comprehensive Membership Website Plan for Non-Techies: Convince Your Boss that Your Proposal Will Bring Results

Learn about how to take charge of your association’s membership website development project planning. Find out how to prevent scope creep to stay on time and on budget and understand where your developers’ responsibilities end and yours begin. More info/register.

Host: Grype

Presenter: Natasha Golinsky, Lead Project Manager at On Purpose Projects

Fri 1/7 at 12 p.m. – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

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Creative Commons photo by Nazrin B-va via Unsplash

Association Brain Food Weekly: 12.10.21

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

Accessibility expertise. Ashley Neal at Sidecar wonders if associations should create a new position: accessibility specialist. I’m happy to see this issue getting more attention in our community, and much of the credit goes to Samantha Evans, CAE, who has become an accessibility resource for so many on ASAE Collaborate and elsewhere. However, perhaps accessibility expertise should become a required competency for association professionals—and a major part of a new or existing CAE domain.

Online education. Inspired by McKinsey & Company’s research, WBT Systems shares five lessons from online education pioneers that will help associations improve their online courses. The fifth lesson might seem out of place but it could be what differentiates your courses from the competition.

Student membership. On the ASAE site (possible paywall), Timothy Fest, CAE, at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, explains how offering free membership to college students has paid off for the association. Students are converting to regular membership after they graduate. “Members who are in the early stages of their careers are the second-largest group of SIAM members.”

Digital transformation. Propel explains the difference between digital and digitized. They suggest an excellent (and entertaining) white paper to read on this topic and steps you can take to start your association’s journey from digitized to digital.

Changing minds. Put this technique from Jonah Berger at Knowledge@Wharton into your change management toolkit: “Stop trying to persuade, and instead, encourage people to persuade themselves.” He describes four simple tactics that have an enormous impact.

Coaching or directing? After 100 million employee interviews, Gallup learned that the 70% variance between the highest engaged teams and persistently disengaged teams can be attributed to the manager. What do the best managers do differently? You won’t be surprised if you already do it since it’s a heck of a lot more rewarding than the usual mode of management and more essential than ever in hybrid or remote workplaces.

Meeting madness. The first step to cutting back on needless meetings is evaluating the ones you have. At Strategy+Business, Elizabeth Doty says great teams build a habit of continuously improving their meetings by taking a moment to reflect on the meeting before it’s over. Find out what went well, what didn’t, what you can improve next time, and whether there will be a next time.

Quick hits

Despite its negatives, there are still serendipitous benefits in engaging on social media. (Steven Johnson)

I love getting up before sunrise, but I have such a tough time dragging myself to bed sometimes. I’ve discovered there’s a name for this: revenge bedtime procrastination. (Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Ness Labs)

Three Japanese philosophies that’ll help you spend money consciously this holiday season—hopefully, it’s not too late. (Rahul Chowdhury)

Literally any podcast host asking their guest a question. Hilarious. (Kim Quindlen)

Good eats

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

A good Sunday starts with challah French toast. Half the slices went into the freezer to delight me some future weekend.

Sunday dinner was the highlight as usual: fettuccine and meatballs in a marinara with garlic bread on the side. Our veg: roasted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red onion, bacon, and garlic tossed with red pepper flakes and parmesan.

When pressed for time, I rely on a simple preparation for baked fish fillets, in this case, flounder. Squirt lemon juice all over, sprinkle with kosher salt and Aleppo pepper flakes, then top with little pads of butter. This time, I also added shichimi togarashi, a Japanese 7-spice blend. On the side, roasted broccoli, cauliflower and garlic sprinkled with parmesan.

Another one of my old faithfuls is a recipe I use when striped mullet is in the house: dredge the fillets in flour, dip in a mix of buttermilk and hot sauce, dredge in a mix of cornmeal and garlic powder, then pan fry on both sides. On the side, a nuked sweet potato—don’t forget to poke it all over with a fork before it goes in. Depending on the size, six to eight minutes should do it.

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Fri 12/10 at 12 p.m.* – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

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

Fri 12/10 at 2 p.m. – CMP Education Study Bundle | Ask Me Anything!

Join Vice President of the MPI Academy, Jessie States, CMP, CMM for a jam-packed ask me anything session on all things CMP. More info/register—possible fee for MPI non-members.

Host: MPI

Fri 12/10 at 4 p.m. – How to Have a Career Development Discussion with Your Boss

You are responsible for your own career development, not your employer nor your supervisor; therefore, you need to drive the process. A career development discussion is not just about improving your performance for the next year or setting goals for your current position. It’s about planning for the future, beyond your current position. Learn how to prepare for the career development meeting and initiate the discussion with your boss, and what to ask close out the discussion with a plan. More info/register—must join before registering.

Host: Fridays@4

Presenter: Shelly Trent, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CAE, JCTC, JCDC

Mon 12/13 at 11 a.m. – Recruitment & Retention: How to Overcome the Great Resignation

Hiring and retaining talent in the last six months has not come easy across any industry sector. Within the meetings and events space, we have found this to be particularly challenging and are constantly looking for solutions to one of the largest resignation periods seen in over a decade. Get a deep dive into what skills to look for in the talent search process to yield the best results and produce an effective recruitment effort. 0.5 CMP credit. More info/register—possible fee for MPI non-members.

