Association Brain Food

Association Brain Food: 2.14.25

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

AI career coach. Tony Case at WorkLife reports on an emerging trend: AI-powered career coaches. Large companies can afford these tools, but what about small companies or professionals who work for themselves or are in between jobs? I spy an opportunity for associations: provide these AI tools and funnel users into your educational and credentialing programs.

Licensing. A new book, The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong, could revive the simmering conversation about licensing. In his Wall Street Journal review, Alex Tabarrok calls for voluntary certification, describing licensing as a broken system ripe for reimagining and reform.

Association SEO course. Earn up to 5 CAE credits by taking the SEO for Associations Certificate Course at Association Academy. Learn about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) at your own pace in five one-hour on-demand lessons that cover the important elements of SEO for association websites. This course describes immediate steps and long-term strategies that will help your association attract more website traffic by improving your ranking with Google, Bing, and other search engines. Save $50 with the promo code BRAINFOOD.

AMS selection. If you’re in the AMS selection process, you need this list from Ellipsis Partners of questions that will “ferret out” the “dark secrets and strange loopholes in even the most advanced systems.” These questions address issues that affect the member experience, security, data integrity, e-commerce, training and support, reporting, data migration, upgrades, and costs.

Member experience. Fíonta suggests applying the core principles of a good online user experience (UX) to help members take advantage of benefits. In the second post of this series, they explain how UX research helps you evaluate how usable, useful, and user-centric your member experience really is and how to use that research to improve the member experience.

Onboarding. An effective onboarding experience helps a new member figure out how to take full advantage of their membership and increases the likelihood they’ll renew. Becky Pierson Davidson describes the onboarding practices of for-profit product communities that you should steal for your new members.

Membership renewals. re:Members (formerly Impexium) dives deep into proven strategies for membership renewals. They also cover membership metrics, the difference between retention and renewal, reasons members don’t renew, and, best of all, solutions for your association’s renewal challenges.

Snacks

10 event strategies that Gen Z (and other first-timers) will appreciate. | Danica Tormohlen, Corporate Event News

Why is everyone suddenly reading Middlemarch? Quick thoughts on the rise of interest in the classic works of western literature. | Sean Sullivan

I read Middlemarch a few years ago and can vouch for its magnificence. If you love the classics, let me tell you about Substack book groups. Right now, I’m doing a slow read of War and Peace (my second read of this fantastic book), The Divine Comedy (my first time), and a few others. Simon Haisell (my War and Peace guide) keeps a list of Substack book groups.

You never grow old at the table

A simple soup to make on a weeknight: caldo verde, a traditional Portuguese recipe. I made it this time with andouille and kale, pureed about half the sausage, and reserved the rest for a garnish. On the side, cauliflower cheesy “bread.”

For a Superbowl gathering of Eagles fans, I went for the green by making pesto pasta salad. I don’t have a recipe for this one, just a list of ingredients: bowtie pasta, basil pesto, mozzarella balls, shredded parmesan, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, corn, carrot, cuke, broccoli florets, sweet onion, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.

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

Note: Per ASAE, “any continuing professional education offered by any professional entity may be accepted toward the [CAE] professional development requirement as long as it is directly related to either association or nonprofit management as defined by the CAE exam content outline.”

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

Fri 2/14 at 11 a.m.* – Give Your LinkedIn Profile Some Love

Learn how to craft a profile that helps you achieve your goals—whether it’s landing a new role, building your network, or showcasing your expertise. Hear what works and what doesn’t, and take advantage of live critiques. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Danielle Duran Baron, Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Industry Relations, School Nutrition Association
Jen Lewi, Founder & CEO, Design Your Next Step

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

Fri 2/14 at 11 a.m. – Strategic Speaking: How to Approach Your Speaking Based on Your Goals

Part lesson, part dissection of real examples, you’ll learn what works and what you can do to leverage speaking BEYOND the occasional talk, all so you can stand out easier, resonate deeper, and spark action that builds your business. More info/register.

Host: Jay Acunzo

Mon 2/17 at 8 a.m. – Civic Engagement & Sports Tourism (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Every week, Rogue Tulips brings the nonprofit community intriguing guests discussing vital topics affecting nonprofit organizations around the world—and we have fun doing it! Episodes are published Monday mornings in both audio and video format, available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast (to name a few!).

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Gregg Caren, President & CEO of the Philadelphia CVB

Tue 2/18 at 10 a.m. – Navigating the Impact on Associations from New Executive Orders

Hear a detailed analysis of President Trump’s executive orders and their potential implications for associations. Learn how these directives may influence your organization’s strategic priorities, member services, and advocacy efforts. Get actionable insights and strategies to help association leaders navigate this evolving regulatory environment effectively. More info/register (free for ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Julia E. Judish, Special Counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Craig J. Saperstein, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA, FASAE, CAE (moderator), CEO, American Epilepsy Society

Tue 2/18 at 12 p.m. – Membership Growth: Eight Proven Techniques to Attract and Retain Members

Members are leaving or retiring and new members are not joining because they fail to see value, or are time deprived. Discover eight proven techniques to attract and retain members in this actionable webinar on membership growth. Learn strategies to boost engagement, increase member loyalty, and drive long-term success for your organization. More info/register.

Host: Zzeem Consulting

Tue 2/18 at 12 p.m. – CRVM February 2025 Crunch and Munch

Crunch and Munch is a chance to come together once a month with peers for a casual conversation on hot topics relevant to the component relations and volunteer management community. Come prepared to share your successes, challenges and ideas. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council

Wed 2/19 at from 9 to 11:30 a.m. CST – How Skills and Credentials Intersect with Regulation and Policy (Chicago, IL)

Hear about he increased focus on the economic value credentials provide, the relationship between economic value, outcomes data, and evolving workforce policies, and how evolving competency-based credentialing models will be at the foreground to support funding decisions to fill job vacancies. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Certification Network Group

Speakers:

Dale Cyr, MBA, CAE, CEO, Inteleos
Larry Lynch, CAE, FASAE, Sr. Vice President, Health Safety & Regulatory Services, National Restaurant Association
Roy Swift, PhD, Executive Director, Workcred
Amanda Winters, Program Director, Postsecondary Education, National Governor’s Association
Christine D. Niero, PhD (moderator), Vice President, Professional Testing, Inc.

Wed 2/19 at 11 a.m. – Confex Events: Why This Show Format Is Changing the Game

Confex events are a unique combination of conference, exhibition and, in some cases, hosted buyer meeting programs in one event. Learn why 19% of organizers either plan to run or are interested in running confex events. Listen to case studies from confex organizers. Hear what they’re doing differently and get actionable insights to use for your show. Discover how confex events will evolve and what that means for traditional event formats. More info/register.

Host: Grip

Speakers:

Marco Giberti, Founder and CEO, Vesuvio Ventures
Sophie Holt, Event Strategy Consultant and Former Managing Director, Explori
Jessica Natinsky, SVP of Group Strategy, Hyve Group

Wed 2/19 at 12 p.m. – How to Increase Member Engagement with Easy-to-Plan & Cost-Effective Online Meetups that Build Community

Hear how to create meaningful, community-driven experiences that build connections and keep members coming back. Learn what makes an online meetup different from a webinar, five secret ingredients for engaging meetups that foster collaboration, how to build community and peer connections, and budget-friendly strategies. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: GrowthZone

Speaker: online meeting expert Leona D. Scott

Wed 2/19 at 12 p.m. – Spotting Financial Risks in Nonprofits: A Guide to Red Flags and Best Practices

learn how to identify red flags in nonprofit financial management, including financial statements, audits, and policies, that may indicate underlying risks. By exploring scenarios, attendees will gain the skills to proactively address financial concerns, ensure compliance, and promote organizational sustainability. More info/register.

Host: Your Part-Time Controller

Wed 2/19 at 1 p.m. – Navigating 2025: Trends Transforming Events and Hospitality

Hear about the transformative trends that will shape the event and hospitality landscape in 2025, including the importance of field marketing events to drive business growth, how unique venues are becoming the go-to choices for unforgettable experiences, the power of AI to unlock personalization and the full potential of your event, how accessibility technologies are empowering planners to create more inclusive events, and the focus on data privacy across hospitality to ensure compliance. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Kevin Carr, Vice President Sales, Hospitality Cloud, Cvent

Wed 2/19 at 2 p.m. – Developing Learner Personas with Member Insights

Learn how VPPPA transformed their approach to member feedback—shifting from traditional surveys to conversational engagement. Discover how VPPPA uncovered what members truly want in events and professional development while building deeper member profiles and personalizing experiences. More info/register.

Host: PropFuel

Wed 2/19 at 2:30 p.m. – Key Tips for Negotiating Attrition

Hear tips for proactively negotiating guestroom, food & beverage and meeting space attrition damages, and actionable strategies to minimize financial risks and maximize flexibility. More info/register.

Host: Heather Reid, founder, Planner Protect

Wed 2/19 from 3:30 to 5:20 p.m. CST – Toast to Tech with AWTC (Chicago, IL)

This session combines wine tasting with an engaging exploration of the latest technology trends shaping associations. Participants will sip curated wine flights, with each wine representing a major trend (e.g., AI, automation, innovation). The relaxed atmosphere fosters open dialogue, collaboration, and creativity around how these trends can impact association operations, member engagement, and events. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Thu 2/20 at 10 a.m. – Planning a Successful Website Redesign from RFP to Launch

Is a website redesign in your future? Learn how to get started, budget for a redesign, get the best results, design your RFP, and choose the best partner. More info/register.

Host: Results Direct

Speakers: Laura Graham, Sr. Solutions Consultant, and Cecilia Satovich, Executive VP, Results Direct

Thu 2/20 at 12 p.m. – Building Trust Through Ethics: Best Practices for Association Professionals

Ethical behavior is crucial for building trust and the foundation of relationships with members, donors, volunteers and other stakeholders in associations. Learn about ethical standards and decision-making frameworks, the codes of ethics and their impact on associations, and how these codes serve as essential guidelines for maintaining integrity, transparency, and accountability. More info/register.

Host: Association Xchange

Speaker: Shawna Strickland, PhD, CAE, Associate Executive Director, Programs, American Epilepsy Society

Thu 2/20 at 12:30 p.m. – Future-Proof Your Continuing Education Program: Maximize Member Engagement and Revenue Growth

Hear about the trends shaping the future of continuing education and member engagement, best practices for designing and streamlining CE programs that boost retention and deliver ongoing value to learners, and strategies for using data-driven insights to enhance learner engagement and track progress. 0.5 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: .orgCommunity

Speakers: Evan Burton, Head of Growth, and Emily Leary, VP of Customer Success, BenchPrep

Thu 2/20 at 1 p.m. – AI Tools To Level Up Your Membership Marketing

Learn about powerful AI tools designed for modern marketing challenges, automation techniques to streamline marketing workflows and increase efficiency, strategies to enhance personalization and engagement across platforms, AI-driven solutions to optimize advertising performance and ROI, and actionable techniques to elevate communications and connect with diverse audiences. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Eric McDonald, CEO at Rasa.IO

Thu 2/20 at 1 p.m. – Where Should IT Report?

Learn about the importance of the visibility of IT within an association, positioning IT as a strategic partner to the C-suite, and how IT is impacted by and can in turn influence organizational culture. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

Dave Coriale, CAE, President, DelCor Technology Solutions
Reggie Henry, CAE, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer, ASAE

Thu 2/20 at 1 p.m. – The Impact of Delayed Retirement on Your Association’s Bottom-Line

The conundrum between employee’s retirement savings, the need for financial benefits and the ever-growing costs of healthcare impact associations whether you’re retaining a productive workforce or one that simply can’t retire. Hear about the current benefits employees are looking for from their employers, how to exceed their expectations and needs, the effect of retirement benefits on retaining and attracting staff, the impact of managing an aging workforce and climbing healthcare costs, which financial benefits can help you meet your employees’ expectations and better prepare them to retire timely while reducing healthcare costs, how you can get a customized projection of your employee’s retirement readiness, and balancing financial goals and spending on benefits. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Speaker: Shelly Howard-Horwitz, AIF, CPFA, Managing Director of World Investment Advisors

Thu 2/20 at 2 p.m. – Future of Association Boards Community Dialogue

More info/register.

Host: Jeff De Cagna, Executive Advisor, Foresight First

Thu 2/20 at 4 p.m. – Transform Your Sponsorship Strategy: Data-Driven Ideas to Boost Non-Dues Revenue

Learn how to harness data insights to develop new and compelling sponsorship opportunities that resonate with both your audience and potential sponsors. Discover the essential metrics and KPIs to track the success of your sponsorship initiatives, ensuring you can demonstrate clear ROI and impact. Master techniques for using data-driven narratives to effectively convince sponsors of the value and benefits of investing in your innovative sponsorship ideas. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Reston Loudoun Swap

Speakers:

Barbara J. Armentrout, Founder and Key Principal, BJA Solutions for Associations
Joe Colangelo, Co-Founder and CEO, Bear Analytics
Vinnu Deshetty, Event ROI Coach

Fri 2/21 at 1 p.m. – Creating Learner-Centric eLearning: Design Strategies That Drive Real Results

Hear about the essential principles of learner-centric design that boost engagement and retention; practical techniques to tailor content to your learners’ unique needs, preferences, and challenges; strategies for building interactive, accessible, and inclusive courses that reflect adult learning best practices; and key tools and technologies that support a learner-first approach to course development. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Blue Sky eLearn

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

Fri 2/21 at 2 p.m. – Why Your Data Matters & What You Can Do With It

Learn how to harness your association’s data and build a culture of analytics to help drive strategic decisions, enhance member experiences, and unlock new opportunities for growth. Hear about real-world examples for leveraging data from your email marketing, community, AMS, educational programs, and more. Explore ways to use your data to monitor your organization’s health and performance, improve segmentation and personalization, identify member needs, trigger helpful automations, and deepen member engagement. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Higher Logic

Speakers:

Christin Berry, CAE, VP, Business Analytics & Data Services, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
David Jovel, Sales Engineering Director, Higher Logic

Fri 2/21 at 3 p.m. – Nonprofit Consultants Collaborative Monthly Networking Meeting

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

Tue 2/25 at 11 a.m. – Deep Dive: 2025 Membership Performance Benchmark Report

Get a deep dive into the 2025 Membership Performance Benchmark Report, which surveyed 200+ association and membership professionals worldwide. Hear about the latest industry trends on strategies, engagement tactics, membership growth secrets, and cross-generational insights, including the top three tactics your peers are using to recruit new members, the #1 method to win back lapsed members, and the impact of a formal member engagement plan. More info/register.

