01
Apr
13

Enhance your online education strategy in 90 days

By Aaron Wolowiec 2 Comments
Categories: Marketing, Meetings and Professional Development
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Webinar Poll Questions

Webinar Poll Questions

It’s no surprise to discover that most associations are guided by a strategic plan carefully crafted by key leaders and stakeholders. This plan often does not drill down, however, into the specifics of education strategy (and the chances it extends to digital learning are equally shaky). This is despite the prominence of professional development in both the organization’s mission statement and annual budget projections.

On Feb. 28, I had the opportunity to deliver a Wit and Wisdom webinar for my friends at CommPartners. During this session, I shared a more intentional approach to meeting the unique needs of association constituents. We discussed simple, but effective tactics for evaluating and developing relevant content, effectively marketing programs, and leveraging innovative instructional strategies to pique member interest.

At right, you’ll find the results to two different poll questions on the topic of education strategy. The first queried participants about “a separate strategic education plan.” Those answering “yes” have a strategic education blueprint separate from the organization’s comprehensive strategic plan. The second question asked participants about “a separate online education strategy.” Not surprisingly, the breakdown of responses was similar.

Should you be interested, the webinar is available on-demand. Likewise, the worksheets and presentation slides are also available for download. I’ve also curated the stream of participant comments shared in this program’s chat feature. Organized by topic, following are the lightly edited participant insights I think you’ll find invaluable:

Identifying relevant content

  • We use an advisory committee of member experts to help identify topics and speakers.
  • I do an annual education survey via email. The subject line reads “15 second education survey” and I ask for their top three education topics. Our response rate is overwhelming.

Effectively marketing programs

  • I gather emails for all education attendees and do a lot of contact via email.
  • We have done a member email swap with other associations for one-time use to advertise. We don’t do it consistently, but strategically.
  • We offer team discounts for groups of five or more.
  • We ask attendees for referrals (e.g., names, emails and phone numbers) for those in their company or other peers who might be interested in the course they just completed.
  • We actively engage our speakers and have them leverage their relationships in trade magazines to announce their presence on a webcast.
  • We offer snippet previews of past webinars. We also select older recordings that have broad appeal and offer them as a free benefit to show the target audience what we offer.
  • We have the luxury of on-air talent for our radio webcasts, so we aim to get one popular on-air personality per webcast to address the topic in a five minute promotional video.
  • Find the stars in your industry and try to feature them in a way that’s easy for them, good content and easily promoted.
  • Marketing and education departments should work hand-in-hand because the marketing department is the one responsible for getting the event or education offerings out there. The main goal should be the bottom line.

Competition

  • Our association has to compete with companies in our industry that offer free CE. This makes it more difficult to offer quality at low rates.
  • It’s hard to beat free. Try stressing that the CE you offer is a true *investment*, where free CE might lack quality.
  • Try to ensure your program is a lot more robust than what your competitors offer for free.
  • We had to stop trying to compete with others and simply offer the best education out there in our industry. People return to our programs because of the background and expertise of the instructors/speakers, as well as the ability to interact with the other attendees. Interaction matters.
  • We don’t address the “free” aspect because it puts us on the defensive. Offer a quality product and those that are looking for “real” professional development from quality speakers are your target audience.
  • Make your program more interactive, and provide tools and resources your competitors cannot provide with free CE programs.
  • A quality product is the key. There are members willing to pay for quality. It’s also important to know who’s doing the speaking or the teaching.
  • Both collaboration and communication are necessary to ensure you’re not competing with other departments within your own association in promoting events.

Innovative instructional strategies

  • Providing a constant stream of content outside of the webcasts helps.
  • We encourage live tweeting during our conferences, and are evaluating the live tweeting during our education courses. However, social learning is difficult to explain up the chain.
  • Our association offers live tweeting, but it is still not completely catching on. We are engaging content experts to do the tweeting.
  • We’re exploring gamification, such as offering “badges.”
  • We do promote live tweeting during our live annual meeting; however, not many members participate yet.

