Association Brain Food

Association Brain Food: 9.6.24

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

Chapters and membership. Your association and chapters vie for your members’ attention and time, so how do you become membership partners instead? Billhighway shares Elizabeth Engel’s advice for tackling this conundrum, including how to help chapter volunteers excel at member recruitment, engagement, and retention.

Podcast recommendations. I love Lead Marvels’ curated list of association podcasts, but it’s missing two of my favorites: Leading Learning from Tagoras and Reboot IT from DelCor Technology Solutions.

RFP for an AMS. Impexium describes the steps for creating a request for proposals (RFP) for association management software (AMS). They cover the planning process, elements of an RFP, factors to keep in mind when selecting an AMS partner, and advice from technology consultants at Achurch Consulting, DelCor, Effective Database Management, and Ellipsis Partners.

Association marketing. Earn up to four CAE credits in the Association Academy’s Association Creative Marketing Masterclass, which meets for four weeks on Thursdays, 1-2pm ET, starting September 19. Taught live by leading association heads of marketing, this course teaches you how to evaluate marketing copy and layout. Each class features a live review of real association marketing collateral, along with recommendations for improvement.

Association AI. Ray van Hilst at Yoko Consulting summarizes AI discussions at last month’s ASAE Annual Meeting. Sure, AI helps you do more with less, but he advises not falling for the Shiny Object Syndrome. Don’t adopt AI for the sake of it. Instead, understand how it aligns with your strategic objectives, supports your mission, and enhances your services. He also addresses ethics and transparency concerns, AI policies, and “shadow” AI tools.

Video marketing. VideoRequest describes how associations are using videos to increase brand awareness, raise funds, engage volunteers, and promote events.

Volunteers. Peggy Hoffman of Mariner Management says, “The traditional volunteer model—long terms, rigid roles—isn’t resonating with today’s members. They crave flexibility and opportunities to contribute their skills in meaningful ways.” She describes how to move away from the traditional model if you want to get more members involved in volunteering.

Pricing. Dr. Michael Tatonetti of Pricing for Associations suggests guidelines and questions for focus groups that will help you determine the real value of your association’s product.

Extra credit

Payment processors vs. payment gateways: key differences explained | Wade Tetsuka, CPA, US Transactions Corporation (UST)

The Taliban’s assault on music: The group announced it destroyed over 21,000 musical instruments in the past year—part of its broader, brutal effort to crush the spirit and culture of the Afghan people. Islamic fundamentalists are the scourge of civilization. | Ahmad Sarmast, Lesley Rosenthal and Jessica Lustig, The Wall Street Journal (gift link)

You never grow old at the table

In a twist on the traditional insalata caprese, I topped tomato slices with goat cheese instead of fresh mozzarella, along with fresh basil, black olives, and balsamic vinaigrette. I loved the creaminess of goat cheese, plus it’s more flavorful than mozzarella. Slivers of kalamata olives added a nice salty bite.

We had the caprese salad before enjoying an old (easy) favorite, pork Milanese. On the side, green beans sautéed in a mix of almond and olive oil—I added oil from a jar of almond butter to the pan—with red onion, garlic, fresh tarragon, and slivered almonds. Fed up with never finding tarragon in our local supermarket, I decided to grow my own.

Another night, I made baked black sea bass with linguiça and chickpeas. On the side, roasted broccoli and carrots with red onion and garlic powder.

In the mood for lemon, I found a recipe I will make again: lemon butter chicken tenderloins. Another quick one!

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

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 9/6 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

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

Fri 9/6 at 4 p.m. – Panel Discussion: How Associations and Nonprofits Can Honor Hispanic Culture & the Role of Culture in Belonging and Cultivating Inclusion

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, join a panel discussion on how association staff and members can celebrate Hispanic culture, the role of culture in belonging, cultivating inclusion, etc. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speakers:

Shari N. Olarte, MA, CAE, Director of Governance at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

Mon 9/9 at 8 a.m. – Consistent Messaging for Nonprofits (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: Stephanie Malench, Write by Steph

Mon 9/9 at 12 p.m. – Membership Mondays

This session will feature a member-led discussion on membership success, exploring the topics: How do you define “success” for members within your organization? What are the primary challenges you encounter when measuring success? How are trends or technologies influencing your methods? More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Membership Professionals Advisory Council

Tue 9/10 at 11 a.m. – Improving Web Accessibility: Building a Culture of Online Inclusivity from Remediation to Localization and Beyond

Even as your association works to bring your website into compliance with federal and state accessibility mandates, you’re likely learning about emerging litigation and lawmaking from state, federal, and global agencies that will continue to affect you. Learn where to start with accessibility and how to develop a sustainable approach to accessibility governance for your website. Find out why web accessibility needs to be a priority for your organization, the different levels of compliance—and what “WCAG AA 2.1” means, how common website issues create barriers to inclusivity, what you need to improve the user experience, how to create a manageable remediation plan for technical accessibility issues, and how to build in inclusivity from the start when you’re planning a new site or redesign. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Rob Bean, Partner & Strategist at Refactored
Kelly Jan, Senior Business Development Executive at Recite Me

Tue 9/10 at 11 a.m. – Optimizing the Budget Building Process

Learn how an annual budget process assessment can set the stage for change and improved performance. Explore options for finding the right time to begin the budget building process and how even a small change has many benefits. Hear about the funding-first approach to budget building and how prioritizing budgeting for revenue and support on the front-end of the budget building process helps with funding assessments and aligning and scaling programs, activities, and operations to available funding. Find out about special tactics for budgeting for salaries, and how decentralizing the budget building process and documenting budget assumptions is key to success. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

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

Tue 9/10 at 11:30 a.m. – Beyond Event Attendance: Proven Approaches to Boost Attendee Engagement

Event planners are finding that while attendance numbers are on the rise, the quality of engagement leaves much to be desired. Learn how to create a comprehensive attendee engagement plan, develop attendee personas to tailor your engagement efforts, identify the key performance indicators and metrics to measure the success of your engagement strategy, and gain insights from the Community Brands Events Trends 2024 Research Study to benchmark your engagement strategies amongst your peers. More info/register.

Host: Community Brands

Tue 9/10 at 12 p.m. – Tech Tuesdays

Whether you’re a tech-savvy pro or just getting started, Tech Tuesday is your go-to spot for the latest trends, game-changing tools, and insider tips that will take your organization to the next level. Connect with the brightest minds, share your ideas, and be part of the conversation that’s shaping the future of our industry. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Technology Professionals Advisory Council

Facilitators:

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

Tue 9/10 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ 2024 Community Call

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 9/10 at 1 p.m. – Maximize Your Investment and Post-Event Potential: Turning Your Content Into Revenue Streams and Member Value

With proper planning, your annual conference can fill your content calendar while generating non-dues revenue. This approach provides valuable, continuous content to members, extends access to non-attendees, and offers industry partners richer sponsorship options, beyond brand awareness, and metrics to accurately demonstrate success. Learn how to identify content that provides exceptional member value; compare and assess proven non-dues revenue models for their effectiveness before, during, and after your event; design a content calendar filled with engaging content; and use content to create FOMO and increase annual attendance. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Dan Turnbull, Business Development Representative, WorkerBee.TV

Tue 9/10 at 2 p.m. – Treat Yo’ Self To Success: Marketing Benchmarks and Strategies for a More Effective 2025

Hear results from the 2024 Marketing Benchmarks for Mission-Driven Organizations report, showcasing how you can leverage the data and insights to better understand how you stack up to your peers and create a plan for improved marketing maturity in 2025 and beyond. Learn about quick wins you can start today, what long-term success looks like, and how to implement each. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Mighty Citizen

Speakers: Brianna Martin, Director of Brand Marketing, and Jarrett Way, Senior Marketing Manager, Mighty Citizen

Tue 9/10 at 2 p.m. – Best Practices for Managing the “Easy Button”

In a time of lean corporate planning teams, third-party, agency and independent planners can fill skill gaps in teams, augment staffing, and help reach goals by leveraging their vast expertise. And often they can offer their services for little or no cost to you. Learn how to find consulting partners that fit your needs, what questions to ask when considering a partner and the range of services you can outsource, and how and when to integrate these resources into your organization. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speakers:

Yvette Campbell, CMP, meeting broker, Meetings Made Easy
Michelle Crosby, CMP, CITP, account executive, Brightspot Incentives and Events

Tue 9/10 at 9 p.m. – Conversations Dominating Association Planning

Hear about strategies associations implement to stay ahead of the curve. More info/register.

Host: Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives

Speaker: Belinda Moore, consultant, Strategic Membership Solutions, and founder, Answers for Associations

Wed 9/11 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Panel Discussion: How Practice Tests Can Support Your Program (Alexandria VA)

Dilve into the multifaceted world of practice exams, exploring their types, development, and economic implications. Hear an in-depth analysis of various practice test formats—ranging from standardized tests to specialized subject exams—and their efficacy in preparing students and professionals alike. Explore the intricacies of content development, including the methodologies for creating high-quality, reliable practice materials. Learn about the economic aspects of practice test preparation, examining costs, market trends, and the impact of technological advancements. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Host: Certification Network Group

Speakers:

Laura Brooks, Technical Enablement Program Manager, Pure Storage
John Dight, VP Business Development/Certification Consultant, Surpass
James Gamito, MSHRM, Account Director, Prometric
Corina Owens, Ph.D., Vice President, Client Services, Alpine Testing Solutions, Inc.
Ibidun Layi-Ojo (moderator), Director, Examinations, CFP Board

Wed 9/11 at 12 p.m. – Elevating Volunteer Engagement: How to Create a Thriving Volunteer Community

In nearly 500 conversations with members from various member organizations, member strategist and author, Amanda Lea Kaiser found a complicated tangle of reasons members don’t volunteer. Learn how to welcome potential volunteers, extinguish burnout of long-time volunteers, and encourage more volunteer collaborators, contributors, and leaders. More info/register.

Host: GrowthZone

Speaker: Amanda Kaiser, engagement strategist, Kaiser Insights

Wed 9/11 at 1 p.m. – 7 Writing Mistakes Your Communications Team Is Making Now

Learn scientific, proven-in-the-lab writing techniques you and your team can use to craft engaging, relevant content that resonates with stakeholders; cut through the noise of competing communications; use AI tools to write better, easier and faster; and create empathetic, human communications in the AI world. More info/register.

Host: Ann Wylie

Wed 9/11 at 2 p.m. – Fall 2024 Legislative Preview: Congress Crunch Time

Hear about legislative priorities and key bills Congress aims to address before the end of the fiscal year, implications of potential delays and the strategies lawmakers may employ, impact of the upcoming elections on legislative activities and priorities, and how critical appropriations and the NDAA could shape policy outcomes. More info/register.

Host: CQ

Thu 9/12 at 11 a.m. – Educating Your Membership on How to Increase the Value of Your Business

Hear about a proven approach to educating your membership on how to increase the value of their business. Learn how “the market” views business valuation and closing the gap between the seller’s and buyer’s perceptions. Find out about the top three business and founder risks that lead to business failures. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Eric Krucke, Business Transitions Practice Leader, Aprio

Thu 9/12 at 1 p.m. – Supercharge Your Membership Strategy With AI

Explore the diverse applications of AI beyond text and image creation and new possibilities for enhancing member engagement and support. Learn about the current landscape of marketing AI and how it can significantly benefit membership organizations and associations like yours. Find out about easy-to-use AI tools you can implement immediately to enhance your membership strategy and drive measurable results. Learn how to design and apply actionable AI experiments tailored to streamline your workflow and elevate your association’s processes, making a real impact from day one. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

Thu 9/12 at 1 p.m. – An All-Star Panel’s Reflections on a Rockin’ ASAE Annual

Hear what brought the panelists to ASAE Annual, what they learned and observed, what ASAE got right with this conference, what sessions stood out to them and why, their key takeaways, and how participation has changed their vantage points or practices. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

Vy Le, MBA, CAE, Director of Membership and Governance, Linguistic Society of America, and Founder and Host, Humans of Authenticity
KiKi L’Italien, Vice President, Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M and Editor-in-Chief and Host, Association Chat
Greg Melia, CAE, CEO, Customer Experience Professionals Association
Ben H. Rome, Director of Communications, American Bus Association

Fri 9/13 at 4 p.m. – Strategic Thinking: How to See Your Work Differently

Unless you are a unicorn, thinking strategically takes time and practice. Gain tips and tools to become more strategic, think more strategically and, even more importantly, communicate strategically. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Jessica Kinghorn, principal consultant of Kinghorn Strategy

Tue 9/17 at 1 p.m. – How Well Do You Know Your Members?

Challenge your understanding of your association’s members. Hear the findings from the recently released 2024 State of Association Member Experience Report and put your knowledge to the test. Discuss emerging trends in member engagement and learning preferences. Learn more about adopting an agile mindset to stay competitive and relevant. More info/register.

Host: Forj

Wed 9/18 at 12 p.m. – From Fizzle to Fire: Reinvigorating Volunteerism in Your Member Communities

Dive deep into the challenges of low volunteerism and hear about strategies to support components—from chapters to SIGs to online communities. Explore innovative approaches to attract a diverse pool of volunteers, leveraging technology, social media, and community partnerships. Learn how to guide leaders in fostering a supportive, inclusive, and empowering environment for their volunteers. Discover how to use data and feedback to understand volunteer needs and tailor recruitment and retention efforts. Share effective practices, and resources to power volunteerism in your member communities. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Speaker: Peggy Hoffman, president and executive director, Mariner Management

Wed 9/18 at 1 p.m. – Associations & Non-Profits: Digital Initiatives to Grow Sponsorship Revenue

Hear about innovative digital initiatives and ideas that associations and nonprofits can leverage to boost their sponsorship revenue and stand out from other purpose driven organizations. Gain expert insights on transforming your digital strategy to attract and retain sponsors effectively. More info/register.