Host: ASI

Tue 2/25 at 11 a.m. – Identity-Driven Leadership: Harnessing Self-Identity for Effective Influence

Discover how aligning your leadership style with your core identity can transform your ability to inspire and influence others. Explore the power of authenticity in leadership, and how self-awareness and values-based actions build trust and foster stronger team connections. Learn to identify the key elements of your leadership identity and uncover practical strategies for leading with consistency and transparency. Walk away with actionable insights to immediately enhance your authenticity and impact as a leader. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Austin Campbell, Leadership Doctor

Tue 2/25 at 12 p.m. – Black Women in Association Tech. How Did They Do It?

Join us for an inspiring and candid discussion about the journeys of Black women in association technology, including how they navigated their careers, overcame obstacles, and made their mark in the industry. Our panel will share their experiences, insights, and advice for those looking to thrive in the association tech space. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Chantal Almonord, CAE, Chief Information & Engagement Officer, ISPOR
Monica Pemberton, Vice President and CIO, American Council on Education

Wed 2/26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Marketing Technology Demo Day

Are you 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? Choose to attend any or all 30-minute demo sessions in this free event for members and non-members who are interested in learning how associations can use marketing tools to better deliver communications. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Participants: Alley Interactive, Blend Interactive, Aplusify, Higher Logic, HubSpot, Rasa.io, Clowder by ASI, Kitaboo by BookIt Digital

Wed 2/26 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Meet & Greet

Connect with new faces in the association tech community! Join us for a 30-minute welcome event to forge fresh connections and discover our vibrant slack community. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 2/26 at 12 p.m. – Planning Your Best Yet Corporate Retreat

A retreat is a huge investment in time and money, so how can you keep focused on the goals of the offsite without distraction? Learn how to avoid the biggest mistakes and challenges of planning an executive retreat, create an environment that is conducive to team learning, and the tough questions you should ask. More info/register.

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Dwayne Rutherford, Corporate Event Planner, and Randall Craig, Hall of Fame Business Speaker and Retreat Facilitator

Wed 2/26 at 1 p.m. – Unlock the Power of Marketing AI

Discover how marketing AI tools can transform your organization’s marketing and communications strategies and workflows. Hear about practical AI solutions you can start using immediately, with a focus on tools designed to streamline marketing processes and drive efficiency. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Erica Salm Rench, MBA, CMO at Sidecar

Wed 2/26 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. – Chapter & Component Relations: Challenges Are Opportunities (Arlington VA)

Associations have a great asset in their chapter and component networks but there is always a challenge in balancing the tensions that exist between chapter and association. Learn how to find opportunities to help your organization’s chapter and component networks thrive. We’ll discuss relationship management, “soft skills” that help build strong networks, and how to create an opportunity mindset. 1 CAE credit. Location: Arlington VA. More info/register.

Host: Rogue Tulips Consulting

Thu 2/27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – How to Design a Product Portfolio

Learn how to organize, position, and leverage your association offerings to identify patterns, tease out new opportunities, and better serve your members. Find out how to root out needless duplication and create efficiencies so you can better design, develop, and get new products to market. More info/register.

Host: James Young, founder, Product Community

Thu 2/27 from 3 to 6 p.m. – 2025 AWTC Awards Ceremony & Reception (Washington DC)

Join us to celebrate AWTC’s Awards winners with a pre-social and post-networking event recognizing women in association technology. Location: Washington DC. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

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

Public domain painting, Niagara by Frederic Edwin Church, 1857 via Wikimedia Commons

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Association Brain Food: 2.7.25

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

“The voice of beauty speaks softly; it creeps only into the most fully awakened souls.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

Social events. Here’s a problem your association can solve. “Everyone wants to attend parties, but no one wants to throw them.” Ellen Cushing at The Atlantic says Americans need to party more. “We are obligated to create the social world we want.” Do your members want more social events? Ask them and, while you’re at it, bring up the next article’s topic.

Anti-social behavior. Jedidajah Otte at The Guardian explains why many people no longer host parties: guests who neither reply to invites nor show up. She says, “People feel they don’t owe anyone anything.” Flaking out has become accepted behavior because of the “fetishization of introversion.”

Ugh, this behavior is lame, selfish, childish, and rude. Using introversion as a crutch for avoiding people and discomfort is a path to weakness and softness, a loser’s life. Yeah, I said it and I’m an introvert, so I get how tempting room service or a good book is when a reception or social outing is on the agenda. But I’m an adult who understands this: people are the whole point of life.

The article went into other reasons for not showing up, but these negative character traits get under my skin because I dread living in a society where this is acceptable behavior.

What does this have to do with associations? Know what you’re up against. This behavior has always existed, but I fear it’s more prevalent in young people now. Have conversations with volunteers and staff about how you can all set an example for others. Make social and educational events more conducive to conversation—plenty of online resources offer advice on facilitating interaction and connection.

Association SEO course. Earn up to 5 CAE credits by taking the SEO for Associations Certificate Course. Learn about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) at your own pace in five one-hour on-demand lessons that cover the important elements of SEO for association websites. This course describes immediate steps and long-term strategies that will help your association attract more website traffic by improving your ranking with Google, Bing, and other search engines. Save $50 with the promo code BRAINFOOD.

AMS selection. If you’re embarking on an AMS project, start your research by reviewing 108 Ideaspace’s list of issues to consider when selecting an association management system (AMS), such as reporting, security, API, technology partners, access control, cost of ownership, vendor stability, and the ability to expand software capabilities as your needs change.

Vendor acquisitions. Over the years, we’ve seen lots of outside players buy or invest in association technology firms. Michael Butera describes the challenges arising from the entry of these venture capitalists into the association space and ways your association can mitigate these risks.

Product development. Joan Westenberg found the formula for making “something people give a shit about.” She also shares examples of companies who built successful products but lost sight of what made them great.

Microlearning. eLearningDOC explains why microlearning is an ideal learning format for busy professionals and how to add it to your association’s education portfolio.

Coaching volunteer leaders. Providing effective volunteer training without veering into information overwhelm is tricky, but not when you have Mariner Management & Marketing at your side. They provide helpful tips for creating a 12-month training strategy so each volunteer receives the right amount of learning at their moment of need.

Employee onboarding. Cloey Callahan at WorkLife describes some of the upskilling challenges faced by companies when onboarding employees who are new to the workplace. Associations, how can you help member employers? I’ve got a couple of ideas: industry jump-start courses and early-career microcredentials/digital badges.

Snack pack

How to ensure your association’s communications cut through the inbox clutter. | Sarah Sain, CAE, Naylor Association Solutions

The power of personalized member engagement: why it’s critical for associations and how to get started. | Sherry Budziak, .orgSource

Five data-backed methods to improve your association’s marketing | Brianna Martin, Mighty Citizen via ASAE

Never use American Express for test purchases. | Mike Stelzner, Social Media Examiner & Social Media Marketing World

The advantages of psychographics over demographics and ways to gather them. | Liz Willits, Content Phenom

How to raise readers, in 35 steps. | Brad East, Front Porch Republic

You never grow old at the table

My BJ’s now sells 2# packs of frozen RI calamari so I’ve vowed to keep one always on hand. We enjoyed calamari in tomato sauce with fettuccine. I added bacon and tomato paste to the sauce and used puréed whole tomatoes instead of stewed, plus I doubled the sauce recipe so we had enough to toss with pasta.

On the side, garlic bread made from leftover cheesesteak rolls, plus a green bean sauté with mushrooms, bacon, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and chives.

An old favorite: creamy salmon piccata, which I adapted by using onion instead of shallots and evaporated milk instead of heavy cream.

The bonus of making the Christmas turkey in your kitchen: leftover turkey in the freezer. I used a few cups of it to make this delicious turkey pot pie. The only change I made was skipping the mushrooms. On the side, halves of a nuked sweet potato and broccoli roasted with red onion and garlic powder.

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

Fri 2/7 at 12:30 p.m.* – Legalese with the Ladies: What Washington Has in Store for Events in 2025

Hear how the changing political landscape could shake up the events industry. More info/register.

Host: HopSkip

Speakers:

Kelly Bagnall, Partner, Holland & Knight
Barbara Dunn, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg
Joel Roberson, Partner, Holland & Knight

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

Mon 2/10 at 8 a.m. – The Dangers of Overcommitting (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Kelsey Casselbury, SHRM

Mon 2/10 at 12 p.m. – Membership Monday

Hear about an innovative member onboarding program designed to carefully curate the initial 90 days of a member’s journey with your organization. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Speaker: Kerri McGovern, MPP, CAE, Senior Director, Membership, Association of Corporate Counsel

Tue 2/11 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesday: Inside the Minds of CIOs

In today’s fast-paced tech landscape, CIOs face unique challenges and opportunities that shape their strategic decisions. Explore critical issues such as cybersecurity threats, the transformative power of AI and automation, and the complexities of cloud computing. Hear about the future of work for association professionals and how CIOs are leveraging data analytics to drive innovation and enhance member value. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Facilitators: Reggie Henry, ASAE and David Coriale, DelCor

Tue 2/11 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ 2025 Community Call

Host: ASAE LGBTQ Association Executives and Supporters

Tue 2/11 at 1 p.m. – How to Future-Proof Your Organization

Discover how evolving member expectations and behaviors are reshaping organizational priorities and strategies. Learn to recognize and analyze key metrics that impact member engagement and loyalty. Receive practical tips for future-proofing your organization, with a focus on daily, monthly, and yearly initiatives that drive lasting impact. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Forj

Speaker: Sarah Sladek, CEO of XYZ University

Wed 2/12 at 11 a.m. – The Keys to Marketing Across Generations in 2025

Discover how tech adoption timing influences everything from trust to buying cycles, and learn about the different ways generations approach content consumption and purchasing decisions. Explore self-education styles and the psychology behind it all. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Sam Bush, Partner Marketing Manager, Netstock
Kate Coffey-Bacon, VP of Marketing and Events, US Transactions Corporation/UST Education
Mary Miller, Director of Marketing, PayTrace

Wed 2/12 at 12 p.m. – How Cross-Team Collaboration Can Unlock Untapped Revenue

Breaking down silos between departments can unlock hidden revenue potential, drive engagement, and future-proof your association’s financial health. Learn how to foster cross-departmental collaboration to create new revenue opportunities. Hear lessons from for-profit businesses that associations can leverage to diversify revenue. Learn how to measure success and ensure alignment between revenue goals and member engagement. More info/register.

Host: WorkerBee.TV

Speakers:

Sue Marchese, VP of Marketing Strategy at ASAE
Marcus Leite, Director, Sales and Marketing, WorkerBee.TV

Wed 2/12 at 1 p.m. – Authenticity in an AI-Driven World: How to Stand Out Without Selling Out

Learn how to optimize your digital presence for AI-powered search without sacrificing institutional voice. Hear how to create content strategies that preserve institutional voice while optimizing for AI, implement technical optimizations for enhanced visibility in AI search, apply proven strategies from real-world AI search success stories, build scalable frameworks for consistent, high-impact content, and put an exclusive optimization guide to work immediately. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers: University of Iowa CMO Ali Yildirim and Everspring CMO Michael Bell

Wed 2/12 at 2 p.m. – Navigating Data Privacy Laws

Hear about the latest data privacy legislation and practical considerations for responsibly collecting and managing attendee data. Learn about the key components of new data privacy laws and their impact on event planning, best practices for collecting, storing and using attendee data while maintaining compliance, and upcoming AI regulations and their potential effects on event data. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speaker: Jill Joerling Blood, Vice President and Lead Legal Counsel, Maritz

Thu 2/13 at 12:30 p.m. – When the Government Comes Knocking at Your Nonprofit’s Door—How to Be Prepared and What to Do

Although it is difficult to accurately predict what practices will cause the government to issue a demand, send a subpoena, or come knocking at the door, organizations can take concrete steps to help ensure they are prepared should that day come. Learn how to help ensure your nonprofit is prepared to respond to document and investigative demands before they happen, including best practices for business communications and document retention. More info/register.

Host: Venable LLP

Speakers: Kan M. Nawaday and Mary M. Gardner, Partners, Venable LLP

Thu 2/13 at 1 p.m. – The Path to Learning Business Maturity

Learning businesses must take their operations to a new level of maturity in order to thrive. Learn about the Tagoras Learning Business Maturity Model, its components, and, most importantly, how learning businesses can—and do—implement the model in a way that puts them on a clear, measurable path to greater maturity and, by extension, greater reach, revenue, and impact. More info/register.

Host: Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele of Tagoras

Thu 2/13 at 1 p.m. – Unleash Your Personal Brand: Transform Your Personality Into a Competitive Edge

Learn how to identify, shape, and promote your unique personal brand. By leveraging your authentic personality traits and core values, find out how to differentiate yourself and create a powerful narrative that resonates with your audience—whether you’re looking to enhance your career, build a business, or expand your professional network. Discover how to turn your personality into a competitive advantage that drives both personal and professional success. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

Thu 2/13 at 1 p.m. – Marketing Automation in 2025: The Hits, The Misses, and The Opportunities

Are your marketing automation workflows truly driving results, or are they stuck in surface-level tactics? Hear about marketing automation trends, challenges, and untapped opportunities that will define 2025. From multi-channel customer journey orchestration to AI-driven optimization, this session will provide actionable strategies and practical frameworks to elevate your automation success. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers: Jennifer Blanco, Head of Customer Marketing, and Kat Geivett, Head of Marketing, Act-On Software

Thu 2/13 at 2 p.m. – Elite Performance Tips for Managing Attendee Energy

Learn how to design an agenda to maximize engagement and retention. Get tips for menus that keep people alert and wellness activities that everyone will appreciate. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speakers:

Jess Garza
David Stevens, co-founder of Olympian Meetings

Thu 2/13 at 3 p.m. – Association Chat Insider Weekly Recap

Come together with the association community to chat about the hot topics that matter most. Our meetings are a safe space: no recordings, no live streams—just real, raw conversations. Want to explore what’s buzzing in the association world? This is your weekly chance to connect, share, and learn from one another. More info/register.

