Searching: remote work
Five Remote Work Rituals for Winter
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, professionals have used daily rituals to cope with stress and stay productive at home. But now, remote workers will need to find rituals that work in winter. Here are a few ideas.
How to Manage Toxic Employees in a Remote Work Setting
Dealing with difficult employees is trickier in remote work, where supervision and performance tracking are more complicated. Use these tips to mitigate the effects of a toxic remote worker.
How Leaders Can Handle Remote Work's Diversity Challenge
Employees from underrepresented groups may not be handling the Zoom environment as well as you think. One association executive shares his thoughts on how to address remote-work disconnects.
Daily Buzz: Feel Disorganized at Home? Redesign Your Remote Work Schedule
Give your routine more structure to thrive as you work from home. Also: Associations can offer experiences to nonmembers, too.
Daily Buzz: Master Your Remote Workload With Automated Tech
Automation can help organizations that are trying to thrive in their new remote work environments. Also: Make your Facebook video content more successful.
Months Into Remote Work, Videoconferencing Security Is Getting Better
It took a while, but videoconferences are finally getting more secure. What changed? Here’s where the vital technology stands five months after the pandemic emerged.
Four Reasons Why Remote Workers Need More Cybersecurity Training
The fact is, there is more attack surface than ever when employees work remotely en masse, and a basic understanding of cybersecurity issues is essential to helping ensure corporate safety. Here’s why.
Optimize Your Web-Surfing Strategy for a Remote Work World
Thanks to our newly remote lifestyles, we have to lean on web apps to do our jobs more than ever—and browsers can struggle to keep up, even on modern laptops. The best solution (for now) may be a bit more browsing efficiency.
Four Ethical Considerations for Using Employee Monitoring Software on Remote Workers
The use of employee monitoring software on remote employees might seem like a smart way to handle a difficult situation, but it could raise significant ethical issues—especially if a user’s work computer is also their personal one.
Why a Good VPN Might Not Be Enough to Protect Remote Workers
Virtual private networks have long been a fundamental element of digital security away from the office, but there’s a huge target on their backs thanks to COVID-19. That’s why the NSA is offering configuration tips.
4 Reasons to Rethink Employee Recognition in the Remote Work Era
Many workers feel isolated or neglected when working remote, in part because it’s easy for leaders to overlook accomplishments when the team isn't together. Here are some ways to make sure that doesn't happen at your association.
Daily Buzz: A Remote Work Policy for Every Employee
Organizations should be flexible when putting together work-from-home policies. Also: how virtual experiences can still engage audiences.
Three Strategies for Building Remote Work Rituals
Rituals provide normalcy for people, and losing those rituals while away from the office can be tough. Experts say the best way to handle this shift is to create some new ones.
How to Manage Your Newly Remote Workforce
Due to COVID-19, working from home is the new normal right now. Here are some tips on keeping your employees productive and happy.
Let’s Learn to Love Remote Work the Hard Way
If your organization was a straggler on the whole remote work concept, you might feel like, after the last couple of weeks, you’ve essentially been thrown into a style of work you weren’t particularly looking to embrace. But perhaps there is a bright side here—a potential for future flexibility.
The Unsettled Status of Remote Work in 2020
Every major trend line shows that remote work allows employees to be more productive and employers to save money. So why is the federal government having everyone come back into the office? And should you consider the same?
Daily Buzz: Help Employees Transition to Remote Work
Don’t leave your team hanging: When transitioning to remote work, provide resources to help employees adapt. Also: meeting trends for 2020.
Survey: Remote Workers Like Balance, but They and Their Bosses Need Training
Interest in remote work is growing, but the people who do it say inadequate tech tools and insufficient training are big challenges—and many employers are falling short.
Daily Buzz: How to Make Remote Workforces Work
GitLab, a software company, has 350 employees who all work remotely. The organization made $10.5 million in revenue in 2017. Here’s how they did it. Also: how longtime members can increase the value of your association.
Daily Buzz: Leading a Remote Workforce
Managing a virtual team requires clean logistics, great communication, and a lot of trust. Here’s how to do it, from Entrepreneur. Also: elements of a content strategy.
Friday Buzz: Empathy for Remote Workers
Empathy is vital when it comes to managing a team of remote employees. Also: how a change in marketing messaging helped The Guardian’s membership revenue outpace its ad revenue.
Report: Remote Work Growing in Prominence
A report from FlexJobs finds that while remote work remains a relatively small part of the work economy, it has seen significant growth in the past decade. Employees who telecommute tend to be older and better educated than the part of the workforce that heads to the office.
Data Nugget: Remote Work For The Win
The amount of time people are working remote is growing, according to a Gallup report.
An Action Plan for Staying Close to Remote Workers
A new survey about the workplace shows that employees are spending more time working outside the office. That has an impact on how you manage your staff—and your members too.
Wednesday Buzz: Why Remote Work Is Here to Stay
An in-depth look into the history of labor and the efficiency of remote work builds the case for working from home. Plus: the information you need to debunk email myths.
The Big Limiting Factor of Remote Work: Communication
Remote work, or at least flex time, is becoming a must-have for many younger employees. But making it happen comes with complications. The biggest challenge, according to one recent study? The potential for communication headaches.
Loosen Up: 4 Strategies for a Successful Remote-Work Reset
As the months go on, are you still struggling to manage your remote team effectively? Here are four ways to reboot and refocus on results.
Daily Buzz: Stay in Balance While Working Remotely (or at the Office)
It's great to love what you do, but you still shouldn't do it all the time. Also: cultivating connections with members even when in-person events are unavailable.
Study: More Workers Embracing Remote Time
Looking for shorter commutes and life away from the main office, more employees are working offsite at least once a week, a new study finds. However, just because they want to get away from the office doesn’t mean flaky Wi-Fi is OK.
Four Etiquette Rules for Remote Meetings
Business meetings held in virtual settings come with some familiar rules and some different ones. Be sure you follow them to maintain your professional polish—even if you're secretly wearing shorts.
Tips for Shoring Up Your Association’s Remote Tech Support
Remote work has drastically changed the way associations use technology, creating new challenges for IT departments. Association tech experts offer some recommendations for boosting tech support for your remote team.
Five Ways to Have Fun With Remote Colleagues That Aren’t Just Another Happy Hour
As months of remote work go by, organizations are ready to find new ways to engage employees. Consider these activities to help virtual team members connect with one another.
Four Steps to Improve Gender Equity in Remote Meetings
Recent research shows that workplace meetings held remotely often blunt women’s voices. Communication expert Carol Vernon says that ground rules and good planning can ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.
Five Kinds of Organizational Bias That Could Be Ruining Your Remote Meetings
Leaders should keep a close eye on the subtle ways that they—or their employees—might be introducing biases to the way they approach remote calls.
