Wild Apricot
JUNE 15, 2015
We’re glad to announce our latest release! Version 5.4 includes WordPress integration and enhancements to our API and text formatting options. Plus a brand new mobile-friendly theme!
Socious
JUNE 10, 2015
Conversations around technology in the world of associations and nonprofits are constantly evolving. There is a steady stream of new research, case studies, and trends saturating the web. So where should you start? So where should you go to find out where technology is headed and how to avoid common pitfalls? We recently spoke with Tom Lehman of Lehman Associates, a technology, strategy, and research firm.
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Aaron Wolowiec
JUNE 16, 2015
Tara Ericson, group vice president at Naylor Association Solutions. This month’s guest blog post is by Tara Ericson, group vice president for Naylor Association Solutions , where she oversees group publishers and specialized industry market teams. It was originally published on Association Adviser. Do you have a three-tiered (platinum, gold, silver) event sponsorship offering?
YourMembership
JUNE 12, 2015
This week I received an email from noted thought leader and speaker, Jeff De Cagna, FASAE, sharing his thoughts on my most recent blog post on member engagement. Along with his comments Jeff sent an article he wrote that was recently published in “Association Forum” magazine titled Build Your Association Through Stakeholder Development. In it Jeff pushes back on the traditional practices of member engagement and suggests an alternative strategy that he has labeled “stakeholder development.
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Customer education has become a key driver for growth, retention, and product adoption. Our latest 2024 State of Customer Education Report uncovers critical data and insights from a survey of over 200 industry leaders, offering a look at the evolving role of education in driving business success. Inside, you'll find data on key trends and strategies, including: Strategies for Scaling & Customization: Find out which investments in learning technology deliver the biggest ROI and scalability.
Eric Lanke
JUNE 8, 2015
In the past year, me and my association have gone through dramatic transformations. With regard to my association, we have significantly increased the amount of money--and our dependence on that amount of money--that is raised from our members through our 501(c)(3) foundation. Gifts have consistently gone from 3- and 4-figures to 4- and 5-figures and, if our efforts and success continue, soon will be tipping into the 6-figure territory.
Association Universe brings together the best content for association members and organizers from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Wild Apricot
JUNE 3, 2015
In June, you can choose from among 18 free webinars that offer up a host of insights, ideas and practical tips on topics like: Leveraging your Database, Gaining Microsoft donations, Avoiding Mobilegeddon and Creating Volunteer Handbooks. Take a look at our list!
KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup
JUNE 30, 2015
Associations have always been “about” engagement, and in the past several years, we’ve had a renewed focus on engaging our members and other audiences. The thing is, most of us aren’t really doing it well. Could that be because we’ve been thinking about engagement all wrong, focusing on what we want members to do and how we define value? Join Anna Caraveli ( The Demand Networks ) and Elizabeth Weaver Engel ( Spark Consulting ) on Tuesday, July 14 at 2 pm ET on Twitter (follow the hashtag #assnch
Aaron Wolowiec
JUNE 30, 2015
Allison McClintick, CEO/leader development specialist, FlightLead Consulting. Q & A with Allison McClintick , CEO/leader development specialist, FlightLead Consulting. Q: Would you rather sky dive, bungee jump or climb to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and why? A: If the goal is to put myself into cardiac arrest, I would say all three! All those choices seem equally terrifying because I am totally not OK with being in the air like that!
YourMembership
JUNE 5, 2015
I’ve just returned from the 5th Annual MASAE Mid Year Meeting , and I’ve been thinking about some great ideas that were shared during the event. From Greg Melia’s Opening Keynote “The Rules of Engagement: Enhancing Membership in Your Association” to Shelly Alcorn’s “Buckle Up Kids: Behind the Wheel of the Disruptionmobile”, a somewhat disturbing look at the future and how it will impact many associations, there as a great deal of information to consider.