Host: Growth Owl, LLC

Speakers:

Michelle Brien, Chief Marketing Officer, Matchbox
Lori Zoss-Kraska, Founder/CEO, Growth Owl, LLC

Thu 9/19 at 12 p.m. – Association Systems: Do You Have the Right Tech Stack for Your Association’s Needs?

Have you ever wondered whether your association has the right technology platforms? Are you keeping up with the latest tech? Are you focusing on the right projects? Should you first focus on tools rather than projects? If you’re thinking about doing a technology assessment, explore the first step: looking at your core association systems. More info/register.

Host: Achurch Consulting

Speakers: Tammy Marko, PMP, Technology Consultant, and George Rears, MBA, PMP, CSM, Technology Consultant, Achurch Consulting

Thu 9/19 at 1 p.m. – Advocating as a Woman in a Male Dominated World

Women are breaking barriers and taking on leadership roles in fields once considered exclusive to men. However, the path to leadership for women in these environments can be challenging. Learn how to advocate for yourself and your career by speaking up, expressing your goals, and seeking support. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speaker: Nallely Suárez Gass, Director of Professional Services, Elevar Development

Thu 9/19 at 1 p.m. – Unlocking Growth: Strategies and Frameworks for Learning Businesses

Drawing on a new executive briefing from Leading Learning, this session explores essential strategies that can drive your learning business forward. Discover the two primary levers that underlie growth, the critical importance of growing your reach and impact along with revenue, and how to align growth tactics to your core goals. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Leading Learning/Tagoras

Speakers:

Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele, co-founders of Tagoras and Leading Learning
Ujjwal Gupta, CPO and co-founder of BenchPrep

Fri 9/20 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’s agenda includes a discussion facilitated by Jeff De Cagna about the impact AI will have on association consulting work plus a conversation about getting the most out of your ASAE membership. More info.

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

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

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Association Brain Food: 8.30.24

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

Chapter non-dues revenue. Billhighway shares five strategies suggested by Carrie McIntyre of Navigate for helping chapters become proficient at sponsorship and exhibit sales—advice that applies to anyone in business development and sales. The post describes Carrie’s consultative approach to sales, including tips for websites, prospect outreach, relationship building, and feedback gathering.

Awards program. OpenWater explains how to increase award submissions and nominations by avoiding the most common pitfalls in awards program management. Their guidance touches on common issues with marketing, program integrity, administrative hurdles, and recognition.

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

Trends survey. Association Laboratory invites association executives to take ten minutes to participate in Looking Forward Solutions, an annual trend analysis of strategies across association domains (membership, meetings, advocacy, etc.) that are essential to your association’s success. Every participant receives complimentary access to the Looking Forward Dashboard, which contains more than a dozen sector studies examining the environment facing members, challenges created for associations, and strategies essential to success.

Association workload. Many association professionals feel like they’re “on a continuous uphill climb.” Sharon Rice and Jennifer Proctor at .org Community share strategies to lighten the load for the heavy lifters on your team. By following their advice, you can open space for managers to develop skills and dedicate time to new ideas and initiatives—without heading for burnout.

Association magazines. m3Magazines offers advice for transforming your magazine into a valuable resource for members. They start by reviewing the benefits of a well-crafted print magazine—in case you need to make a case to your leadership team. They also explain how to develop a content strategy, identify the best time for a redesign, decrease costs, and increase revenue.

7-day communications challenge. Gather Voices invites you to participate in their free 7-Day Video Communications Challenge starting Tuesday, September 3. You’ll receive a daily email with a learning tip and an assignment to make a video. By the end, they guarantee you’ll be more comfortable on camera and better equipped to collect content from your members.

Attendee connections. Claire Hoffman at BizBash asked event planners to share their ideas for helping attendees—even introverts—interact and feel connected at an event.

Extra credit

During a Roman burglar’s heist, a book on the homeowner’s nightstand caught his attention. He got so absorbed in it, the owner woke up and called the police, who nabbed the guy. I’d want to read that book too, but not on the job! | Wanted in Rome

Here’s a simple solution to the pessimism culture. Read a book—unless, you know, you’re supposed to be working. | Henry Oliver, The Common Reader

What school didn’t teach us: you need to occasionally lose control. Gen Z needs to drink alcohol, make friends, and blurt out heartfelt impulsive things. “I love you guys!” | Kat Rosenfield, The Free Press

A tribute to the Rick Steves way of travel. I used to love watching him back in my solo travel days. I even met fellow fans on vaporetto #1 in Venice! | Anne Taylor, Hedgehog Review

You never grow old at the table

Kitchen highlight of the week: Jim saying, “This is the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life!” Maybe that was the beer talking, but it really was exceptional, a new keeper recipe from Truly Madly Pizza: One Incredibly Easy Crust, Countless Inspired Combinations & Other Tidbits to Make Pizza a Nightly Affair by Suzanne Lenzer.

I made the dough on Saturday afternoon. She gives instructions for making it by hand or in the food processor, which is what I did. It only calls for a 20-minute rise and then into the freezer it goes. On Sunday morning, I moved the dough to the fridge and made her pizza sauce recipe. Later that night, right before making the toppings, I moved the dough to the counter.

I made one pizza with diced sautéed linguiça, mushroom, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic underneath fresh mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan cheese. The other was a spicy Hawaiian: diced sautéed red onion and jalapeño under the same mix of cheese with diced fresh pineapple and ham on top. For the Hawaiian, I added hot sauce to the pizza sauce. Exquisite! I’m truly madly in love with her dough and sauce recipes and plan to make more dough for the freezer. I had enough pizza sauce left over for another pair of pies.

My other two dinners weren’t too shabby. One night, I made Portuguese-ish pork chops, adapted from The Food of Portugal by Jean Anderson: boneless pork loin chops marinated a few hours in a paste of garlic, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and olive oil with white wine, then pan-fried. On the side, collards sautéed with bacon, red onion, jalapeños (red and green), garlic, and chicken broth.

The next night, an old favorite for slightly cooler weather: cranberry chicken parmesan with leftover collards.

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

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.

Tue 9/3 at 12 p.m.* – Words Can Be Data Too (Data Analytics Network)

Hear about ASHA’s innovative (yet user-friendly) qualitative analytics toolkit, which has transformed their approach to qualitative analytics, and their journey in qualitative analysis, including the obstacles and breakthroughs. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Speakers: Evan Reid, Senior Director of Data Analytics, and Julia Reilly-Edwards, Data Scientist, ASHA

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

Tue 9/3 at 12 p.m. – Pricing Strategy for Service Businesses

Organizations are constantly revisiting pricing questions. This session will help you demystify pricing strategies, explore the tactical parameters, and get clear on the value your organization offers. More info/register.

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Wed 9/4 at 12 p.m. – Navigating the Presidential Election: Insights for Association Investment Reserves

As the upcoming presidential election looms, associations face a crucial need to understand how political shifts can impact their investment reserves. Hear how prudent investment policies can help associations navigate 2024’s political uncertainty. Learn how to strengthen your investment policies and effectively segment your investment reserves in advance of the upcoming presidential election. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: AIOT

Speakers: Dennis Gogarty, Founder, and Matt O’Lone, Portfolio Manager, Raffa Investment Advisers

Wed 9/4 at 1 p.m. – 15 Ways to Take Your Email Newsletter to the Next Level

Many organizations find themselves stuck between sending outdated, irrelevant newsletter content and trying to keep it fresh and engaging. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Learn about tools and technologies that enhance the sophistication of your newsletters while minimizing the strain on internal resources, thereby saving valuable time. Find out how to optimize your newsletter content and layout, ensuring maximum impact with every email you send. Hear about the core principles of email engagement and applying them effectively to maintain member interest and keep them informed. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

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

Wed 9/4 at 1 p.m. – Beyond the Video Experts: Scaling In-House Video with AI

Learn how to optimize in-house video creation for maximum impact and efficiency, integrate AI seamlessly into your video production workflows to boost creativity and productivity, create non-boring video content that drives real results, and measure the impact and cost savings of in-house video creation. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Melissa Francois, Global Content & Comms Lead, PlayPlay

Wed 9/4 from 2 to 5 p.m. – AI in Action: Strategies for Effective Implementation in Marketing, HubSpot, and Beyond (Alexandria VA)

Are you struggling to reach your company’s marketing and sales goals in a rapidly changing industry? Do you wish you knew more about the strategic frameworks, platforms, and AI-powered tools that could propel your company forward? Network and learn from experts while enjoying complimentary food and beverages. Location: Alexandria VA. More info/register.

Host: Measured Results Marketing

Speakers:

Christopher Antonopoulos, Founder & CEO, Measured Results Marketing
Debbie Bates-Schrott, Chief Marketing Officer, Yes& Agency
Rachel Kellam, Senior Product Manager AI Innovation, HubSpot
Nathan Singer, Strategic Partner Development Manager, HubSpot

Wed 9/4 at 2 p.m. – Ask the Attorney: Trends in Hotel Contracts

From data and on-site security to high A/V costs and limited negotiation room, this year’s contract discussions have been more contentious than ever. Hear about data security and on-site risk management, inadequate and inattentive venue services, escalating A/V costs and other price hikes, limited negotiation flexibility and where to find wiggle room. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speaker: Jonathan T. Howe Esq., president and founding partner of Howe & Hutton Ltd.

Thu 9/5 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

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

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Thu 9/5 at 1 p.m. – The Future of Evergreen Content: Build a Sustainable, Search-Everywhere-Optimized Strategy with AI

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, creating great content isn’t enough. Learn how to optimize your content for SearchGPT and other emerging search technologies, create content that aligns with your brand and stays relevant over time, and use AI to build and maintain a consistent content strategy that’s both effective and sustainable. More info/register.

Host: Yodelpop

Speaker: Camille Winer, Founder and CEO of Yodelpop

Thu 9/5 at 2 p.m. – Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue September Kickoff

Join your association community colleagues for a LinkedIn Live video event to kick off the FAB Community Dialogue’s September conversations. More info/register.

Host: Future of Association Boards (FAB)

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

Thu 9/5 at 2 p.m. – How Generative AI Can Impact Your Events

Explore cutting-edge AI technologies that enhance event planning, boost attendee acquisition, exhibit and sponsorship sales, and provide actionable insights to your event teams. Learn how AI can be used to measure audience gaps, sales targets, and surface marketing targets—at the click of a button. More info/register.

Host: 501Works

Speakers:

Chris Bonifati CEM, Trade Show organizer for APPA/Global Pet Expo
Joe Colangelo, CEO and Co-Founder of Bear Analytics
James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

Thu 9/5 at 3 p.m. – Easy as Can Be: Association Operations Best Practices

Hear about strategies for effective member management, tools and software to streamline operations, enhancing internal and external communication, implementing continuous improvement processes, and developing leadership and governance within associations. More info/register.

Host: NXUnite by Nexus Marketing

Speakers:

Paul Hanscom, Chief Growth Officer, Ewald Consulting
Farhad Khan, CEO, Member Lounge
Troy Stenback, Consultant, iMIS

Thu 9/5 from 5 to 8 p.m. – AI in Action: Strategies for Effective Implementation in Marketing, HubSpot, and Beyond (Reston VA)

Host: Measured Results Marketing

Speakers:

Christopher Antonopoulos, Founder & CEO, Measured Results Marketing
Debbie Bates-Schrott, Chief Marketing Officer, Yes& Agency
Rachel Kellam, Senior Product Manager AI Innovation, HubSpot
Nathan Singer, Strategic Partner Development Manager, HubSpot

Fri 9/6 at 1 p.m. – Talk with CAEs

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

Facilitators:

Aaron Grau, CAE, President, Global Association Partners
DeeJay Hastings, CAE, Executive Consultant, LEWIS, LLC

Fri 9/6 at 4 p.m. – Panel Discussion: How Associations and Nonprofits Can Honor Hispanic Culture & the Role of Culture in Belonging and Cultivating Inclusion

Host: Fridays@4

Speakers:

Shari N. Olarte, MA, CAE, Director of Governance at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

Tue 9/10 at 11 a.m. – Improving Web Accessibility: Building a Culture of Online Inclusivity from Remediation to Localization and Beyond

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Rob Bean, Partner & Strategist at Refactored
Kelly Jan, Senior Business Development Executive at Recite Me

Tue 9/10 at 11 a.m. – Optimizing the Budget Building Process

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

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

Tue 9/10 at 11:30 a.m. – Beyond Event Attendance: Proven Approaches to Boost Attendee Engagement

Host: Community Brands

Tue 9/10 at 1 p.m. – Maximize Your Investment and Post-Event Potential: Turning Your Content Into Revenue Streams and Member Value

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Dan Turnbull, Business Development Representative, WorkerBee.TV

Tue 9/10 at 2 p.m. – Treat Yo’ Self To Success: Marketing Benchmarks and Strategies for a More Effective 2025

Host: Mighty Citizen

Speakers: Brianna Martin, Director of Brand Marketing, and Jarrett Way, Senior Marketing Manager, Mighty Citizen

Thu 9/12 at 11 a.m. – Educating Your Membership on How to Increase the Value of Your Business

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Eric Krucke, Business Transitions Practice Leader, Aprio

Thu 9/12 at 1 p.m. – Supercharge Your Membership Strategy With AI

Host: UST Education

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

Thu 9/12 at 1 p.m. – An All-Star Panel’s Reflections on a Rockin’ ASAE Annual

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

Vy Le, MBA, CAE, Director of Membership and Governance, Linguistic Society of America, and Founder and Host, Humans of Authenticity
KiKi L’Italien, Vice President, Marketing and Community Engagement, Big Red M and Editor-in-Chief and Host, Association Chat
Greg Melia, CAE, CEO, Customer Experience Professionals Association
Ben H. Rome, Director of Communications, American Bus Association

Creative Commons licensed photo by James Lee via Unsplash

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Association Brain Food: 8.23.24

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

Online workshops. TopClass LMS explains how associations benefit by offering virtual workshops or bootcamps that give members and industry professionals the specialized, focused learning experiences and credentials they need—and employers appreciate. They also suggest program elements to enhance the learning experience.