How to Support Working Parents As the School Year Begins
With many schools starting up with hybrid or virtual-only learning, working parents are facing childcare and scheduling issues. For associations looking to support parents on their staff, the only hard and fast rule is to be flexible in your approaches.
Six Office Policies You Should Reconsider for a Hybrid Workplace
In the final installment of our series on the hybrid workplace, we look at establishing flexible policies that will allow both remote and in-office workers to thrive.
What Helps Retain Staff in a New-Normal Workplace
A new study shows an empathy disconnect between workers and executives. A stronger focus on skills development might close the gap.
Where to Assign Your Workforce When Creating a Hybrid Office
Who stays remote and who goes back to a shared workplace? In the second installment of our three-part series on establishing a hybrid office, we ask leaders to start by assessing the needs and capabilities of each department.
The First Steps in Creating a Hybrid Office That Works
In the first of a three-part series on establishing a hybrid office, we look at four questions leaders need to ask to develop a successful working environment.
Six Essential Tools for Your Remote Toolkit
Even having been at it for a while, you may not know all the tools and hacks that can make virtual work a little simpler. Here are a few ideas to bolster your remote toolkit.
Daily Buzz: Design Your Way Into a Better Remote Experience
Good intranet design matters to workers more than you might realize. Also: a way to mimic the spontaneity of in-person events.
Why Your (Remote) Office Needs a Few Friends
Office friendships are an underappreciated part of your culture. Leaders don’t have to make everybody pals, but in a remote environment, it pays to encourage them. Every so often, I miss office hallways. It’s not that hallways are so charming in themselves. They’re just blank, anonymous, in-between spaces. But that’s what makes them so powerful. […]
Daily Buzz: Staying Creative When Working From Home
How to create remote working conditions that spark inspiration. Also: An effective leader uses both emotional and analytical intelligence.
Daily Buzz: How Couples Are Working From Home Together
A recent survey shows what the transition to remote work has been like for partners sharing a home. Also: setting up a system to inventory your data.
How to Ensure Your Messaging to Remote Staff Is Inclusive
As organizations communicate with their staff, they must be mindful to make sure messaging is inclusive. Part of that strategy is acknowledging what’s currently happening in the world.
How to Help Your Remote Team Stay Connected
As people settle into long-term remote work, an expert says it’s important to cultivate a healthy virtual environment to ensure coworkers click and stay productive.
Study: Security Execs Had to Make Quick Decisions on Work-From-Home Shift
A third of respondents to a new study on cybersecurity strategy say that they basically were unprepared for the sudden move to go remote—leading to off-the-shelf solutions heading home with employees.
Tips for Working Outdoor Vibes Into a Work-From-Home Routine
You may not be able to get too far from the house, but going outdoors holds both physical and mental health benefits, Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education execs say. Read on for their strategies for integrating outdoor fun into a remote routine.
Daily Buzz: Adapt Your Work Habits to Overcome Screen Fatigue
More breaks and less on-screen noise are among the solutions to managing an increase in screen time. Also: how you can monetize virtual events responsibly.
Should You Let Remote Employees Stay Remote Long-Term?
Not everyone will want to rush back to your office the minute it reopens. Here are a few things to consider as you decide whether to extend a work-from-home option beyond the immediate COVID-19 emergency.
Daily Buzz: What Makes a Successful Remote Internship Program?
Employers can still provide interns with a valuable experience even as they work from home. Also: Leaders can find success in a crisis by using logic and emotion.
Five Ways to Market Differently in Today’s Work-From-Home Environment
With many people now working remotely and worried about the coronavirus’ impact, it’s time to change up your email marketing formula. Focus on subject lines, word choices, and infusing the present into your campaigns, one expert advises.
We Asked, You Answered: Your Work-From-Home Comfort Zones
Association pros share their remote work environments and new routines as they find normalcy in a workday shaken up by COVID-19.
Can You Revive That Big Project? Consider Remote Project Management
COVID-19 might have derailed your project plans, but it’s worth considering what might still be possible remotely. There might be more to salvage than you think.
How to Prepare for Reopening Your Workplace
As various states begin to reopen following COVID-19 closures, associations must plan ahead to ensure their employees can safely return to the office. A new guide from real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield discusses how organizations can prepare. With many states allowing businesses to reopen, associations are looking more closely at how they might […]
New HR Considerations as Employees Work From Home During COVID-19
Since many associations were quickly thrust into remote work based on mandatory shutdown orders, not all the kinks were worked out. An HR expert discusses issues popping up in the new normal—from employee assistance programs to new expense requests.
Four Suggestions to Strengthen Your Remote Employees' Security
As associations take their work remote, it’s becoming increasingly essential to have security strategies in mind that account for local Wi-Fi access and personal devices employees might not otherwise bring to the office. Here are some strategies to consider.
Daily Buzz: The Right Remote Computing Setup for You
The proper configuration of your workstation can improve productivity. Also: A quality digital marketing campaign starts with good data and information.
Daily Buzz: Ditch Multitasking for Deep Work
How to focus on one thing at a time for better productivity. Also: Association leaders should be thinking about their long-term plans.
Five Essential Tools for Your Remote Toolkit
If you’re new to working remotely, or even if you're a regular teleworker, you may not know all the tools and hacks that can make virtual work a little simpler. Here are a few you may want to try.
Four Workplace Factors Behind Employee Burnout
Whether it’s the lack of structure that comes with remote work or an environment without built-in support for mental health issues, there are lots of ways that the workplace can contribute to employee burnout.
Daily Buzz: Coworking’s Cultural Problems
If you’re not careful, coworking could swallow up your organizational culture. Also: an interesting privacy strategy from Apple.
Managing a Global Workforce Requires New Skills
As associations more often have employees operating in locations around the world, the skills required to manage that workforce are changing. Modern expectations, technology, and time zones must be tackled in new era.
Could Your Association Thrive in a Remote-First Culture?
In an age when centralization is running into a cost-of-living wall for many industries, embracing a remote-first culture could expand both your pool of talent and your base of operations.
Survey: Creative Workers Face Tough Tech Learning Curve
Professionals in design, video production, and other creative arts are struggling to keep up with a growing need for higher-level tech skills—and their employers are too, an AIGA survey finds.
Daily Buzz: The Value of Meaningful Work
Many Americans place more value on meaningful work than money. But is your organization providing it? Also: hosting experiential meetings.
Embracing Virtual Work: The Time Is Right
Multiple sessions of the ASAE Annual Meeting made the case that virtual work—whether full-time or on a freelance basis—is increasingly becoming a compelling option for many associations. The tech is ready, but is your culture?