Host: KiKi L’Italien, Editor-in-Chief, Association Chat, and VP of Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M

Thu 2/13 at 3 p.m. – AI Trends for the New Year: A Practical Guide

Explore the top AI trends set to make waves in the coming year. Hear what these trends mean for associations and share practical tips on how to use AI to boost member engagement, simplify your operations, and stay ahead of the game. Learn how to make the most of these emerging tools. More info/register.

Host: Member Lounge

Speaker: Farhad Khan, CEO & Membership Strategist, Member Lounge

Thu 2/13 at 3 p.m. – Membership Management: How to Boost Engagement and Retention

What’s the cost of losing a single member? For associations and organizations, it’s more than just revenue—it’s lost opportunities for growth and community impact. Learn what truly drives engagement and retention and get practical strategies tailored to your members’ needs. Hear from experts who’ve cracked the code on creating value, fostering loyalty, and turning members into advocates. More info/register.

Host: NXUnite by Nexus Marketing Agency

Speakers:

Cameron Curtis, President & Chief Innovator at C2 Association Strategies
Thomas McClintock, Senior Client Services Manager at Empowered Margins
Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President at Marketing General Incorporated
Bryan White, Chief Growth Officer & Chief Consultant at Bostrom

Fri 2/14 at 11 a.m. – Give Your LinkedIn Profile Some Love

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Danielle Duran Baron, Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Industry Relations, School Nutrition Association
Jen Lewi, Founder & CEO, Design Your Next Step

Wed 2/19 at from 9 to 11:30 a.m. CST – How Skills and Credentials Intersect with Regulation and Policy (Chicago, IL)

Host: Certification Network Group

Speakers:

Dale Cyr, MBA, CAE, CEO, Inteleos
Larry Lynch, CAE, FASAE, Sr. Vice President, Health Safety & Regulatory Services, National Restaurant Association
Roy Swift, PhD, Executive Director, Workcred
Amanda Winters, Program Director, Postsecondary Education, National Governor’s Association
Christine D. Niero, PhD (moderator), Vice President, Professional Testing, Inc.

Wed 2/19 at 2 p.m. – Developing Learner Personas with Member Insights

Host: PropFuel

Wed 2/19 from 3:30 to 5:20 p.m. CST – Toast to Tech with AWTC (Chicago, IL)

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Thu 2/20 at 10 a.m. – Planning a Successful Website Redesign from RFP to Launch

Is a website redesign in your future? Learn how to get started, budget for a redesign, get the best results, design your RFP, and choose the best partner. More info/register.

Host: Results Direct

Speakers: Laura Graham, Sr. Solutions Consultant, and Cecilia Satovich, Executive VP, Results Direct

Thu 2/20 at 12 p.m. – Building Trust Through Ethics: Best Practices for Association Professionals

Host: Association Xchange

Speaker: Shawna Strickland, PhD, CAE, Associate Executive Director, Programs, American Epilepsy Society

Thu 2/20 at 12:30 p.m. – Future-Proof Your Continuing Education Program: Maximize Member Engagement and Revenue Growth

Host: .orgCommunity

Speakers: Evan Burton, Head of Growth, and Emily Leary, VP of Customer Success, BenchPrep

Thu 2/20 at 1 p.m. – AI Tools To Level Up Your Membership Marketing

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Eric McDonald, CEO at Rasa.IO

Thu 2/20 at 4 p.m. – Transform Your Sponsorship Strategy: Data-Driven Ideas to Boost Non-Dues Revenue

Host: ASAE Reston Loudoun Swap

Speakers:

Barbara J. Armentrout, Founder and Key Principal, BJA Solutions for Associations
Joe Colangelo, Co-Founder and CEO, Bear Analytics
Vinnu Deshetty, Event ROI Coach

Fri 2/21 at 2 p.m. – Why Your Data Matters & What You Can Do With It

Host: Higher Logic

Speakers:

Christin Berry, CAE, VP, Business Analytics & Data Services, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
David Jovel, Sales Engineering Director, Higher Logic

Creative Commons licensed photo by Stephen Ellis via Unsplash

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Association Brain Food: 1.31.25

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

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” —Dr. Seuss

Association survey. MGI’s 2025 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey is closing next Friday. I strongly encourage your association’s participation. I use data from MGI’s survey report more than any other research in our space. For the 17^th edition of the survey, they’ve added questions on AI, workforce development, and generational changes. Want to make a case for resources or for celebrating your success? Then please add your association’s data to this research.

Writers and AI. Ok, this one is self-serving, but factual. Craig Guillot, a fellow freelance writer, explains why human writers are superior to ChatGPT and other AI tools. I’ll add one more reason: many writers have been in your client’s (or member’s) shoes. They truly understand your target audience’s experiences and emotions. An AI tool can’t replicate that.

Online learning strategy. D2L describes how to design and implement an effective online learning strategy, including its vision and purpose, necessary resources and expertise, success criteria, communication plan, and assessment.

Social media for associations. Amanda Brahlek at Parthenon Management Group shares a useful review of social media platforms, metrics, and trends, with a focus on Bluesky. Social media is ever-changing. She offers advice for using social to achieve marketing and sales goals and describes the problems associations might encounter.

Career centers. Elizabeth Engel of Spark Consulting describes career center challenges associations are facing—and improvements to consider. She shares the calculations every association must make about programs, products, and services.

Young professionals. YM Careers provides advice for attracting young people to your association and keeping them close by delivering the value they need. They explain how to help Gen Z connect with employers, find jobs, jump-start their careers, and make career decisions.

The looming membership cliff. Demographic shifts and private equity are putting pressure on traditional membership models. Joanna Pineda of Matrix Group International describes strategies for mitigating the membership cliff.

Membership strategy. With competition from for-profits, online networks, and tech-driven platforms, Kim Davies at Naylor offers a more innovative and data-driven membership blueprint to help associations thrive.

Snacks

A little nerdy, but need-to-know info for marketers… what’s the difference between Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? | David Myers, Nexus Marketing Agency

Something fundamental has changed that makes it more difficult to get event marketing messages in front of members, customers, and prospects. | Mike Stelzner

You never grow old at the table

I never tire of pork with cranberry-herb sauce, maybe because of my native Bristol County MA love for cranberries—and it’s a snap to put together. On the side, “baked” sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli with red onion and garlic powder. Confession: I nuked the sweet potatoes for about eight minutes after piercing them all over with the tip of a knife—saves a lot of time.

Boy, this was good: Peruvian roasted chicken with spicy cilantro sauce—put the link into this archive site to get behind the NYT paywall. Don’t let the hard-to-find chile paste ingredients put you off. I used sriracha for the aji amarillo paste and ancho for the pasilla chile powder. I only used four bone-in thighs but made the full amount of sauce since it’s good on everything.

My husband, his family, and some framily are from southern New Jersey, so I live amidst Eagles “phanatics.” We had the whole crew over on Sunday to watch the game and eat cheesesteaks at half time. We found two-pound packages of thinly sliced beef at BJ’s, which saved us lots of slicing time.

Before everyone arrived, I spread the beef on two sheet pans and convection cooked them about five minutes, until just done. I sauteed onions, sweet bell peppers, and mushrooms in separate batches. Just before halftime, I nuked each bowl toppings and heated the meat on the stove with a bit of beef broth and Worcester (4:1 ratio). Then, I put two sheet pans of BJ’s grinder rolls topped with cheese into a low oven to toast and melt. Everyone made their own sandwiches with whatever toppings they wanted. The cheesesteaks were a big hit—and much more satisfying than cold deli meat sandwiches.

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

Mon 2/3 at 8 a.m.* – How are Associations Like Planet of the Apes? (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Carl Weaver, Broken Column Press

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

Mon 2/3 at 1 p.m. – Building Association Large Language Models

Learn how ASAE implemented Stellar, the LLM trained on association management content. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the entire process, from concept to execution, including: initial exploration; identifying organizational needs and aligning them with AI capabilities; clarifying strategy, goals and KPIs; garnering buy-in, both on an individual and organization level; legal considerations; technology behind the tool; day-to-day management; and how Stellar is driving innovation and delivering value to members. 1 CAE credit. More info/register (free for ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Johanna Gundlach, Chief Operating Officer, Betty Bot
Reggie Henry, CAE, Chief Information & Performance Excellence, ASAE
Truman Towle, Data Analyst, ASAE

Tue 2/4 at 11 a.m. – Authentic, Trusted Content in an Era of Uncertainty

In an era of AI and unreliable news, there’s an opportunity for associations and other organizations to step into the gap as trusted sources for content. Learn about the principles of this approach and see examples of content that can be trusted. By tapping into a network of staff, members, clients, and partners, organizations can craft content in a variety of formats that is authentic and will serve to attract others. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jay S. Daughtry, M.Ed., Chief Communications Officer/Owner at CQbd

Tue 2/4 at 12 p.m. – AI Adoption, Training and Tools (Data Analytics Network)

What AI tools are you using? How are organizations managing adoption and training? Let’s assume you haven’t looked at the AI policy you created last year! Come hear AI strategies from your fellow association executives. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Tue 2/4 at 12 p.m. – Business Growth Hacking Lab

To grow your membership and non-dues revenue to the next level, what changes must be made in marketing, tech, people, and business development? How are you assessing the ROI of your current investments: events, email database, website, social media, and CRM? Learn about journey-mapping, connecting the funnel, and the use of content and tech to drive inbound marketing—from digital/real-world interactions through marketing automation, CRM, and operational delivery. Hear about past client recapture, “land and expand,” referral strategies, and best practice proposal and pitch tactics. More info/register.

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Tue 2/4 at 1 p.m. – How to Win: Be a Category of One (Leadership for SMBs and Entrepreneurs)

Learn how to become a Category of One where you win by not competing and following principles, such as: Work on Yourself, Build Organizational Culture, Use Atomic Habits, Focus on a Niche, and Create a Compelling Saga. Discover strategies to position your organization as a “category of one” and unlock new leadership potential. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, UST

Wed 2/5 at 12 p.m. – The Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing

Membership marketing has witnessed continual innovations over the years. However, many associations still experience challenges in sustaining thriving membership. Research data and experience highlight the barriers that hold back growth. We call these the Seven Deadly Sins of Membership Marketing. Learn how to identify and overcome them as Tony Rossell discusses his new book of the same name. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: AIOT

Speaker: Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President, Marketing General Inc. (MGI)

Wed 2/5 from 12 to 2 p.m. – Building the Executive AI Playbook: How AI Will Power Your Association into the Future (Arlington VA)

AI presents many opportunities to enhance member engagement, employee engagement, revenue, risk mitigation, and more. In this workshop exclusively for association executives, learn how associations are using AI today, key risks and opportunities to explore, and how to incorporate AI into your strategic vision. Location: Arlington VA. More info/register.

Host: Matrix Group

Speakers:

Heinan Landa, CEO of Optimal Networks
Joanna Pineda, CEO and Chief Troublemaker of Matrix Group International

Wed 2/5 at 12 p.m. – Mastering Media Momentum: How to Consistently Earn Coverage and Build Industry Presence

Discover how to identify compelling stories within your association that align with industry trends and member values. Learn how to develop narratives that not only capture attention but also drive media engagement, and use breaking news and current events to position your association as a thought leader in your field. From strategic pitching to cultivating strong media relationships, get actionable tips to amplify your visibility. More info/register.

Host: OnWrd & UpWrd

Speakers: Colleen Gallagher, President & CEO, and Meghan Henning, Senior PR Strategist, OnWrd & UpWrd

Wed 2/5 at 1 p.m. – Crafting Personalized Journeys for First-Year Members

Today’s members expect a personalized experience from day one. We’re here to introduce an approach that will help you provide just that. Learn how to create custom paths that guide members through their first year and encourage them to explore resources, connect with peers, and engage with your association in ways that resonate most with them. More info/register.

Host: PropFuel

Wed 2/5 at 1 p.m. – Practical Innovation: Small Thinking for Actionable Impact

Learn how to use product “tear downs” to spot innovation opportunities, challenge your assumptions and observe current behaviors to develop new ideas, and mitigate risk and build an innovation culture. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speaker: Rebecca Andree O’Brien, MBA, CAE, Association Executive Director, Institute of Real Estate Management Foundation

Wed 2/5 at 2 p.m. – 7 Unique Webinar Formats You Should Try in 2025

Hear about innovative webinar formats and strategies for engaging diverse audiences and achieving marketing goals. Learn how to refresh your webinar approach with gamification, tailored experiences, and short-form formats. More info/register.

Host: Content Marketing Institute

Speakers:

Mark Bornstein, VP, Content Marketing and Chief Evangelist, ON24
Stephanie Stahl, Managing Director, Content Marketing Institute

Thu 2/6 at 8 a.m. – Reining in America’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Exempt Economy (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Every week, Rogue Tulips brings the nonprofit community intriguing guests discussing vital topics affecting nonprofit organizations around the world—and we have fun doing it! This special episode will be released Thursday morning in both audio and video format, available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast (to name a few!).

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Scott Hodge, author of the white paper Reining in America’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Exempt Economy, and Tax and Fiscal Policy Fellow, Arnold Ventures

Thu 2/6 at 10 a.m. – 5 Strategies For Driving Member Engagement in 2025

Many associations are challenged with engaging members on a consistent and ongoing basis. Mobile apps have become an integral part of member engagement and with the blend of the four Cs – Content, Community, Conferences, and Communication – are transforming member experience. Find out how to understand your members’ engagement needs, drive greater member participation, engage your members before, during and after your events, and leverage the latest mobile technologies to drive engagement. More info/register.

Host: Results Direct

Speaker: Michael Jones, Vice President of Mobile Technologies, Results Direct | RD Mobile

Thu 2/6 at 12 p.m. – Looking Forward 2025 Impact: First Look at Trends and Analysis

Hear about data from Looking Forward 2025 Impact, an examination of 75 critical factors affecting association members and the potential impacts on association strategy, including economic, information and technology, workforce, government, global as well as stakeholder perceptions. Learn what associations are doing to strategically adapt and how to use custom reporting to facilitate conversations that are unique to your board or staff with access to the complimentary Looking Forward Dashboard, which houses three key studies of the association sector–Impact, Challenges and Solutions. More info/register.

Host: Association Laboratory

Speakers: Nikki Golden, CAE, Strategist; Felicia Kenan, JM, MPA, CAE, CMP, Strategist; and Dean A West, FASAE, President, Association Laboratory

Thu 2/6 at 12 p.m. – Navigating AMS Selection and Implementation with Confidence

Learn how to get the most out of AMS product demos, build the best request for proposal (RFP) to articulate specific needs and assess vendors on clear criteria, understand how to estimate total costs (including licensing, implementation, training, and ongoing maintenance), plan a successful implementation and set clear organizational goals with all stakeholders. More info/register.