Mobile engagement strategy. Members live on their phones, especially younger ones. Clowder shares six steps for developing a mobile engagement strategy that encourages members to download your membership app, keep it on their phone’s home screen, and build it into their daily routine.

Education revenue. D2L suggests four factors to consider when developing a revenue strategy for your association’s education programs and five models for monetizing those programs. They also include tactics throughout the guide for improving the attractiveness and effectiveness of your online learning programs and portfolio.

Association outlook. What’s on your board’s radar? Find out if you’re overlooking anything by reviewing the executive summary and discussion guide for Association Laboratory’s environmental scan, Looking Forward® Impact. It identifies issues facing members of trade associations, professional societies, and global associations, including competitive factors and strategic challenges. In the appendix, you’ll find instructions on how to access Looking Forward® data via a customizable dashboard.

RFPs. Don’t send your request for proposals (RFP) to more than five vendors, says Wes Trochlil of Effective Database Management. Hundreds of association experts in our community agree. Wes explains why and how to narrow down your unwieldy prospective vendor or consultant list.

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

New member digital badges. Recently, I noticed a digital badge on LinkedIn from a new member of Professionals for Association Revenue (PAR). This morning, I saw one from new PAR member Jeff Hanlan who describes the reasons this new member onboarding tactic works so well for both the new member and the association. Kudos PAR!

Conference sacred cows. Michelle Russell of PCMA Convene interviewed event planners about sacred cows well overdue for slaying—“approaches to conferences which have stood the test of time but are as flat as stale beer.” She shares some of their “radical and ripe ideas to reinvigorate the events industry—and why it is slow to evolve.”

Extra credit

Better words for “webinar” per GURU Media Hub research. | via Nancy Harhut

Remote and hybrid association professionals—or those who want to be: did you know about the Virtual Association Network? It’s “a community of peers who understand what it’s like to operate in a virtual or remote environment, so you can get answers quickly and focus on making an impact for the organization you serve.”

Walking Hanoi. I love this pedestrian view of Hanoi, which looks like it hasn’t changed in the 17 years since I was there. | Chris Arnade Walks the World

Something to lift your spirit… A terrorist plot canceled the show, but we Swifties found each other on Cornelia Street. | Agnes Callard, The Free Press

You never grow old at the table

Last Friday, I took the morning off to go fishing with my husband. I caught the biggest catfish of the day! We threw a few back but ended up with seven for the freezer. Blue catfish don’t have the muddy flavor some associate with catfish. I pan-fried it with a creamy jalapeño sauce for dinner that night. Despite the name, this sauce has no cream or dairy. The emulsification of ingredients in the food processor gives it a creamy consistency.

On the side, a sauté bonanza of summer vegetables: eggplant, green beans, zucchini, red jalapeño, onion, tomato, garlic, lemon juice, and fresh basil.

On Sunday, I roasted a brisket low (250°) and slow, using the spice mix in this recipe for a dry marinade, although I added cumin and thyme. I lost track of how long it took to get the roast up to temp, seven or eight hours maybe. Next time, I might boost the oven to 275° if I don’t have all day.

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

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 8/23 at 1 p.m.* – Building Bridges: Strategies & Best Practices for Working with Subject Matter Experts

Learn how to build bridges with your SMEs that result in high-quality content for your organization’s learning programs. Unlock the secrets to clear and effective communication with SMEs. Discover tools and techniques to keep engagements with SMEs on track and on time. Learn how to set and manage expectations to avoid common pitfalls. Explore strategies to make the learning content creation process smooth and efficient and tips and tricks to ensure your educational materials are top-notch and impactful. 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

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

Fri 8/23 at 1 p.m. – Friend, Foe, or Bot? Decoding LinkedIn Invites

Ever get a LinkedIn invite and immediately wonder, “Is this a real connection or just another pitch in disguise?” We’ve all been there—trying to build a solid network while dodging the spam, the bots, and the endless pitchslaps. Hear about the good, the bad, and the cringeworthy when it comes to connection requests. Learn new strategies and share yours. We all want to make LinkedIn connections that are actually worth our time, don’t we? More info/register.

Host: Irene Koehler, LinkedIn Strategist for High-Profile Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders

Fri 8/23 at 4 p.m. – ASAE Conference Recap

Fridays@4 board member, Kenjie Davis, will facilitate a recap of the ASAE24 conference. Did you attend? What did you learn? What were the key takeaways? If you didn’t attend, find out what you missed. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Mon 8/26 at 8 a.m. – A Conversation with the Founder of USAE News (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

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

Guest: Ross Heller, Publisher, USAE (the only weekly community newspaper of associations, CVBs and hotels)

Mon 8/26 at 12 p.m. – Radical Respect: Building Better Team Dynamics and Trust

Giving and receiving candid feedback can be challenging, and when leaders get it wrong, it ‌can significantly harm an organization’s morale, engagement, and productivity. Learn strategies to transform your feedback culture, ensuring it builds trust, drives performance, and fosters a more inclusive and psychologically safe environment, and to create a workplace where diverse perspectives are valued and everyone feels empowered to contribute. More info/register.

Host: Betterworks

Speaker: Kim Scott, the New York Times bestselling author of “Radical Candor” and “Radical Respect”

Tue 8/27 at 12 p.m. – Trends Talk: Leadership and Workforce Development

Not only is Camille championing workforce development efforts for ASAE, she herself has a fascinating background, having worked in leadership roles for numerous organizations and hosting a radio show on trends. In addition, Camille is the founder of a leadership development company. Earlier this year she interviewed me on the LeadHERship Bytes podcast. Listen to a discussion on trends in workforce and leadership development, as well as membership and associations. More info/register.

Host: Sarah L. Sladek, Founder and CEO, XYZ University

Guest: Camille Sanders, CAE, Senior Director of Career and Workforce Solutions, American Society of Association Executives

Tue 8/27 at 1 p.m. – Match Made in Heaven: 6 Ways an LMS Can Drive Growth for Your Business and Engage Your Learners

Supporting your learners on their journey to obtaining career-changing credentials is paramount. Learn how the right LMS will support the entire lifelong learner journey to drive business growth and learner engagement, tips for optimizing the digital learning experience, and strategies for effectively catering to a diverse array of learning preferences, needs, and styles. More info/register.

Host: BenchPrep

Speakers: Jessica Braid, Customer Success Manager, and Kevin Korinek, Senior Director of Customer Success, BenchPrep

Tue 8/27 at 2 p.m. – Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue

Join a discussion with association professionals about why you should be involved in FAB, what we have learned in our first month, what we will discuss in September, and how you can get involved. More info/register.

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

Wed 8/28 from 9 to 11 a.m. – EventProfs Vision 2024 (Track 1)

It’s tempting to keep rinsing and repeating the same event playbook, agendas, speaker line-ups, etc. But over time, it has become increasingly difficult to engage participants and turn them into repeat attendees. They’ve come to expect the average run-of-the-mill session format. This event bridges the innovation gap and helps the industry collectively exchange ideas so you can create your own new event session formats. More info/register.

Hosts: Eventprofs VISION and Skift Meetings

Wed 8/28 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 8/28 at 12 p.m. – Tides of Transparency: Communicating the Financial Information That Matters Most to Your Board

Learn how your finance team can support the onboarding and education of successful board members, especially those who do not have experience with financial statements. Find out how to draw attention to what’s important when preparing reports designed to help board members make good decisions and understand the financial picture. Using case studies, we’ll also illustrate ways to effectively convey the financial information that should matter most to your board. More info/register.

Host: Your Part-Time Controller

Wed 8/28 at 12:30 p.m. – End of Summer Report Card for Association Media & Publishing

A casual, open discussion about all things communication and publishing, bring any questions you’ve been wanting to ask other association professionals, for example, navigating bosses who bring up the printing vs. online debate, advertising sales this year, rising printing and mailing costs, new offerings that are working great, annual conferences in 2024, and planning for significant changes in 2025. More info/register.

Host: AM&P Next

Wed 8/28 from 1 to 2:45 p.m. – MasterTHIS: Content Strategy, Day 1

Sessions: Strategies to Scale Your Content Engine for Maximum Impact, 7 Steps To Document Your Content Marketing Strategy, and License the Internet: The Future of Marketing Campaigns. More info/register.

Host: Informa Connect

Speakers:

Michael Brenner, Founder, Marketing Insider Group
Analisa Goodin, Founder and CEO, Catch+Release
Ariana Keil, Growth Marketing Manager, Canto
Stephanie Stahl, Managing Director, Content Marketing Institute

Wed 8/28 at 1 p.m. – Roadmapping Your Organization’s Readiness for Emerging Tech

Hear about emerging technologies on the horizon and a framework for preparing your data, technology, and people to maximize organizational readiness and better support your mission. Take away a clear roadmap for ensuring successful adoption of new technologies within your organization. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva and Protech

Speakers: Rhoni Rakos, Director of Digital Strategy, and Jessica Richardson, Senior Consultant, Marketing Strategy, fusionSpan

Wed 8/28 from 1 to 3 p.m. – EventProfs Vision 2024 (Track 2)

Hosts: Eventprofs VISION and Skift Meetings

Wed 8/28 at 1 p.m. – Accessibility for All: Five Ways AI Can Improve Your Meetings’ Accessibility

While creating environments that are inclusive to all may seem a challenge, AI can provide solutions in every part of the event cycle that can help ensure no one is left out. Learn tips, prompts, and advice to avoid pitfalls in AI. Hear how to better foster accessibility in meetings and events. Find out the latest trends regarding meetings and events accessibility. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Samantha Evans, certification director of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals

Wed 8/28 at 1:30 p.m. – Not-So-Everyday AI: 7 Tools Every Association Professional Should Know

Learn about the seven essential AI tools every association professional should know, including practical AI tools designed to enhance your team’s efficiency and creativity, from social media post creation to AI-driven videos and even interactive eLearning all created at the click of a button. Featured tools include InVideo, Gamma, Mindsmith, HeyGen, Fotor, ChatGPT (with a tutorial on effective prompting and 100+ association-specific prompts), MyGPT, and a bonus no-code chatbot builder. More info/register.

Host: Dan Streeter, Mission Fuel

Thu 8/29 at 11 a.m. – So What Is CRM Anyway? How These Modern Tools Can Help You Increase Sales, Members, Sponsors or Just About Anything Else

Whether your organization is selling products, services, memberships or is just supporting a group of interested people (like an NGO), CRM tools will pull you out of the world in which you’re managed by Excel spreadsheets. Hear industry use cases and some of the built-in capabilities available in CRM tools. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Matthew Friedman, Principal Solution Architect, Business Process Associates

Thu 8/29 at 11 a.m. – Captivate and Engage with Video-Based Microlearning

Sharing popular video lessons from renowned psychologist and author Adam Grant, this presentation and live Q&A will show you the power of video-based microlearning that resonates. Learn strategies to hook your learners with video-based storytelling that grabs their attention; turn theoretical concepts into practical skills that apply to real-world scenarios; ensure your learners enter the deep learning space, retain concepts and build muscle memory; and differentiate your audience’s needs by identifying their unique learner profiles. More info/register.

Host: Big Think+

Speaker: Meghan Phillips, VP of Partnerships, Big Think+

Thu 8/29 at 12 p.m. – Unleash the Dragon Within: Leading Transformation in Your Community

We are in the Year of the Wood Dragon—a time brimming with dynamic energy and the potential for transformation. Learn how to unleash the Dragon’s energy to drive innovation, foster collaboration, spark creative problem-solving, and develop long-term sustainability for your community. Find out how to identify the traits of transformational leaders who disrupt for positive impact and move beyond simply reacting to challenges. More info/register.

Host: Hight Performance Group

Speaker: Cathi Hight, President, Hight Performance Group

Thu 8/29 at 3 p.m. – Unconventional Tactics to Build Engaging Member Journeys

Ask your burning questions about your association’s member journey, such as the ideal user experience to enhance member journeys, key engagement features to improve member experience, effective communication techniques to boost engagement, and/or growth opportunities in your member journey. More info/register.

Host: Grype Digital

Speaker: Farhad Khan, CEO & Membership Strategist, Grype Digital

Tue 9/3 at 12 p.m. – Words Can Be Data Too (Data Analytics Network)

Engage in association peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics on the first Tuesday of each month. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Tue 9/3 at 12 p.m. – Pricing Strategy for Service Businesses

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Thu 9/5 at 2 p.m. – How Generative AI Can Impact Your Events

Host: 501Works

Speakers:

Chris Bonifati CEM, Trade Show organizer for APPA/Global Pet Expo
Joe Colangelo, CEO and Co-Founder of Bear Analytics
James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

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Association Brain Food: 8.16.24

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

“The most important decision you will ever make is to be in a good mood.” —Voltaire

Chapter ambassadors. Billhighway shares everything you need to know about launching a chapter ambassador program. Ambassadors help boost member engagement, expand your association’s and chapters’ reach, and ensure consistent brand messaging while offering meaningful volunteer opportunities and career-building experiences.