Economies of scale

  • One association I’m aware of gets the top people to do live webinars in one room over the course of a day, such as at their annual meetings where the speakers are already onsite. This is a great way to capitalize on having people accessible and to record the webinars for later delivery.
  • We actually do webcasts with multiple people live in a studio at once. And taking advantage of travel schedules is paramount to maintaining a shoestring budget.

So, my question to you is this: Does your organization have a separate strategic education plan? What about a separate online education strategy? How have these documents elevated the quality and sophistication of your programs, built the reputation of your meetings department and/or improved your organization’s bottom line? Likewise, how did you convince your organization’s leadership (staff and board) to expend more resources/time on creating these documents?

25
Mar
13

Overcoming your fear of “messing up”

By Aaron Wolowiec 2 Comments
Categories: Leadership, Organizational Behavior and Young Professionals
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s been several months now, but I was invited by Bryan L. Crenshaw, southeast zone adviser of the Michigan District of Key Club International, to present two breakout sessions on public speaking and confidence building at the organization’s 2012 Fall Rally in Wayland. As a former club president and district board member, I was eager to give back to this next generation of leaders and (fingers crossed) association professionals.

If you’re not familiar, Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It’s a completely student-led organization that teaches leadership through service to others. Members of the Kiwanis International family include Kiwanis (adults), Circle K (college students) and Key Club. Ultimately, Key Club members build themselves as they build their schools and communities.

Although I regularly speak to the association community, this younger audience was a new challenge for me. The process began, as it usually does, with an engaging content outline comprising key talking points. It included a brief welcome, a small group discussion, a self-reflection activity and a progressive story-telling activity in which participants practiced their public speaking prowess.

Of the various activities and discussions, I found the self-reflection to be the most enlightening. The students were given an index card and were asked to write down their confidential responses to the following scenario: “You’ve been asked to deliver a speech at your senior graduation. What’s going to keep you up at night in the days leading up to this public speaking engagement?”

Near the end of each session we spent approximately 10 minutes pulling these index cards at random and addressing the various questions and concerns that arose from the students. Since then, I’ve had an opportunity to more closely review and aggregate these responses. Of the nearly 200 answers, the one garnering the top spot – appearing 28 different times – was a fear of messing up.

Following are the six other top vote getters:

  • Writing and editing my speech – 16 responses
  • Forgetting what to say – 15 responses
  • Stuttering, slurring or mumbling – 14 responses
  • Content not good – 13 responses
  • Nerves – 12 responses
  • Saying the wrong thing – 11 responses

In the middle of the pack, between two and eight people said each of the following:

  • Won’t relate to everyone
  • Embarrassed
  • Trip/fall
  • Humiliated
  • Mispronounce a word
  • Appearance/attire
  • Topic
  • Not loud enough
  • Audience too large
  • Not breathing
  • Freezing up
  • Panicking
  • Throwing up
  • Fainting
  • Audio/visual equipment not working
  • Making a joke, but no one laughs

Finally, each of the following concerns garnered one mention each:

  • Changing people’s perspectives
  • Speaking with my hands
  • Going off topic
  • Not having eye contact
  • Face breaking out
  • Not getting a standing ovation
  • Won’t practice/be ready
  • Speaking in front of peers
  • Not delivering speech well
  • Hecklers
  • Physically shaking
  • Voice shaking
  • Talking too fast
  • Talking too quietly
  • Being booed
  • Ruining friendships
  • Going over/under time

So, my question to you is this: When it comes to your work (e.g., launching a new member product or service), do you have many of these same fears and concerns? How do you overcome them? In what ways do you and your organization create a culture that’s okay with “messing up”? What advice would you offer the next generation of leaders, college students and, ultimately, association professionals as they pursue their goals, dreams and interests?

