Young Association Professionals, Aggregage, Association Universe and Infinite Conferencing are excited to bring an amazing series of interactive webinars on how association professionals need to think and act differently to drive member engagement. The world has changed and we’ve brought together thought leaders from a wide variety of perspectives to help with this new world. The series runs each week from the end of October through end of January.
What Does Member Engagement Mean to You?
Eric Lanke, CEO, National Fluid Power Association
Completed: Friday, November 2, 2012
Follow-up Posts:
Member Engagement – Real Association Goals
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
#1: Don’t Forget the Fun
#2: Recruit with a One-to-One Philosophy
#3: Recognize Volunteer Contributions
#4: Manage Volunteer Transitions
#5: Don’t Waste a Volunteer’s Time
#6: Provide Structure, But Not Too Much
#7: Advisory Groups Can Be Tremendous Win-Wins
#8: Member Engagement Solution #8: Effective Orientation and Interaction Is Key
and
A Member Engagement Experiment
Seems like everyone’s talking about member engagement these days, but are they all talking about the same thing? In leading an Innovation Circle on Member Engagement for the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives, Eric Lanke discovered that they are not. Working over the past year with a diverse group of association professionals, he has seen many definitions emerge–from increasing program usage to fostering more volunteerism to dedicated service in leadership positions. On this webcast, Eric will share some of the challenges Circle participants are facing, as well as some of the solutions they have identified through their discussions. As the CEO of a national trade association, he will also share his reflections on member engagement in his own organization, and describe a new strategy he and his leadership are taking to create more involvement by their members.
About Eric Lanke, CAE
Eric Lanke is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Fluid Power Association, a trade association of more than 300 companies serving the hydraulic and pneumatic industries. He works with the NFPA board of directors to set the strategic direction of the industry, and oversees all association programs and communications to best achieve identified goals and objectives.
Prior to NFPA, Eric worked at Executive Director, Inc. (EDI), one of the five largest association management companies in the United States, where he held leadership positions with the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.
Eric is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He serves on the board of the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE), where he led a task force focused on the adoption of for-profit innovative practices by non-profit organizations. He received his BS degree from the University of Wisconsin.
Managing Multi-Generational Communications
Completed: Wednesday, November 7, 2012
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
Generation Y prefers to communicate through mobile or social media and you want to capture them for the future of your association. Meanwhile Boomers are starting to embrace Facebook, but still prefer print media. And what about those Gen Xer’s? It seems these days everyone has a communication preference and it’s up to the association to meet those needs to keep their base active and engaged. Join us to explore best practices for addressing the values and preferences of different generations to optimize success!
About Shana Glickfield
Shana is a founding Partner of Beekeeper Group, a DC-based public affairs firm, where she helps a wide array of association clients with their communications and advocacy strategies, focusing on social media and online community building.
Prior to launching Beekeeper Group, Shana was the Online Community Director for NextGenWeb.org, the online community of USTelecom, the broadband association. Before that, she was the Director of Strategic Communications at Amplify Public Affairs and worked in-house at several national nonprofit organizations.
Shana’s innovative approach to communications has been widely acclaimed; she was one of five women named to Washington Post’s list of “Up and Comers in Technology” in 2009 and was recognized that same year as one of the most creative people in new media by Washington Life Magazine. She is also the founder of renowned local blog, “The DC Concierge,” which she authored from 2006-2010. She presents and comments frequently on social media topics, including on CNN.com, Mashable, ABC News, Politico, and Capitol Hill.
Shana graduated from Michigan State University and has a law degree from Temple University. When she’s not at the Hive, Shana spends her time engaging on her favorite social media platforms and advocating for organizations such as the Trust for the National Mall, the National Women’s History Museum, and the DC Awesome Foundation.
Membership Engagement… How to Maximize Your Value Proposition to Grow 10 Times in 10 Years
Tom Morrison – CEO – Metal Treating Institute
Completed: Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Follow-up Post and Slides: Member Engagement – Real Questions
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
Description: Everyone thinks associations are in the membership business. They couldn’t be farther from the truth. They are in the business of putting their purpose and mission into action items in such an exciting and effective way, everyone in their industry would want to be a member. This presentation will share with you the 6-keys to maximizing your value proposition, how to motivate your board to change, the metrics they need to look at to facilitate change and how to tap into the new generation.
