Every association knows a crisis can occur at any time. While many have a guide, these tips can help your organization be sure your communications plan takes into account today’s times, including cancel culture and legal concerns. Benjamin Franklin once expressed, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." These wise words outline the importance of preparedness in many areas of life and business, especially in times of crisis. No association ever sets out to court [...]

Coming off a tumultuous 2020, organizations had to make major changes to their workplace operations, event protocols, and communication strategies. Here are the major takeaways from this year. By Michael Hickey Dec 21, 2021 ShareShareShare Nobody’s saying 2021 was easy. But it was still a year in which associations took the chaos of 2020 and began to find order. That’s why it’s worth taking a minute to pat yourself on the back, look at the year’s successes, and see [...]

The high-profile Log4Shell exploit, which your organization should be aware of, offers a great reminder of the need to build a maintenance strategy. By Ernie Smith Dec 20, 2021 ShareShareShare When it comes to digital risks, it’s often the hangers-on that cause the biggest problems. And a recent exploit involving a piece of software your association probably doesn’t realize it uses is a timely reminder of an organization’s fundamental responsibility to ensure its applications are being properly maintained. What’s [...]

Remote work can make it more difficult to share what your organization's culture is. That calls for a more sophisticated approach to communication. By Mark Athitakis Dec 17, 2021 ShareShareShare There’s a familiar line in the business world that says culture is “the way we do things around here.” Reading a couple of recent studies around leadership in the pandemic era, I think that line ought to be more specific: Culture is be the way we communicate how we do things [...]

In this article: During a prolonged period of change, something had to give. Life and work have been reshaped and transformed, and that means people want different things. In planning future meetings, it’s time for associations to put the participant first and let the event follow. The pandemic has driven home many things, among them that necessity really is the mother of invention—and, it turns out, reinvention. While the big news about events in the past 20 months [...]

The December holiday gathering of the West Virginia Society of Association Executives was a full evening for all our attendees.  Thanks to our hosts at the Holiday Inn & Suites Charleston West, Hope Carroll, Don Meador and Joyce Dery, for providing an outstanding array of heavy hors d'oeuvres to accompany the most delightful beverages! One highlight of the evening was the year-long-delayed presentation of the President's Plaque by current President Pat McDonald to Immediate Past President Jonathan Adler. [...]

Surveys are often a routine, one-and-done reflex, when they could be providing actionable insights that improve an association’s value proposition—and more. Two analytics experts offer their tips for crafting a better survey. By Lisa Boylan Dec 14, 2021 Collecting member data from surveys is a no-brainer—and not in a good way. A little thought, preparation, and strategy go a long way toward gathering meaningful information that can be effectively leveraged to increase engagement and significantly improve the member experience. A recent Associations Analytics webinar [...]

COVID-19 remains a part of our lives, but vaccination and other new treatments have welcomed a return to events with health and safety protocols in place. Properly communicating about event safety can inform attendees, reduce negative feedback, and keep staff on the same page. If recent gatherings are any indication of future trends, events are alive and kicking. As event organizers begin planning for 2022 and pandemic mitigations continue as new variants come into play, messaging about events [...]

Waiting for a flash of inspiration won't work, but neither does collaboration without goals. Take a few cues from business scholars—and a certain famous rock act. By Mark Athitakis Dec 12, 2021 Say the word “creativity,” and a certain image tends to appear in people’s minds—one that’s probably inaccurate. Culturally, we still romanticize the isolated genius working in a quiet room, waiting for that sudden flash of insight. It’s more likely, though, for innovations to come deliberately, and in [...]

Associations are trying to be thoughtful about policies for in-person events as they start anew. Here are a few strategies organizations are using. By Ernie Smith Dec 08, 2021 ShareShareShare In February 2020, few meeting planners were thinking about things like tracking proof of vaccination. But as associations tiptoe back into face-to-face gatherings, planners are having to address questions about policies that will make the return safe for all. Read on for a few approaches organizations are using to firm [...]