Host: Momentive Software

Thu 2/6 at 1 p.m. – Microsoft VS Google Workspace: Choosing the Right Platform

Learn how to identify factors to consider when selecting a nonprofit IT platform such as Microsoft or Google Workspace, compare the features and philosophy of each platform, evaluate the advantages and drawbacks of each platform, and determine whether and when it may be appropriate to switch between platforms. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Johan Hammerstrom, CEO, and Steve Longenecker, Director of IT Consulting, Community IT Innovators

Thu 2/6 at 2 p.m. – Up Your Website Game in 2025

Learn about the tools, strategies, and best practices to optimize website content, stay compliant, promote accessibility, and ensure your audience remains engaged and returns to your sitea gain and again. Hear about the latest web design trends that captivate visitors, key factors for providing a productive digital experience, and practical tools and resources to elevate your site without breaking the bank. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speakers: Jim Faris, Creative Director, and James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

Thu 2/6 at 2 p.m. – FAB Community Dialogue Webinar

Join a discussion of critical themes and takeaways from the first six months of the Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue, including the purpose of association boards, practices associations should adopt to compose high-performing boards, and how associations should think about the relationship between board size and high performance. More info/register.

Hosts: re:Members and Jeff De Cagna AIMP FRSA FASAE, executive advisor, Foresight First

Thu 2/6 at 3 p.m. – Association Chat Insider Weekly Recap

Host: KiKi L’Italien, Editor-in-Chief, Association Chat, and VP of Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M

Wed 2/12 at 11 a.m. – The Keys to Marketing Across Generations in 2025

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Sam Bush, Partner Marketing Manager, Netstock
Kate Coffey-Bacon, VP of Marketing and Events, US Transactions Corporation/UST Education
Mary Miller, Director of Marketing, PayTrace

Wed 2/12 at 12 p.m. – How Cross-Team Collaboration Can Unlock Untapped Revenue

Host: WorkerBee.TV

Speakers:

Sue Marchese, VP of Marketing Strategy at ASAE
Marcus Leite, Director, Sales and Marketing, WorkerBee.TV

Thu 2/13 at 1 p.m. – Unleash Your Personal Brand: Transform Your Personality Into a Competitive Edge

Host: UST Education

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

Fri 2/14 at 11 a.m. – Give Your LinkedIn Profile Some Love

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Danielle Duran Baron, Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Industry Relations, School Nutrition Association
Jen Lewi, Founder & CEO, Design Your Next Step

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

Creative Commons licensed photo by Chris Chow via Unsplash

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Association Brain Food: 1.24.25

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

“Gradually and silently the charm comes over us; the beauty has entered our souls; we know not exactly when and how.” —Frederick Law Olmsted

Awards content. TopClass LMS suggests repurposing the stories of your association’s award winners into all kinds of valuable educational content. Everyone wins with this approach: award recipients enjoy additional recognition and publicity, members benefit from timely and relatable educational content, and staff save time by repurposing content instead of creating it from scratch.

Mobile app engagement. Clowder shares nine best practices for push notifications that will help your associations inform and engage members, deliver valuable content, and keep members connected. Don’t worry, members won’t complain if the content you push out is worth their time.

Online community. GrowthZone explains how to drive members to your community platform. They suggest putting an emphasis on year-round content, networking and experiences that level out the peaks and valleys of engagement—and they provide a sample engagement plan to get you started.

Membership course. Earn up to 10 CAE credits by attending Association Academy’s popular Association Member Growth Certificate Course. The 1,000+ association execs who completed the course learned how to conduct research, develop relevant benefits, establish member content gates, improve recruitment and retention campaigns, and grow membership. The course meets for ten weeks on Thursdays, 1-2pm ET starting January 30. Save $50 with promo code BRAINFOOD. I’ve heard great things about this program so I registered—please join me there!

Association activism. Lately, several of my newsletters have mentioned an upcoming vote for members of the American Historical Association on Israel’s actions in Palestine. The bottom line, per James Hankin at Compact, is: “The AHA membership needs to resist the temptation to moral exhibitionism and confine its activism to matters within its competence and consistent with its purposes.” Something to consider if your members or board are dragging your association into current events.

Trade show floor decisions. I won’t let AI think or write for me, but I’d let it have a go at improving my trade show floor. AI sensors by Zenus track aisle traffic, booth visits and attendee energy levels to understand and optimize traffic flow, show floor layout, and booth performance.

Conference website. Tamar Beck of Gleanin believes conference websites should not become digital ghost towns after registration closes. Instead, she suggests turning them into content magnets providing resources and community for industry professionals.

Snacks

Tell me about the book you seek but cannot name. It works! | En

Why small developers are getting squeezed out of the housing market. | Coby Lefkowitz, Noahpinion

The man who saved Piero della Francesca’s early Renaissance fresco masterpiece, The Resurrection, during World War II—what a story. | Tim Butcher, BBC News

The science-backed benefits of reading. | Daria Diaz, Wellgevity Warrior

Bonjour, Napoleon! A V.R. experience lets people chat with the French emperor. How cool. | Richard Whiddington, Artnet News

Recent findings in both archaeology and DNA reveal that many of the stories we once regarded as myths appear to be true (or true-ish). | Ed West, The Spectator

You never grow old at the table

Here’s an easy dinner to throw together on a sheet pan: chunks of hot Italian sausages, red onion, red seedless grapes, and broccoli florets and stems tossed with garlic powder, salt and olive oil. Serve it over polenta.

I forgot about a goodie in the freezer: the fillets of a big catfish I caught in the fall. Some of them made an appearance in catfish with choo chee Thai curry sauce, a recipe from Nancie McDermott’s Quick & Easy Thai: 70 Everyday Recipes. This week’s version included onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, garlic, coconut milk, kale, red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, garlic chives, cilantro and southeast Asian pesto.

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

Mon 1/27 at 8 a.m.* – Supporting Those with Disabilities (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Jake Steinman, Travel Ability

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

Tue 1/28 at 12 p.m. – Trends Talk: January 2025

Now more than ever, leaders and companies are being held accountable for their actions. At the end of 2024, the number of Gen Zs in the workforce surpassed the Baby Boomers. As a result, we can expect this trend to accelerate. As the first generation raised using social media, Gen Z is accustomed to using their voices for change and sharing their opinions via platforms as well as protests. Learn how to plan for and manage an unexpected challenge, crisis or public scrutiny of your organization. More info/register.

Host: Sarah Sladek, CEO and Founder, XYZ University

Guest: Adele Gambardella, CEO, Convincing Company

Tue 1/28 at 12 p.m. – Adapt or Fade: The CEO’s Guide to Thriving in the Learning Economy of 2025

Learn about the top trends reshaping the professional learning industry in 2025, critical risks and opportunities learning leaders must tackle head-on, real-world insights from top learning leaders on their 2025 goals and investment, and actionable strategies to align your programs with evolving learner expectations. More info/register.

Host: BenchPrep

Speaker: Ashish Rangnekar, CEO of BenchPrep

Wed 1/29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – EventTech Demo Day

Join us for this just-in-time EventTech Platforms demo day featuring presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer EventTech Platforms. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Participants: Momentive Software, Fourwaves, eShow, Personify A2Z Events, Conexiant DXP, eventPower, Cadmium, Swapcard, Matchbox, Snapsight

Wed 1/29 at 11 a.m. – Content Governance: Ensuring Sustainable Content Success

Content governance is defining the “rules of the road” for creating better content sustainably. This session will cover what should be included in content governance, as well as some governance models. Through conversation and breakouts, we will help participants identify their current state and opportunities to adopt governance in their organizations. More info/register.

Host: Hilary Marsh, President & Chief Strategist, Content Company, Inc.

Wed 1/29 at 11 a.m. – Understanding Standard Monthly Financial Statements

Learn about the standard set of monthly financial statements you should be receiving from your finance team and what you should be looking for. We’ll break down the financial statements into “human speak” and equip you with more knowledge so that you can properly interact with your financial statements – and hopefully your finance team – going forward. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Yevgeniy Sukhenko, Partner at Outsourced Accounting & Advisory Services

Wed 1/29 at 12 p.m. – New Year, New Data: Let’s Make Every Goal Count!

Whether you’re looking to refine your data strategy, tackle new initiatives, or just level up your data game, this is the perfect place to start. In this interactive, round table-style event, you’ll have the chance to share your goals and plans, tap into the collective wisdom of fellow data enthusiasts, hold each other accountable, and learn from each other’s experiences by diving into the wins, the lessons, and the “oops” moments. Plus, we’re all about motivating each other, so we’ll do a mid-year and end-of-year check-in to see how everyone’s doing. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 1/29 at 12 p.m. – Maximizing the ROI for Your Association’s Online Community

Learn what ROI is and why it matters for your online community, how to build an online community that achieves your KPIs, ways to keep your members engaged and happy, strategies to monetize your online community and how to sustain long-term growth. More info/register.

Host: GrowthZone

Speaker: community expert, Jessica Rickel

Wed 1/29 at 12 p.m. – Building Connections That Count: Association Partnerships and Sponsorships

Learn how partnerships expand an association’s reach and amplify its impact. Hear about effective strategies for identifying and attracting ideal partners and sponsors, best practices for fostering lasting relationships with current and potential sponsors, leveraging technology to optimize sponsorship activation and effectiveness, and overcoming common challenges in association sponsorships. More info/register.

Host: NXUnite by Nexus Marketing

Speakers:

David Coyne, CFRE, President at The Sheridan Group
Peter Deitz, Co-founder at Unwrapit
Shelbey Lang, Program Manager at AMR Management Services
Lomesh Shah, Chief Executive Officer at Tradewing

Wed 1/29 at 1 p.m. – Top 5 Credentialing Trends for Associations to Consider in 2025

The professional credentialing landscape is undergoing a radical transformation. Learn about the five most critical trends that will define professional certification in the coming year giving association leaders the strategic insights they need to stay ahead of the curve. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Chris Capistran, President, Cobalt
Pam Weber, M.P.A., CAE, Vice President of the National Apartment Association Education Institute

Wed 1/29 at 1 p.m. – What Planners Need to Know About AV

AV is a costly, often confusing aspect of planning meetings and events, from the basic terminology involved to accurately assessing what is a “need” instead of an expensive “nice to have.” Planners can also feel their options are limited due to venue requirements to work with in-house AV providers, which is not always set in stone. Learn how to determine if an AV provider can meet the needs of an event, basic AV terminology and terms to better understand what your actual event AV needs are in relation to your budget, and the top 10 questions you should ask your AV company. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Eric Newkirk, past president of the Event Production Network (EPN) and VP of Design & Creative for AVFX

Wed 1/29 at 2 p.m. – Elevate Your Email Campaigns: Data-Driven Insights for 2025

Hear insights from Higher Logic’s annual Association Email Benchmark Report, tailored specifically for marketers in associations and nonprofits. Discover key trends and actionable strategies to elevate your email marketing and boost member engagement. More info/register.

Host: Higher Logic

Speakers: Alison Donato, Senior Advisor, and Kelly Whelan, Content Marketing Manager, Higher Logic

Wed 1/29 at 2 p.m. – What’s Next in Sustainable Meetings and Events

As global awareness of environmental impacts grows, the events industry is adapting to the demand for sustainable practices. Explore the latest trends and strategies for accelerating green initiatives at events in 2025, including topics such as reducing carbon footprints, conserving resources, effective waste management, and responsible purchasing. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speakers:

Shawna McKinley, teacher, writer, researcher and consultant
Brianna Treat, Director of Sustainability, Climate Pledge Arena and the Seattle Kraken
Sarah J.F. Braley (moderator), Managing Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Wed 1/29 at 2 p.m. – Finance, Business Operations, and HR January Monthly MeetUp

Bring your pressing problems and look forward to an engaging conversation with your colleagues sharing their experiences and potential solutions. This is open to all ASAE members. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Finance and Business Operations Professionals Advisory Council (including HR)

Wed 1/29 at 3 p.m. – The Data-Informed Association, Part 1: Leading With Analytics

Every day, associations are inundated with valuable data, and often don’t realize the full potential of what they collect. Learn how to tap into the data you collect to make great decisions. Find out how volunteer leaders and boards of directors should have access to the data, and what key points to deliver. More info/register.

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers: Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, and Merritt Rohlfing, Sr. Marketing Manager, Association Analytics

Thu 1/30 at 10 a.m. – Navigating the Political Shift: Strategic Insights for Trade Associations Post-Elections in the EU and US

Big changes are happening on both sides of the Atlantic. How will the recent EU and US election results impact global industries, trade associations, and the policies shaping our future? Learn how political shifts in the EU and US will redefine key policy priorities. Hear about opportunities for transatlantic collaboration in critical industries like agri-food, energy, and transport, and proven strategies for trade associations to influence policy and adapt to evolving challenges. More info/register.

Host: Kellen

Speakers:

Brando Benifei, Member of European Parliament
Christopher Krueger, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Kellen
Kate McNulty, Senior Associate, Covington
Maria Teresa Scardigli, Managing Director, Kellen Brussels

Thu 1/30 at 2 p.m. – 3 Ways to Increase Website Leads

Learn how to transform your website into a powerful lead-generating tool. Discover actionable insights to attract more visitors, convert them into leads, and drive revenue. Hear about practical strategies to improve user experience, SEO, and lead capture mechanisms. More info/register.