About Tom Morrison
Tom Morrison is a 15 year veteran of association management. He currently is CEO of the Metal Treating Institute, his third non-profit group as CEO. Tom has a keen understanding of the membership engagement area. Since coming to MTI in 2005, MTI has grown from less than $100,000 in net worth to over $1,000,000 through a revamping of there value proposition and strategic direction. Tom, along with his board of trustees and many volunteers have leveraged technology and people to maximize their efforts to do the one thing it takes to be an association of the future: Doing things for members they can’t do themselves effectively in time or effort.
Building a Spirit of Engagement: The New Volunteerism
Peggy M. Hoffman, CAE, president & association manager, Mariner Management & Marketing, an AMC
Completed: December 5, 2012
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
The cry is almost universal across associations and their member communities – we can’t find volunteers! The problem isn’t a lack of volunteers, its focusing on the volunteering rather than engagement. Starting at our smallest member community – whether it’s a geographic chapter or an online SIG, if we shift our focus from a cry for volunteers to a commitment of involvement we’ll begin a revolution and create a new model for volunteerism.
What You’ll Walk Away With …
examples of how a few innovative associations have shifted their volunteerism to a member engagement conversation
a clearer picture of the new volunteerism
a few concrete ideas that you can consider trying
About Peggy M. Hoffman
Peggy co-founded Mariner Management, a company providing association management services to chapter and affiliate associations in 2002. Today, Mariner serves as the home to four organizations. Mariner also works with national organizations seeking to strengthen their member communities – including components of all kinds – and volunteer management programs. Peggy is currently vice-chair for ASAE’s Executive Management Section Council and on the ASAE University faculty and has been active on several other projects including the Decision to Volunteer study. Peggy blogs at blog.marinermanagement.com and you can catch up with her on Twitter @peggyhoffman or on LinkedIn and Facebook.
In addition to a BA in Communications from The American University, Peggy is a graduate of the association management curriculum of the Institute for Organization Management at Notre Dame. She has held positions in membership, marketing and communications for several different associations prior to starting Mariner.
Member Prospecting – Fishing in the Right Ponds
Mitch Arnowitz, Managing Director, Tuvel Communications
Completed: Wednesday, December 12, 2012
December 2012: Member Prospecting – Fishing in the Right Ponds (Member Engagement Webinar Series) from Tuvel Communications
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
Associations want marketing to create new members at a predictable cost. We hear a lot these days about the “Long Tail” with its untapped and micro-targeted prospecting segments such as government, healthcare, and education. Mass marketing models are not designed to go downstream or cost effectively reach these new, targeted member segments. In this webcast, you will learn how the core elements of influencer programs, online community building and social media are being used to cost effectively identify influencers and build relationships that produce loyal members and supporters. Mitch will also be sharing case studies and best practices for results-driven association programs, projects and campaigns. You will learn that reaching the promise of the Long Tail is hard but can be done using research, tools, analytics and the right people!
About Mitch Arnowitz
Mitch Arnowitz, managing director of Washington, DC-based digital communications firm Tuvel Communications, brings experience, creativity, and proven results to harnessing alternative media. A twenty-year veteran of traditional and interactive marketing, Mitch specializes in creating and leveraging relationships to drive loyalty and effectively market a person, business, or brand. Prior to founding Tuvel Communications, Mitch was Business Development Director of the Morino Institute Netpreneur Program where he helped emerging technology companies solve problems, make connections, and grow their businesses. Mitch is well known as creator and moderator of one of the Internet’s most popular marketing discussion groups, the AdMarketing email list. An opinion leader, Mitch and his work are often quoted in newspapers such as The Washington Post and is cited for “best practices” by leaders in the marketing industry. He is also a frequent moderator and speaker at industry conferences, publishing award-winning marketing guides and interviews for respected industry publications.
Beer and Bar-B-Que IS a Membership Strategy
Shelly Alcorn, CAE, Principal, Alcorn Associates Management Consulting
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
Beer and BBQ IS a Membership Strategy from Shelly Alcorn
When thinking about membership strategy, it’s time to include “fun” as a legitimate objective. The nature of membership is evolving beyond a transactional relationship and into an engagement model instead. By continuing to view members as people to be “served” rather than people to play and co-create with we are cheating ourselves out of getting to know them on a much deeper and more meaningful level. Many members are no longer satisfied with superficial connections, but creating the kind of safe environment it takes to truly accept them as whole human beings requires both skill and intention. Come explore how we can embrace authenticity and create the kind of ultra-vibrant communities members crave and our organizations need.
