It’s really easy to broadcast in real time these days. All you need is a website and a Twitter feed, and you’ve got accurate and timely broadcasting. But in competitions, a transparent judging process is vital.

How one association takes its competition live, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

You will be judged: The Society for News Design, a newspaper-design group with around 1,500 members worldwide, holds several competitions throughout the year focused on the best work in visual communication—whether print or multimedia, professional or student-produced. This past weekend, the group brought its 34th annual “Best of News Design” competition to Syracuse University, where visual journalists from around the world are analyzing thousands of newspaper pages, infographics, and other works.  How do SND members stay informed of the competition process? Not only does the group host live Storify-based coverage on their site, they also follow judges throughout the judging process. How could you implement this type of technology on your association’s site?

I like how that sounds: Event planners probably were watching last night’s Grammy Awards from the perspective of their own experience with big-deal shows, wondering:  How did they manage the live musical event without a fault? The two audio engineers at the controls during 21 live performances used a so-called two-truck system, which allowed them to tag-team the rehearsals between two audio trucks parked outside the Staples Center. Another key point: abundant backup. “Almost every piece of equipment down to the guitars has a double nearby, ensuring that if something fails there will be another piece of equipment on hand to replace it,” Mashable’s Emily Price explains in an article detailing the Grammy’s audio process.

Change worth embracing: Associations don’t exist in a vacuum. The big, disruptive changes happening in the world are challenging assocations to adapt creatively to stay relevant and valuable to members. From the digital revolution to employment trends to the ever-changing commercial landscape, Greg Melia, ASAE’s  chief membership and volunteer relations officer, details major changes associations should be looking out for in his latest blog post.

What’s on your reading list today? Let us know in your comments below.

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