22
Feb
13

The key to successful CSM/planner collaboration is communication

By Aaron Wolowiec 3 Comments
Categories: Best Practices, Exhibitions and Meetings
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kelly Van Dyke, CMP

Kelly Van Dyke, CMP

This post is authored by guest blogger Kelly Van Dyke, CMP. Kelly is a convention service manager at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Email: kvandyke@amwaygrand.com

Your venue CSM should be your number one go-to person, your number one collaborator, your biggest fan, maybe even your best friend (even if only for a short period of time). This person wants a successful conference just as much as you do. His or her primary role is to assist you in planning a conference within your means. Likewise, he or she is charged with maintaining the venue’s profitability, as well as delivering a pleasant and memorable experience for your attendees. Ultimately, the key to a successful relationship with your CSM is communication. Following are a couple of tried and true tips guaranteed to help you communicate more effectively with your convention services manager.

First, share information – and share it early and often. Tell your CSM everything you can about your organization, its conference and all the quirks that come with it. Don’t hold back. Include historical figures, past experiences and even those elements of your conference that remain a work in progress. In return, your CSM will offer ideas and suggestions to be sure your conference runs as smoothly as possible (given both the strengths and the limitations of the property). Likewise, if you are not experienced in a particular area, be sure to speak up. For example, I once worked with a planner who had very little experience in exhibition services. Ultimately, in an effort to break even, he was seeking new ways to lower event costs. When we started discussing exhibitor needs, including power and Internet access, I recommended these services be offered to exhibitors as add-ons. In turn, this saved his organization more than $4,200 per day. In the end, he looked like the hero. By sharing with me his goals, objectives and concerns, we were able to identify and implement a thoughtful solution.

Just remember that CSMs work equally hard for you as they do for their own company. Case in point: We ask a million questions in advance of your event to avoid those awkward onsite moments (if you’ve never before experienced one, consider yourself lucky). For example, if you have plans to place 300 stick-on footprints throughout the hotel as directional signage, your CSM would need the proper approval (in advance of your arrival) to do so. Although it’s a great idea – especially in light of the sheer number of blank stares I see on the faces of lost people each day as I walk the floors of my property – there are many considerations that must be factored into this type of way-finding strategy. For starters, there’s the venue’s approval process. This type of signage may or may not be permitted by your property’s management team. Can you imagine what a bummer it would be if you began strategically placing these footprints onsite and midway through the installation your CSM asked you to remove them? Or, better yet, if someone removed them all for you without your knowledge? That’s why communication with your CSM prior to your function is the single most important resource you can leverage as a planner.

Through thick and thin, your CSM should be a trusted friend and advisor. This person is your liaison to the venue staff, a key factor in the success of your conference and, ultimately, the person you’re most likely to work with on future events. The more they know the better. And, over time, the better you get to know one another, the more your CSM can anticipate your needs and requests. Share with them your plans, your expectations, your dreams and your wonders; they will breathe life into your vision the best way they know how. (Editor’s note: And if they don’t, kindly address this concern with your sales manager or the venue’s general manager.)

So, my question to you is this: What other recommendations do you have for enhancing the CSM/planner relationship? What’s worked well for you in the past? What “best practices” have you picked up and implemented over the years? Consider sharing with us an example of CSM/planner collaboration at its best.

29
Jan
13

Hiring an event management partner

By Aaron Wolowiec Leave a Comment
Categories: Best Practices and Meetings
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Heidi Brumbach, CMP, CTA

Heidi Brumbach, CMP, CTA

This post is authored by guest blogger Heidi Brumbach, CMP, CTA. Heidi is the general manager of Technisch Creative. Email: heidi@technischcreative.com

So you’ve decided to have an event, and you’re not sure whether or not you need professional assistance. A good event management company should be an asset to your event, not a liability. They will bring knowledge and experience to the table which can help you save time and money. But not all event managers are created equal. Here are a few tips to help you find the right professional.

Ask about their experience. Event planning sounds like a glamorous job, which is one reason why event planning and management companies are popping up all over the world. However, there is no licensing or education required for one to call themselves an event planner, so ask to see examples of past jobs. And if they have beautiful pictures to show you, make sure they explain what their involvement was in the event pictured. Did they actually manage the event, or were they a volunteer helping with a small portion of the event?