Virtual conferences. Fíonta reminds us of the advantages virtual conferences have over in-person events. They describe tactics for delivering a memorable and enjoyable online conference experience, including how to hold on to attendees’ attention, minimize virtual fatigue, facilitate connections, and please sponsors.

Membership. Aptify shares 50 ways to boost member recruitment and retention. I bet a craft beer you haven’t given all of these solid ideas a shot.

Association reading. When I first started reading association blogs back in the 2000s, it was a life-transforming experience. I kid you not. Blogs gave me the inspiration and education I needed at that point in my career. Lead Marvels shares their list of must-read association blogs. Yes, mine’s one of them, but so are many others that deserve a place on your regular reading list.

Awards programs. How often does a magazine like The Economist share something about associations? Hardly ever, which is why my eyes opened up when I saw the headline, “What is the point of industry awards?” Don’t worry. At first, they paint a painfully comical and accurate portrayal of awards galas. But hang on for the rest of the article about the positive impact awards make.

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

Website hosting. A few months ago, a website firm serving the association market went out of business and left their association clients adrift. Rene Shonerd of Half Moon Consulting explains how to prevent this nightmare from happening to your association by mitigating risks in your web hosting agreements.

Board’s AI stewardship. In a series of articles for Naylor, Jeff De Cagna advises associations to take a thoughtful approach to AI stewardship by helping your board understand AI’s capabilities and limitations, create AI governance measures, and anticipate AI’s evolution and impact. Boards should build their capacity for ethical decision-making, understand the stakes, and steward their associations toward ethical, purposeful, and responsible AI adoption.

Extra credit

A long but fascinating article about a VR genius who’s shaking up military tech (and avoiding the government’s moribund procurement practices) and who’s thriving despite a history of lockstep lies about him from the press. | Jeremy Stern, Tablet

Americans want businesses to stay quiet on public policy. Just 38% said companies should take a political stance—a fall of ten points in two years. | Zach Hrynowski, Gallup

AI is confusing—here’s your cheat sheet. | Jay Peters, The Verge

Beware: Phishing attacks are using URL shorteners to hide malicious links. | Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4

You never grow old at the table

Like many of you, I was at ASAE Annual earlier this week, so I never had the opportunity to cook. Back home, when it was my turn to make dinner, pasta seemed like the right choice since I was still pretty tired. Pasta is my soul food. I settled on fettuccine in a white clam sauce, but zhuzhed it up with zucchini, summer squash, red bell pepper, onion, tomato, garlic, white wine, lemon, canned clams, pasta water, butter, and fresh oregano and basil. It hit the spot and I have leftovers for today’s lunch!

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

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 8/16 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. Because it’s not an official ASAE event (and is organized by consultants, not by ASAE staff), you don’t have to be an ASAE member to attend. August’s main topics are a post-conference discussion of the good, bad, and questionable at ASAE Annual and getting the most out of your ASAE membership. More info.

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

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

Fri 8/16 at 4 p.m. – Online Communities Series: How to Revive a Dying Online Community

Don’t shut down an unengaged community. There’s still hope! Learn how to identify key issues that are affecting your community’s performance, craft strategies to get things back on track, and measure the impact of your approach. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Catherine Hackney, founder, Confident Communities Consulting

Mon 8/19 at 8 a.m. – Risk/Audit for Emerging Technologies (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

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

Guest: Sanja Kecic, Cyber Security Expert

Mon 8/19 at 12 p.m. – Lunch and Learn: Marketing AI Show & Tell

Join us for a little show and tell about Marketing AI tools. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Marketing Professionals Community.

Tue 8/20 from 11 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. – Event Marketers Week: Resilience & Wellness

The only virtual gathering for top B2B event and experiential marketers, focused on your growth, wellness and overall betterment. We’ll tackle the unique challenges of one of America’s most stressful professions in a community setting that’s focused on you, while offering a platform for sharing insights to help you thrive both personally and professionally. Learn from experts in resilience and wellness, creativity and design thinking, and event leadership—all from the comfort of your desk. More info/register.

Host: Zuddl

Tue 8/20 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

Tue 8/20 at 12:30 p.m. – Why Good Ideas Die: The High Cost of Poor Change Management

Explore the challenges of driving a high-performing change outcome. Hear about the human factors involved in business change and transformation. More info/register.

Host: Staaterman Strategic Advisory

Speaker: Mark Vincent, Founder of Applied Change Ltd.

Tue 8/20 at 1 p.m. – Amplify Your Learning Business: Strategies for Success

Hear proven and practical strategies for turning stale learning programs into stellar learning experiences. Learn how to develop a comprehensive strategy to guide your growth, govern technology and set a clear vision for your learning initiatives. More info/register.

Host: D2L

Speakers:

Kevin MacLeod, Learning Experience Architect, D2L
Margot Miller, Program Manager, IRCP, National Society of High School Scholars
Connie Ryan, Founder & President, Professional Development Institute

Tue 8/20 at 2 p.m. – Renewals Reinvented: Leveraging Member Insights for Greater Retention

Learn how to use member data to supercharge your renewal strategy. Hear real-life success stories about creative ways to personalize your approach and make renewals more engaging. Whether you’re looking to improve retention rates, increase engagement, or simply refresh your renewal strategy, this webinar will equip you with fuel to reimagine your renewal process with insights from your members. More info/register.

Host: PropFuel

Tue 8/20 at 2 p.m. – Leveling Up Your State Public Affairs Program: Benchmarking & Strategies

Learn how to have a greater impact on the policy landscape and benchmark the effectiveness of your state public affairs program. Hear what other teams are doing that you could also be doing. Get information about the five tiers of public affairs maturity—from Just Getting Started, all the way to Strategic—and get strategies to help you level up from one tier to the next. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

Tue 8/20 at 2 p.m. – Benchmark Your Advocacy: 2024 Data-Driven Insights and Tactics

Understanding what time of day and day of week your audience is most engaged, or what channels they use the most to take action is a must if you want to run successful advocacy programs in an already crowded space. Hear about the findings of VoterVoice’s 2024 Advocacy Benchmark Report, packed with the latest data, trends, and actionable strategies to elevate your grassroots efforts. Discover the secrets behind top-performing advocacy campaigns and learn how to leverage this data to optimize your grassroots communication strategies. More info/register.

Host: VoterVoice

Speakers:

Seth Chase, Government Affairs Director, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses
Lauren Schwartz, Senior Digital Advocacy Strategist, REAL Strategies
Amanda Allen, Director, Communications and Office Management, New York Chapter American College of Physicians

Tue 8/20 at 2 p.m. – Keys to Driving Webinar and Digital Event Registration

Learn best practices to increase your audience from tens to thousands and deliver maximum results. Hear about the latest performance benchmarks, quick wins to boost your success, optimizing and personalizing your email invitations, tips for content that converts, and how gen-AI tools can help, and new ways to get out of the email inbox and promote across channels. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Mark Bornstein, VP of Marketing and Chief Evangelist, ON24

Wed 8/21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Event Marketers Week: Creativity & Design Thinking

Host: Zuddl

Wed 8/21 at 12 p.m. – Are You Talking to Me?! CPC vs EPC

While the definitions of “compliance” and “preference” are pretty clear cut, the email marketing world has often interchanged these terms in efforts to build member engagement and improve campaign performance. The goal of an EPC (Email Preference Center) is rooted in maintaining compliance and adhering to CANSPAM laws. With more emphasis now placed on creating personalized digital experiences and user journeys, the lines are getting blurry around what you need to provide to maintain compliance, and what you want to collect to personalize communications. Learn about the mechanics behind a Communications or Content Preferences Center, how it differs from the traditional EPC and what associations should plan for in the future. More info/register.

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Speakers: Maneesha Manges, CXO, and Morgan Mulgrew, Strategic Account Manager, HighRoad Solutions

Wed 8/21 at 12 p.m. – Using Probing Questions & Internal Communications Measurements to Encourage Leadership Support

Learn how to effectively communicate the operational value of internal communications and create project champions. Find out about the questions to ask when starting a conversation with decision-makers, ways to measure where you are and the progress you want to see, defining goals and how to work toward them, quantifying loss due to poor internal communications, and understanding and aligning assumptions with reality. More info/register.

Host: L-12 Services Corp.

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

Wed 8/21 at 1 p.m. – MasterTHIS: Content Strategy – Day 1

Sessions are: Strategies to Scale Your Content Engine for Maximum Impact, 7 Steps To Document Your Content Marketing Strategy, and License the Internet: The Future of Marketing Campaigns. More info/register.

Host: Content Marketing Institute

Speakers:

Michael Brenner, Founder, Marketing Insider Group
Analisa Goodin, Founder & CEO, Catch+Release
Ariana Keil, Growth Marketing Manager, Canto

Wed 8/21 at 1 p.m. – Mastering Mobile Optimization: Strategies for Increasing Conversions on Smartphones

Explore key strategies for optimizing mobile user experiences to drive conversions. With nearly 70% of the global population using smartphones, understanding mobile behavior and trends is crucial to driving growth. Learn how to enhance speed, maximize screen space, and optimize calls-to-action to improve your mobile engagement. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Mary Kate Cash, Head of Growth Marketing for North America, AB Tasty

Wed 8/21 at 2 p.m. – Next-Gen Nonprofit Marketing: Social Media Strategies

Discover the strengths of various social media platforms and how to leverage them effectively to reach your target audience. Get tips on creating compelling content that resonates with younger audiences and drives engagement. Understand how to track and measure the success of your social media campaigns to ensure you’re meeting your goals. Explore real-world examples of nonprofits that have harnessed the power of social media to engage and grow their supporter base. More info/register.

Host: Feathr

Thu 8/22 at 11 a.m. – AI and Human Collaboration: Creating High-Quality Content Together

Learn how to use AI tools to build detailed audience personas from existing data, create and repurpose content with AI, and test content with AI to gauge audience preferences. Find out about the critical role of human oversight in maintaining content authenticity and creativity. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Adrian Speyer, VP Marketing & Community, Customer Leaders Institute

Thu 8/22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Event Marketers Week: Event Leadership

Host: Zuddl

Thu 8/22 at 1 p.m. – How to Grow Your Online Course Catalog with Third-Party Content

It’s through your catalog of products that you can improve the skills and knowledge of individual learners and hope to realize broad change in the fields, professions, or industries you serve. Ensuring your products are effective and of high quality is of paramount importance. But you don’t have to build everything in your catalog yourself. Learn about factors to consider when determining whether to create content or curate content, practical considerations for how to offer third-party courses to your learners, and specific existing online courses that might make sense for your learning business to leverage. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Leading Learning

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

Thu 8/22 at 2 p.m. – Data Strategy Workshop: Thinking Big with Data for Associations

Learn about the tools and strategies needed to leverage data effectively, ensuring you can make a greater impact on your mission. Discover the potential of big data and how it can drive innovation within your organization. Learn practical ways to bridge the gap between your current data capabilities and your data-driven goals. Participate in a hands-on exercise to map your big ideas to actionable data strategies. More info/register.

Hosts: Fíonta and Salesforce

Speakers:

Nicole Adair, Principal Solution Engineer, Salesforce
Ashley Goad, Director of Data and Architecture, Fíonta
Lex Grace, Solution Engineer, Salesforce
David Manuel, Manager, Technical Architect, Fíonta

Thu 8/22 at 4 p.m. – Strategic Planning: Why It Fails and A New Approach

Hear the reasons behind strategic planning failures and a new approach to tackle this common issue. Learn about the pitfalls of traditional strategies and explore innovative methods to achieve success. More info/register.

Host: Jon Bassford, CAE, MBA, JD, Lateral Solutions

Fri 8/23 at 1 p.m. – Building Bridges: Strategies & Best Practices for Working with Subject Matter Experts

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 8/23 at 4 p.m. – ASAE Conference Recap

Host: Fridays@4

Wed 8/28 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

Thu 8/29 at 11 a.m. – So What Is CRM Anyway? How These Modern Tools Can Help You Increase Sales, Members, Sponsors or Just About Anything Else

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Matthew Friedman, Principal Solution Architect, Business Process Associates

Creative Commons licensed photo of Buckskin Gulch trail by Joshua Gresham via Unsplash

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

Association Brain Food: 8.9.24

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

ASAE Annual. I love meeting Association Brain Food readers at ASAE Annual, so if you see me there, please stop (or interrupt) me to say hello. If you’re an industry partner who needs help with content that educates your audience and enhances your reputation in our community, message me in the event app and we’ll find a time to talk while at Annual or after.

Association strategy. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Dean West at Association Laboratory says, “Stop designing your association for retired people.” He warns against relying on yesterday’s programs and generational stereotypes to guide your strategy. “Too many associations default to programs designed to serve existing audiences they know instead of learning about and serving future audiences that will be the heart of their industry or profession.”

Generative AI. Andy Fabian at Mighty Citizen explains what generative AI tools like ChatGPT can and can’t do for your content. “Generative AI can help you start your content or just fine-tune it… [but] it can’t write your final draft for you.” He says AI shouldn’t replace your writers (thank you!) because it’s not that creative, produces “meh” work, and can’t guarantee accuracy.

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

Conference design. Dilhara Muthukuda at Event Garde calls out five program formats that kept her engaged at a recent conference. Although she’s describing an in-person conference, you can use them for a virtual conference too.

Technology assessments. .orgCommunity says periodic technology assessments connect your association’s abilities with your intentions. They explain why it’s so essential to conduct preventative and proactive assessments to ensure you have the best systems, processes, and people in place to achieve your association’s goals.