Can Associations Lead Workers Out of a Rut?
Employees are feeling as disengaged as ever. Those workers may be an opportunity for associations to help.
Telepresence Robots Keep Teleworkers Better Connected
A few years ago, the Optical Society began using telepresence robots to keep remote workers better engaged in day-to-day office life. A look at how OSA has benefited from the technology and other considerations to keep in mind.
Association-Backed Online News Network Premieres Next Month
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society will launch the first online broadcasting network focused on healthcare information and technology innovation in March.
Automating Work: Changing How the Job Gets Done
The robots may not be coming for your job, but automation is already taking on tasks that were standard in job descriptions from truck driving to translation. Associations will need to help clarify what machines can and can’t do.
Data Nugget: Workforce Woes
The workforce challenges facing association employers, according to a recent survey.
Workplace Perks: The Importance of Employee Benefits
Competitive salaries are a big talent draw, but association employees are also looking for benefits that pay off for themselves and their families. Here’s what the latest ASAE Foundation research reveals about trends in employee benefits.
Tax-Theft Incidents Create Headaches for Workers, Employers
The current tax season has seen a variety of hacking and phishing attempts against both employers and individuals. The tax-administration space, already aware of the threat, has boosted collaboration and communication in recent years in response.
Embracing A Lateral Career Move for Better Work-Life Balance
A new survey of American workers found that many are open to making a lateral career move if it means greater life satisfaction and professional development—a finding organizations may find useful when it comes to talent development.
Leading a Staff That Works Everywhere
An office with plenty of remote workers can work together well thanks to technology. But leading the team, as one association executive has learned, demands plenty of emotional intelligence as well.
Remote Possibilities: The Virtual Office Lowdown
Moving to a completely virtual office can provide flexibility, dramatically cut costs, and improve efficiency and productivity for a small-staff organization. But managing a mobile workforce and maintaining team cohesion can be challenging. We explore three very different virtual office models.
Friday Buzz: Make Hybrid Membership Work for You
An association-membership firm offers tips to move beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all approach. Also: What nonprofit marketers should know about Google's new Inbox platform.
Study: Telecommuters May Work Harder to Prove They’re Not Gaming the System
If you think all telecommuters are slacking off, think again. A new study from the University of Illinois found that people who work remotely are likely to show more dedication to their organizations and coworkers to prove they are working just as hard as they would in the office. A new study is adding fodder […]
Lunchtime Links: Association Workplaces That Set the Standard
Among the The Washingtonian's picks for best workplaces are a number of associations and industry partners. Also: Don't let the weather hurt your telecommuting workflow.
Social Media Roundup: How to Make Telecommuting Work
Teleporting hasn’t come to be (yet), but telecommuting has. Here’s how to make working from home work for you. Plus: What to know about a new, emerging type of conference attendee.
iPad Virtualization Tool Works Likes the Desktop, Feels Like an App
Parallels Access is far from the only option that allows iPad users to leave their laptop at home. But the just-launched product has a little something its competition doesn't have—the ability to give your desktop the feel of a native tablet app.
Social Media Roundup: Do You Work During Your Vacation?
More than half of people surveyed say their boss expects them to work during vacation. Plus: Are Facebook hashtags a failure?
Location, Support Network Prompt Holistic Nurses’ Big Move
A desire to be centrally located and to improve the association management resources available to them made moving 1,000 miles from Arizona to Kansas an easy decision for the American Holistic Nurses Association.
My Workspace: Aloha Spirit
Gow Christina Garneski’s good turn came back to her in a bottle.
Gallup: 70 Percent of U.S. Workers Are Disengaged
Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” found that 70 percent of American are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their work. Could weak leadership be the cause?
Look at Me: Making the Case for Eye Contact at Work
New research suggests that mobile devices are increasingly interfering with the eye contact we make with others and ultimately can affect the emotional connections we make at work. Since the dawn of the smartphone it’s become common to see a table full of restaurant diners immersed in their gadgets rather than conversation. Or, since tablets […]
So You’ve Decided to Implement Teleworking. Now What?
Once you’ve determined teleworking is right for your organization, it’s time to set up a policy. Here are some tips from one teleworking pro who presented at ASAE’s 2013 Finance, HR & Business Operations Conference this week.
3 Ways to Manage Your Telecommuting Workforce
It's not about where your staff works from, it's about how efficiently they can get things done. Telecommuting can work—but management needs the right tools and policies to enforce it.
Could Enterprise Social Networks Save Your Staff?
Is your staff lacking the collaboration tools it needs? Here are four enterprise social networks that could increase teamwork.
Yahoo Stops Teleworking, But at What Cost?
A company-wide edict that Yahoo employees can no longer work remotely is creating a stir among telecommuting advocates who believe out-of-office work creates important business benefits.
Meetings Memo: Road Warrior Workspace
Hotels make working remotely easier for road warriors with rooms designed for the tech-inclined.
Is Working From Home All It’s Cracked Up to Be?
Are telecommuters more productive or less productive? Are they more creative or less creative? With so much research on the subject, it can be difficult to sort out the reality of working remotely.
Federal Workers Barred Just Before Weather Conference
Roughly 80 National Weather Service employees couldn't travel after funding wasn't authorized by the Department of Commerce.
How to Lead Staffers Who Are Caregivers
Remote work brings unique stresses to parents. One association staffer suggests a few ways the whole organization can help.
How Managers Can Make One-on-One Check-Ins More Effective
At this point in pandemic-induced remote work, employees might view their virtual check-ins with managers as a waste of time. But by establishing a regular routine and a plan for each meeting, managers can help make them useful again.
Weekly Now: Holiday Member Engagement, 2020 Style
For a year-end video message to members, the New Jersey Society of CPAs found inspiration and humor in the small frustrations of remote work. Also: A major cyberattack on the federal government could be a problem for associations, too.
How to Make the Most of Growing Employee Engagement
Despite the challenges of remote work, employees are more committed to their jobs. The leader's job is to make sure technology supports their commitment, instead of standing in their way.
What Associations Should Know About Electronic Signatures
E-signatures are gaining popularity among remote workforces thanks to COVID-19, but the best solution requires more research than just putting a signature on a PDF. Read on for some e-signing considerations.
Leading During a Pandemic: Management From a Distance
Workers' increasing comfort with remote work and videoconferencing will outlast COVID-19, says PMI CEO Sunil Prashara. That's good news---and a warning sign.
Daily Buzz: The Rise of Employee Surveillance Software
Why more organizations are investing in technology that can track remote workers’ digital movements. Also: How to get lapsed members back to your association.