Host: Hatrick Marketing

Speakers:

Holly Beyhl, Founder & Queen Bee of Design, BoltoBee
Julie Davis, Founder & Fractional CMO, Hatrick Marketing

Thu 1/30 at 3 p.m. – Association Chat Insider Weekly Recap

Host: KiKi L’Italien, Editor-in-Chief, Association Chat, and VP of Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M

Tue 2/4 at 11 a.m. – Authentic, Trusted Content in an Era of Uncertainty

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jay S. Daughtry, M.Ed., Chief Communications Officer/Owner at CQbd

Tue 2/4 at 12 p.m. – AI Adoption, Training and Tools (Data Analytics Network)

Host: Data Analytics Network

Tue 2/4 at 12 p.m. – Business Growth Hacking Lab

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Tue 2/4 at 1 p.m. – How to Win: Be a Category of One (Leadership for SMBs and Entrepreneurs)

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, UST

Wed 2/5 at 12 p.m. – Building the Executive AI Playbook: How AI Will Power Your Association into the Future (Arlington VA)

Host: Matrix Group

Speakers:

Heinan Landa, CEO of Optimal Networks
Joanna Pineda, CEO and Chief Troublemaker of Matrix Group International

Wed 2/5 at 1 p.m. – Crafting Personalized Journeys for First-Year Members

Host: PropFuel

Wed 2/5 at 1 p.m. – Practical Innovation: Small Thinking for Actionable Impact

Host: Fonteva

Speaker: Rebecca Andree O’Brien, MBA, CAE, Association Executive Director, Institute of Real Estate Management Foundation

Thu 2/6 at 10 a.m. – 5 Strategies For Driving Member Engagement in 2025

Host: Results Direct

Speaker: Michael Jones, Vice President of Mobile Technologies, Results Direct | RD Mobile

Thu 2/6 at 12 p.m. – Looking Forward 2025 Impact: First Look at Trends and Analysis

Host: Association Laboratory

Speakers: Nikki Golden, CAE, Strategist; Felicia Kenan, JM, MPA, CAE, CMP, Strategist; and Dean A West, FASAE, President, Association Laboratory

Thu 2/6 at 1 p.m. – Microsoft VS Google Workspace: Choosing the Right Platform

Host: UST Education

Speakers: Johan Hammerstrom, CEO, and Steve Longenecker, Director of IT Consulting, Community IT Innovators

Thu 2/6 at 2 p.m. – Is Your Website Meeting Your Association’s Needs?

Hear about the tools, strategies, and best practices for optimizing content types and website layouts, ensuring your audience remains engaged and returns to your site. Discover the latest web design trends that captivate visitors. Learn about the key factors for providing a productive digital experience and practical tools and resources to elevate your site without breaking the bank. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speakers: Jim Faris, Creative Director, and James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

Thu 2/6 at 2 p.m. – FAB Community Dialogue Webinar

Hosts:

Jeff De Cagna AIMP FRSA FASAE, executive advisor, Foresight First
Impexium

Public domain painting, Verschneite Waldlandschaft by Walter Moras (1919) via Wikimedia Commons

Amazon, AssociationBrainFood.com, and Association Academy links allow me to earn a royalty and/or complimentary registration from any resulting leads or sales. Thank you!

Association Brain Food: 1.17.25

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

Awards program. If you’re thinking about creating an awards program at your association—or want to see if you’re on the right track with an existing program—the folks at OpenWater have your back. Their 4-step process for planning and managing an awards program will help you map out a plan for success.

Anti-social. “Americans are spending less time with other people than in any other period for which we have trustworthy data,” says Derek Thompson at The Atlantic. The blame, among other factors, lies with TV, phones, and socially stunted kids turning into reclusive adults who prefer takeout and delivery to dining with others. Remote work only exacerbates the desire for remote living. How can associations sell the benefits of community when membership prospects don’t see being social as a positive?

Here’s a quote from the article to think about today: “A fundamental paradox at the core of human life is that we are highly social and made better in every way by being around people… And yet over and over, we have opportunities to connect that we don’t take, or even actively reject, and it is a terrible mistake.”

Membership renewals. Impexium dives deep into proven strategies for membership renewals. They also cover the difference between retention and renewal, membership metrics, reasons members don’t renew, and, best of all, solutions for your association’s renewal challenges.

Membership course. Brain Food readers can earn up to 10 CAE credits by attending Association Academy’s popular Association Member Growth Certificate Course. Over 1,000 association exec alums have already learned how to conduct research, develop relevant benefits, establish member content gates, improve recruitment and retention campaigns, and grow membership. The course meets for ten weeks on Thursdays, 1-2pm ET starting January 30. Save $50 with promo code BRAINFOOD. I’ve heard great things about this program so I registered—be social and join me there!

Respect for volunteers. Cecilia Sepp of Rogue Tulips asks associations to recognize and acknowledge the efforts of all volunteers, including ad hoc volunteers, not just those in formal positions. This has long been a soapbox topic in my writing too. She also points out the insidious practice of barring entry to association opportunities for those who can’t afford to pay their way in. “Are we recognizing contributions to the profession and our colleagues? Or are we recognizing supporting the organization?”

Employee feedback. “Every time you say ‘looks good’ about work that isn’t actually good, your team’s standards drop a little,” says Wes Kao. She explains why managers default to “looks good” when giving feedback to employees, why you shouldn’t take that approach, and what to do next time.

Next-gen workplace challenges. The latest research report from Halmyre Strategies describes emerging challenges as a new generation enters the workforce: burnout, retention, customer demands, declining value of credentials, and changing roles. Halmyre explains how associations can address these issues and meet the changing needs of industry professionals.

Team messaging. Hailey Mensik at WorkLife writes about ping fatigue in the workplace and how it hurts productivity. When I read articles like this, I’m so glad I don’t get pinged by anyone. How do you all cope?

Content repurposing. Members rely on you for information and education, but limited resources prevent associations from being the content machines of members’ dreams. Karine Desbant at MCI describes how their client associations are generating new revenue streams and growing membership by repurposing content.

You never grow old at the table

I was away much of the past week, so for my one night of dinner duty I made chipotle salmon. On the side, roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots and rutabagas with broccoli stems, red onion, bacon and garlic powder.

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

Fri 1/17 at 3 p.m.* – Nonprofit Consultants Collaborative Monthly Networking Meeting

The Nonprofit Consultants Collaborative meets monthly for camaraderie, connection, and knowledge sharing. This meeting is for full-time consultants who work with non-profits and associations. You don’t have to be an ASAE member to attend this consultant-organized event. This month’s agenda includes the usual sharing of good news, and topics and questions from the group. More info/register.

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

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

Mon 1/20 at 8 a.m. – Inclusive Communications (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Jerrica Thurman, Elation Communications

Tue 1/21 at 12 p.m. – CRVM January 2025 Crunch and Munch

Crunch and Munch is your chance to come together once a month with peers for a casual conversation on hot topics relevant to the component relations and volunteer management community. Come prepared to share your successes, challenges and ideas. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council

Tue 1/21 at 1 p.m. – How to Win: Be a Category of One (Leadership for SMBs and Entrepreneurs)

Learn how to become a Category of One where you win by not competing. Some of these principles you may already follow, others may surprise you and may provide new insight: Work on Yourself, Build Organizational Culture, Use Atomic Habits, Focus on a Niche, and Create a Compelling Saga. This session offers real-world examples, videos, and interactive discussions. Discover strategies to position your organization as a “category of one” and unlock new leadership potential. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, UST

Tue 1/21 at 1 p.m. – Revolutionizing Sponsor Engagement: Emerging Tech for Association Marketplaces

Discover how innovative marketplace platforms are transforming the way associations connect with industry sponsors, from creating year-round engagement opportunities to showcasing sponsor content in new and meaningful ways. Learn how emerging technology, including AI-powered concierge tools, is shaping the future of association sponsorships by fostering deeper connections, driving value, and increasing ROI for all stakeholders. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Sandra Nam, CEO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat

Wed 1/22 at 11 a.m. – Bite-Sized Big Impact: How Microlearning Is Reshaping Education

In a world where people check their smartphones nine times an hour, and competition for attention is exceptionally fierce, it is no wonder that shorter digital learning content is becoming more necessary and popular. Learn why and how associations can create and curate microlearning: content that is mobile, media-rich, on-demand, and suited to the modern learner. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Andrew Chamberlain, Executive Director of the UK’s Institute of Association Leadership
Elisa Pratt, Chief Executive and Founder of Brewer Pratt Solutions LLC

Wed 1/22 at 11 a.m. – 2025 Event Benchmarks: From Insights to Action

Get ready to elevate your event strategy with actionable insights from Bizzabo’s latest Event Benchmarking Report. This exclusive webinar is your chance to uncover the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the event landscape in 2025. From budgets and attendee expectations to innovative event strategies, we’ll break down the numbers and trends driving the future of in-person and virtual experiences. More info/register.

Host: Bizzabo

Speakers:

Colleen Bisconti, Vice President, Events and Experiences, IBM
Katie McIntyre, Director of Strategy and Event Technology, Opus

Wed 1/22 at 12 p.m. – Training & Orientation That Motivates: Creating a Successful Approach to Volunteer Development

Join a discussion about supporting volunteers and ensuring strategies for orientation, training, and support are effective. Explore key topics to address with volunteers, creating bite-sized orientation and training sessions, energizing leadership training, and boosting volunteer motivation to engage in learning. Share ideas for innovative approaches to 2025 orientation and training plans. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Facilitator: Peggy Hoffman, FASAE, CAE, president and executive director, Mariner Management

Wed 1/22 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Meet & Greet

Connect with new faces in the association tech community. Join us for a 30-minute welcome event to forge fresh connections and discover our vibrant Slack community. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 1/22 at 12 p.m. – Financial Reports Challenge: Test Your Knowledge!

This session is designed as a quiz game to challenge your knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles and best practices. Through questions posed, you’ll enhance your understanding of financial statement components, donor restrictions, and accounting compliance essentials. Whether you’re already a seasoned nonprofit professional or just getting started, this session will provide valuable insights and practical knowledge. More info/register.

Host: Your Part-Time Controller

Wed 1/22 at 1 p.m. – Ghosted by Sponsors? Why They’re Not Responding & How to Fix It

Are your emails and calls to potential sponsors going unanswered? You’re not alone. Learn why sponsors may be ignoring your outreach and how to break through the silence. From crafting compelling messages to timing your follow-ups just right, gain expert insights to boost your response rates and keep your sponsorship pipeline moving forward. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to turn “no response” into meaningful conversations. More info/register.

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

Guest: Carrie McIntyre, principal, Navigate

Wed 1/22 at 1 p.m. – Small Staff Insights to Fuel Your Year: Breaking down the Small Staff Benchmark Report

The 2024 Small Staff Benchmark Report offers a comprehensive look at how small associations are performing across key areas like member engagement, technology adoption, and revenue growth. Hear about the findings of this report, including the top priorities and challenges small associations face, how small associations are leveraging technology to engage members and streamline operations, the role of AI and its potential to transform the future of small associations, and actionable strategies to close gaps in member value and prepare for technological advancements. More info/register.

Host: Momentive Software

Speaker: Jessica Lovell, Senior Product Marketer, Momentive Software

Wed 1/22 at 1 p.m. – The Future of Associations: 2025 and Beyond

AI, conscious inclusion, strategic leadership workforce development, hybrid and remote work, a new Administration, personalization, and work/life balance are just a few of the challenges facing the association community in 2025. ASAE and its Research Foundation tracks these trends and tools and provide guidance, research and data that enable associations to move into the future. Hear about the research, tools and trends that are set to influence associations in 2025 and beyond. More info/register.

Host: Association Xchange

Speaker: Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, CEO, ASAE

Wed 1/22 at 2 p.m. – How Associations Use Data to Drive Revenue

Learn how to use data insights to increase member engagement and generate new revenue streams. Hear how NAPA used data to address member needs and operational gaps, achieving measurable results. Find out how to interpret benchmarking data to uncover trends and improve decision-making, and conduct a gap analysis to identify opportunities and address strategic challenges. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Naylor Association Solutions

Speakers:

John Brandt, Chief Executive Officer, MPI Research
Bill Rowan, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, National Asphalt Pavement Association
Chad Lloyd, Chief Data Officer, Naylor Association Solutions

Wed 1/22 at 2 p.m. – Embracing AI Safely: Practical Strategies for Associations

Learn practical strategies to help make the use of AI at your association safe and exciting. Find out how to ask the right questions when evaluating vendors and tools that use AI, incorporate AI discussions in staff meetings to assess current usage, tools and potential risks, work together to set guidelines for what data is safe to use with different AI tools, and ensure staff are using AI responsibly through consistent education about the benefits and risks. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Speakers: Amanda DeLuke, Senior Privacy Analyst, and Kelly Whelan, Content Marketing Manager, Higher Logic

Thu 1/23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – How to Design a Product Portfolio

Learn how to analyze and map your current offerings, organize them into a high-level product portfolio, identify interdependencies and find new value for your membership, use your portfolio as a strategy, planning, or budget tool, and keep it updated and timeless. More info/register.

Host: James Young, Product Community

Thu 1/23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – The Event Tech Dating Game: Are You Ready to Find Your Perfect Tech Partner?

At this one-of-a-kind virtual experience designed exclusively for event planners and marketing professionals, watch as bold tech contenders compete to become THE ultimate solution to real-world event planning challenges. More info/register.

Hosts: Vinnu Deshetty of Event ROI Coach and Dahlia El Gazzar of Dahlia+ Agency

Thu 1/23 at 11 a.m. – Revolutionizing Event Badges: What’s Next in 2025 and Beyond

Discover how event badges are evolving with innovations like E-ink, smart badges, advanced integrations and more. Learn how to adopt eco-friendly badge solutions without compromising attendee experience. Uncover strategies to enhance networking with smart, data-driven badge technology. Find out how to use badges to get rich insights, like heat maps, showing which booths and sessions are proving popular. Hear insights from industry experts on where event badge technology is heading, like augmented reality which may remove the need for badges entirely. More info/register.

Host: Grip

Speakers:

Kerem Baran, Co-founder & COO, Eventpack
Claudia Braun, CEO & Co-founder, Choose 2 Rent
Oliver Smart, SVP of Onsite Solutions, Grip

Thu 1/23 at 12 p.m. – What’s in Store for Associations in 2025?

Learn what you need to know to plan for 2025 as an association executive. More info/register.

Host: Zzeem Consulting

Thu 1/23 at 12 p.m. – Improve Member Loyalty with the Perfect AMS Fit

Learn how to spot the pain points in your current technology that might be holding your association back. Understand the key factors to consider when selecting a new AMS that aligns with your goals. Weigh the pros and cons of different AMS types to find the best fit for your needs. Take practical steps to build your shortlist of vendors, considering factors like industry expertise, customer support, and long-term innovation. More info/register.