Membership app. Bulletin describes how a membership app improves engagement by providing a centralized communication channel on your members’ phones. Unlike social media channels, your association controls your app—a tangible daily reminder of membership value.

Micro-volunteering. Elisa Pratt recaps a recent association community discussion about micro-volunteering. Participants shared different takes on micro-volunteering at their associations, including practices that challenge common assumptions and difficulties they’re encountering.

Benchmarking reports. Mark Athitakis at Associations Now suggests associations conduct benchmarking studies to help members (and others) better understand your industry’s workforce development needs. Benchmarking reports are also an effective content marketing tactic for associations and industry partners. You don’t have to look far for examples in our community, like Billhighway and Mariner Management’s benchmarking report on chapter performance, MGI’s on membership, and the one Mark mentions, MCI’s on engagement.

AI vs humans. Seeing the encroachment of AI into the arts, communication, and marketing, Mark Schaefer reminds us of the “durability of human creativity” and “emotional connection to actual people.” With AI, competence is now a commodity. If you or your brand want to stand out in your market, you must become known, trusted, and loved. Lean into your human mind and heart when communicating with your audience.

Extra credit

Overly detailed board of directors’ minutes are a legal liability. | by Edward McMurray, Levin Ginsburg Attorneys at Law

After almost a century in print, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People still has lessons to teach us. | by Kevin Dickinson, Big Think

We are in the beginnings of a new renaissance. 30 years ago, there weren’t any architectural firms specializing in sacred architecture. Now, they can’t keep up with demand. | by Jeremy Wayne Tate

Presence: culture is about calendars, not offices—how to intentionally design your team’s use of calendar time. | by Bruce Daisley

Teenage girls need Judy Blume more than ever. | by Kat Rosenfield, The Free Press

Why time slows down when we’re afraid, speeds up as we age, and gets warped on vacation. | by Maria Popova, The Marginalian

You never grow old at the table

I told you I’d return to this sauce soon. We’ve been enjoying a huge pan full of eggplant and vegetables in choo chee Thai curry sauce from Nancie McDermott’s Quick & Easy Thai: 70 Everyday Recipes. Here’s what you throw in the pan: eggplant, mushrooms, red bell pepper, red jalapeños, onion, garlic, coconut milk, red curry paste, chicken broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, garlic chives, cilantro, and Thai basil.

On the hunt for a corn recipe, I spotted this comment in my Word doc recipe for spicy Southern hot corn: “OMG, so damn delicious, the best corn dish I’ve ever had.” You know, it is pretty darn good. I used roasted red bell pepper and red jalapeños in addition to green jalapeños. Red jalapeños aren’t hot like their green brothers, but I’m adding them to everything since I have a surplus harvest.

Another night, another favorite sauce: catfish with sautéed red jalapeños, garlic chives, Herdez chipotle salsa cremosa, and cilantro. On the side, roasted Brussels sprouts, broccoli stems, carrots, red jalapeños, red onion, and garlic powder.

And an old favorite for the end of the work week: tilefish with spiced breadcrumbs. I added, what else, red jalapeños and poblano pepper to the crumb mix. On the side, sautéed red and green cabbage with bacon, onion, red bell pepper, red and green jalapeños, garlic, and chicken broth.

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

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 8/9 at 2:30 p.m.* – Why Strategic Planning Fails and A New Approach

Hear the common reasons traditional strategic planning fails and a new way of looking at strategic planning that starts with a data-driven analysis. More info/register.

Host: Jon Bassford, CAE, MBA, JD, Lateral Solutions

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

Fri 8/9 at 4 p.m. – The Future of Equity in Associations/Nonprofits

As an association and/or DEI professional, you may be familiar with the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) recent announcement that they are dropping the “E” from DEI to focus solely on inclusion and diversity. Our panel will discuss the future of equity as part of DEI in associations/nonprofits and share their opinions on SHRM’s decision, and if this is what the future holds for other organizations. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speakers:

Samantha (Sam) Evans, ICE-CCP, CAE, MBA, Certification Manager, International Association of Accessibility Professionals
Haley M. Jones, CAE, Director of Member Engagement, American Staffing Association
Sharon Newport, CAE, Principal, Sharon Newport, LLC

Sat 8/10 at 4 p.m. – 2024 ASAE Annual Welcome Happy Hour (Cleveland OH)

Catch up with AWTC community members, expand your network, and find your people before navigating the next few days. This IRL opportunity, to socialize and network with your industry peers, is brought to you by the generous support of our sponsors. Location: Cleveland OH. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Mon 8/12 at 8 a.m. – The 250th Episode!! Legacy: What We Leave For the Future (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

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

Guest: Agnes Amos-Coleman, RE+ Events

Tue 8/13 at 12 p.m. – LGBTQIA2+ 2024 Community Call

This event is a unique and inclusive opportunity for association professionals across all career stages to connect and engage over lunch. It’s a space where you can openly share and discuss topics that are current and significant to the LGBTQIA2+ association community. 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

Tue 8/13 at 1 p.m. – Enhance Your Marketing Strategy With Signals and AI

Signals and data provide insight into the buyer’s journey and help marketers identify, qualify, and convert customers. AI then analyzes these signals and suggests the next best actions to take, and when to act. Learn how to identify and use signals throughout the buyer’s journey, create demand using strategies that capture and act on signals, integrate AI to increase marketing and sales impact, and evaluate success using unified metrics across sales and marketing. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speakers: Millie Beetham, Director of Revenue Generation, and Deeksha Taneja, Vice President of Growth & Optimization, ZoomInfo

Tue 8/13 at 2 p.m. – Think Like a Reporter: How to Make Your Press Release Enticing

Using examples from nationally award-winning campaigns, learn how to find story angles that your press release readers will love and that editors won’t want to pass up. More info/register.

Host: Notified

Speaker: Ann Wylie, Wylie Communications

Tue 8/13 at 5 p.m. – Becoming the Marketing Leader Your Company Needs

Learn how to assert ideas and shape marketing strategies—what you need to do to be heard, drive decisions, and get things done across your organization; what the difference is between marketing ICs and leaders and how to avoid common mistakes (that even mid-level marketers make) that hinder influence; and how to leverage your influence to optimize product launches, campaigns, positioning, and drive growth. More info/register.

Host: Maven

Speakers:

Andy McCotter-Bicknell, Head of Competitive Intel at Apollo.io, previously ClickUp and ZoomInfo
Julien Sauvage, GVP, Marketing at Clari, previously Gong and Salesforce
Natalie Taylor, Head of Marketing at Capsule

Wed 8/14 at 9 a.m. – Using Behavioral Science in B2B Marketing

Explore how understanding the psychological factors influencing decision-making can transform marketing strategies. Hear insights on leveraging behavioral science to drive better customer engagement and conversion rates. A panel of B2B marketing experts will share real-life case studies and practical examples of how companies have successfully applied these principles to achieve remarkable results. More info/register.

Host: Adzact

Speaker: Nancy Harhut, author, Using Behavioral Science in Marketing

Wed 8/14 from 1 to 4 p.m. CDT – Hear From the Experts: Lessons Learned from Common Pitfalls Encountered in Credentialing Programs (Chicago IL)

We’ll tackle the key themes that align with roles in Governance and Operations, Test Administration, and Assessment Development and Delivery, covering the range of experiences and common pitfalls encountered in credentialing programs. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Certification Network Group

Speakers:

Tara McNaughton, Associate VP Psychometrics and Assessment, American Osteopathic Association
Eileen Odonnell, Project Manager, Dental Assisting National Board
Willaim “Bill” Seifarth, Executive Director, CEO, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
Tara Whittington, Director of Marketing, National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators
Kate Kahoa (moderator), Senior Psychometrician, PSI

Wed 8/14 at 1 p.m. – Green Meetings: Quick Wins

Explore a range of effortless green meeting initiatives that are easy to implement. Gain insights into scaling social impact initiatives to seamlessly fit into your event schedule. Learn how to integrate sustainability into your venue and transportation choices for a more eco-friendly approach. Discover effective strategies to collaborate with venues and F&B directors, reducing your meeting’s carbon impact. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Prevue Meetings

Speakers:

Amanda Gourgue, Chief Meeting Revolutionist, Meeting Revolution
Roger Lehner, Sr. Operations & Sustainability Executive, IMEX
Rachael Riggs, CMP, DES, SEPC, General Manager, Environmental Strategy & WellBeing Leader, Maritz

Wed 8/14 at 2 p.m. – Expert Exchange: Using and Collecting Advocate Stories to Drive Impact

Your advocates have unique perspectives and powerful stories. But how can you effectively harness these powerful stories to make an impact on legislators? In this “Ask Me Anything” style webinar, get practical tips on using advocate stories to engage legislators and drive policy impact. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

Speakers: Natalia González, Senior Account Manager, and Craig Plazure, Vice President, Beekeeper Group

Wed 8/14 at 2 p.m. – 10 Tips for Creating Great Webinar Content that Drives Engagement

Whether in the form of compelling presentations or just great conversations, keeping your audience’s attention means telling compelling stories and delivering engaging and interactive experiences. Learn how to source and prioritize content themes, use AI to find inspiration and build content, turn content themes into compelling narratives, and architect audience engagement. More info/register.

Host: Content Marketing Institute

Speakers:

Mark Bornstein, VP of Content Marketing, ON24
Stephanie Stahl, Managing Director, Content Marketing Institute

Thu 8/15 at 10 a.m. – Legal Latte: Brewing Up Solutions for Common Issues Facing Your Non-Profit or Association

Hear about critical legal topics impacting your nonprofit or association, such as the new overtime law, expense management, and more. Get practical solutions and insights to help you navigate the complex legal landscape. We will also have dedicated time for Q&A, allowing you to address concerns and gain valuable knowledge from our panel. More info/register.

Host: Profound Leadership

Speaker: Edward R. McMurray, attorney at Levin Ginsburg

Thu 8/15 at 11 a.m. – Cut the Sh*t. Cue the Genius. Town Hall: Event Profs Unscripted

Hey there, eventprofs! Tired of swimming through a sea of “meh” projects and dodging client curveballs? Yeah, we thought so. It’s time to grab a seat and dish on the real! So, are you in? Drag your beautiful, stressed-out self to this no-holds-barred throwdown. We’re gonna laugh, we’re gonna cry, and we’re gonna figure this shit out together. More info/register.

Host: Dahlia El Gazzar

Thu 8/15 at 12 p.m. – Addressing Burnout: Strategies for Leaders

Burnout is the #1 reason employees are citing as they quit in record numbers. Learn the signs and components of burnout so you can assess how much it’s impacting you and your organization, the unique set of factors that have led us to this point and why action is needed now, and the strategies you can implement right away to help your organization thrive now and into the future. More info/register.

Host: Brain Aware Training

Speakers: Justin Reinert, VP of Partnerships, and Heloisa Vila, Director, Product & Learning Experience, Brain Aware Training

Thu 8/15 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

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

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Thu 8/15 at 1 p.m. – Breaking Up with Your LMS: The Signs, The Search, and the Solution

Learn when it’s time to break up with your learning management system (LMS) by uncovering key red flags. Discover how unparalleled support, actionable insights, and scalable growth opportunities will ensure your organization’s success. Uncover how the right LMS can enhance learner engagement and drive better learning outcomes. More info/register.

Host: BenchPrep

Speakers: Evan Burton, VP of Sales, and Chris Titone, Sr. Customer Success Manager, BenchPrep

Thu 8/15 at 2 p.m. – Design for Impact: How to Increase Engagement Without Increasing Costs

How to transform your event vision into tangible experiences that drive emotional engagement, effectively use resources to reach your goals, and demonstrate the value of your events. More info/register.

Host: Smart Meetings

Speakers: Devon Montgomery Pasha, CMP, CED, director of North America for Event Design Collective

Fri 8/16 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. Because it’s not an official ASAE event (and is organized by consultants, not by ASAE staff), you don’t have to be an ASAE member to attend. August’s main topic is ASAE24 Post Con: The Good, the Bad, and the Questionable. More info.

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

Fri 8/16 at 4 p.m. – Online Communities Series: How to Revive a Dying Online Community

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Catherine Hackney, founder, Confident Communities Consulting

Tue 8/20 from 11 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. – Event Marketers Week: Resilience & Wellness

Host: Zuddl

Tue 8/20 at 2 p.m. – Renewals Reinvented: Leveraging Member Insights for Greater Retention

Host: PropFuel

Wed 8/21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Event Marketers Week: Creativity & Design Thinking

Host: Zuddl

Wed 8/21 at 12 p.m. – Are You Talking to Me?! CPC vs EPC

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Speakers: Maneesha Manges, CXO, and Morgan Mulgrew, Strategic Account Manager, HighRoad Solutions

Thu 8/22 at 11 a.m. – AI and Human Collaboration: Creating High-Quality Content Together

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Adrian Speyer, VP Marketing & Community, Customer Leaders Institute

Thu 8/22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Event Marketers Week: Event Leadership

Host: Zuddl

Thu 8/22 at 1 p.m. – How to Grow Your Online Course Catalog with Third-Party Content

Host: Leading Learning

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

Thu 8/22 at 2 p.m. – Data Strategy Workshop: Thinking Big with Data for Associations

Hosts: Fíonta and Salesforce

Speakers:

Nicole Adair, Principal Solution Engineer, Salesforce
Ashley Goad, Director of Data and Architecture, Fíonta
Lex Grace, Solution Engineer, Salesforce
David Manuel, Manager, Technical Architect, Fíonta

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

Creative Commons licensed photo by Katarzyna Pe via Unsplash

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

Association Brain Food: 8.2.24

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

ASAE Annual exhibitors. Association exec Christopher Ware writes about the onslaught of self-centered, irrelevant, and pointless emails he’s getting from ASAE Annual exhibitors. His complaint reminded me of two posts (pre-Annual and post-Annual) I wrote about the same topic back in the summer of 2015. Same old, same old. If you’re worried we’re talking about your company, then read our advice.