How to Look Your Best When Videoconferencing
As we move into the new normal of remote work during the COVID-19 crisis, we are spending more time on video calls than we have in the past. Two experts offer tips for ensuring your visuals look top notch.
Daily Buzz: For a More Fulfilling Career, Get a Hobby
Focusing on personal goals and aspirations can make you a better worker. Also: Prepare employees for remote work.
Daily Buzz: The Rise of the Office Pod
Forget open office spaces. Pods, the next work environment trend, are here. Also: questions to ask before updating your remote work policy.
Daily Buzz: Market Your Meeting on the Cheap
A robust event marketing campaign can be expensive—but you don’t have to have a big budget to succeed. Try these free strategies, from the Event Manager Blog. Also: embracing remote workforce culture.
Friday Buzz: Declining Facebook Numbers?
Facebook Page engagement numbers have declined across the board. Try these tactics to get them back up. Also: Why resistance to remote work is futile.
Tuesday Buzz: Capturing the Attention of Potential Donors
Discover different ways to reach on-the-go donors. Also: IBM calls thousands of remote workers back to the office.
Weekly Now: Apps to Connect Passport, COVID-19 Data Coming Soon
The International Air Transport Association's Travel Pass apps, designed to take complexity out of post-pandemic travel, are on track to launch soon, IATA says. Also: Could the pandemic put the five-day workweek out to pasture?
We Asked, You Answered: What Are You Looking Forward to in 2021?
With 2020 filled with pandemic restrictions, many association professionals are hoping they can enjoy some pre-pandemic comforts in 2021.
Weekly Now: CES Goes Virtual in 2021
The Consumer Technology Association expects 150,000 attendees at its all-digital CES this week. Also: the cool thing Google did that your organization may want to try.
Why “Alignment” Among Staff Is Overrated
Getting everybody on the same page has its virtues. But acknowledging a diversity of attitudes, especially during a pandemic, can be more valuable and productive.
Why You Shouldn't Skip the Performance Review
An annual review in 2021 is a good way to surface lessons learned from 2020. But it's also an opportunity to better support the work and goals of a challenged staff.
4 Lessons Learned from Crisis—And How to Better Prepare for What’s to Come
[Sponsored] How Indy is moving forward from the pandemic to a prosperous future.
Five Things to Love About the Year We Love to Hate
A chorus of jeers is rising for 2020 in its waning days, and for good reason. But before we bid the year a hearty good riddance, consider whether it left us a few unexpected gifts.
The Hidden Costs of Poor Cybersecurity Practices
A hacked system or phishing attack can be a huge financial setback for an association. So it’s important to train employees on what a security threat looks like—and to keep systems properly patched.
What Virtual Attendees Are Looking for in 2021
A look at three ways attendee expectations have evolved since the pandemic began, and what that means for associations as they plan for their 2021 virtual conference offerings.
How Leaders Can Build Empathy
While having empathy is a key aspect of being a good leader, it’s not intrinsic—but it can be learned. Here are some ways leaders can build empathy.
How to Avoid a Retention Crisis
Workplace engagement is slipping (again). It's time to think about whether your top talent will leave once the pandemic has ended.
How Three Rules Support One Association's Culture
Three years ago, the education association MISBO established guidelines for how staff would treat each other. They've served the organization well through the pandemic.
Four Ways to Build a Better Home Office
If you find yourself in need of a better place to work in your home, a mixture of improvisation and added tech could help you build the ideal office away from the office.
Weekly Now: The Fight to Save the Movie Theater
The film industry makes an economic case to save movie theaters, many of which face threats of closing permanently. Also: why the holiday season is coming earlier than ever—and it’s not because Christmas music is already on the radio.
Daily Buzz: Microsoft Announces the End of Internet Explorer
By August 2021, the once-dominant web browser will no longer be supported by Microsoft. Also: helping employees manage their mental health.
Four Leadership Takeaways From #ASAE20
A new sense of urgency defined the conversations at ASAE's 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting, with implications for years to come.
Daily Buzz: Nonprofit Leadership for Every Generation
How to accommodate the different working styles that each generation employs. Also: ASAE closes out its virtual annual meeting with a “magical” keynote.
Daily Buzz: Taking the Next Step of Project Management
A Project Management Office might be a fit for your association. Also: The art of the love letter.
Forging a Disaster-Proof Association With a Business Continuity Plan
Your association may have weathered the initial disruption of COVID-19. That doesn’t mean you’re prepared for the next calamity. It's time to review your business continuity plan.
The Value of Personal Branding Within an Association
The COVID-19 crisis and the economic shift it has created has put a sharper focus on personal branding as a path for career opportunity. Associations should find ways to leverage this growing trend.
The New Normal for Hiring and Onboarding
For associations that are still looking to fill job roles, especially in the C-suite, different rules apply. It's a time for distanced interviewing and “culture buddies.”
What Association Tech Departments Should Know About Reopening Offices
CIOs will be trying to do more with less as they balance remote and onsite workers when offices start to reopen. Here’s what should be on tech leaders’ minds.
Daily Buzz: Member Expectations and How to Meet Them
Associations need to deliver on a few key things to satisfy member expectations. Also: what the surge in virtual events means for the future.
Preserving Your Organizational Culture From a Distance
Even if workers aren't in a physical space, they still want a sense of how an organization behaves. Leaders need to find ways to communicate it.
Daily Buzz: How to Get New Members Comfortable
Show members they belong by helping them connect to your organization and its community. Also: Ways you can improve your work-from-home setup.
Daily Buzz: Tell Your Employees to Check Their Router’s Firmware Security
A new report shows that home routers are affected by hundreds of security vulnerabilities. Also: Your onboarding program should benefit members first.
Free HR Hotline Helps Members in a Crisis
An already stressful time got even worse when the pandemic landed during the busiest part of year for certified public accountants—tax season. One association sped up a valuable member benefit in response, with great results.
Daily Buzz: Improve Your Social Media Response Time
Providing timely customer service is a key to building your brand. Also: How you can feel more comfortable on camera during video calls.
Membership Success Stories Amid COVID-19
The storm of COVID-19 is not over—far from it—but now is a good time to see what associations have achieved in demonstrating relevant value for members as the crisis continues. Here are a few success stories.
Deloitte Study: Millennials, Gen Z Showing Resilience Amid COVID-19 Crisis
While concerns of stress and anxiety remain for many young adults, the latest edition of The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey finds that many are looking at the current cultural moment as an opportunity to reach for something higher.
Daily Buzz: Practice Crisis Management Calmly
With the right leadership approach, there’s no reason to panic during a challenging time. Also: Streamline your IT and business practices with process mining.
Leading During a Pandemic: Discomfort as a Virtue
Taking a hard line on reopening your office and setting ambitious productivity goals doesn't project strength right now. Patience, and small wins, can be a balm for stressed staffers.