Examine common association scenarios with an eye to being more inclusive
Explore simple tricks and techniques designed to break down barriers
Create meaningful connections using cultural guideposts
Low cost, high return strategies for glocal (global – local) community building
About Shelly Alcorn
Shelly began her career in change management at the age of 5 when she was enrolled at what was to be the first of the eleven schools she would attend prior to graduating from high school. Being the perpetual “new kid” forced her to quickly and strategically assess new environments, orient herself to new curriculum, policy and rules and figure out the political nuance involved in navigating recess.
Shelly kept up the fast pace by holding various positions in different associations and then serving as executive director for two different associations – one a 501(c)(6) and one a 501(c)(3). She is now a consultant and also speaks on contemporary topics affecting associations today including leadership, the association’s role in a democratic society and hot trends associations should be aware of in the larger societal zeitgeist.
Being a blue collar girl in a white collar world leads to some quirky observations. A revolutionary, self-proclaimed edupunk, she got her CAE (Certified Association Executive) just to prove she knows what she’s doing. She blogs on the Association Subculture Blog because her cat is a bad listener.
Diagnosing and Solving Your Membership Marketing Challenges
Tony Rossell, Senior Vice President, Marketing General Incorporated
Wednesday January 9, 2013
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
System thinking is a methodology to step back and look at the big picture to understand the opportunities and challenges that an organization might face. In membership, the components of this system involve member awareness, recruitment, engagement, renewal and reinstatement. This session will help you diagnose what part of the membership marketing system may be impeding your organization from reaching its full potential and highlight key tactics and practical tips to solve the challenges that your association is facing in growing membership.
About Tony Rossell
Tony serves as the senior vice president of Marketing General, Inc., in Alexandria, Virginia. As a strategic thinker who thrives on utilizing direct response marketing in all its forms, Tony has designed literally hundreds of marketing programs for dozens of association and corporate clients, including some that have more than tripled membership.
Tony created the five-stage “Membership Lifecycle” concept to better identify and segment the steps common to virtually any membership program: Awareness, Recruitment, Engagement, Renewal, and Reinstatement. The lifecycle is the basis for many of MGI’s most effective and most successful membership programs.
He is also the creator of MGI’s annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, an in-depth industry survey of association executives that delves into the membership marketing practices and outcomes of more than 600 individual and trade associations.
A prolific writer, Tony authors the Membership Marketing Blog and is a frequent contributor to marketing publications including Associations Now magazine, Membership Developments, and the Chicago Forum. He is also a contributing author to two books, Membership Marketing (ASAE 2000) and Membership Essentials (ASAE 2008).
Adopting Education Strategy to Jump-Start Member Engagement
Aaron D. Wolowiec, MSA, CAE, CMP, CTA, Founder & President Event Garde LLC
Adopting Education Strategy to Jump-Start Member Engagement from Event Garde LLC
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
It’s no surprise to discover that most associations are guided by a carefully crafted strategic plan developed by key stakeholders. However, this plan often does not drill down into the specifics of education strategy despite the prominence of professional development in both the organization’s mission statement and annual budget. While the education equation is simple (Education = Engagement = Loyalty = Retention = Revenue), transforming this theory into action requires intentional planning. During this program, learn more about the education equation, explore considerations for developing your association’s very own education strategy, and identify actionable next steps. Work smarter (not harder!) to leverage current education offerings and content to jump-start member engagement.
About Aaron D. Wolowiec
Michigan native Aaron Wolowiec is an exceptionally talented and passionate leader whose diverse achievements guide and propel association goals and initiatives, especially as they relate to education and learning. Aaron has more than a decade of experience in the meetings industry, and has taught for three years at a Michigan college. Aaron is a certified association executive, a certified meeting professional and a certified tourism ambassador, and he earned a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University. An active member of the American Society of Association Executives, Aaron is both past chairman of the Young Association Executives Committee and a 2009-2011 Diversity Executive Leadership Program scholar. Aaron is also the recipient of the prestigious 2011 Michigan Society of Association Executives’ Emerging New Leader award, a symbol of extraordinary achievements and the promise of future accomplishments within the association management profession. As the founder and president of Event Garde, a professional development consulting firm based in Grand Rapids, Mich. that works with association leaders who want to deliver dynamic, meaningful and compelling education and networking experiences, Aaron manages the day-to-day operations of the firm, including the facilitation of most client projects.
