magazine
Editor's Note: The Personal Touch
Why personalization matters more than ever for associations.
The Promise of Personalization
Associations know a lot about their members, often enough to customize products and services based on each member’s individual qualities and preferences—if only they had the right technology and know-how to do it at scale. That capability is rapidly evolving, though. As some early examples from associations show, personalization may finally be a problem we can solve.
So, You Want to Personalize Your Products?
As Ray van Hilst, director of client strategy and marketing at Vanguard Technology, puts it, the technology of personalization is becoming the easy part. Deciding what to personalize, and why, “that’s where the hard work comes in.”
Technology and Strategy: Connect the Dots
Technology is tightly linked to an association’s strategy and budget, and staff and members use its tech infrastructure every day. But CEOs still often give it short shrift. Here’s how leaders can better connect technology and business results.
Get Your Board to Cut the Cord
How to get board members to put their phones away for a little while.
Sherry Turkle: Why Talk Is Making a Comeback
Only now do we seem to get it: Our phone use is out of control. Ditto for tablets and laptops. Ironically, these obsessions are hurting, not helping, real communication. Digital culture expert Sherry Turkle is calling for a return to conversation, “the most human—and humanizing— thing that we do.”
Meeting Destinations: Expect the Unexpected
Not every city has the built-in appeal of major meeting destinations like Chicago or San Francisco. But competition for conference business is heating up as cities nationwide have invested heavily in the infrastructure necessary for top-notch meeting experiences. Why would you book your meeting in a place like Pittsburgh or Detroit or Reno? You might be surprised.
Executive Summary: Leann Cooper
We sat down for a Q&A with Leann Cooper, senior manager of chapter services for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
Ask the CEO: Carey Goryl, CAE
Carey Goryl, CAE, CEO of the International Association of Forensic Nurses, answers questions from IAFN member Susan Chasson.
Pedometer Challenge Encourages Attendees to Compete with Their Feet
In a Pedometer Challenge, attendees at colocating conferences vie for bragging rights.
Comings and Goings: May/June 2015
A roundup of new hires and other personnel moves in the association industry.
This Association Has Found the Secret to Social Success in China
Learn how the Institute of Management Accountants is tackling social media in China.
Free Ride: Winter Sport Groups Help Riders With Disabilities
How a shift in thinking helped get people with disabilities on the ski slopes.
3 Lessons on Discipline, Flexibility From Gene S. Terry, CAE
A childhood on the move taught Gene S. Terry, CAE, the executive director of the American Society of Hand Therapists in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, discipline and flexibility.
Strategy Session: Going Beyond the RFP
A primer on options beyond the typical RFP.
From Where I Sit: Don’t Delegate Everything
Jay Karen, CAE, is CEO of Select Registry, explains why too much “CEO stuff” might leave you out of touch with the real work of your association.
CEO to CEO: Tips for New Leaders
It’s your first day as the new CEO at an association. What’s on your agenda?
How to Learn From an Association Cyberattack
Lessons from an association cyberattack.
Talking Tech: Content Conversion
Mark Gross, CEO of Digital Conversion Laboratory, shares some tips on the content conversion process.
I Can’t Live Without My… Venmo
Transfer money to anyone with a phone number or email address using Venmo.
Going From Good to Great by Repurposing Content
Repurposing content can boost the bottom line.
Good Counsel: IRS Ramps Up Scrutiny of UBIT Losses
Document your UBIT losses carefully if you’re offsetting your unrelated business income.
Q&A: 3 Tips to Boost Your Event Marketing
Strategies to upgrade your event marketing.
Idea Bank: One-Hour Problem Solving
Introducing one-hour problem solving, a unique meeting session promised to solve real issues faced by members.
Data Nugget: How Millennials Want to Do Business
In a survey of executives, millennials showed clear preferences for researching and engaging with vendors that differed from current practices.
Membership Memo: Who Matters Most?
Segmentation means deciding which members are most valuable.
Rules of Engagement: Dues: You Decide
Why “pay what you want” might be less crazy than it sounds.
Data Nugget: Why Don’t They Join? (Scholarly Society Edition)
A John Wiley & Sons, Inc. survey uncovers why nonmembers aren't joining associations.
Meetings Memo: Telepresence Robot Invasion
A telepresence robot could present a new way to make your meeting more accessible.
Meeting Destination: Charleston
Find out what makes South Carolina’s oldest city the total package.
Books: Character Counts
Author Fred Kiel's latest discusses character—and its power in demonstrating value and achieving results.
Career Coach: Want a Promotion? Make Yourself Promotable
Tips on how to show your value as you aim for a spot in the corner office.
Learning: Why Promise Keeping Matters
Promises make a difference in the world—for others and yourself, says Because I Said I Would founder Alex Sheen. Although only in his 20s, Alex Sheen already has demonstrated great promise in the nonprofit world—through the very act of promise making. Grief-stricken by his father’s 2012 death, Sheen founded a nonprofit in his honor called […]
How I Got Here: Marc Lassalle
Marc Lassalle, the associate director of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Kansas City in Overland Park, Kansas, knows a thing or two about customer service—oh, and being a lifeguard.
Association Agenda: Headed to the Hill
Lawmakers hear from association execs on American Associations Day.
Community Builder: Pedal Pushers
How Great Ideas attendees got their wheels spinning before the learning labs.
Brought to You By… Flowers
In sometimes surprising ways, associations play direct and indirect roles in bringing the products, services, and activities of daily life to people around the world. Including flowers.