Daily Buzz: Inspire Your Team During Uncertainty
Ways in which leaders can support employees when they need it the most. Also: how associations can get their tech tools to work together.
The Crises of 2020 Renew Spotlight on D+I
As the country confronts two overwhelming crises, the need for organizational cultures that prioritize diversity and inclusion has never been greater, says one association D+I leader.
Daily Buzz: The Art of Email Negotiation
How to facilitate a productive discussion even when you can’t meet in person. Also: Use workflow visualization to motivate your content marketing team.
Daily Buzz: How to Deliver Bad News With Empathy on Video Calls
Direct and personal communication can help you share unpleasant information. Also: A good conclusion can elevate your blog post.
The Good and Bad of the COVID-19 Era for Tech Execs
The good news is that many IT departments made it through OK; the bad news is that budgets are tight and new services need to be bought. A pair of surveys lay out concerns for both IT and security execs.
Daily Buzz: Get Ready to Bring Your Volunteers Back
How to prepare volunteers for a different work environment. Also: Train yourself to put work aside when you’re at home.
How to Effectively Manage Your Staff’s Return to the Office
Much of the advice about reopening the office has focused on the logistics of floor plans, cleaning, and new norms. Now, experts discuss the practical policies related to smoothly managing your people and addressing their concerns as they come back.
Daily Buzz: Get the Attention of Potential Members With These Phrases
Every word counts when it comes to marketing your association to potential members. Also: Balance video calls with other forms of communication to avoid Zoom fatigue.
Amid COVID-19, Don’t Lose Sight of Internet Connectivity Gaps
For some associations, the growing reliance on digital communication could prove a problem for areas where there are gaps in broadband access. It may be worth considering whether your communication options are leaving anyone out.
What Your IT Department Needs to Be Considering Now: Asset Management
Laptops, monitors, and other devices went home with employees months ago, and your organization may have had to support other remote tech needs along the way. An IT association says asset management is necessary now, before workers return to the office.
COVID-19 Opens the Door to New Phishing Attacks. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Taking advantage of the current crisis and new tech tricks, email-based phishing attackers are upping their game at the moment. Here are a few things you should watch for.
Daily Buzz: Try These Unsung Online Marketing Tactics
Don’t rely on the same old tricks to get your message across. Also: what spring cleaning could do for your nonprofit.
Helping Members Shine With a Virtual Office Contest
At what seemed like the flip of a switch, Americans went from commuting road warriors to a pajama-clad nation of predominantly stay-at-home workers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s how one association is giving its members a chance to shine while highlighting the solidarity of the experience.
Attention On Retention: Strategies for Boosting Employee Retention in a Tough Time
A changing workforce requires a new approach to employee retention if organizations want to keep their top talent in a business climate facing new uncertainties.
COVID-19’s Cloud Computing Wake-Up Call
For associations that didn’t already manage their data resources on the cloud, the sudden move to take everyone remote highlights how the old server room paradigm doesn’t make much sense anymore.
Now Is the Time to Try Things Online
A dynamic cultural and public health environment means a sudden need for new types of digital services. A willingness to experiment thoughtfully in a time of need could help both your members and the public.
How to Keep Employees Productive and Motivated Through COVID-19
The global health crisis has professionals in all industries dealing with uncertainty. To weather the storm, organizations must demonstrate understanding and a willingness to adapt.
Today’s Coronavirus Tracker
Current updates on association response to the global COVID-19 crisis, along with a roundup of conference, travel, and business news and information. Bridging the Broadband Gap With teachers and students, doctors and patients, and employers and workers nationwide dependent on reliable internet connections amid the pandemic, Business Roundtable is pressing Congress to provide more funding […]
Daily Buzz: The Importance of Web Accessibility
Why making your website usable for all is critical from a moral, strategic, and legal standpoint. Also: harnessing the power of a valuable advertising strategy—word-of-mouth.
Flu Season Is Here: Tips to Minimize Its Impact on Your Office
Flu season is peaking early this year, with many already sick. Ensuring employees understand office sick leave policies and thinking creatively can keep ill staffers at home, healthy workers safe, and your association running smoothly.
Study: More Nonprofits Likely to Offer Raises in 2020
According to a PNP Staffing Group report, around 80 percent of nonprofits expect to offer at least a cost-of-living wage increase, and those increases are likely to benefit support staff as well.
Daily Buzz: Make Your Communications More Interactive
When members and others can participate in your mission, the results can be remarkable. Also: Heading to space? You might receive the Association of Space Explorers’ new pin.
Daily Buzz: Managing Tech Overload
How do you adapt to a rapidly changing workplace? Develop your soft skills. Also: keeping remote employees engaged.
Daily Buzz: Raising the Vacation Stakes
An association industry pro puts more work into his out-of-office messages than most people do into their vacations. Also: The MacBook Pro is getting even harder to travel with on some airlines.
Daily Buzz: What Constitutes a PR Fail?
Not hearing back from your media contacts? You may be annoying them. Also: how to leverage criticism for creativity.
Six Tips for Closing Your Association’s Tech Skills Gap
Finding it hard to get the right technical employees—whether developers or IT administrators? It might be time to play up your organization’s hidden advantages—including, potentially, your location.
Daily Buzz: Give Your Meeting a Sensory Audit
To truly gauge the attendee experience, you need to walk around in their shoes. Also: how to tell your nonprofit’s story.
Daily Buzz: Express Gratitude for Your Team
Recognizing employees not only expresses appreciation but also helps build a productive and positive culture. Also: how social proof shows the value of your organization to potential members.
Daily Buzz: The Challenges of a Virtual Chapter
A virtual chapter might fit in with an increasingly digital-first world, but it can also present organizational obstacles. Also: easy actions for planning sustainable meetings.
Daily Buzz: Create Value With Your Online Community
Your association’s digital community is important to connect your members—but it can also help grow the organization. Also: a simple tip for better note taking.
Daily Buzz: The Membership Question You Need to Ask
Increase your membership base with this one, three-letter question. Also: new emoji for 2019.
Tips for Managing Employees in the Event of a Natural Disaster
An HR expert offers disaster-planning advice that will allow associations to have policies and procedures in place to help them—and their employees—weather any storm.
Data Nugget: Easy Flexing
Meeting staff demands for more flexible work arrangements doesn’t faze most nonprofit employers these days.
Daily Buzz: Fight Communication Fatigue
Are your members overwhelmed by messages from your association? The MemberClicks blog tackles how to block out communication fatigue. Also: It’s #CityHallSelfie Day—what’s that all about?