Ask for references and follow-up with them. It’s invaluable to find out what a past client’s experience was like. Make sure that you get a list of past client references and not personal references. Also, does the company have a list of repeat clientele? Consider checking with these clients, because repeat business is a testament to the quality of their work.

Ask about the company’s relationship with venues that you are considering for your event. An experienced professional should be able to work in most environments, but it can be an added bonus if they are experienced working with a particular venue. This can help save you a lot of time and expense with labor scheduling, site visits, and any union issues that could arise.

Ask how the company will charge for their service. Is it an hourly charge or is it a percentage of the event? Are they contracting and paying the vendors or will you be responsible for payments? If the company is responsible for paying the vendors, do they have good credit terms? If they are not responsible for contracting and paying the vendors, you will need to make sure that each vendor is properly licensed and insured.

Ask if the company owns/operates their own equipment. Some event management companies are able to provide services such as audio/visual production, decor, rentals, etc. in-house, which may help reduce the end price. If they do not own or operate the equipment themselves, find out who are their partners in service.

Ask about the company’s network. Do they have access to unique ideas and services for your event? Are they current on industry trends?

Ask the name of the individual on staff who will be in charge of your event. After the contract is signed, will you work with an event coordinator throughout the process? Will that individual be on site for the event? If there is an intern or assistant coordinating the details during the planning phase, how are they being supervised?

Ask if they will be responsible for assuring the load out and clean up will be completed according to the facility’s requirements. Every event has an ending, and the clean up is an important part of the production. There may be fees involved if anything is left behind, so someone needs to be in charge to be sure the job is complete.

Ask for an example of how they’ve handled an emergency. If there’s one thing all experienced event managers will agree on, it’s that things never go exactly as planned. A good event manager will be able to analyze the situation and make quick, informed decisions to keep the event on track. The ability to make good decisions is what makes a good event manager great.

07
Jan
13

How to publish a book and why you should care

By Aaron Wolowiec Leave a Comment
Categories: Associations, Leadership and Professional Development
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ape-1667x2500As a featured association management blogger on Alltop, I was recently given the opportunity to receive and review an advance copy of a new book written by Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch titled, APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur—How to Publish a Book.

For those that don’t know, Kawasaki is the author of 11 previous books, including What the Plus!, Enchantment, and The Art of the Start. He is also the cofounder of Alltop.com and the former chief evangelist of Apple.

Likewise, Welch is the author of From Idea to App, iOS 5 Core Frameworks, and iOS 6 for Developers, and is also the developer of several iOS apps. Previ­ously he worked as a senior media editor for Pearson Education. He also helped pioneer many of Pearson’s earliest efforts in iPad solutions.

But enough about them, what did I think of the book?

The short version: Pick up a copy today. It’s totally worth it. The Kindle ebook is now available for just $9.99 (with other versions hitting the market soon) and you’re bound to stumble upon something interesting or helpful that’s sure to support or otherwise enhance your work.

The book is broken down into three distinct sections: author, publisher and entrepreneur. As a blogger (and someone who’s dabbled more in professional writing as of late), I found the author section chock-full of tips, tricks, tools and techniques for further refining my approach to this craft.

Likewise, I secretly (or not-so-secretly) hope to write at least one book in my lifetime. Without even the slightest clue of where to start, this book (given the experiences of both Kawasaki and Welch) provided me the foundation to do so confidently (when the time is right).

The second section focuses on the reader’s role as publisher. Regardless of whether you ever plan on publishing a book, those even remotely interested in writing will find this section interesting. From editing to book cover design, distribution, sales, file conversions, pricing and everything in between, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the publishing world tick.

Finally, the book closes with a section on entrepreneurship. Again, whether or not you ever plan to author or publish a book, this section is relevant to anyone reading this review. It includes information on marketing, branding, social media and blogging – from the perspective of a little fish in a big pond. These are lessons we can all apply to our development as both leaders and professionals.