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Ever wonder why brands like Apple, LEGO, and Sephora are going all-in on branded communities? It’s because online community building is the secret sauce to connecting with audiences in ways that ads and emails simply can’t. But here's the best part—it’s not just for big corporations. Associations can create thriving online communities too. GrowthZone’s eBook, "The Power of Community," breaks down exactly why a branded online community can be a game-changer for your association.
Jamie Notter
JUNE 24, 2015
Every single one of us creates the culture where we work through our behaviors, thoughts, and words. We are all a part of that. So as we go about our work, we make choices about what to say, what to do, and how to approach things. In those choices we create culture. Of course, we all also have our "other" jobs--you know, the things that are in our job description that people expect us to do (and do well) or we'll get fired.
Potomac Core
JUNE 16, 2015
Association Bored Meetings. Are your board members laser focused on their mobile devices during board meetings? Is there a sense of restlessness at your executive committee and full board meetings? Odds are high that your board members are either preoccupied with business challenges or just plain bored with discussions on Association strategies. One way or another, they might be tuning out and if they are, your board meetings might be perceived as association “bored” meetings.
Wild Apricot
JUNE 29, 2015
Want to find out how to motivate your volunteers, donors, supporters and board members? Check out our Nonprofit Blog Carnival round-up for June.
Association Adviser
JUNE 12, 2015
You’ve seen the ubiquitous # sign in front of social media posts, but do you really know what that symbol does—or could do for you? Here’s a quick primer. The post Why Are #Hashtags So Darn. For more about this topic, click on the headline.
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Sales often gets a bad rep. Yet, if securing sponsors, advertisers, and exhibitors is part of your role, it’s essential. But what if it didn’t have to feel time-consuming, uncomfortable, or worse—icky? Join us for the 3-part virtual Sales Accelerator Labs , where customer experience and sales expert Carrie McIntyre will show you strategies to make sales easier, more effective, and dare we say, enjoyable!
Aaron Wolowiec
JUNE 23, 2015
We hear it all the time: We live in a “me” society. Most of us, at some point, have asked, “What’s in this for me? Associations aren’t any different. Think about it: How many associations want to boost revenue by hoping their members buy more? How many times have we wished we could just get more volunteers? In other words, we ask, “How can we get our members to do what we want them to do?”.
Virtual
JUNE 25, 2015
I love a new toy. That’s why I was so excited to get my Apple Watch last week. And as I hit the one - week mark, a few lessons have struck me: Experience starts at the beginning. Apple is known for its packaging, and this exemplified why. Opening the watch felt like an event. And, more critically, it was thought through. Every box had an “easy open” tab clearly marked.
Jamie Notter
JUNE 1, 2015
Since publishing When Millennials Take Over , we've been consistently approached by people wanting us to answer a central question: how do we attract Millennials? Whether it's about attracting customers or the best employees, we see a definite sense of nervousness among leaders that they just aren't doing it right when it comes to Millennials, so they want to know what they should be doing.
Potomac Core
JUNE 3, 2015
Association Outside In Case Study. If your members face top line growth challenges, generational transfer issues, and evolving consumer expectations, how can your Association support member success? Through a strategic planning process that transforms your organization from an inside out focus to an outside in focus. The process starts with a highly engaged and strategically focused board and concludes with a strategic plan amplifying industry growth objectives.
Speaker: Radhika Samant and Todd Wuestenberg
Employee recognition has often been deemed a "feel-good" initiative, tied closely to rewards. While we understand its importance, we tend to associate recognition with intangible outcomes like engagement and sentiment, rather than direct impacts on retention and high performance. In today’s workplace, the true ROI of recognition lies in its ability to regenerate tangible, business-driven results.
Wild Apricot
JUNE 11, 2015
In our latest conference call session, the Advisory Group took on the topic of “Sponsorship and Raising Money”. The group focused on finding, approaching and keeping sponsorships. Read the top 3 takeaways.