Training Camp: Get Employees Up To Speed on Your Tech Tools
Planning to shed your old technology for a hot new product or service? You’ll need to condition your staff to accept and adopt the upgrade. Here’s how to build an agile, multiphase training plan that targets their needs before and after implementation.
Monday Buzz: How Technology Is Changing Recruitment
New digital tools and technology are revolutionizing the way organizations find and retain talent. Also: Voice donations come to Alexa. Many industries are facing the threat of automation, and HR may be one of them. A recent CMSWire post delves into how technology is changing the way organizations are recruiting and retaining talent. Automated recruitment […]
Ways to Wellness: Leadership and Self-Care
When it comes to self-care, leaders need to manage both themselves and their staffs. From sabbaticals to kitchen cabinets to dedicated reading days, association executives have multiple options.
Tech Memo: Fair Game for Augmented Reality
With the help of augmented reality, the agricultural fair goes digital.
4 Tips for a Successful Move to a Virtual Office
Thinking of taking your association from a physical space to a virtual office? You’ll want to hear about one executive director’s experience and top tips for ensuring a successful move.
How to Handle Staff Requests for Time-Off During the Holidays
With the winter holidays quickly approaching, employees are likely looking forward to some time away from the office. Here are a few tips from an HR pro on balancing time-off requests with getting work done.
Monday Buzz: Quantitative Needs Qualitative
Why your membership research needs to go beyond the survey. Also: CarMax’s clever response to a viral video.
How to Lead Staffers Who Aren't Exactly Staff
As associations take on contractors, remote staff, and workers in the gig economy, the staff a CEO leads is more complex. One leader manages that complexity by focusing on culture.
Thursday Buzz: Keep Donors Donating
Care2 shares several ways to keep your donors coming back year after year. Also: Looking to hire a communications pro? Here's how to analyze a writing sample.
Monday Buzz: Take Advantage of Google’s Management Resources
Looking for more leadership development resources? Google is giving theirs away for free. Also: Take your team-bonding experiences to the extreme.
Wednesday Buzz: Is Your Organization as Inclusive as You Think It Is?
Here’s how you can tell if your diversity and inclusion program is really making a difference. Also: Google’s new news feed follows in Facebook’s steps.
Millennial-Friendly Benefits Worth Considering
Not sure how to crack the code to attracting and retaining that millennial workforce you’re looking for? These three benefits might just be the way to go.
Crowdsource: Holiday Cheers
How EDUCAUSE’s Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development department connects across the miles during the holidays.
Thursday Buzz: ‘Modern Family’ Gets an Association Friend
Phil Dunphy of Modern Family becomes one association's ideal pitchman. Plus: Google makes it easier for event attendees to talk with speakers.
Study: Business Travel and Its Costs Are on the Rise
Forecasts from a New York University professor predict record increases in both room rates and hotel real estate.
Wednesday Buzz: Preventing a Traffic-Drop Freakout
Hold off on sounding the alarm when your association's Internet traffic takes a dip and learn how to cope. Plus: Building a war room for your next event.
What’s Getting In the Way Of Your Productivity?
A new study illustrates a common productivity killer for many employees. Find out if you’re affected as well as some methods for maximizing workplace efficiency.
Take Your Conference Calls to the Next Level With Video
Videoconferencing has great advantages, but to leverage them you’ll need to manage a culture shift, say two association IT pros.
Study: Employers Have Become More Flexible—Sort Of
Companies are giving employees more control over when and where they work, but they’ve become less accommodating in other types of flexible work arrangements, according to a new study. How do association policies stack up?
"Quantum" Leap: One Group's Novel Take on Cybersecurity
Rather than simply taking cybersecurity threats lying down, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association has been holding simulations so that the industry knows what to do when such an attack takes place.
Lunchtime Links: Face-To-Face Benefits, Virtually
A new survey says virtual meetings are equally as productive as face-to-face encounters. Also: Why it’s important for nonprofits to approach social media and traditional marketing strategies in different ways.
How Community Drives One Blog Platform's Success
In the past ten years, the blogging platform WordPress has become one of the most widely-used pieces of open-source software on the internet, but (like associations) it's the community that's driven its growth.
Lunchtime Links: Get More Out of Your Lists
The social list platform takes a mobile-first approach in its latest redesign. Also: How WordPress’ staff is fully distributed, and it works.
Take Your Meetings to the Lobby—Even If You're Local
Need a useful off-premises workspace for your association—or perhaps a place for a really small-scale meeting with your members? Hotel lobbies are increasingly becoming a useful alternative for productivity on the go.
Where Associations Need to Focus Their Efforts in 2021
[Sponsored] As associations adapt to challenges ushered in by the global pandemic, new research by Personify provides a guidepost for strategic decision-making.
Press Photographers Group Offers Safety Advice During Capitol Riot
The National Press Photographers Association prioritizes member safety year-round. During the Capitol Insurrection on January 6, the group used social media to not only share information and safety suggestions but also to communicate with journalists who were on the ground.
Keys to a Successful Job Search in 2021
If you’re considering starting an active job search in the new year, keep in mind that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed what that process looks like. A certified career coach shares advice on making the most of job hunting in 2021.
How to Keep Your Virtual Attendees Tuned In
Although it can be difficult to keep virtual attendees engaged, it’s imperative that you do—and it must go beyond a chat feature. A look at some investments for associations to make to improve engagement.
How Print Can Help Anchor Your Next Virtual Event
When done right, print materials can help associations connect with their digital audiences and engage them on a deeper level.
A Last Look at Leadership in 2020
Nobody wanted or expected a year like this one. But as 2020 ends, it's a good time to look at a few lessons worth hanging on to.
Five Ways to Help Members Maintain Certifications in 2021
The pandemic has created challenges for professionals who wish to maintain their association certifications. What members need will vary across professions, but these five tips can help you assess how to help them.
Weekly Now: How Digital Passports Could Help Bring Back Global Travel
The International Air Transport Association is creating a "digital health pass" for global travelers that could allow borders to reopen safely. Also: why you should lean on interviews for virtual events.
Six Tips for a Successful Virtual Thanksgiving
Celebrating turkey day remotely? A few associations have offered ways to transition the festivities to an online setting.
COVID Silver Linings: Family Time
It’s safe to say no one anticipated spending so much time with family this year. The pandemic brought us closer than ever before—in a good way (mostly). These bonus hours have brought many silver linings.
Weekly Now: Hotels Find a COVID-19 Niche
Hotels around the country are attracting consumers by playing up their productivity value. Also: An association exec reflects on his time with Alex Trebek on Jeopardy!
How Organizations Can Help Staff Look After Their Mental Health
As employees face stress from the pandemic, lockdowns, social injustice, and politics, their mental health can suffer. Employers don’t have to stand by helplessly, though. Experts suggest taking several steps to help staff stay healthy and productive.