Other than content, what else makes this book a must-read? Well, the approach is conversational and neither Kawasaki nor Welch takes themselves too seriously. It’s also an easy and quick read. In fact, I recommend getting through it once without stopping and then returning, as necessary, to reference specific sections or passages of the book.

Likewise, the text contains approximately 400 hyper­links. It’s the modern-day choose your own adventure. If you’re reading the ebook version, you can simply click on the links. If you’re reading the print version, you can visit the book’s dedicated website. Here you can also access a variety of free downloads, tests, templates and sample contracts.

But what’s the connection to the association community? That, my friends, is simple. The role of professional writing (particularly when it comes to curating industry content and publishing original research) continues to grow. As associations strive to remain both relevant and valuable, the author-publisher-entrepreneur model provides tremendous opportunity in the pursuit of this vision.

So, my question to you is this: Of the author, publisher and entrepreneur roles, which does your organization currently fill? Do opportunities for growth exist in these areas? If your organization doesn’t currently dedicate resources to each of these three roles, what might change if it did?

02
Jan
13

The Meetings Report: Five game-changing tactics redefining education strategy and success

By Aaron Wolowiec Leave a Comment
Categories: Best Practices, Meetings and Professional Development
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MeetingsIn December 2012, I was pleased to finally release Event Garde’s first research project. In a nutshell, The Meetings Report strives to describe the state of the Michigan association meetings industry.

Alex Kontras, a data manager for the City of Grand Rapids, and I were delighted to author this report. Likewise, it was edited by Kristen Parker, a media communications manager for Michigan State University. Finally, the finished product was jointly published by the Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE) and my Grand Rapids-based consulting firm Event Garde.

The 16-page research report represents the first-ever Michigan association meetings industry survey and key recommendations examining the characteristics of senior education/professional development staff, characteristics of association meetings, professional speaker hiring practices, industry speaker preparation and compensation, and meeting evaluation practices.

While respondents primarily represented statewide trade associations (meaning the resultant benchmarking data is largely Michigan-specific), the five key recommendations precipitating from this 65-question survey and follow-on analysis are not only instructive and actionable, but remarkably universal across state lines. In fact, when applied to any association’s annual education strategy, these simple but effective tactics can substantively redefine how success is measured.

And the report is equally valuable to suppliers.

Whether you’re representing a CVB, a hotel, a consulting firm or a product/service provider, you’re bound to find the report – and its data, trends, tables and figures – incredibly helpful. Key findings and statistics include annual budgets, meeting revenue, fiscal year comparisons, meeting types, exhibits and cancellations, outsourcing, speaker bureaus, decision-making, contracting, room pick-up, funds/contracts, site selection and much more.

A copy of the report may be ordered via MSAE’s website. This invaluable resource is free to contributors, $59 for MSAE members and $99 for non-members.

Additionally, I’ll be speaking about the five key recommendations precipitating from this research throughout 2013. Following are select dates in February and March representing the launch of this series:

Feb. 13
The Meetings Report Seminar
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Okemos, MI

Become one of the first to hear the results from the first-ever meeting practices research conducted in Michigan. Core content with include report findings, organizational and meeting professional demographics, professional and industry speaker best practices, and evaluation trends. Expect a highly engaging and discussion-filled seminar that drills down into each key recommendation. Register here.

Feb. 20
The Meetings Report: Five Game-changing Tactics Redefining Education Strategy & Success
12 – 1:30 p.m.
Atlanta, GA

Join me as I reveal each of the five game-changing recommendations guaranteed to transform your organization’s programs and events into dynamic (and profitable) professional development experiences your members will value. Register here.

Feb. 20
From Theory to Practice: Applying Game-changing Tactics to Your Association’s Education Strategy
1:45 – 3:30 p.m.
Atlanta, GA

In this highly interactive follow-on session, evaluate your organization’s current education strategies and develop actionable next steps to operationalize The Meeting Report’s key recommendations. Focus on ways your association can elevate the quality and sophistication of its events, build the reputation of its meetings department and improve the association’s bottom line. Register here.