Fierce Membership: 7 Ways to Keep From Losing Your Most Engaged Members
KiKi L’Italien, President and CEO, Amplified Growth, Inc.
Wednesday – January 23, 2013
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
The cry is almost universal across associations and their member communities – we can’t find volunteers! The problem isn’t a lack of volunteers, its focusing on the volunteering rather than engagement. Starting at our smallest member community – whether it’s a geographic chapter or an online SIG, if we shift our focus from a cry for volunteers to a commitment of involvement we’ll begin a revolution and create a new model for volunteerism.
What You’ll Walk Away With …
examples of how a few innovative associations have shifted their volunteerism to a member engagement conversation
a clearer picture of the new volunteerism
a few concrete ideas that you can consider trying
About KiKi L’Italien
KiKi L’Italien is President of Amplified Growth. She is a social enterprise strategist, working with associations and nonprofits in developing their member relationships and social media strategies. Kiki helps organizations connect with client and member communities through thoughtful communications and social media: beyond “doing” social networking and media to becoming more socially enabled organizations. She frequently presents at leading industry association conferences and often appears in social media-related webinars and podcasts.
Engagement Strategies for a Social World
Andy Steggles, President, Higher Logic
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 – 2PM Eastern, 1PM Central, Noon Mountain, 11 AM Pacific
Using real association examples, see how the data in your AMS/CRM can be leveraged as a strategic advantage as part of your social initiatives. Hear about the basic principles surrounding a successful social strategy and the keys to successful engagement. See how the public networks can be leveraged as outposts as well as how to host your own social presence. Discuss the strategies for bringing a community to life while at the same time, generate new non-dues revenue. See how to leverage some easy to use tools to help take your social platform to the next level by generating member engagement. Learn how to quantify the results with real metrics to ensure your initiatives are supporting your mission. See the difference between Return on Engagement (ROE) and Return on Investment (ROI). Discover ways of recognizing members who participate the most in a way that will both give them recognition and generate even more viral engagement. Learn how to answer the question “Who is your Most Valuable Member? (MVM)”.
About Andy Steggles
Andy Steggles is the author of “Social Networking for Non-Profits” ( http://higherlogic.com/snfnp ), published by ASAE. The book focuses on how to increase member engagement in a mobile and web 2.0 world. He is also the President of Higher Logic, LLC, a social media and mobile software company for associations, nonprofits and user groups. Prior to joining Higher Logic, Andy spent 10 years serving as the Chief Information Officer at the Risk & Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) where he headed among other things, their social strategy initiatives.
The New Rules of Engagement: Understanding and Using Member Value to Drive Engagement
Andrea Pellegrino, Principal, The Maia Marketing Group, LLC and Co-Founder, The Demand Perspective
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE
For most association members, “engagement” is not really all that engaging. Associations struggle to engage and keep members because they don’t understand the new rules of engagement, which are increasingly member-value-driven and defined. By shifting their perspective to the members’ point of view and putting engagement at the service of value, associations can revolutionize they way members and associations interact, engage, and grow together.
What You’ll Learn:
A new concept of engagement that goes beyond volunteerism
Tools for using what members value to drive engagement
New ways to engage with your members you can act on immediately
About Andrea Pellegrino
Andrea Pellegrino, is Principal of The Maia Marketing Group, LLC, which she founded 12 years ago. She is an expert at building dynamic, long-term relationships between associations and their members and customers, and has a successful track record in increasing retention and recruitment and putting associations on a path to growth. In her 25 years of experience in association marketing, and membership development Andrea has helped more than 50 not-for-profit organizations turn their research findings, strategic planning goals, and organization brands into successful, market-driven realities.
Andrea Pellegrino and Anna Caraveli are co-founders of The Demand Perspective—a new think-tank and consultancy that aims to revolutionize the way associations engage, communicate with, and relate to their markets in the knowledge age. Andrea and Anna are the authors of the soon-to-be-published ASAE book, The Demand Perspective, which explores how to reorganize membership organizations around what members really need, value and use to create a nimble, resilient, customer-focused organization positioned for long-term member/customer growth, sustainability, and market leadership.