Planning Your Face-to-Face Comeback
Associations were quick to convert their conferences to virtual events when COVID-19 halted in-person meetings. Looking ahead, associations and their attendees are eager to get back together face to face. But how?
Broadband Task Force Aims to Bridge the Digital Divide
With more people working and attending school from home, and relying on the internet for remote healthcare because of COVID-19, the digital divide has never been more apparent. The National Association of Counties is partnering with diverse groups to address broadband service gaps.
Should You Rethink Your Conference Schedule for the Virtual Environment?
Unlike face-to-face conferences, virtual events don’t need to be limited to a set amount of back-to-back days. Keeping that in mind may help you create a schedule that better meets your stakeholders’ needs.
Why Meetings Must Do More Than Just Recover From the Pandemic
Successful businesses will not just react, but actively move forward.
Help Virtual Presenters Shine With a Speaker Instruction Manual
Even superstar in-person speakers may need help with online presentations. That’s why a detailed speaker instruction manual is essential for a successful virtual event.
How to Staff Your Virtual Events
The staff roles required for virtual conferences are a little bit different than those you may typically have for an in-person event. A look at some roles to consider as you plan future virtual programs.
A Simple Way to Crowdsource From a Distance
Associations have found plenty of new ways to collaborate remotely since the pandemic began, including with snazzy, multifunctional technologies. But sometimes a solution as simple as a shared document is the most accessible and efficient way to pool your members' expertise and ideas.
How to Recognize Your Staff in the Virtual Environment
As many associations continue to work remotely, recognizing and rewarding staff in a virtual world has become a hot topic. Making employees feel valued can be as simple as kind words or as elaborate as treats delivered to their doorsteps.
Five Unique Experiences to Consider Adding to Virtual Events
If you’re looking to create a memorable virtual conference, here are five ideas for injecting some fun—and even animals—into the attendee experience.
4 Ways Resilient Associations Have Survived and Thrived in the Pandemic
What have resilient associations done to prioritize members, strengthen their mission and remain successful during the COVID-19 pandemic? Personify spoke with leaders across the industry to learn more.
How to Handle Language Interpretation for Virtual Meetings
As associations shift their events to all-virtual formats, there are several elements to rethink, including how to manage language interpretation. Some tips for breaking down language barriers in remote meetings.
Weekly Now: Associations Remember RBG
Ruth Bader Ginsburg wasn’t just an iconic Supreme Court justice; she was also a leader in the world of nonprofit advocacy. Also: Music venues learn the value of working together on policy issues.
Virtual and Hybrid Meetings: Bridging the Gap and Driving Connection
[Sponsored] Here’s how Phoenix’s event business has adapted deftly in the pandemic.
Weekly Now: An Oscars Nod to D&I
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reveals new diversity requirements for the Oscars’ Best Picture category—and welcomes the discussion the changes have created. Also: The Boston Marathon makes remote running work.
US Tennis Association Launches “Be Open” Diversity Campaign
With cries for racial justice still prevalent and the pandemic continuing, USTA wanted to take a stand that honored its long-held stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Its new Be Open campaign shares the stories of people, communities, and causes that exemplify the spirit of “being open.”
Two In-Demand Skills for Job Seekers to Showcase During COVID-19
The employment landscape has been rewritten by the COVID-19 pandemic. To stand out and succeed, experts say job seekers need to show they can adapt to challenges and have digital acumen. From the moment the pandemic struck, the skills needed at associations changed. Associations looking for new talent want to make sure they hire staff […]
Daily Buzz: The Path to a More Diverse Nonprofit
Breaking down unnecessary barriers to recruitment will serve your organization. Also: An empathetic leader can build relationships and help employees grow.
How One Association Is Using Tech to Ensure Safety When the School Bell Rings
[Sponsored] A behind-the-scenes look at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s COVID response strategy.
Daily Buzz: The Power of Interactive Content
Giving your audience something to do can bring them closer to your brand. Also: A 10-minute SEO strategy for associations.
The Keys to a Successful Virtual Onboarding Strategy
As the pandemic continues to keep many associations working remotely, they are also having to hire and onboard in this environment. One organization that’s done virtual onboarding well shares what made their process a success.
Community Resources: Homegrown Tech Solutions in SIGHT
The IEEE Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology sends member volunteers around the world to help local communities use technology to solve problems close to home.
Strategies to Help Associations Reduce Office Lease Costs
Some associations are frustrated at still having to pay for office space while the COVID-19 pandemic keeps employees at home. A commercial real estate expert suggests organizations look at their lease terms, consider their options, and work with the landlord to help mitigate the financial strain.
In Times of Crisis, Resilience Means Putting Members First
[Sponsored] A snapshot of the National Association of Secondary School Principals pandemic response.
Cloud Spending Continues to Grow Amid COVID-19. Here’s How to Keep it in Check.
With the shift away from dedicated offices, we’re using more cloud services than before—and likely spending more than we need to, leading to sticker shock. Here are some suggestions to keep your cloud computing expenses in check.
Daily Buzz: CES Goes All-Digital in 2021
The Consumer Technology Association announced a fully virtual format for its marquee event after previously preparing for a hybrid meeting. Also: how HR can stave off employee burnout.
Why Reskilling Is An Important Tech Opportunity for Associations in 2020
The idea of reskilling or upskilling was already an emerging trend even before COVID-19. Now it’s more important than ever—and associations can potentially stand out by leveraging their technology to provide next-gen learning opportunities.
Will Hybrid Meetings Become the Standard Event Format?
Although associations may be able to hold smaller, in-person events that maintain social-distancing mandates, a lot of people may still not feel comfortable traveling or attending. To navigate this, more associations will implement a hybrid strategy for all of their meetings.
Daily Buzz: Keys to Inclusive Social Media Management
Take advantage of preexisting features to make your content accessible to the hard of hearing and visually impaired. Also: the key to an effective online learning program.
Daily Buzz: Finding the Right Mentor
How to pick the ideal candidate and establish a relationship. Also: Email ransomware attacks are once again on the rise.
New Report Offers Tips for Improving Employee Engagement
Employees who feel a sense of belonging are more engaged and loyal, yet minorities are more likely to feel left out, according to new research from the Center for Talent Innovation. With a few changes, organizations can improve feelings of belonging.
Should Your CIO Take a More Crowd-Pleasing Approach?
Obviously, information technology requires a focus on security and the organization’s bigger picture. But a too-prescriptive approach to IT can lead your staff’s most innovative thinkers to feel stifled—and that could be a threat to more than just your network.