Association competitive analysis. How do you attract sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers, and maintain their engagement and loyalty when you’re up against a wide range of competing alternatives? A new white paper from Fonteva and Protech featuring the advice of Bruce Rosenthal and Mary Byers describes a step-by-step approach for conducting a competitive analysis as a path to financial sustainability and mission success.

Membership. GrowthZone’s latest association survey report reveals a few common challenges: associations have a hard time proving the value of membership and persuading members to make time for association engagement. Many of them admit to not having documented plans for member engagement, young professional recruitment, and lapsed member reengagement—that’s a good place to start.

Association boards. Jeff De Cagna of Foresight First and Patrick Dorsey of Impexium invite association professionals to The Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue, a multi-month exploration of the future of association boards hosted on LinkedIn. In the announcement video, Jeff makes a point of calling for the participation of young professionals, so please join the conversation.

Association marketing maturity. In its Marketing Benchmarks for Associations report, Mighty Citizen assesses the marketing maturity of associations in six categories: research/analytics, branding/strategy, marketing/SEO, UX design/content, technology, and team dynamics. They share trends, benchmarks, need-to-know best practices, and next steps for increasing your association’s marketing effectiveness.

Sponsorship strategy. In this comprehensive guide to tiered and à la carte sponsorship models for in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, EventMobi offers advice for pricing, selling, and delivering sponsorships, measuring ROI, and crafting post-event reports for corporate revenue partners.

Website content. Most blog posts are marketing dead ends. Mark Schaefer says the biggest mistake marketing and communication teams make today is not treating each post and web page like a mini-landing page for your organization. As part of your marketing ecosystem, blog posts must do their part in keeping people on your site and encouraging them to subscribe, follow you, or explore within.

Respecting your staff. Elizabeth Engel, CAE, of Spark Consulting brings up a frustrating scenario I bet many of you have experienced: your boss listens to a consultant saying what you’ve been telling them for months or years. She asks whom your leadership (paid and volunteer) actually listens to and who’s allowed to be honest?

Extra credit

Five habits for CEOs (and others) who want to become better active learners. | by David Novak, Chief Executive (hat tip to Don Dea)

The power of feeling lucky: only people who believe in luck have it. | by Nir Eyal

The loneliness epidemic is still a problem for remote workers. I wonder how associations and employers can work together to tackle this issue. | by Cloey Callahan, WorkLife

Today, knowledge work is less about creating new things than it is about talking about those things. Yikes. Thankfully, that’s not what knowledge work is like for me. | by Derek Thompson, The Atlantic (free archive link)

Six great hiking apps for adventurous travelers. | by Kayla Matthews, Afar

You never grow old at the table

Every year during our July beach trip, I make North Carolina shrimp scampi with pasta. We finish dinner with key lime pie from Bill’s Seafood Market in Sunset Beach. The same lady has been making their pies and soups for 27 years! My scampi includes onion, red bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, white wine, lemon juice, shrimp, butter, pasta water, linguine, and fresh basil. So good.

I had half a jar of Herdez chipotle salsa cremosa so I used it as a sauce for big eye tuna with sautéed red jalapeños, garlic chives, and cilantro.

Since we had a cool spell of 80-degree weather this past weekend, I decided to do something with three packages of short ribs in the freezer. But I pulled them out too late for a low-and-slow recipe. Instead, I found an America’s Test Kitchen recipe for the Instant Pot: rustic Italian braised beef short ribs. On the side, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, red onion, garlic powder, and cayenne.

We enjoyed the short ribs over polenta. I never make polenta the traditional way. I know, mamma mia! Instead, I follow this quick microwave method. Not a purist. And yes, yellow cornmeal grits will do—as long as they’re not instant. Grits, polenta, not much of a difference in my opinion.

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

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 8/2 at 4 p.m. – Building a Purpose-Driven Brand for Nonprofits and Associations

Drawing on the 3-I Framework of Influence, Income, and Impact, hear about a holistic approach to brand development that aligns with the unique needs and goals of mission-driven organizations. Find out why a clear and authentic purpose is essential for an organization’s success and brand strength. Discover strategies to ensure all branding elements and communications consistently reflect their core purpose. Learn how to identify, engage, and nurture a community that shares and supports organizational purpose, assess how well activities and communications align with stated purpose, and measure the resulting impact. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Elona Washington

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

Mon 8/5 at 8 a.m. – The Role of the Woman in Transforming the World (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

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

Guest: Lesedi Lesetedi, Botswana Open University

Mon 8/5 at 3 p.m. – Why You Need a Ghostwriter on the Content Team

Hear advice for brands about effectively partnering with ghostwriters for content marketing. We’ll clear up a few misconceptions about ghostwriting and share proven tips for empowering ghostwriters to deliver great brand content. More info/register.

Host: Erika Heald

Speaker: Mindi Zissman, ghostwriter for risk, insurance, and compliance organizations

Tue 8/6 at 12 p.m. – Large Language Models for Associations (Data Analytics Network)

Engage in association peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics on the first Tuesday of each month. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Tue 8/6 at 1 p.m. – The Simplest of Terms: Translating Tech Talk for the Non-IT Audience

Learn how to convey complex and abstract concepts to non-technology audiences to keep the lines of communication open and clear between the business and technology teams. Hear how evaluate the target audience to determine communication needs and make the intangible tangible. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Olivia Wilkins, Business Analyst/Project Manager, PerByte

Tue 8/6 at 1:10 p.m. – Lessons in Learning: How Can We Make Learning Neuroinclusive?

Expand your understanding of inclusion to address neurotype differences. Learn about the high rate of nondisclosure due to discrimination and why it’s vital to design inclusive environments regardless of disclosure. Discover practical strategies for creating neuroinclusive learning spaces, both place-based and online, with recommended resources. More info/register.

Host: InspirEd

Speakers:

Carolyn B. Thompson, president, Training Systems
Tracy King, CAE, CEO, InspirEd

Wed 8/7 at 12 p.m. – Are Your Nonprofit Employees Still Exempt? A Review of the DOL’s 2024 Final FLSA Overtime Regulation

In April 2024, the U. S. Department of Labor issued a Final Rule substantially raising the salary threshold for salaried exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The first change took effect July 1, 2024, and more changes are coming over the next three years. Learn about the most common exemptions under the FLSA, DOL’s increased salary thresholds, common FLSA pitfalls, how the FLSA applies to nonprofit organizations and how it differs from the for-profit sector, best practices for managing the Rule change, and the interplay between state labor laws and the FLSA. More info/register.

Host: Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP

Moderator: Eileen Johnson, Co-chair of Whiteford’s Associations & Nonprofit Organizations Section

Speakers: Whiteford’s Labor and Employment Law Partners Lisa Brauner and David Stevens

Wed 8/7 at 12 p.m. – Achieving Work-Life Balance for Leaders and Their Teams

If you’re tired of work-life balance training that only deals with stress and time management at the personal level, and ignores issues of leadership or productivity, hear action-oriented guidance on how you can define a balance that powers your career, yet still gives you a life. Learn how to develop a clear understanding of the seven dimensions of balance, define your own desired balance, using the Personal Balance Sheet framework, broaden your focus and still perform, avoid burnout, and balance work vs life issues when leading a team. More info/register.

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Wed 8/7 at 2 p.m. – Finding and Welcoming New Participants

Growing your event audience can not only help boost your bottom line, but also can enhance the on-site experience with new and diverse voices. What are the best channels for finding and engaging new participants? How can you accelerate the registration process and make sure they feel welcome at the meeting? Industry experts will share strategies for thoughtfully increasing your attendee base—and ensuring new participants will want to come back year after year. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speakers:

Valerie Bihet, Founder, VIBE
Wendy Porter, Founder and Chief Event Strategist, Wendy Porter Events LLC
Connie Samuels, Director of Events & Education, NAPEO
Elise Schoening (moderator), Editor, Meeting News; Senior Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Thu 8/8 at 2 p.m. – Managing Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes in Association Projects

Discover how to better manage organizational change by empowering you and your staff with needed change competencies—the ability to react to and manage change repeatedly. Hear how a technology consulting firm developed a successful change process platform to help their association clients with technology adoption, which can also be used to help manage change in other key areas of your association. More info/register.

Host: 501 Works

Speakers:

Joe Plasterer, principal, Starkweather Association Services and co-founder, Cirrus Change Readiness
Melinda Starkweather, CMP, co-founder, Starkweather Association Services and Cirrus Change Readiness
James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

Thu 8/8 at 2 p.m. – Privacy Compliance for Nonprofits: Protect Your Donors & Members

Learn how to do impactful outreach while also protecting the privacy of your supporters and avoiding legal pitfalls. Hear about the regulatory frameworks that potentially impact you, how compliance is woven into your marketing and advertising, and how a cookie-lite world may change things. More info/register.

Host: Feathr

Speaker: Aleksander Levental, co-founder and CEO, Feathr

Fri 8/9 at 1 p.m. – Talk with CAEs

Facilitators:

Aaron Grau, CAE, President, Global Association Partners
DeeJay Hastings, CAE, Executive Consultant, LEWIS, LLC

Sat 8/10 at 4 p.m. – 2024 ASAE Annual Welcome Happy Hour (Cleveland OH)

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Fri 8/16 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. Because it’s not an official ASAE event (and is organized by consultants, not by ASAE staff), you don’t have to be an ASAE member to attend. August’s main topic is ASAE24 Post Con: The Good, the Bad, and the Questionable. More info.

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

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

Association Brain Food: 7.19.24

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

Association Brain Food won’t appear next Friday, July 26, because I’ll be at the beach most of the week. The next edition will go live Friday, August 2.

Awards programs. Should your association have an awards program? Is it really worth the effort? Don’t look at your awards program as merely a nice thing to do, says OpenWater. A well-planned awards program delivers meaningful benefits year-round to members, your industry, and your association—and they explain how.

Associations Evolve. I enjoyed reading the 2024 Associations Evolve Journal. They’re now accepting submissions for the 2025 edition.

Association AI. Betty Bot’s Executive Guide to AI for CEOs and Boards explains how to make the case for AI to your board. The guide describes AI’s potential, like making personalization at scale possible, and reviews the challenges and concerns associated with adopting AI. The appendix includes an AI readiness survey and a 12-week AI adoption plan.

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

Association due diligence on vendors. Mark Wallach of Engagement Mobile Strategies describes three techniques for determining whether an industry partner (vendor) is seeking a mutually fruitful relationship with your association or merely a transaction. His advice will help you find partners who are known, liked, and trusted within the industry for good reason.

Member invitations. You can’t overstate the difference in impact between a blast email invitation and a personal invitation to a member about attending a meeting—or any other ask. Lowell Aplebaum of Vista Cova says you must invest time in crafting personal invitations that explain why that particular person has been invited.

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

Extra credit

How did Silicon Valley turn into a creepy cult? Tech titans are now acting as philosophers and have bizarre theories about everything. In other words, God is a deliverable for the R&D team. | by Ted Gioia

Construction workers unearthed a life-size marble sculpture of Hercules buried deep in a Roman sewer. Stunning. | by Sarah Cascone, artnet News

Adventures on a $499 Amtrak rail pass through unfairly overlooked flyover America. [I have fond memories of sleeper car adventures across America—not as racy as it sounds.] | by A.M. Hickman

You never grow old at the table

An excellent meal for a steamy night: ribbonfish in choo chee Thai curry sauce with brown rice and roasted broccoli. A funny name for a keeper recipe from Nancie McDermott’s Quick & Easy Thai: 70 Everyday Recipes. My adaption includes red onion, red bell, coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, garlic chives, cilantro, and Thai basil. Man, I love this sauce. It’d be fantastic with eggplant, mushroom, zucchini, and yellow squash—on my menu for the coming weeks.

On Sunday, I made cold Lithuanian beet soup—Šaltibarščiai. How about those accent marks! To avoid heating up the kitchen so early in the day, I used the pressure cooker to make hard-boiled eggs and steamed beets. I adapted my recipe from one in a Lithuanian cooking Facebook group. Mine includes beets, cucumber, hard-boiled eggs, chives, dill, horseradish, cider vinegar, lemon juice, sour cream, and buttermilk. Quite a luminous color!

For dinner, chicken enchilada casserole, enough for a few nights. I had leftover red enchilada sauce in the freezer from the last time I made this. For the chicken, I dusted breast tenderloins in flour and sautéed them in oil in a skillet. I added poblano and garlic to the recipe and used frozen corn.

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

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 7/19 at 12 p.m. – Cybersecurity Questions You Should be Asking

If you pay attention to cyber-news, you know the rate of incidents continues to climb. More data stolen, more companies extorted, more downtime experienced, and more reputations and brands tarnished. Learn what’s driving this surge in cybersecurity incidents, whether phishing really is that big of a risk and training is that important, what AI has to do with cyber risk, how you can understand if your IT team is doing the right thing, and how you know if you’re doing enough. More info/register.

