Leading any organization is difficult, but association leaders at all levels have faced challenges not previously experienced. Not only did the pandemic fundamentally change the way associations handled revenue-generating events such as conferences, but retention of members required extraordinary changes for some associations that delayed or discounted membership fees or offered “hold” status for some members. As associations looked for…
Employers have known for years that a company’s commitment to community service and volunteerism is an important factor when millennials consider career opportunities. A survey of more than 2,000 millennials found that almost 66% of those respondents were at least somewhat more likely to work for a company that supported charity than one that did not. The same sentiment was…
Do you have an article scheduled for an upcoming issue of your association magazine or a social media post that requires an interview with an industry expert, association board member, or high-profile member? Use a Q&A format to make the article stand out from typical feature articles. The key to a compelling Q&A article that catches readers’ attention and keeps…
Early 2020 saw cancellations of conferences and regional events and conversion of some events to virtual – with mixed success in the early stages. Fortunately, as association event and education professionals became more proficient with digital technology and found partners to provide expertise, virtual conferences were more easily executed mid- to late-2020. Key findings of a study show that 80%…
Effective recruitment of new members requires associations to explain the benefits of memberships in terms of value to the new member. Whether the potential member is an individual or a company, the decision to invest in an association membership is directly tied to the value that the association brings to the relationship. In other words: What can the association provide…
The blog or other social media post is ready to publish after hours of writing, re-writing, and proofreading. The perfect photo to accompany it pops up early in your search, so you post and smile at meeting your deadline. Are you sure the photo was not copyrighted? Photographers are more diligent about monitoring use of their work as social media…
There are a number of words and phrases used throughout 2020 that we all want to forget: pivot, new normal, flexibility and change. While the words may make everyone cringe, it is important to look at the positive take-aways from our experiences in the past year. In a recent blog, Lowell Aplebaum, CEO of consulting firm Vista Cova LLC, describes…
Successful business owners know that information is key to growing and sustaining a business. The value of access to industry research and best practices is the most important benefit of belonging to an association according to one study. In fact, 53% of respondents listed industry information as a top 10 benefit – more than training (48%) or advocacy (45%). Association…
January and February mark the start of state legislative sessions throughout the country and with a few exceptions, most legislatures began meeting as planned – with some notable changes. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are differences among states regarding in-person versus remote participation due to COVID-19. With advocacy a key membership benefit in most associations, the…
What a difference a year makes. New Year resolutions, especially for organizations, are rarely ground-breaking or completely different from previous years’ goals, resolutions or commitments. However, 2021 does include plans for products and services that few association leaders expected to see on their to-do list 12 months ago. In a 2019 survey of association executives’ perceptions of the economic outlook…