March 19
The Next Generation of Meetings
9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Troy, NY

Learn about the five game-changing recommendations guaranteed to transform organization programs and events into dynamic (and profitable) professional development experiences. Likewise, evaluate current education strategies and develop actionable next steps designed to operationalize the report’s findings. Register here.

In the meantime, you’re ready for that list – aren’t you? Following are the five key recommendations discussed in this report:

  • Tactic 1: Diversify revenue
  • Tactic 2: Reward difference
  • Tactic 3: Value context
  • Tactic 4: Maximize opportunities
  • Tactic 5: Prioritize learning

Together, these key recommendations are intended to provide the executive summary for this study’s research findings. Should your organization wish to further explore the intricacies of this study’s data, including the application of these game-changing tactics to your organization’s current practices, I recommend purchasing the report, attending a program (or two) and exploring one-on-one consultation.

So, my question to you is this: Which of these five key recommendations represents the single-most important action your organization could take in 2013 to make your education department even more successful?

21
Dec
12

Adopting education strategy to jump-start member engagement

By Aaron Wolowiec 2 Comments
Categories: Best Practices, Membership and Professional Development
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

On Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 – Did another year just pass us by? – at 2 p.m. ET, I’ll have the pleasure of delivering a webinar titled, “Adopting Education Strategy to Jump-Start Member Engagement.” This session is presented by Young Association Professionals, Aggregage, Association Universe and Infinite Conferencing as part of The New World of Member Engagement Webinar Series. 

If you’ve not yet participated in one or more of the programs broadcast as part of this free series, you can view the full lineup here to register. In a nutshell, the interactive webinars help association professionals think differently to drive member engagement. The world has changed – and continues to do so. Various thought leaders, from a wide variety of perspectives, have been assembled to share tangible strategies for dealing with this new environment. The series runs now through February 2013.

Past presentations have included:

  • “What Does Member Engagement Mean to You?” with Eric Lanke, CEO, National Fluid Power Association
  • “Membership Engagement… How to Maximize Your Value Proposition to Grow 10 Times in 10 Years” with Tom Morrison, CEO, Metal Treating Institute
  • “Building a Spirit of Engagement: The New Volunteerism” with Peggy M. Hoffman, CAE, president and association manager, Mariner Management and Marketing
  • “Beer and Bar-B-Que is a Membership Strategy” with Shelly Alcorn, CAE, principal, Alcorn Associates Management Consulting

Future presentations will include:

  • Jan. 9: “Diagnosing and Solving Your Membership Marketing Challenges” with Tony Rossell, senior vice president, Marketing General Incorporated
  • Jan. 23: “Fierce Membership: 7 Ways to Keep from Losing Your Most Engaged Members” with KiKi L’Italien, president and CEO, Amplified Growth Inc.
  • Jan. 30: “Engagement Strategies for a Social World” with Andy Steggles, president, Higher Logic
  • Feb. 6: “The New Rules of Engagement: Understanding and Using Member Value to Drive Engagement” with Andrea Pellegrino, principal, The Maia Marketing Group LLC

And, of course, I’m excited to share my presentation on “Adopting Education Strategy to Jump-Start Member Engagement” on Jan. 16. So, what do I have in store for you?

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 (Incidentally, this is an Aaron original. You won’t find it presented in the Professional Practices in Association Management.), explore considerations for developing your association’s very own education strategy, and identify actionable next steps.

Ultimately, my goal is to help the association community work smarter (not harder!) to leverage current education offerings and content to jump-start member engagement.

So, my question to you is this: What engagement best practices do you employ in your own organization that I should mention during this program? What resources would you recommend I share with participants? If you plan on attending this program, what questions would you like answered as part of my presentation?

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Meetings innovator & professional development trailblazer. Founder & president of Event Garde. Passionate about The Food Network, hot yoga, blogging, old homes & unclehood.

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