Host: MPI

Presenters:

Dawn Penfold, President of Meetingjobs, a Cadre company
Nancy Snowden, M.A., Manager of Educational Experiences, MPI

Mon 12/13 at 1 p.m. – A Look Back at Conferences in 2021 (Chatting with Agnes & Cecilia)

Guest: Paul Miller

Hosts:

Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips LLC
Agnes Amos-Coleman, MBA, CMP, education, conference, event, certification consultant, Amos-Coleman

Tue 12/14 at 11 a.m. – Sustainable Web Design for Associations: How Eco-Friendly Choices Help with SEO, User Journeys & Membership Growth

Learn what digital sustainability is, how sustainable web design improves the user experience, how the pursuit of sustainable web projects produces more functional websites, and how sustainable web design drives traffic to your website. More info/register.

Host: Grype

Presenter: Tom Greenwood, Author, Web Designer and Sustainable Web Design Specialist

Tue 12/14 at 11 a.m. – Data Collection Dos and Don(u)ts

Poor data collection can keep your organization from gaining valuable marketing insights, building better customer relationships, and even increasing revenue. Hear about best practices for collecting, connecting, and securing data. Learn about web form design tips to streamline the customer experience, security best practices to keep all data safe, and how automation and smart forms can transform data collection workflows for good. More info/register.

Hosts: FormAssembly and Fíonta

Tue 12/14 at 1 p.m. – SSO for Event Registration Platforms: Easy and Secure

Your event registration portal is the first impression of your virtual conference and association, making it necessary to have a smooth login process. Consumers are used to quickly signing on with their social media and email accounts. It’s only natural for members to expect the same experience. This is where Single Sign-On (SSO) comes in handy and makes its way into your registration portal. Learn about the different ways to incorporate SSO, what to expect after you activate an SSO process, and implementation methods. More info/register.

Host: EVA

Presenter: Neeraj Garg, COO, Aplusify

Tue 12/14 at 1 p.m. – Monthly Cadence: Your Key to a Seamless Fiscal Year End

It may surprise you to know that the key to a seamless accounting year-end close is monthly cadence. But what are all the pieces required to organize your accounting? Hear about our methodology for closing the fiscal year for nonprofits. We will cover items in our Year-End Close Checklist and share our best practices for ensuring a smooth tax filing for your nonprofit or association. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters: Gerardo Martinez, Accounting Consultant, and Traci Vagnucci, Controller, The McKelvey Group

Tue 12/14 at 2 p.m. – State of the Meetings Industry 2.0 – What Planners Need to Know

As the industry shifts back to in-person events (some faster than others), it remains a confusing time for planners faced with different rules, smaller budgets, and new audience expectations. This peer-to-peer conversation will share insights, best practices, lessons learned, and favorite resources that planners can use to prepare for next year and beyond. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Meetings and Expositions Professionals Advisory Council

Presenters:

Amanda Clark, CMP, DES, Director, Meeting Operations and Engagement. ASAE
Cathy Breden, EVP & Chief Operating Officer, IAEE
Tonya Almond, VP, Knowledge and Experience Design, PCMA
Mariela McIlwraith, VP Sustainability and Industry Advancement, EIC
Jessie States, Vice President, MPI Academy, MPI
Greg Morris, Vice President, Meetings & Events, Destinations International
Charlie Jones (moderator), Chair of the ASAE Meetings & Expositions Professionals Advisory Council

Wed 12/15 at 11 a.m. – 2022 Event Trends Summit

It’s more important than ever for event professionals to stay ahead of the game. By analyzing and interpreting fresh data we can determine the most important trends for 2022. Learn how the experts believe 2022 will shape up and how you can set yourself up for success. 3 CMP credits. More info/register.

Host: EventMB

Wed 12/15 at 11 a.m. – Live Q&A: How Virtual and Hybrid Events Will Change in 2022

Hybrid events are here to stay and the multiverse is upon us. How will your virtual and hybrid events change in 2022? What should you be prepared for? Few experts have more insights on digital media and enterprise communications than our speaker. Join him for this live Q&A as he outlines his vision and recommendations for brands in 2022. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: PCMA

Presenter: Ben Chodor, President of Notified

Wed 12/15 at 12 p.m. – Virtual Idea Swap: Coaching Chapter Leaders for Success

Year after year, volunteers step up, take on chapter leadership roles, then step aside for the next set of leaders. But what if no one wants to step up? What about when things don’t go as planned? Learn about essential coaching skills for attracting new volunteers and keeping the ones we have motivated on the path to success. Come share your lessons learned, ideas tried, and solutions found. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Wed 12/15 at 1 p.m. – Stop Creeping Out Your Members: How to Connect in a New Age of Privacy Expectations (and Worthless Open Rates)

Instead of following your members, tracking what they do and then guessing what they want, what if you just asked them in real time and acted on it? That’s what American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) did to better engage their members, and it laid the groundwork for a whole new engagement strategy. Within just a few months, the AAP put together multiple campaigns that increased recruitment numbers, gathered valuable information, and inspired a list of future campaigns to further strengthen their member interactions and communications. Learn how member attitudes, needs and wants are changing and why your email open rate metric can be tossed in the trash for more meaningful measures of engagement. 1.5 CAE credits. More info/register.