Eric Lanke
JUNE 15, 2015
Two weeks ago I provided an example of a Strategy Agenda, a new term I've introduced in my association to represent the essential work product of our Board of Directors. Comprised of four distinct elements, each one nesting in the one that precedes it, our Strategy Agenda describes what we want to achieve and how we will measure our success in achieving it.
Aaron Wolowiec
JUNE 3, 2015
Whether or not your association currently utilizes a mobile app for its annual meeting or as part of a larger, annual engagement strategy, the question remains: Just how ready is your organization to deploy a mobile app? Recently, I had the opportunity to utilize my mobile app prowess – as a former education director and current learning strategist – to partner with mobile engagement company Results at Hand to develop a simple, 16-question Mobile App Readiness Assessment.
Virtual
JUNE 18, 2015
So many of the great churches of Europe are supported by massive flying buttresses. Not much to look at themselves, they support objects of great beauty and intricacy. That’s how I think of Virtual. We support objects of extraordinary achievement. Two new groups we’ve started working with are particularly intriguing. The first is 3MF. This will be the first truly end to end single file format for 3D printing.
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Managing HR tasks like payroll, compliance, and employee data can overwhelm small businesses. That’s where a Human Capital Management (HCM) solution comes in. Our eBook, Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide , shows how an HCM system automates tedious processes, ensuring your business stays compliant and efficient. You’ll learn how to simplify payroll, eliminate costly errors, and empower your employees with self-service tools.
Jamie Notter
JUNE 4, 2015
This post originally appeared on the Switch and Shift blog. There is a generalized, low-level anxiety in the business world about attracting the top talent. It makes sense, of course: who wouldn’t want the best talent? And if they are the best, then obviously not everyone can have them, so I guess we should task HR with figuring out how our organization can attract these people.
Association Adviser
JUNE 8, 2015
As an event organizer or planner, your main goal is to keep attendees informed and engaged throughout the show. The use of technology at events has grown tremendously and varies greatly for different. For more about this topic, click on the headline.
Wild Apricot
JUNE 2, 2015
In episode 4, Lori and Farhad discuss with members of the Membership Advisory Group, the key challenges membership organizations face in trying to engage, motivate and retain volunteers. Listen now!
Vanguard Tech
JUNE 16, 2015
While some say that content is King (and we agree), there are questions your content needs to answer before it can wear the crown. Don’t be confused by thinking just any ol’ content can be considered King - or even Prince. Convert pauper content to instant royalty by applying these 3 questions to every word, image, feed or video on your association website today.
Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson
Payroll optimization can be one of the most time-consuming and complex factors of small business management. Yet, organizations that crack the code on streamlining employee compensation often discover innovative avenues for growth. With the right strategies in place, outsourcing and streamlining payroll processes can result in substantial time and resource savings.
Aaron Wolowiec
JUNE 9, 2015
Meeting professionals are some of the busiest people I know. But thanks to periods of economic stability, for the first time in a decade, these always-on-go folks will have time to take a breath and think strategically, according to Meeting Professionals International’s Meetings Outlook, 2015 Spring Edition. It was developed in partnership with Visit Denver.
Virtual
JUNE 9, 2015
I was reminded today that it’s been a while since I’ve blogged. Well, it’s been quite a few months. Between client meetings, new initiatives and more, we’ve been flat out. Here’s just a bit of what I’ve been up to: Joined PCI SSC for its first Middle East Forum in Dubai in March. We had more than 200 registrants for the session. Read article here. Worked with ICASI and SAFEcode as they held face to face Board meetings in Silicon Valley in April.
Jamie Notter
JUNE 23, 2015
This Thursday we'll be hosting another #CultureChat on twitter, and our topic will focus in on the what, when, and how of changing an existing culture. I find that a lot of the organizations with really amazing cultures grew up like that. Their founders created that cool culture. So does that leave any hope for the rest of us who maybe inherited an okay-but-not-so-great culture?
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