Convention centers, hotels, and other venues already know that when meetings return, many will feature a hybrid format. To prepare for this future, many venues have added new amenities, like broadcast studios, to help meeting planners deliver those experiences. Just because large, in-person conferences are still a long way off in many parts of the country, it doesn’t mean that venues aren’t getting ready for their eventual return. Earlier this month, I wrote about how convention centers are rolling [...]

In the final installment of our series on the hybrid workplace, we look at establishing flexible policies that will allow both remote and in-office workers to thrive. Congratulations: You’ve made it through the chaos of abruptly switching to a remote workforce, and perhaps you’ve decided to transition to a hybrid workplace model. Now it’s time to evaluate whether your policies accommodate all workers, be they in-office or remote. “For the most part, policies should be applicable to both remote workers [...]

COVID-19 has created new challenges, not the least of which is uncertainty. Three associations say communicating value is part of the playbook they plan to use as they move forward. In an industry of professionals who pride themselves on their planning skills, what happens in a year like 2020? Most of us didn’t plan for a global pandemic or its sweeping effects. Adjusting your communications plan when business-as-usual is no longer appropriate is a heavy lift. In most [...]

Associations need a federally supported insurance backstop to protect against the financial impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and future health emergencies, executives told lawmakers. ASAE President and CEO Susan Robertson, CAE, participated on Thursday in a congressional roundtable with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and other trade association leaders interested in ensuring that businesses and associations can financially recover from future waves of COVID-19 and other pandemics that may occur. Maloney, a senior member of the House Financial [...]

Here’s what you may have missed from September's WVSAE meeting with FBI Agents Jeff McCormick and Whitney Barnhart: FBI, founded in 1908, has 56 offices located throughout the country; Charleston, WV falls under the Pittsburgh office. Mission Statement: “To protect the American people & uphold the Constitution.” Social media can offer criminals and foreign operatives the ability to appear as something they are not. Social Media influence: Facebook was the #1 social media platform in 2016 and 2019, [...]

As the country begins different phases of reopening, advocacy will no longer be fully virtual. It will segue into something the includes elements of both in-person and digital advocacy. Here's how associations can get ready for the months ahead. As recently as March, government relations and grassroots advocacy efforts were conducted “business as usual.” In fact, my organization, the Society for Neuroscience, successfully held our fly-in day on March 5. While we lost some individuals to personal safety [...]

Associations are rallying and coming up with solutions they might not have thought of before the pandemic. Here’s a look at what one small-staff association with a tight budget is doing to keep its community close in difficult times. In a recent article, I covered member engagement strategies some larger associations with deeper pockets were using. I also wanted to see what smaller associations were doing to engage and retain members with fewer resources. I spoke with Lindsay Currie, [...]

Board chairs help set an association’s strategic vision, but they also manage the board itself. When chairs think like managers, not just stewards, they can have a profound impact on the board’s health. There’s a problem with some of the words we use to describe board chairs. The post is often described as an “honor,” which it is, but the term gives the impression that being a chair is an award—and that the tenure is a victory lap. [...]

In the age of online gatherings, a physical gift or box of swag can help your association’s virtual event stand out above the rest. While virtual events might not be able to dazzle attendees in quite the same way as in-person meetings, there is a tried-and-true tradition that can live on in the era of virtual conferences: conference swag. A tangible gift or box of swag can help create connection and engagement to the virtual event. Plus,they can [...]

Technology is allowing teams to work and stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, but constant technology use can lead to “technostress.” Here’s how to identify and manage this kind of stress and boost your health and happiness on the job and off. During the coronavirus pandemic, technology has been the lifeline that’s helped organizations and teams stay connected, conduct meetings, share documents, and perform other necessary work tasks. But, as Albert Einstein famously noted, technology cannot be allowed [...]