As an association leader, understanding your volunteer role on a not-for-profit Board is being aware of your job description. Not only will this clarify your unique role and responsibilities, but it will also allow you to better support other members of the team and their tasks. Boards are designed [...]
Key messages are often viewed by associations as the ‘break glass in case of emergency’ go-to tactic when in crisis communications mode or prepping for an unsavoury announcement. Not true! Key messages are the essential building blocks for all communications including annual strategic marketing communications (marcom) plans, campaign-specific plans, [...]
You are a female association volunteer leader who has just taken charge of reviewing and updating the association’s Policies and Procedures. It’s a big job. In fact, it’s the most sizeable project you’ve ever taken on in this role. You start to question whether you can do this, and [...]
Human error is a common problem that affects many associations in different aspects, including manual accounts payable entry. It's essential to note that this type of error may be difficult to prevent entirely. However, taking proactive measures to mitigate the risks can help to minimize the impact of such [...]
Let’s face it; no association wants to go into crisis communications mode. But ultimately most will face an internal or external issue requiring immediate attention. How an association fares during and post-crisis depends on how well-prepared it is to handle one. The key to successfully navigating through a crisis [...]
Coming out of the pandemic, I have noticed a divergence amongst Board members as to when they’re available to volunteer. Some opt to do all their volunteer work during office hours to preserve their personal time, while others don’t have flexibility in their schedule to volunteer during traditional work [...]
One of the biggest indicators of an association’s health and longevity is their member renewal rate. A member renewal rate is the measurement of the number of members over a given period, usually during a fiscal or calendar year. A high renewal rate demonstrates members are engaged and your [...]
The pandemic has all Association Management Companies (AMC) working with their association clients to rethink how to get back to “normal” or define the “new normal” for their operations. Connecting In-Person vs Virtual Many associations have returned to in-person meetings and conferences while maintaining the virtual attendance option. Depending [...]
Difficult people are everywhere. Despite one’s best efforts some people are never pleased. But when they are exhibitors at an association event or tradeshow how can they be transitioned from difficult to champion? Practicing the art of WOO or Winning Others Over can help move difficult exhibitors to enthusiastic [...]
With the new year in full swing, many association’s communications teams are in full swing gathering members to participate in upcoming strategic planning sessions for key events. The end game of any strategic planning session is to effectively produce a solid and comprehensive plan clearly outlining the association’s communications [...]