Host: ClearTone Consulting

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

Fri 7/19 at 1 p.m. – From Live to Lasting: Transforming Webinars into Engaging eLearning

Learn strategies to maximize the impact of your existing webinar content by transforming it into versatile, on-demand courses. Discover how on-demand learning can enhance accessibility and flexibility for your learners. Get acquainted with the tools and platforms essential for converting webinar recordings into comprehensive eLearning courses. Explore methods to add interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and discussion boards to keep learners engaged. Understand how to break down webinar content into manageable, bite-sized pieces to facilitate easier consumption and ongoing engagement. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: 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 7/19 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

A monthly networking meeting for full-time consultants who work with non-profits and associations. It’s not an official ASAE event so you don’t have to be an ASAE member to attend. This month, besides news-sharing and advice-seeking, the focus is Business Development at ASAE24: Carrie McIntyre, founder of Navigate, will share tips for connecting, explaining what you do to a colleague (or potential client), and advice on following up. If you’re not attending ASAE this year, Carrie’s tips and advice will still have value as they are applicable throughout your business year. More info.

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

Fri 7/19 at 4 p.m. – Volunteers: the Good, the Bad, the Struggles, and the Victories

Bring your success stories, your sticky situations, and your questions. Together we can celebrate or find a path forward. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Facilitator: Fridays@4 board member Heather Story

Mon 7/22 at 8 a.m. – Legacy Conferencing (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

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

Guest: Matty Rubinstein

Tue 7/23 at 1 p.m. – Are Gen Zs Joiners? How to Engage the Next Generation of Members

62% of associations are experiencing flat or declining memberships due to their inability to recruit Gen Z. Learn proven strategies to engage young members, including how to identify the primary obstacles preventing next gen engagement and growth, increase your association’s value among young people, utilize the new ‘cycle to engagement,’ and create a culture of belonging. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Forj

Speaker: Sarah Sladek, CEO of XYZ University

Tue 7/23 at 2 p.m. – Level Up: Unlocking the Power of Gamification to Boost Event ROI

Discover the transformative power of gamification in enhancing your events. Hear about innovative strategies to boost attendee engagement, satisfaction, and event ROI. More info/register.

Host: Bizzabo

Speakers:

Jeff Campbell, CEO/Founder, Incentli
MK Granados, Director of Revenue Optimization, Informa

Wed 7/24 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. Attending ASAE Annual? Start networking early and get to know your AWTC colleagues. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)

Wed 7/24 at 1 p.m. – Continuing the Association Competition Conversation

Hear about the mindsets and strategies required to maintain relevance in a rapidly changing environment. Learn about the necessity of identifying and leading from your strengths, concentrating your resources, changing business models and dues structures, and getting the product and service mix right—and sunsetting programs when necessary. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

Mary Byers, CAE, CSP, Author of Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations
Bruce Rosenthal, Corporate Partnership & Sponsorship Consultant, Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC
Leonard Toenjes, CAE, President, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Missouri

Wed 7/24 at 1 p.m. – Creating Events with AI

Learn how the event experts at Cvent are using AI to gain efficiencies in their event planning processes. Walk away with a new understanding of AI technologies on the market and how they can help you save time; how to use AI in the pre-event, live event, and post-event stages; and the value and impact of AI on your events 121%. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: Brooke Gracey, Marketing Director, Cvent

Wed 7/24 at 2 p.m. – Navigating Tomorrow: Association Business Teams of the Future

Explore the changing landscape of association business needs. Learn about the future of work for association business development teams, including the shifting roles, essential skill sets, and diverse talents required for success. From leveraging advanced technologies to fostering a culture of adaptability, discover how forward-thinking associations are redefining team dynamics to stay agile, innovative, and resilient. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Professionals for Association Revenue

Speakers:

Dan Cole, Sr. Director, Exposition Sales, AVIXA
Anthony Simone, Vice President, Development, The Bill of Rights Institute
Sean Soth, Founder & Leadership Advisory Board Chair, Professionals for Association Revenue

Wed 7/24 at 2 p.m. – Membership Reset

Findings from our recent Membership Reset report reveal that associations have consistently faced downward membership trends, posing a significant risk to both member success and the sustainability of association business models. It’s time for a membership reset. Hear strategies to refocus your approach to membership, including actionable ideas for delivering on the promise of membership, the role membership can play in your association, and guidance on how to re-invest resources and attention to membership. More info/register.

Host: McKinley Advisors

Speakers: Caroline Baugher, Practice Director; Susan Davis, M.S., CAE, Senior Consultant; and Patrick Glaser, M.A., MPA, Chief Practice Officer, McKinley Advisors

Wed 7/24 at 2 p.m. – Creative Sponsorship Ideas for 2024 and Beyond

Event partners are looking to get more out of sponsorships than just their logo on a PowerPoint slide or a piece of signage. They want to be included, connect with the audience and reap the benefits of the event as much as any attendee. Hear about innovative ways to engage brands, incorporating partners into pre- and post-event marketing, and digital sponsorship ideas for hybrid events or webinars. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: Northstar Meetings Group

Speakers:

Karen M. Gonzales, CMP-F, CEM, Director, Global Business Development, IAEE
Lizzie Wilcox (moderator), Associate Editor, Northstar Meetings Group

Thu 7/25 at 12 p.m. – Key Takeaways and Insights from MGI’s 2024 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report

Learn how successful associations are prioritizing new member recruitment, continuously innovating, and using effective marketing strategies to expand their membership. Find out how to apply insights from the report and drive growth for your association during this period of expansion. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Marketing General Inc. (MGI)

Thu 7/25 at 1 p.m. – 5 Things Every Speaker Should Know Before They Start Training

Are you ready to elevate your training sessions and leave a lasting impact on your audience? Hear about the five essential elements every speaker needs to know before stepping in front of their audience. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or just starting out, this session will equip you with the tools and insights to deliver engaging, impactful, and memorable presentations. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Event Garde

Speaker: Aaron Wołowiec, Founder & President, Event Garde

Thu 7/25 at 1 p.m. – Abstract Management Professionals Meetup

Join fellow AM professionals for a July networking chat and get together. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Abstract Management Community

Fri 7/26 at 1 p.m. – Talk with CAEs

Facilitators:

Aaron Grau, CAE, President, Global Association Partners
DeeJay Hastings, CAE, Executive Consultant, LEWIS, LLC

Fri 7/26 at 4 p.m. – How Are You Planning for Succession for Your Own Position and for Your Board

Join this open networking discussion to hear best practices about succession planning. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Facilitator: Shelly Trent

Mon 7/29 at 8 a.m. – A DEI Story (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

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

Guest: Samyuktha Neeraja

Tue 7/30 at 11 a.m. – AI Use Cases for Now and Later: Insights and Forecasts from Association CIOs

Pull back the curtain on artificial intelligence in action to discover how AI is reshaping member services, streamlining operations, and driving innovation in associations today. Our panel of association CIOs will share real-world examples of AI implementation, discuss challenges they’ve overcome, and offer their visions for AI’s future role in association management. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Gayathri Kher, President, fusionSpan
Kapil Kher, Senior Vice President of IT at AVIXA
Thad Lurie, Senior Vice President of Digital & Technology, AGU

Tue 7/30 at 1 p.m. – Top 5 Tips to Preparing for a Data Clean-Up Project

Data clean-up has the dubious honor of being both a vital strategic initiative and the project most likely to be postponed, reprioritized, or tabled. Hear about five best practices on how to prepare for a data clean-up project so that you can better position yourself and your organization for success. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Sidney Galati, Sales & Partnerships Manager, Bumblebee Data

Wed 7/31 at 12 p.m. – Increase Comms Engagement by 10% Today

Engagement scores suffering? Newsletter not getting traction? Learn what to keep, stop, and start doing in your emails to reach your target audience. Hear how to understand the big picture when you communicate, identify which details to drill down on and perfect in your newsletter, and use your newsletter to drive audiences to your intranet. More info/register.

Host: L-12 Services Corp.

Speakers:

Amy Hager, CAE, IOM, CEO, Amy Hager Solutions
Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, Founder & CEO, L-12 Services Corp.

Wed 7/31 at 1 p.m. – The End of Expertise and How Associations Must Adapt

Hear how industries are being disrupted by the public’s lack of trust in our institutions, how associations are being affected by this same trends, how associations are modifying their services to maintain their credibility and retain members’ trust, and what organizations are doing to keep their organizations safe spaces for facts, open discussion, and expertise. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speakers:

Lindsay Currie, CAE, Executive Officer, Council on Undergraduate Research
Matthew Hughes, President & CEO, World Affairs Council of America
Joanna M. Pineda, CEO & Chief Troublemaker, Matrix Group International, Inc.
Tara Puckey, Executive Director, The Radio Television Digital News Association

Wed 7/31 at 1 p.m. – The Art of Persuasive Writing: Secrets from the Masters

Unlock the secrets of the greatest communicators and learn how to write with clarity, impact, and persuasion. Discover proven techniques to craft compelling messages that resonate with your audience. From mastering the active voice to using simple yet powerful metaphors, gain practical insights to elevate your writing and influence others effectively. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Bill McGlade, President, Community Leaders Institute & epIQ Creative Group

Wed 7/31 at 1 p.m. – Strategic Marketing for Associations: Communicate Your Value to Engage Members

Discover the distinct roles of marketing strategy and marketing planning and how they need each other to drive success. Learn about the six key elements to set the direction for your marketing communications, ensuring alignment with your strategic objectives. Get practical tips for crafting winning marketing communications plans. More info/register.

Host: Mercury Creative Group

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

Wed 7/31 at 1 p.m. – Critical Contract Clauses

Learn about critical contract clauses that can make or break a meeting’s success, including force majeure clauses, food and beverage cost increases, security issues and dealing with controversial new laws. More info/register.

Host: Meetings Today

Speaker: attorney Joshua L. Grimes, Esq., Grimes Law Offices, LLC

Wed 7/31 at 3:30 CDT – Invitation to AI Roundtable: Cutting Through the AI Clutter (Chicago IL)

There’s so much noise around AI, unending lists of AI tools, and ways to use them. Let’s cut through the clutter and focus on how we can use AI to drive member engagement, improve member benefits, and differentiate your organization. Be ready to bring ideas, and AI solutions you’re considering or already working on. Location: Chicago IL. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Thu 8/1 at 11 a.m. – Bringing Your Data to Life

In the age of AI, data is the fuel we use to feed our efforts to provide a truly personalized experience to our members. The more we know about our members, who they are, where they work, what they need, the better we can serve them. However, your members aren’t sitting still, they’re evolving in their interests and progressing in their careers. Your data needs to evolve with them. Learn strategies for bringing your data to life, making sure it stays up to date and relevant, and is continually being fed across your systems to meet your members where they are. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Cameron Aubuchon, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, PropFuel

Thu 8/1 at 12 p.m. – 10 Awkward Questions to Ask your Tech Vendor

Learn how asking awkward questions will help you determine if you are investing in the right association management system to meet your association’s needs. More info/register.

Host: Ellipsis Partners

Speakers: Moira Edwards, CAE, President, and Jim Pearson, MS Ed, PMP, Senior Consultant, Ellipsis Partners

Thu 8/1 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

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

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Thu 8/1 at 1 p.m. – Fundraising and Sponsorships: Understanding Who you Are and How to Properly Expand to New Revenue Verticals

Learn essential strategies for identifying and articulating your organization’s unique value proposition, targeting the right sponsors, and diversifying your revenue streams. Through expert insights and practical advice, you’ll gain the tools needed to build sustainable financial growth and establish robust partnerships that align with your mission and goals. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: David Vardeman, Sr. VP, Department Head, Not for Profit & Global Business Development, Capital Bank

Tue 8/6 at 12 p.m. – Large Language Models for Associations (Data Analytics Network)

Engage in association peer-led discussions on topics related to data and analytics on the first Tuesday of each month. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Data Analytics Network

Thu 8/8 at 2 p.m. – Managing Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes in Association Projects

Host: 501 Works

Speakers:

Joe Plasterer, principal, Starkweather Association Services and co-founder, Cirrus Change Readiness
Melinda Starkweather, CMP, co-founder, Starkweather Association Services and Cirrus Change Readiness
James Marquis, CIO, 501Works

Sat 8/10 at 4 p.m. – 2024 ASAE Annual Welcome Happy Hour (Cleveland OH)

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Creative Commons licensed photo by Nick Fewings via Unsplash

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Association Brain Food: 7.12.24

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

Curiosity. Anne-Laure Le Cunff at Ness Labs says curiosity keeps you young, helps you learn, and fosters better relationships. She describes nine habits that help curious people grow personally and professionally. She calls these habits the “curiosity matrix.” I see them as “nine rules for better living.”

Email benchmarks and tactics. Here’s a must-read for association membership and marketing professionals: PropFuel’s email engagement benchmarking report, which is based on nearly 13 million emails they sent in 2023. The report includes benchmark data, trends, and advice for improving email practices and campaigns, plus association stories showing the impact of PropFuel’s recommended email tactics on their membership and marketing goals.

Event marketing. 360 Live Media introduces the 6 R’s Framework for increasing event attendance: relevance, reach, retention, reputation, revenue, and ROI. They discuss challenges related to each R and suggest advice and metrics to address each of these pain points and guide your future event planning.

Membership renewal. Besides sharing useful advice about renewal campaigns, Katrina Ciccarelli McAfee at Association Analytics explains how to use the data you already have for more effective renewal messaging. This post reminded me of the extent to which membership marketing tools and tactics have improved in the last several years—so many new things to try.

AI policy. Cimatri shares a sample ‘starter’ policy for responsible AI use. Because it’s licensed under Creative Commons, you can share and adapt it as your organization’s AI maturity grows.

AI consultants. Rahim Hirji says everyone’s an AI expert these days, so beware. Sidebar: I can vouch for the consultants at Cimatri, in case you were wondering.