Host: Community Brands

Thu 1/23 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits

Learn the basics and importance of generative AI and Large Language Models. Witness the power of AI tools through live demonstrations, showcasing their impact on real-world scenarios. Learn to create targeted personas in ChatGPT for personalized content and interactions. Find out which settings to adjust for privacy and security, and understand what information is safe to input into AI tools. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio

Thu 1/23 at 1 p.m. – Get Ready to Move…Your Data

The ideal time to think about preparing your existing data for a move to a new CRM or AMS is well before you choose a solution and start implementation. Cleaning, sorting, and organizing your data well prior to a data migration can save you time and money. Learn how to prepare your data for migration, including deduplication, address verification, code table cleanup, and name parsing. Find out which common tools you may already have to help automate some of the process. Hear about common pitfalls in the data cleanup process and how to avoid them. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jenifer Alonzo, Association Practice Lead, Fíonta

Thu 1/23 at 1 p.m. – Beyond the Buzz: Integrating AI Solutions into Human-Centric Strategic Planning

Learn about strategies for using AI to sharpen member insights, enrich planning processes, and drive actionable, member-centered strategies and operational plans. Hear real-world case studies showing how associations harness AI to create plans that resonate with members while retaining critical human connections and interactions that foster deeper engagement. More info/register.

Hosts: Halmyre and Event Garde

Speakers:

Christine Saunders, Founder and President, Halmyre
Aaron Wolowiec, Founder and President, Event Garde

Thu 1/23 at 2 p.m. – Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue

Please join us for the first Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue Zoom Meeting of 2025. More info/register.

Host: Jeff De Cagna, Executive Advisor, Foresight First LLC

Thu 1/23 at 3 p.m. – Association Chat Insider Weekly Recap

Host: KiKi L’Italien, Editor-in-Chief, Association Chat, and VP of Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M

Wed 1/29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – EventTech Demo Day

Join us for this just-in-time EventTech Platforms demo day featuring presentations from a limited number of industry partners that offer EventTech Platforms. More info/register.

Host: ASAE

Participants: Momentive Software, Fourwaves, eShow, Personify A2Z Events, Conexiant DXP, eventPower, Cadmium, Swapcard, Matchbox, Snapsight

Wed 1/29 at 11 a.m. – Content Governance: Ensuring Sustainable Content Success

Host: Hilary Marsh, President & Chief Strategist, Content Company, Inc.

Wed 1/29 at 11 a.m. – Understanding Standard Monthly Financial Statements

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Yevgeniy Sukhenko, Partner at Outsourced Accounting & Advisory Services

Wed 1/29 at 12 p.m. – New Year, New Data: Let’s Make Every Goal Count!

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 1/29 at 1 p.m. – Top 5 Credentialing Trends for Associations to Consider in 2025

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Chris Capistran, President, Cobalt
Pam Weber, M.P.A., CAE, Vice President of the National Apartment Association Education Institute

Wed 1/29 at 3 p.m. – The Data-Informed Association, Part 1: Leading With Analytics

Host: Association Analytics

Speakers: Bill Conforti, SVP of Strategy & Solutions, and Merritt Rohlfing, Sr. Marketing Manager, Association Analytics

Thu 1/30 at 3 p.m. – Association Chat Insider Weekly Recap

Host: KiKi L’Italien, Editor-in-Chief, Association Chat, and VP of Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M

Creative Commons licensed photo by Judy Beth Morris via Unsplash

Amazon, AssociationBrainFood.com, and Association Academy links allow me to earn a royalty and/or complimentary registration from any resulting leads or sales. Thank you!

Association Brain Food: 1.10.25

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

New member onboarding. Clowder explains how to improve new member onboarding with your association’s membership app. They suggest five mobile onboarding strategies that offer new members a convenient, personalized onboarding experience.

Read, dammit. I can’t go online without tripping over stories about the decline in reading capability and comprehension. Joan Westenberg says we’re losing “the ability to thoroughly analyze issues, think critically, understand different perspectives, spot logical fallacies, and weigh evidence. Our opinions get shaped by alarmist rhetoric and confirmation bias rather than facts.” She believes the death of critical thinking will kill us long before AI. Save yourself, save your kids, and set a good reading and thinking example for those around you.

Repurposing webinars. eLearningDOC describes the benefits of turning your webinars into self-paced, dynamic and interactive learning experiences. They describe how to extend the life of your webinars while expanding your association’s educational portfolio.

Membership course. Brain Food readers can earn up to 10 CAE credits by attending Chris Gloede’s popular Association Member Growth Certificate Course. Over 1,000 association execs have finished the course after learning how to conduct research, develop relevant benefits, establish member content gates, evolve recruitment and retention campaigns, and grow membership. The course meets for ten weeks on Thursdays, 1-2pm ET starting January 30. Save $50 with promo code BRAINFOOD. I’ve heard great things about this program so I registered—join me there!

Goodbye LMS. It’s tough to break up with a familiar system, but when it’s preventing progress, you best do it. John Leh from Talented Learning identifies 16 warning signs that signal the need to replace your LMS.

Member retention. Erica Hunter of CMA says, “Retention isn’t just about clever marketing—it’s about fostering a community that truly supports members’ goals and aspirations.” She suggests nine engagement strategies to keep members close—an excellent retention roadmap you ignore at your association’s peril.

Career centers. YMCareers explains how to become THE career development destination for your members and industry professionals. Go beyond connecting job seekers to employers by delivering career insights, resources, advice and a career path tool.

Data analytics. Merritt Rohlfing at Association Analytics shares ten wise tips for getting analytically ready for 2025. He covers your gut’s role, sharing data, demographics, data task force, campaigns, feedback and more.

Global members. If you have members around the world, seriously consider using WhatsApp. It’s not just about texting. Sonia Faleiro at Rest of World explains how WhatsApp became an unstoppable global, cultural force.

Website personalization. We constantly hear about the need to personalize the online experience for members, customers and prospects but where and how do you start? Rob Bean at Refactored describes the foundational elements you need to personalize the website experience.

Q&A sessions. John Nawn of The Event Strategy Network shares interesting ideas for unlocking the full potential of Q&A sessions.

Membership marketing. Tony Rossell at Marketing General Inc. reminds us that membership marketing tools have changed over the years, but effective marketing principles remain the same. Learn them before you start playing with new (or old) tools.

Snacks

Insurance companies are NOT the main villain of the U.S. health system, says Noah Smith. It’s mostly the providers overcharging you, not the middlemen. Okay, whatever, but I’m still not happy about paying $828/month for crappy health insurance (no dental or vision included). Yup, that’s what happens when you work for yourself, not as glamorous as it appears, heh.

The real crisis in humanities isn’t happening at college. Our problem is in the real world where humanistic thinking is in decline because of algorithmic, finance-driven thinking and the manipulative dysfunctionality of technology. | Ted Gioia

Kafka wrote kind letters to a girl who lost her doll in the park—here’s the thing, he wrote them as the doll. | Carlos Valladares, Art in America

Instead of being cynical, try becoming skeptical. Cynicism might look smart, but it isn’t. | Jamil Zaki, Behavioral Scientist

Want to be happier? Learn how you’re doing with these five “wealth” indicators. | Sahil Bloom and Esther Haynes, The Free Press

You never grow old at the table

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is browsing through cookbooks, my Word doc recipes and idea lists, blogs and Substacks, figuring out what to make. If that’s you too, feast your eyes on what I made during my Brain Food hiatus.

Christmas Eve dinner started with warm glühwein—a big hit. I was hoping for leftovers, but alas. Next year, I’m doubling the recipe. I baked ½” slices of kielbasa in the toaster oven for 7 minutes and served them with Creole and Dijon honey mustards.

For the main course, lasagna—my recipe has ground sausage and beef, mushrooms, onions, marinara, pesto ricotta, and a mix of cheeses—and tortellini Alfredo. On the side, garlic bread and roasted broccoli with red onion and garlic powder.

We had a few desserts on the table, including apple pie bars, an Ina Garten recipe, with vanilla ice cream.

On Christmas Day, Jim made the turkey to bring to his sister’s, so I had the pan drippings to make turkey gravy to take along with cranberry sauce.

Later that week, with the leftover kielbasa from the Eve, I made pasta with kielbasa, mushrooms, onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cabbage, tomato paste, and pasta water.

We had lots of leftover turkey from Christmas Day. Some of it turned into sandwiches and turkey tetrazzini (with the addition of celery, carrot, red bell and corn), and the rest went into the freezer.

We enjoyed getting even fatter by enjoying fettuccine with white clam and chorizo sauce. On the side, green beans with mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and herbs.

I always cook Jim’s favorite slow-roasted corned beef on his birthday, New Year’s Day. Before putting it in a 300° oven, I rub a mix of ground spices over the top: allspice, mustard, coriander, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, Aleppo or red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. On the side, a julienned cabbage sauté with bacon, red onion, red bell, jalapeno and garlic, plus potato and carrot wedges roasted with garlic powder and tossed at the end with butter and fresh rosemary.

Another winter favorite: roasted Provençal chicken thighs, easy to put together and into the oven. Use red onion if you don’t have shallots and the convection roast setting if you have that—decrease the temp by 25°. I cut the lemon into eighths and doubled the dry vermouth.

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

Fri 1/10 at 12 p.m.* – Marketing Mindshare: Career Center Engagement

Are you on a mission to make your Career Center an even more valuable member benefit? Let’s discuss special member-only perks and strategies that really boost engagement. If you’re open to sharing, we can discuss the vendor you’re using and any awesome features that are working well. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Marketing Council

Facilitators: Laura Sparks, Brittany Lancor, and other special guests from the ASAE Marketing Council

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

Mon 1/13 at 8 a.m. – Mobilizing Volunteers & Maximizing Partnerships (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Wendy Kavanagh, CEO of GSAE

Mon 1/13 at 12 p.m. – Membership Monday: Email Marketing Tips and Tricks for Associations

Amber’s done 40 email platform audits on association accounts this past year, and there’s one consistent theme: they all needed to apply email design best practices and do testing to ensure it’s what their members want. Learn about essential design best practices and explore innovative A/B testing strategies to refine your understanding of member preferences through solid data. Walk away with a design checklist and ideas from association case studies on how A/B testing can revolutionize your emails. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Speaker: Amber Worthen, CEO, Email Maven

Tue 1/14 at 11 a.m. – Crash Course: AI Prompting for Marketers

Prompting is crucial to getting great content or themes from AI. We will discuss what prompting is, why it’s so important, and ways to get better and better at it for 2025. Whether you are embracing AI in your marketing strategy or skeptical, this session will help you better understand some use cases, how to use AI in your Marketing, and how to prompt like a pro to get quality from AI. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Sam Bush, Founder, Ambush, and Partner Marketing Manager at Netstock

Tue 1/14 at 12 p.m. – The AMS Evolution: Exploring Alternative AMS Models

From traditional hub-and-spoke structures to “Hub-less” and iPaaS-based solutions, associations have a variety of approaches to managing their association’s data and member services. Explore a strategic approach to reimagining your association’s technology infrastructure. Hear about the functionality and key differences between the Hub & Spoke Model, iPaaS solutions, and “Hub-less” approaches. Learn how to evaluate your current AMS, define the why behind looking for new solutions, and get started in selecting a new structure. More info/register.

Host: fusionSpan

Speaker: Noel Shatananda, Chief Delivery Officer, fusionSpan

Tue 1/14 at 12 p.m. – Building a One-Page Marketing Strategy

Marketing is a huge part of moving any organization forward. More than having a marketing department, or outsourcing your marketing to a third-party, it needs to be embedded into every part of your business – from tech to HR to digital. But when not every employee is a marketer, how can this be achieved? Learn how to collaborate with your marketers, transmit your organizational vision to your team, know when to rely on the experts and when to veto with your gut, set marketing priorities. More info/register.

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Tue 1/14 at 12 p.m. – Associations Trends Talk: Keep Your Association Safe from Legal Issues in 2025

Learn about current legal issues affecting associations, proactive approaches to mitigate risks and protect your organization, steps necessary to ensure board members fulfill their fiduciary duties and adopt governance best practices for ethical and legal operations, what to include in volunteer policies and bylaws to manage risks, when to conduct thorough legal reviews, liability protection options, recommended insurance coverage for nonprofits, and strategies for handling conflicts of interest. More info/register.

Host: Ewald Consulting

Speaker: Heidi Christianson, attorney specializing in nonprofit law, Nilan Johnson Lewis

Tue 1/14 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesday: Who Should IT Report to in Your Association? Why?

Explore the various reporting structures for an association’s IT department and evaluate the pros and cons of each. From reporting to the Executive Director to aligning with the CFO or even the COO, we’ll discuss how different structures impact organizational strategy, efficiency, and technology integration. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Technology Council

Guest: Michael Getter, Vice President, Information Systems and Technology, Global Cold Chain Alliance

Facilitators:

Dave Coriale, President of DelCor Technology Solutions
Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer of ASAE

Tue 1/14 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ 2025 Community Call

A unique and inclusive opportunity for association professionals across all career stages to connect and engage over lunch, and a space where you can openly share and discuss topics that are current and significant to the LGBTQIA2+ association community. Whether you have burning questions, pressing issues, or insightful experiences to share, this judgment-free zone welcomes your valuable contributions. Let’s come together to support, learn from each other, and build a stronger, more inclusive community. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE LGBTQ Association Executives and Supporters

Tue 1/14 at 1 p.m. – Understanding the Competition: Jump-Start Your Association’s Sponsorship Program

There is fierce competition for the dollars and the attention of your association’s corporate sponsors. This webinar will equip you with the tools to understand the outshine your competition, ensuring your sponsorship program stands out. Learn how to identify and categorize the top 6 types of competitors for corporate sponsorship dollars, create a list of competitors and use that list to create an action plan, why companies might choose the competitors over your association, and how to develop a compelling value proposition to win and retain sponsors. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Barbara Armentrout, Founder & Key Principal at BJA Solutions for Associations
Bruce Rosenthal, Principal at Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC

Wed 1/15 at 11 a.m. – Lessons from the Trenches: Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations

Join a C-Level discussion on AI that’s approached differently than any other AI presentation or discussion you may have experienced: it’s specifically tailored to AI applications for associations, and it’s structured so that you will garner learning directly from the other association executives in attendance. CAE credit. More info/register (for association C-level execs only).

Host: UST Presidential Forum

Speakers:

Mindi Brothers, VP of Innovation of American Association of Orthodontists
Stephen Carey, CEO of The Work Truck Association

Wed 01/15 at 12 p.m. – Buzzworthy LIVE: The Hidden Key to Association Innovation

Your association faces changes every single day. Members constantly seek more engagement, and you plan to incorporate new strategies and tools to meet these demands. Uncover how your association’s culture can drive innovation, adaptability, and member engagement. Gain practical insights to overcome cultural challenges and align your organization’s goals with lasting change. More info/register.