Host: U.S. Transactions Corp.

Presenters:

Katy Lerman, Senior Manager, Membership Marketing & Engagement at the American Academy of Pediatrics
Brianne Wheeler, Director of Marketing at PropFuel

Wed 12/15 at 1 p.m. – Essential Social Media Strategies

Learn what social media platforms you should focus on, how to build your all-star brand on LinkedIn, how to use LinkedIn as a business insight resource, what type of articles you should be writing and commenting on, and how to become a thought leader for your A-list audience. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Presenter: social media and branding consultant Shannon Orme, owner of Pivot Consulting Group

Wed 12/15 at 2 p.m. – Association Rockstars Roundtable

We will talk about ’21 reflections, ’22 projections, and have some fun. Join the conversation on Facebook. More info/register.

Host: Association Rockstars

Presenters: Kuma Roberts, Dewan Clayborn, Amanda Messer Creel, Catherine Brown, Geof Brown, Mary Byers, CAE, Mike Moss, and Sikha Singh

Wed 12/15 at 2 p.m. – Event Trends to Watch in 2022

What can meeting professionals expect for their businesses and supplier relationships in 2022? While the future is far from crystal clear, analysts and sector experts have been digging into the data and projecting likely scenarios, trends and outcomes for the travel and meetings industry. Join us as to hear their observations, insights and projections for the year to come. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Presenters:

Beau Ballin, Vice President, Global Market Leader, CWT Meetings & Events
David Blansfield, Executive Vice President and Group Publisher, Northstar Meetings Group
Michael Shapiro (moderator), Executive Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Wed 12/15 at 2 p.m. – The Cure for the Boring Conference: How a Chicago Event Leveraged Local Resources to Engage Attendees and Raise Money for an Important Cause

A creative partnership between the American Society of Clinical Oncology, their host city Choose Chicago, and the Chicago Cubs organization resulted in a meaningful conference to raise funds for an important cause, highlighted the unique experiences in the destination and left everyone feeling better. The architects of the innovative program will share how to connect a community’s intellectual capital to the convention economy, build attendance through partnerships, and measure success for all parties. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Presenters:

Andy Blackburn, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Chicago Cubs
Mandy Davis, Vice President, Meeting Services, American Society of Clinical Oncology
Rose Horcher, Vice President, Client Services, Choose Chicago
Brad Weaber, founder and principal, Brad Weaber Consulting Group

Wed 12/15 at 5:30 p.m. – AWTC End of Year Celebration

Join Association Women Technology Champions as we celebrate the amazing women in technology in the association community. We invite association professional, industry partners, and allies to come party with us, but this year you must be fully vaccinated in order to attend our party. Please be prepared to show proof of vaccination status or your ASAE TEC event badge for entry. More info/register.

Location: Washington DC (I’ll see you there!)

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Thu 12/16 at 12 p.m. – MAACME Holiday Mixer

MAACME Chats is a virtual, one-hour, peer-to-peer conversation related to our work in continuing medical education. All health education professionals are invited to attend, regardless of your role, experience, or institution/organization. More info/register.

Host: Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Continuing Medical Education (MAACME)

Thu 12/16 at 2 p.m. – Lobbying Look Ahead: Navigating the Politics of Influence During an Election Year

With a continued highly charged political environment and a lot of uncertainty in the cards, now is the time to strategize next year’s game plan for how to get your issues noticed and over the line. Join a discussion on managing the ever-changing lobbying landscape through technology and traditional tactics, by building the team of tomorrow. Learn how to influence positive outcomes for your organization in an election year, what industry experts expect for lobbying in 2022, and tips to prepare for anticipated political and policy. More info/register.

Host: FiscalNote

Presenters:

Kate Ackleym, Senior Staff Writer, CQ Roll Call
Maia Hunt Estes, Co-chair Defense and Appropriations Practice Group, Invariant
Cristina Antelo, CEO, Ferox Strategies
Stewart Verdery, CEO, Monument Advocacy

Fri 12/17 at 12 p.m. – EventTech Chat

A weekly conversation about meeting and event technology, including software, hardware, and audiovisual for in-person and online events. More info/register.

Host: Brandt Krueger, founder Event Technology Consulting

Fri 12/17 at 4 p.m. – Open Networking-Ugly Sweater Party

Host: Fridays@4

Tue 12/21 at 12 p.m. – Crunch and Munch Monthly Chat

Join a discussion session featuring different questions from our community and helping each other with best practice sharing and idea generation. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council

Tue 12/21 at 12:30 p.m. – Meetings of Membership Minds

These impromptu, casual discussions about membership concepts, issues, and challenges are conducted live online and open to membership professionals to comment and offer insights. More info/register.

Hosts: Dan Ratner, The Business of Membership, and Scott Oser, Scott Oser Associates

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Creative Commons photo by Tim Mossholder via Unsplash

Quick hits

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