Extra credit

You’ve read your last free article, such is the nature of mortality. | Tommy Gonzalez, McSweeney’s

Strategies from Wall Street Journal readers for building a corporate culture in a hybrid or remote workplace. | Demetria Gallegos, WSJ (gift link)

A labyrinthine structure from the Minoan era was found on a hilltop in Crete. | The History Blog

Teaching students what it means to be an American. This is how we save our country from illiberal forces on both sides. | Richard D. Kahlenberg, The Liberal Patriot

You never grow old at the table

We had a bunch of friends and family over for a 4^th of July cookout. I made corn salad—no recipe, but it includes bacon, red bell pepper, sweet onion, garlic, fresh corn off the cob (with its juice), and tomato, tossed with a dressing of lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, and fresh basil.

Another accompaniment to burgers and dogs: cole slaw made with green and red cabbage, carrot, sweet onion, and red bell pepper. Some members of my family don’t like mayo (tragic, I know!), so I make my dressing with lime juice, rice wine vinegar, cilantro, hot sauce, and regular olive oil (not extra-virgin).

Nowadays, I never buy extra-virgin olive oil. Because I mainly use olive oil for sautéing or roasting, I buy large jugs of regular olive oil from Costco or BJ’s. I don’t need the more strongly flavored and expensive extra-virgin oil for cooking.

With the leftover corn salad, I made pasta with hot Italian sausage, jalapeño, onion, chard stems, garlic chives, chard leaves, corn salad, evaporated milk, parmesan, pasta water, butter, and fresh basil. Heavy cream is pretty pricy these days too. I keep a bunch of small cans of evaporated milk in the cupboard in case I only need a half cup of cream for a dish. I probably wouldn’t use it if cream was a dominant flavor, but in this case, the cream merely enriches the sauce.

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

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 7/12 at 11 a.m.* – Cybersecurity for Organizations

How do you improve cybersecurity within your organization? Hear about best practices, things to consider, and steps to take to improve your cybersecurity landscape. More info/register.

Host: Association Women Technology Champions

Speakers:

Brian C. Lynch, CLCS, MLIS, Partner & Asst. Vice President, Ames & Gough
Audra Palmero, Sales Account Executive, Imperva
Wendy Sahli, Director Of Technology, RAPS

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

Fri 7/12 at 1 p.m. – Talk with CAEs

Facilitators:

Aaron Grau, CAE, President, Global Association Partners
DeeJay Hastings, CAE, Executive Consultant, LEWIS, LLC

Fri 7/12 at 4 p.m. – Online Communities Series: Part 3 – Leveraging Volunteer Community Champions to Increase Online Member Engagement

Learn how to clearly define the foundation of the volunteer program, find your superusers and engage the right people to be volunteers, work synchronously with volunteers and keep them engaged over time, and prepare for what to do in the best-case and worst-case scenarios. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Speaker: Catherine Hackney, Online Community Consultant Specializing in Association Member Communities

Mon 7/15 at 8 a.m. – Is AI Going to Eat my Lunch? (Radio Free 501c, the podcast of Rogue Tulips Consulting)

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

Guests: Mike Jacka and Bryant Richardson

Mon 7/15 at 1 p.m. – Women in AI: Regulations and Their Global Impact on Ethics

Learn about the emerging challenges in realizing a “fit to purpose” AI blueprint and how to navigate new and existing infrastructures. Get insights on how to determine your goals and choose the right framework for your organization. Hear about resources to apply responsible and explainable AI frameworks. More info/register.

Host: Women in AI

Speakers:

Ana Clarke, Founder & CEO, AC SmartData (Australia)
Nancy Eke-Agu, AI Transformation Leader, JDZ Technology Consulting (Canada)
Emma G Moller, AI Advisor & CEO, Lumiera (Europe)
Charlotte Tao, Co-Founder & AI CTO (USA)

Tue 7/16 at 12 p.m. – Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze? Increasing Your Business Efficiency

Learn how to incorporate greater efficiencies into your operations and processes so that your growth will be smoother and faster. Topics will include: business management processes; improving productivity; getting the right people in the right seats; client journeys, operational efficiencies, and process redesign; technology as enabler or obstacle; outsourcing; innovation; and how to find the inspiration and new ideas to continue to increase efficiencies. More info/register.

Host: Braintrust Professional Institute

Speakers: Randall Craig and Ronja Francoeur, Braintrust Professional Institute

Tue 7/16 at 12 p.m. – Intro to AI Webinar for Associations and Nonprofits

Learn what Generative AI and Large Language Models are and how they work. Get an up-close look at how an actual AI expert utilizes these tools in real-world scenarios. Take away the knowledge and confidence to responsibly implement AI in your workflows. More info/register.

Host: Sidecar

Speaker: Thomas Altman, Co-Founder, Tasio

Tue 7/16 at 12 p.m. – Component Operations (CRVM July Crunch and Munch)

Discuss the various operations your organization has in place for managing components. Funding: How do your components get funded? What models are in place to drive revenue and navigate tight budgets? Component Elections: How does your organization recruit candidates to serve with components? How do you “sell” volunteering? Are your voters turning up? Awards Program: What awards and criteria do your components use to recognize members and leaders? Component Leadership: How do your components structure their leadership team? What positions are in place to effectively manage the component goals. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council

Facilitators: Amy Biedenharn and Regais Wilson

Tue 7/16 at 1 p.m. – Expert Exchange: Navigating Trust in AI and Technology

In this Ask Me Anything session, hear insights about the complexities of cultivating trust in AI and technological innovations, for example, building trust in a digital age, harnessing AI responsibly, and mitigating technology risks. More info/register.

Host: Quorum

Speakers: Aaron Guiterman, Chairman, US Public Affairs, and Jeremy Thompson, Senior Vice President, Washington DC, Edelman Global Advisory

Tue 7/16 at 1:10 p.m. – Lessons in Learning: Is Your Definition of Inclusion in Learning Too Small?

Learn about the nuances of inclusive learning environments, including the critical differences between accommodations and inclusion and why it matters. Discover how inclusive learning goes beyond Alt Text and color accessibility. Learn practical strategies to foster an inclusive atmosphere for all learners. More info/register.

Host: InspirEd

Speakers:

Carolyn B. Thompson, president, Training Systems
Tracy King, CAE, CEO, InspirEd

Wed 7/17 at 11 a.m. – Don’t Be a Data Hoarder

Data hoarding wastes staff time, creates a bad member experience, and costs your association revenue. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to better manage information and fight the tendency to accumulate harmful information. Learn how to streamline your data management process and increase efficiency, improve the quality of your data and make it easier to analyze, enhance the member experience by using more useful data, reduce costs associated with organizing and managing large amounts of data, and create new opportunities for revenue growth driven by better insights. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: UST Education

Speaker: Justin Burniske, MBA, Principal Consultant, Co-Owner, Meta-Dao

Wed 7/17 at 12 p.m. – Be Change Ready: Transform Your Component Strategy

Hear from several association change catalysts who’ve taken their chapters to the next level. Find out what they changed, why they did it, and how they harnessed the power of change to drive meaningful progress. Dive into their specific challenges including volunteer burnout, low engagement, and activity without progress. Learn how these CRPs secured executive buy-in and leveraged changes within their associations to generate momentum. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Hosts: Billhighway and Mariner Management

Speakers: Peggy Hoffman of Mariner Management plus Jennifer Steffan, JoAnna Leon, Linda Norris-Waldt, CAE, and Glorianne O’Neilin

Wed 7/17 at 12 p.m. – Why the Board’s Duty of Foresight Remains a Radical Idea Ten Years Later

Learn what made the board’s duty of foresight a radical idea in 2014, why the duty of foresight remains a radical idea today, and how association boards and staff partners can act with intention to choose the duty of foresight. More info/register.

Host: Ewald Consulting

Speaker: Jeff De Cagna AIMP FRSA FASAE, Foresight First LLC

Wed 7/17 at 12 p.m. – Can Content Strategy Be Led by AI?

AI is the doer—the magical assistant “robot” we’ve all been dreaming for decades. With it though, comes a lofty set of questions around copyright, intellectual property, ideation and originality. For content marketers, there’s a fine line to balance between the value of accelerated productivity, at the expense of control and ownership. How do you decide when it’s time to turn to AI? Is there even room for AI to build your overall content strategy? Learn about the potential application of AI for associations from a brand and content programming perspective. More info/register.

Host: HighRoad Solutions

Speaker: Aimee Pagano, Director of Programming, HighRoad Solutions

Wed 7/17 at 2 p.m. – Beyond the Numbers: Understanding Data to Drive Strategic Decisions

Learn the fundamentals of data management, including what to collect and how to store it securely. Find out how to democratize your data by visualizing and analyzing data effectively using various tools, compare internal and external data perspectives to identify industry trends, and develop actionable strategies based on data insights for organizational improvement. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.

Host: Association Adviser / Naylor Association Solutions

Speakers: Nate Brown, Software Sales Engineer, and Chad Lloyd, Chief Data Officer, Naylor Association Solutions

Wed 7/17 at 2 p.m. – Digging into the Event Data Goldmine

Learn how to identify KPIs that directly contribute to event and program growth, align event metrics with your organization’s broader objectives, and use analytics to mature your event strategy and increase stakeholder engagement. 1 CMP credit. More info/register.

Host: MeetingsNet

Speaker: Jordan Clark, Sr. Manager, Event Program Design, Cvent

Wed 7/17 at 4:30 p.m. – Suburban Maryland Summer Meetup (Gaithersburg MD)

Join us for a casual meet-up of association pros. Bring a question, an idea or simply a curious mind. We’ll connect over a beverage and snack. Location: Gaithersburg MD. More info/register (ASAE members only).

Host: ASAE Suburban Maryland Network (Columbia Idea Swaps)

Thu 7/18 at 12 p.m. – How to Prepare Your Association’s Data for AI

From assessing the limitations of your current AMS or CRM to implementing solutions that bridge gaps between legacy and modern systems, get a roadmap for consolidating and structuring your data. Learn how to transform fragmented, inconsistent data into a unified, AI-ready resource that can drive your association’s success in the digital age. Hear about practical tools and techniques to navigate the complexities of data preparation, ensuring your association is poised to leverage AI effectively. More info/register.

Host: fusionSpan

Speakers:

Nicole Adair, Principal Solution Engineer, Salesforce
Jason Cookman, Senior Salesforce Architect, fusionSpan

Thu 7/18 at 12 p.m. – Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement

Volunteer engagement is a key metric for association sustainability. And volunteers are the lifeblood of your association. Why do some associations have a line-up of volunteers and others struggle to fill positions? Find out how you can attract and retain great talent on your committees, your task forces and your board. More info/register.

Host: Zzeem Consulting

Thu 7/18 at 12 p.m. – Member ROI Group

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

Host: Ed Rigsbee

Thu 7/18 at 1 p.m. – Ensuring Integrity: Offering Exam Prep While Maintaining Accreditation Standards

Professionals seeking certification rely on associations for exam preparation and training. However, many associations hesitate to provide this support due to accreditation concerns requiring a firewall between education and certification. Learn about upholding exam integrity and complying with accreditation requirements, the value in offering learning and exam prep products to enhance the learner experience and organizational growth, and strategies for navigating accreditation standards and offering exam preparation or certification training resources. More info/register.

Host: BenchPrep

Speakers: Laureen Kaczmarek, Learning Consultant, and Ashish Rangnekar, CEO, BenchPrep

Thu 7/18 at 1 p.m. – Nonprofits & Associations: Growing Industry Categories for Sponsorship Outreach

Learn about growing industry categories you might want to consider as you outreach organizations for sponsorship support. More info/register.

Host: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE, founder, GrowthOwl

Thu 7/18 at 1 p.m. – Creating Events with AI

Looking for advice on how to put AI to work in your events? Learn about the AI technologies on the market and how they can help you save time; how to use AI in the pre-event, live event, and post-event stages; and the value and impact of AI on your events. More info/register.

Host: American Marketing Association

Speaker: Brooke Gracey, Marketing Director, Cvent

Fri 7/19 at 12 p.m. – Cybersecurity Questions You Should be Asking

Host: ClearTone Consulting

Fri 7/19 at 1 p.m. – From Live to Lasting: Transforming Webinars into Engaging eLearning

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 7/19 at 3 p.m. – The Informal Consultants Networking Extravaganza

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

Fri 7/19 at 4 p.m. – Volunteers: the Good, the Bad, the Struggles, and the Victories

Bring your success stories, your sticky situations, and your questions. Together we can celebrate or find a path forward. More info/register.

Host: Fridays@4

Facilitator: Fridays@4 board member Heather Story

Tue 7/23 at 1 p.m. – Are Gen Zs Joiners? How to Engage the Next Generation of Members

Host: Forj

Speaker: Sarah Sladek, CEO of XYZ University

Wed 7/24 at 12 p.m. – AWTC Meet & Greet

Host: Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)

Wed 7/24 at 1 p.m. – Continuing the Association Competition Conversation

Host: Fonteva

Speakers:

Mary Byers, CAE, CSP, Author of Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations
Bruce Rosenthal, Corporate Partnership & Sponsorship Consultant, Bruce Rosenthal Associates, LLC
Leonard Toenjes, CAE, President, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Missouri

Thu 7/25 at 1 p.m. – 5 Things Every Speaker Should Know Before They Start Training

Host: Event Garde

Speaker: Aaron Wołowiec, Founder & President, Event Garde

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

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You never grow old at the table

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You never grow old at the table

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You never grow old at the table

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

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You never grow old at the table

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

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You never grow old at the table

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

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You never grow old at the table

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

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