Host: WorkerBee.TV

Speakers:

Maddie Grant, Culture Designer, Digital Strategist, Co-Founder, PROPEL
Marcus Leite, Director, Sales & Marketing, WorkerBee.TV

Wed 1/15 at 12 p.m. – Ask Me Anything International (AMA International): Career Paths in International Association Management

Are you thinking about a new job in 2026 or want to learn more about working in the international association community? Join us for a lively discussion where IAAC members will discuss how they got to their current roles, the skills needed for international association work, and how to apply what you already know to an international arena. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE International Associations Advisory Council

Speakers:

Jeanette Gass, Senior Program Manager, Global Engagement, ICMA
Pietro Macchiarella, Director, Center of Excellence, YPO
Matt Riley, Executive Director, AAERT

Wed 1/15 at 1 p.m. – Video in the Age of AI

Discover how AI can enhance and streamline various aspects of community-driven video marketing campaigns, including content creation, personalization, distribution, and analytics. Learn how the age of AI will change what kind of content people are exposed to and what content will cut through the noise. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

Wed 1/15 at 1 p.m. – AI, Ads, and Associations: Google Ad Grant Best Practices

Learn what the Google Ad Grant is and how associations can use it, tips for making your landing page as Google-friendly as possible, how you can incorporate AI into your advertising process, and pitfalls to avoid. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speaker: Jessica King, Business Lead, Getting Attention

Wed 1/15 at 2:30 p.m. – Case Studies in “Force Majeure”

Even with COVID in the rear-view mirror, force majeure is more relevant than ever. Hear two case studies where force majeure was enacted on event contracts along with the original language proposed in each contract, the risk that language exposed her clients to, and the changes she negotiated to protect her clients and their events. Whether you’re new to event planning or a seasoned planner who’s navigated snowstorms, hurricanes and global pandemics, the in-depth analysis of the case studies in this episode are guaranteed to up your contract acumen. More info/register.

Host: Heather Reid, Planner Protect

Guest: Anthea Rowe, Exmplify

Thu 1/16 at 11 a.m. – Building Your Leadership Brand

Building a leadership brand is essential for distinguishing yourself in a competitive landscape, as it reflects your unique strengths, values, and vision. Learn how to identify your core value proposition by understanding what sets you apart from other leaders and aligning your capabilities with organizational needs; demonstrate consistent authenticity by ensuring your actions align with your stated values to build trust; and emphasize measurable impact by connecting your leadership style to tangible results and continuously evolving based on feedback. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jennifer Dalton, Founder, Brand Mirror

Thu 1/16 at 1 p.m. – Leadership in the AI Age: A CEO Roundtable

In a world shaped by hybrid work, rapid AI advancements, and post-pandemic realities, what does it mean to lead effectively? How should leadership change? How do we show up for our people when we can’t be with them physically some or all of the time? Are we focused too much on the tech side of AI and not enough on the human side of AI? If questions like these have been occupying your brain like they have been ours, join our discussion. This conversation is about learning from each other—what’s working, what’s not, and how we can move forward with confidence and purpose in the new year. More info/register.

Host: Matrix Group

Facilitators:

Heinan Landa, CEO, Optimal Networks
Joanna Pineda, CEO, Matrix Group

Thu 1/16 at 1 p.m. – How Futures-Thinking Empowers Leaders to Make Better Decisions Today

You and your volunteer leaders can best prepare for ongoing environmental ambiguity and unexpected developments by constantly scanning for weak signals and adopting a future-oriented mindset. Hear from four experienced association executives who have benefited from embracing and integrating futures-thinking throughout their associations. Learn how to proactively lead your board and staff colleagues toward a futures mindset; the power and importance of creating a future-focused organizational culture, and overcoming resistance to change. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Melody Jordan-Carr,CEO at MemberGrow
Kristine Metter, CAE, President at Crystal Lake Partners LLC
Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director for the Texas Society of Association Executives
Gene Terry, CAE, IOM, Executive Director for the American Society of Hand Therapists

Thu 1/16 at 1 p.m. – On-Page SEO Essentials: Transform Your Content Performance in 2025

Gain practical, actionable insights to optimize your website’s SEO, from meta descriptions to technical health. Learn strategies for improving rankings, driving traffic, and enhancing user experience to stay competitive in search results. More info/register.

Host: Content Marketing Institute

Speakers:

Brittany Du Bois, Content Marketing Manager, PlayPlay
Marianne M. Talbot, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Bailey & Glasser, LL
Stephanie Stahl, Managing Director, Content Marketing Institute

Thu 1/16 at 2 p.m. – 2025 Hospitality Predictions from Michael Dominguez

As part of our annual tradition, we will explore the evolving trends, shifts in consumer behavior, and innovative strategies that could reshape the way we think about meetings and events. Our discussion will focus on real-world examples to help you differentiate fact from fiction in the ever-changing hospitality environment. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speaker: Michael Dominguez, CMP is President and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International

Thu 1/16 at 3 p.m. – Association Chat Insider Weekly Recap

Host: KiKi L’Italien, Editor-in-Chief, Association Chat, and VP of Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M

Thu 1/16 at 3 p.m. – Navigating Event Logistics: Best Practices for Associations

How do you pull off seamless events that keep members coming back for more? This panel dives into the nuts and bolts of planning, managing, and improving association events. From solving logistical headaches to creating experiences that resonate, our experts share strategies that matter. More info/register.

Host: NXUnite by Nexus Marketing

Speakers:

Meaghan Maybee, Marketing Communications Specialist at pc/nametag
Abby Nero, Regional Vice President at Map Your Show
Lomesh Shah, Chief Executive Officer at Tradewing

Thu 1/16 at 4 p.m. – 6 Event Marketing Fails (And How to Fix All 6!)

What is your strategy to increase attendance at your next event? Hear proven best practices to increase event registrations. Learn how event planners and marketers can work together to build more successful marketing campaigns. Discover how to diagnose existing marketing problems and remain confident in implementing solutions. More info/register.

Host: ASAE Reston-Loudoun Swap

Speaker: Bill Zimmer, Event 360

Fri 1/17 at 3 p.m. – Nonprofit Consultants Collaborative Monthly Networking Meeting

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

Tue 1/21 at 1 p.m. – How to Win: Be a Category of One (Leadership for SMBs and Entrepreneurs)

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Wade Tetsuka, CPA, President, UST

Tue 1/21 at 1 p.m. – Revolutionizing Sponsor Engagement: Emerging Tech for Association Marketplaces

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Sandra Nam, CEO and Co-Founder, QiqoChat

Wed 1/22 at 11 a.m. – Bite-Sized Big Impact: How Microlearning Is Reshaping Education

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Andrew Chamberlain, Executive Director of the UK’s Institute of Association Leadership
Elisa Pratt, Chief Executive and Founder of Brewer Pratt Solutions LLC

Wed 1/22 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Meet & Greet

Connect with new faces in the association tech community. Join us for a 30-minute welcome event to forge fresh connections and discover our vibrant Slack community. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Wed 1/22 at 1 p.m. – Ghosted by Sponsors? Why They’re Not Responding & How to Fix It

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

Guest: Carrie McIntyre, principal, Navigate

Wed 1/22 at 2 p.m. – How Associations Use Data to Drive Revenue

Host: Naylor Association Solutions

Speakers:

John Brandt, Chief Executive Officer, MPI Research
Bill Rowan, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, National Asphalt Pavement Association
Chad Lloyd, Chief Data Officer, Naylor Association Solutions

Thu 1/23 at 1 p.m. – Get Ready to Move…Your Data

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Jenifer Alonzo, Association Practice Lead, Fíonta

Thu 1/23 at 1 p.m. – Beyond the Buzz: Integrating AI Solutions into Human-Centric Strategic Planning

Hosts: Halmyre and Event Garde

Speakers:

Christine Saunders, Founder and President, Halmyre
Aaron Wolowiec, Founder and President, Event Garde

Thu 1/23 at 2 p.m. – Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue

Please join us for the first Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue Zoom Meeting of 2025. More info/register.

Host: Jeff De Cagna, Executive Advisor, Foresight First LLC

Public domain painting, Märkische Winterlandschaft by Louis Douzette (1879)

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Association Brain Food: 12.20.24

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

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien

Merry Christmas! This is the last Association Brain Food of the year, unless my list of good reads becomes unwieldy. Otherwise, I’ll return to your inboxes on Friday, January 10. Until then, thank you for spending time with me here. I wish you and your loved ones a most joyful, cozy and relaxing holiday season.

Awards program. For anyone who oversees an association’s awards program, this OpenWater post explains everything a first-time awards program manager needs to know. Even if you have experience managing an awards program, you’ll find something new and useful here.

Emails to members. It’s not just you. Members all over don’t read the emails their associations send. Elizabeth Engel of Spark Consulting shares three ideas to help you fix that problem.

Online learning strategy. D2L explains what you need to know to build and implement an effective online learning strategy, including vision and purpose, necessary resources and expertise, success criteria, communication plan, and assessment.

Content marketing strategy. This interactive quiz from MemberBoat helps you identify must-have content marketing strategies and potential gaps.

GA help from sponsors. Bruce Rosenthal and Dan Kowitz explain how associations can leverage the policy expertise of corporate sponsors to help conduct and develop government affairs research and resources.

Community building. People seek communities—places to belong where they can make a difference. But associations have a hard time delivering the personal and emotional experiences people want from communities. GrowthZone offers advice on engaging members with the five pillars of communities: direction and desired outcome, shared responsibility, personal value, progress awareness, and an ongoing ecosystem.

Certification pricing. If members complain or inquire about the price of your credentialing programs, follow the lead of the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification. They explained the reasoning behind their pricing in a post titled, Is Certification a Money Grab?

Small-staff technology. Tori Miller Liu and Meredith Ellison shared a list of software used by 83 small-staff associations.

Bite-sized learning. I don’t like shoulding on you, but every association should offer plenty of microlearning for busy members and customers. James Young at Product Community provides a primer on bite-sized learning, including its attributes, forms, pros and cons, and examples of how members use it.

Snacks

The death of critical thinking will kill us long before AI. | Joan Westenberg

Medieval scholars say 536 CE was the worst year to be alive. | History Facts

The Amazon River doesn’t have any bridges—and for good reason. | Tom Hale, IFL Science

You never grow old at the table

Here’s an excellent coq au vin recipe for a cozy night or Christmas Eve dinner, although I can’t imagine not having Italian on the Eve. Make it as instructed in a slow cooker, but I prefer to cook it in the oven for 1-1/2 hours at 350.

On the side, mashed potatoes or rutabagas to soak up that amazing sauce. I also made Brussels sprouts sauteed with red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, ham broth and dried cranberries.

This recipe for one-skillet eggplant parmesan was fantastic. I mixed two thawed ice cubes of basil pesto into the dish before baking.

It’s been a long time since I made my old chipotle salmon recipe—so good! I didn’t have a lime to juice, so I used two mandarin oranges instead.

Another cozy comfort meal: stovetop roast chicken with lemon herb sauce. I used a mix of parsley, tarragon and chives, and added extra lemon juice.

Wishing festive feasting to all!

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

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

Fri 12/20 at 12 p.m.* – Year-End Reflection and Future Planning (Member ROI Group)

Reflect on the invaluable insights we’ve shared throughout the year and participate in shaping the future of our collective learning journey. Revisit key learnings: refresh your memory on the strategies and tactics that have helped associations like yours boost member value and engagement. Share success stories: hear from peers who have implemented insights from our sessions and achieved tangible results. Participate in collaborative future planning: help us design the roadmap for 2025, ensuring our content aligns perfectly with your association’s evolving needs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Ed Rigsbee

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

Fri 12/20 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

This monthly networking meeting is for full-time consultants who work with non-profits and associations. You don’t have to be an ASAE member to attend this consultant-organized event. This month, we’ll look ahead to 2025 and talk about special projects and activities like promoting the Google Directory, creating resources, and developing the business continuity/crisis situation back up network. Bring your ideas. Plus, we’ll share good news and cover topics and questions from the group. More info.

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

Fri 12/27 at 1 p.m. – Talk with CAEs

An online space for CAE candidates to ask questions about the CAE (e.g., exam preparations, eligibility, exam content outline, study strategies, practice questions, tips and advice, etc.) and current CAEs to share their knowledge and experience with the exam. More info/register.

Lead facilitator: DeeJay Hastings, CAE, Executive Consultant, Lewis Association Consultants

Tue 1/7 at 12 p.m. – Data Analytics Network

Please join us to find out our brand-new plans for DAN in 2025. We can’t wait to show you! Engage in association peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics on the first Tuesday of each month. 1 CAE credit. Location: Arlington VA. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Wed 1/8 at 12 p.m. – The Association Community Needs A Different AI Conversation…Right Now

More than two years after ChatGPT irrevocably disrupted our world, there is an open and robust conversation about ethical, purposeful, and responsible generative AI adoption occurring in nearly every sector of our society. So why isn’t this conversation happening in associations? Hear about six purposeful AI provocations for 2025 that will help shift your thinking about the present and future of generative AI and help move our community’s AI conversation in a different and necessary direction. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: AIOT

Speaker: Jeff De Cagna, executive advisor, Foresight First

Wed 1/8 at 1 p.m. – The Keys to Marketing Across Generations in 2025

Join a Gen-Xer and a Millennial who’ve cracked the code to cross-generational marketing to drive demand. Discover how tech adoption timing influences everything from trust to buying cycles, and learn about the different ways generations approach content consumption and purchasing decisions. Explore self-education styles and the psychology behind it all. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Sam Bush, Founder, Ambush
Kate Coffey-Bacon, VP of Marketing and Events, US Transactions Corporation/UST Education
Mary Miller, Director of Marketing, Paytrace

Thu 1/9 at 11 a.m. – Cybersecurity Questions You Should Be Asking

The threats, risks, and potential solutions within cybersecurity are changing faster than any other area of technology. As critical as this topic is for an organization’s future and brand reputation, it is one of the least understood by executives. This webinar does away with the tech-talk and explains the must-know facts about cybersecurity risks, what executives need to understand, what questions to ask, and how to ensure your IT team is headed in the right direction at an adequate pace. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Brian Scott, President, CIO, ClearTone Consulting LLC

Thu 1/9 at 11 a.m. – The Event Tech Dating Game

Find the innovative, problem-solving tech solution you need in this one-of-a-kind virtual experience designed exclusively for event planners and marketing professionals. Bold tech contenders compete to become THE ultimate solution to real-world event planning challenges. One savvy event planner puts three ambitious tech companies in the hot seat who address tough, no-holds-barred challenges like managing last-minute hiccups, boosting attendee engagement, and simplifying those all-too-tedious check-ins. More info/register.

