What’s Next? Free Membership and For-Profit Associations
I started the Association of Association Executives 10 years ago as a network and information resource, and a for-profit organisation. Coming from a business information background where I partnered with associations, I saw the lack of information and education available to them and wanted to make a change for the association community. Four years in, we expanded our […]
Distributing IT Decision-making Across Departments
In most modern organizations, we’re seeing a distributed technology decision-making model. The IT department is no longer the only place where technical decisions are being made, and we are not going to regain full control (nor should we want full control). This can be a good thing. When technology infuses every corner of an association, employees […]
New Leadership: An Opportunity to Sharpen Your Association’s Brand
New leadership can be a pivotal moment for an association. The initial focus of a new leader sets a precedent for the era ahead and can be a great opportunity to add new life to anything that has become stagnant, including the association’s brand. One of the reasons the Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC) Board […]
Keep Your Eyes Open: Unorthodox Learning
Learning is everybody’s job. Five or ten years ago, people at work might have thought, I’m just a cog in the wheel, done their job, and survived. However, that attitude is not viable today. The world is changing too fast to rest on our laurels. Without ongoing learning efforts, organizations (and people) become stagnant and suffer. Everyone has […]
The Influencer Marketing Tool That Made All The Difference
Building attendance for our virtual summit, SURGE 2017, presented us with an interesting challenge. The event was premised upon collaboration, and we were committed to the idea that the success of the summit would lie in the active participation of the attendees. This meant that we were not just promoting an event, but inviting people to […]
Interview: The Surprising Benefits of In-House Technology Development
A decade ago, NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) set out on a mission to modernize their whole organization through technology. The goal was to have a single source of truth that would support every internal process and provide the right information to the right person at the right time. This involved going deep into every […]
How It All Began: Foresight Works
My passion for foresight began over ten years ago when I was Chair of the ASAE Research Committee. The ASAE Foundation’s research team was focused on producing the 200-page book, Designing Your Future: Key Trends, Challenges, and Choices Facing Association and Nonprofit Leaders. Many of my association colleagues have the book on their shelf. One particular line […]
A Tale of Three Chapters
If your organization is comprised of multiple chapters, it’s a good bet that some are more successful than others. There can be many reasons certain chapters struggle while others soar. As a membership expert who has helped turn around numerous problem chapters, I’ll share three different approaches that were effective. In the first two examples, the […]
The Association Movement in the Philippines
I recently returned from the Philippines, where I found myself immersed in an emerging market. I was staying in the Bonifacio Global City (BGC), a new business district in Manila. Every single building in the vicinity was less than ten years old, and the sky held as many cranes as buildings. Traffic is what you would […]
Test the Waters with a Partial Rebrand
Rebranding an association is not a task to be taken lightly. There are so many elements to consider: funding, leadership buy-in, visual identity, and member reception. Before diving into a full rebrand, consider taking it step-by-step and conducting a partial rebrand first. You’d be surprised at how much impact small changes can have on member rates […]