Host: Dahlia+ Agency

Speakers:

Vinnu Deshetty, Event ROI Coach
Dahlia El Gazzar, Tech Evangelist + Idea Igniteur, Dahlia+ Agency

Thu 1/9 at 1 p.m. – Top Digital Trends Shaping Associations in 2025

Struggling to keep members engaged and meet their evolving expectations? Get solutions to the challenges associations face in aligning their offerings with what members truly value. Learn how to leverage technology and innovative programming to improve member retention, boost engagement, and create new sources of sustainable non-dues revenue. Gain actionable strategies to solve these challenges and position your association for success in 2025. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Dan Stevens, President, WorkerBee.TV

Thu 1/9 at 2 p.m. – Big Changes Are on the Horizon for PCI Compliance

Beginning in April 2025, businesses that accept credit cards are expected to be compliant with PCI DSS version 4.0. Some of the key changes from past versions of PCI include stricter security requirements like mandatory multi-factor authentication for all access to cardholder data environments, automated log reviews, and enhanced vulnerability scanning procedures. Learn about these changes and what they might mean for your organization. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speaker: James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

Thu 1/9 at 2 p.m. – The Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community January 2025 Kickoff Event

More info/register.

Host: Jeff De Cagna, executive advisor, Foresight First

Thu 1/9 at 3 p.m. – Association Chat Insider Weekly Recap

Host: KiKi L’Italien, Editor-in-Chief, Association Chat, and VP of Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M

Creative Commons licensed photo by Alicia Slough via Unsplash

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

Association Brain Food: 12.13.24

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

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humor.” ~Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Rule #1: don’t kill attendees. No matter how busy you are planning and running an event, you have time to keep attendees alive. Harsh, I know, but Tracy Stuckrath shared an awful story about Dominique Brown, co-founder of BlackGirlDisney, who died from an allergic reaction at an event. Everyone who has anything to do with F&B should know better, but it’s the association team’s job to make sure they act better and not kill anyone. How heartbreaking and completely preventable.

Attendee connections. I’ve read several posts lately about helping attendees connect, but this one from Jeffrey Cufaude is the best so far. He shares a fantastic list of “tactics to make it easier for people to connect and converse that cost next to no time or money.”

Event AI. Here’s a story about a tool you might not have read about yet. The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery used AI tool Zenus to capture attendee behavioral data during their conference and expo—data their sponsors and exhibitors found valuable, a nice bonus.

Abundant thinking. Don’t roll your eyes! This isn’t a woo-woo Instagram influencer post. Katia Verresen at First Round Review explains how abundant thinking can transform your career and organization. She starts with a scarcity vs. abundant thinking diagnostic and then describes six tools (behaviors) to adopt. There’s a lot to digest here, so a reread is in my future.

Future of associations. In this insightful post at HQ The Association Magazine, Belinda Moore describes the challenges and opportunities associations face now and in the future. I especially liked her take on different “tribes” in associations who each have their own interests and needs.

Microlearning. eLearningDOC explains why microlearning is an ideal learning format for busy professionals and how to add it to your association’s education portfolio.

AI adoption. With AI pervading our workplaces, Sharon Rice at .orgSource says, “How we incorporate this unique ability into our organizations is critically important… We can decide what experiences and relationships to create.” The post explains how to use technology, including AI, to “tap into the powerful emotional drivers that spark engagement across association communities.”

RFPs. I’m sure many association professionals and industry partners will relate to this… Maarten Dalmijn says, “If you truly hate someone, give them an RFP.” He explains why RFPs “suck so much” and suggests a better way.

Snacks

How to develop a B2B content strategy, plus real examples. | Relato

A mind-blowing account of author Tao Lin’s spiritual evolution accelerated by his DMT trips and reading about near-death experiences. Prepare yourself for disembodiment, disquieting somethingness, and a body-riding soul. | Tao Lin, Granta

2025 SEO trends: predictions from 23 industry experts. | Chima Mmeje, Moz

You never grow old at the table

Cold rainy night? Make ground beef paprikash and egg noodles. I adapted my birthday buddy Rachael Ray’s recipe by using beef instead of turkey; adding poblano, jalapeño, and tomato paste, and subbing beef broth for chicken broth.

On the side, green beans sautéed with bacon, mushrooms, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, tarragon, chives, rosemary and chicken broth. I grew tarragon this year so I could have it fresh for dishes like this.

If you love Thanksgiving flavors, sprinkle boneless pork chops with dried thyme, salt and pepper, sear them until nearly done, then add cranberry sauce to pan. On the side, butternut squash mashed with maple syrup, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

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

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

Fri 12/13 at 11 a.m.* – Step into the New Year with Intention

There’s no better milestone than the start of a new year to take the time to reflect and set intentions for the coming year. Intentions are not New Year’s resolutions, as resolutions typically don’t work because they’re often vague and come with too many unrealistic expectations. A simple trick to keep your intentions front and center throughout the year is choosing a word that represents your vision for 2025. Join this AWTC webinar to pause, reset and assess whether your path is still aligned with your goals and values. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speaker: Jen Lewi, Design your Next Step, Founder & CEO

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

Fri 12/13 at 12 p.m. – Marketing 2025: Association Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Join an engaging, interactive discussion about marketing trends and challenges associations will face in 2025. Share insights, exchange ideas, and tackle pressing questions about the future of association marketing. From emerging technologies to engaging members and driving revenue, let’s brainstorm strategies and solutions together. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Marketing Professionals Advisory Committee

Fri 12/13 at 1 p.m. – Leave a Legacy Like Springsteen: How Digital Accessibility & Gifting Can Secure Your Association’s Future

explore how associations can leverage digital accessibility and legacy gifting to enhance member retention, increase lifetime value, and secure a thriving future. Drawing inspiration from Bruce Springsteen’s perspective on leaving a lasting impact, we’ll delve into strategies that cater to the aging Baby Boomer demographic while creating new revenue streams for your association. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Blue Sky eLearn

Speakers:

Mark Wallach, MBA, CEO Emeritus, Mobile Engagement Strategies
Jesse Shorts, Business Development Representative, Blue Sky eLearn

Fri 12/13 at 1 p.m. – Talk with CAEs

Lead facilitator: DeeJay Hastings, CAE, Executive Consultant, Lewis Association Consultants

Fri 12/13 at 2 p.m. – 2025 Gear Up! 14 NEW Quick Tips to get EMAILS Opened & Clicked

Discover the latest in email marketing and see what new trends are increasing open rates and setting you apart from the crowd. Learn actionable tips/tricks that will make a huge impact in your overall campaign performance. More info/register.

Host: GURU Media Hub

Speakers:

Pierce Ujjaninwalla, co-founder and CEO, Knak
Jay Schwedelson, founder, SubjectLine.com and GURU Media Hub

Fri 12/13 at 4 p.m. – Fridays@4 Farewell & Holiday Gathering

Join your Fridays@4 friends and colleagues as we say “farewell” to the last four years of great connections and learning. This will be the final meeting of Fridays@4 and will be our holiday networking event. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 12/16 at 8 a.m. – Meetings and Events: USAE News (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

Host: Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNP, principal and founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting

Guest: Kevin Tuuaga, LeadingAge California

Mon 12/16 at 3 p.m. – Membership Mondays: Winter Meet & Greet (Washington DC)

Join us for a fun afternoon of networking with the ASAE Membership Professionals Community. Connect with your peers and celebrate another year of Membership Mondays sessions with light refreshments and winter-inspired snacks. Location: Washington DC. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Tue 12/17 at 11 a.m. – Unlocking the Power of AI for Associations

Explore the transformative potential of AI for associations. Gain insights into AI readiness, learn how to build a strategic AI roadmap, and understand the financial implications of AI adoption. Hear about the importance of ethics and governance in AI implementation, ensuring responsible and sustainable AI usage within associations. Get equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively integrate AI into their organizations, driving innovation and efficiency. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Rick Bawcum, CAE, CISSP, CEO and Founder, Cimatri

Tue 12/17 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio

Tue 12/17 at 12 p.m. – CRVM Crunch and Munch: Volunteer Onboarding

Our volunteers are our most engaged members. We can ensure their volunteer experience is a positive one by setting them up for success. Join this peer-to-peer idea exchange on ways to orient, train, and prepare our volunteers for their roles. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council

Facilitators:

Jessica Lombardo, Vice President, Member Engagement, ASIS International
Michelle Runge, CAE, Director of Chapter Relations, American Inns of Court

Tue 12/17 at 12 p.m. – Predictions for the New Year & How to Prepare

Hear predictions for the new year and exactly what you need to do to prepare. Find out how to develop a winning AI strategy (Hint: No more throwing things at the wall!), AI implications for the workforce—and how to talk about it, and specific steps you can take now to stay ahead. More info/register.

Host: Charlene Li, Founder & CEO, Quantum Networks Group

Tue 12/17 at 12:30 p.m. – Association Rockstars Roundtable: Reflections and Predictions

A cadre of this past year’s Rockstars will talk about the year that has been and the year that will be. More info/register.

Host: Lowell Aplebaum, founder, Vista Cova

Speakers:

Lindsay Currie, CAE
Jeff De Cagna AIMP FRSA FASAE
Matt Gruhn
Christina Lewellen, MBA, CAE
Hester Ndoja, CAE
Samyuktha Neeraja, MPH, CAE
Joanna Pineda

Tue 12/17 at 1 p.m. – Generative AI: Going from Experimentation to Deployment

Explore how Generative AI has evolved from an experimental concept to a powerful tool reshaping the future. Hear about its practical applications and the impact it can have on association engagement, operations, and member value today. See how adopting Generative AI can propel your association’s mission forward in transformative ways. More info/register.

Host: Momentive Software

Speaker: Jake Juby, Director of Engineering, Momentive Software

Tue 12/17 at 2:30 p.m. – The Future of Association Boards Community Dialogue

Discuss the problems geographic composition creates for seating high-performing association boards and other issues. More info/register.

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

Wed 12/18 at 11 a.m. – 2025 Event Trends and Predictions: Discover What’s Next in the Events Industry

Hear our expert panel’s key insights, actionable strategies, and innovative ideas that will help you stay ahead of the curve. We’ll cover emerging event tech from GenAI meeting agendas to augmented reality; meeting trends, including how ecosystem events are driving new meeting formats; monetization trends, such as unlocking new sponsorship opportunities and maximize ROI; and the future of 24hr experiences where your 6pm-2am schedule is as important as 10am – 4pm. More info/register.

Host: Grip

Speakers:

Enrico Gallorini, Co-Founder & CEO of GRS Research and Strategy; President, Info Salons; and Partner, Explori
Devon Montgomery Pasha CMP, CED, Director of North America, Event Design Collective
Tim Groot, Founder and CEO, Grip
Hew Leith, SVP of Marketing at Grip

Wed 12/18 at 12 p.m. – Design Your Leadership Philosophy

Create your personalized Leadership Philosophy using my WHO-BE-DO framework so you can lead with peace and ease from the inside out. This isn’t just for people with “manager” in their job title — it’s for anyone who wants to lead with more clarity and confidence. More info/register.

Host: Andrea Raggambi, PCC, CBC, Founder, PerforMore Coaching & Consulting, and Organizational Development Consultant, Korn Ferry

Wed 12/18 at 2 p.m. – SEO Glow-Up: Web Growth Tactics to Start and Stop in 2025

SEO isn’t what it used to be, and neither are the results. We’ll explore a long list of SEO tactics, both new and old, and give our verdict: adopt it or drop it. Hear which SEO tactics are worth your time in 2025, what recent changes in SEO could mean for your business, a new perspective on familiar SEO tactics, inspiration to try newer tactics for optimizing your site, and actionable tips for making your site findable. More info/register.

Host: Content Marketing Institute

Speakers: Jane Bartel, Dir. of Search & Content Marketing, and Nick Nelson, Associate Content Director, TopRank Marketing

Wed 12/18 at 2:30 p.m. – Event Contracts Exposed: The Truth About “Hidden Fees”

Supplier fees are rarely “hidden.” Spotting fees requires strengthening your contract acumen. Learn about fees planners may miss, what to look for in fee-related language, and how you can negotiate better terms for your hidden fees. More info/register.

Host: Planner Protect

Speaker: Heather Reid, CEO and Founder, Planner Protect

Wed 12/18 at 3:30 p.m. – 7 Measures of Success Town Hall

Hear about the research project’s goals, strategies for gathering community input, and tools and resources for implementation. The event will conclude with an open Q&A and a link to an interest form for continued engagement. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Facilitator: Paul Borawski

Thu 12/19 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group: Membership Is Everybody’s Business

The live discussions will predominately be about CAE education domains related to member ROI on the first and third Thursdays of the month with some exceptions. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Ed Rigsbee, Rigsbee Research

Thu 12/19 at 12 p.m. – AFP Microsoft Copilot Implementation Journey

Join us over the course of a few webinars as we follow Galina Kozachenko and her team at AFP along their Microsoft Copilot implementation journey. Discuss how organizations arrive at the decision to jump into the world of AI. Learn the difference between Teams Premium, Copilot, Copilot Studio, and how they all interact with humans, data, systems, and each other. Together with AFP we will go over lessons learned and practical ways to get AI working for associations like yours. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE

Speakers:

Galina Kozachenko, Managing Director, Strategy, Analytics and Technology, Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
Misha Getter, Vice President, Systems and Technology at the Global Cold Chain Alliance

Thu 12/19 at 4 p.m. – AI Assistants and Agents: Smart Responses, Seamless Automation

With the right approach, AI can save your staff hours of repetitive tasks and increase the value provided. Hear about the growth and limitations of large language models (LLMs), fine tuning and retrieval augmented generation (RAG), agents and agentic AI, and where your community members fit in. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Higher Logic

Speaker: Rob Wenger, CEO of Higher Logic

Fri 12/20 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

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

Creative Commons licensed photo by Marek Mucha via Unsplash

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You never grow old at the table

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

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You never grow old at the table

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

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You never grow old at the table

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

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You never grow old at the table

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

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Snacks

You never grow old at the table

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

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Snacks

You never grow old at the table

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

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