A New Member Onboarding Success Story
One association switched from a cumbersome, one-size-fits-all new member onboarding process to a more personalized digital one and got excellent results with better member engagement and retention.
What Will an In-Person Conference Look Like After COVID-19?
When in-person events resume, they will look very different. A new whitepaper by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events dives into what organizers will have to change to prioritize health and safety.
How to Ease Back-to-the-Office Anxiety
As associations make plans to reopen their offices, many staff members will feel anxious about returning to work. An expert offers tips for employers and employees to help mitigate fears and concerns. As organizations make plans to reopen their offices, many employees are feeling anxious about going back. A recent survey from Best Practice Institute […]
Helping Members Manage Stress in a Crisis
One association recognized well before the global pandemic that its members needed resources to help them manage stress, depression, and other mental health issues. Then COVID-19 hit, and the online resource became timelier than they ever anticipated.
Investing Through Crisis: Technology to Strengthen Resilience of Your Association
[Sponsored] During this unprecedented time, associations must leverage creativity, communication and compassion to survive and stay ahead.
How Alumni Associations Are Getting Creative With Honoring Grads
With COVID-19 changing the definition of what graduating means for many high school and college students, alumni associations are trying new ideas to ensure the big day still has a special feel.
Keeping Members Close in Socially Distant Times
A snapshot of leading associations reveals that successful member engagement in a crisis environment requires a more personal touch that speaks to both the head and the heart.
Leading During a Pandemic: Paths to Innovation
Testing out new ideas can seem overwhelming right now. But there may be no better time to do it.
Quality at Home: Tips for Professional-Grade Livestreaming
Taking a meeting over video is one thing; putting on a virtual event is another entirely. Here are some tech tips worth having at the ready if you need better video quality than a laptop webcam can offer.
Daily Buzz: Inspired By COVID-19, #GivingTuesdayNow Draws Global Response
The quickly organized spring counterpart to #GivingTuesday drew a surge in donations, early numbers show. Also: Don’t misjudge your audience.
Why You Need an Internal Email Marketing Strategy, Too—Especially Right Now
While you might be focused on your external messaging at the moment, email is an important channel for your employees as well—especially when all-hands meetings are harder to organize.
How COVID-19 Makes HR A More Important Resource Than Ever
At a time of great uncertainty, many human resources departments are putting more emphasis on happiness and employee morale than ever—and that may be raising the role’s long-term value.
Leading During a Pandemic: How Far Ahead Should You Think?
COVID-19 has forced hard questions about how to handle urgent needs and think ahead. History reminds us not to get too pessimistic and to take a look at governance.
Three Tactics for Staying Focused During a Difficult Time
Tons of new distractions are surfacing these days. Here are a few ideas for helping to maintain your focus in these strange times.
Daily Buzz: YouTube’s New DIY Tool for Making Video Ads
All that businesses need to use the new tool, designed for making quick clips on the fly, is a Google account. Also: The hiring process requires more than gut feeling.
Leading During a Pandemic: A New Normal for Partnerships
An association at the heart of the coronavirus crisis has been building meaningful partnerships, if faster than it would like.
Daily Buzz: Recruiting Volunteers
Quick and effective ways to get volunteers who will make a difference.
How to Nurture Sponsor Relationships Amid Virus Cancellations
COVID-19 has spurred organizations to work remotely, schools to close, and conferences to cancel. Amid the uncertainty, it’s time to talk to your sponsors about what you’re doing and offer them ways to still bring value to your members.
Daily Buzz: How SEO Can Generate More Than Organic Traffic
Good SEO strategies can promote any content marketing goals.
Daily Buzz: Managing Volunteer Burnout
How organizations can give volunteers a meaningful experience. Also: keeping the job search going when career opportunities decrease.
Run an Exchange Server? Hurry Up and Patch This Vulnerability
A high-profile vulnerability recently disclosed in Microsoft Exchange is being exploited by state-level actors, warn security experts. Fortunately, there is a patch available.
Daily Buzz: Don’t Be a Perfectionist
How learning to let go of perfectionism can improve productivity. Also: what young members expect from their associations.
Daily Buzz: Developing a Conference Content Strategy
Learn about your attendees to deliver the right event experience. Also: how to make young professionals feel at home at your meetings.
Give Your Conference Attendees Something to Brag About
[Sponsored] Phoenix-based Cloth & Flame is transforming events into experiences. Here’s how you can learn from their success.
Talking Tech: Cybersecurity Trends to Watch in 2020
In the new year, make a resolution to bolster your organization’s cyber defenses. Justin Brady, account manager at SyCom Technologies, forecasts a few cybersecurity issues that many associations will face soon—if they aren’t already.
Purpose-Driven Design Makes Meeting Collaboration Easier
[Sponsored] MGM Resorts recognizes and answers the ever-growing need for innovative and cohesive technology configurations in meeting and convention spaces.
The Meetings Issue: Get Greener
There are big ways and small ways to make your meeting more sustainable. Here’s how a few associations are planning meetings to be more environmentally friendly, along with some small steps any organization can take.
A Big BYOD Fix Worth Writing Home About
“Bring your own device” has been an enterprise mainstay for years, despite its various end-user weaknesses. But a new iOS feature from Apple could make it easier to balance business and pleasure.
Daily Buzz: A New Way to Think About Annual Meetings
Feeling stuck on how to switch up this year’s conference? Try this way of thinking. Also: how to strengthen communication as a remote employee.
Meet with Purpose: Collaboration as a Catalyst for Better Health
[Sponsored] The destination of a life sciences event should reflect the greater purpose of such a gathering—solving health challenges for millions worldwide.
The Magic of Mentoring
With members seeking help advancing their careers, associations are creating rich mentorship programs that assist students and early-career professionals by tapping into the knowledge and generosity of experienced members.
Board Smarts: Governance 101
Looking to teach new volunteers the governance ropes? Take advantage of your LMS for orientation.
Daily Buzz: How Nonverbal Cues Can Create a Positive Meeting Environment
Smile your way to a more memorable conference experience. Also: why employees don’t understand their benefits.
Four Ways to Put Members First When Navigating Change
Change is inevitable, and it usually affects members. At the Yoga Alliance, member engagement and the creation of a feedback loop has helped the group undertake the process of updating its yoga teaching standards while maintaining members' trust.
What Can Associations Learn From Social Clubs?
For decades, social clubs have brought people together, and today a new crop of venture-backed clubs is emerging. What membership challenges and opportunities do clubs face, and what can associations learn from them?
Nonprofits Tracking States’ Online Sales Tax Adoption
Several states are considering, and some have adopted, legislation that imposes sales tax on out-of-state sellers. Associations could feel the impact and are working to sort out a patchwork of varying requirements.
Daily Buzz: Create a Cohesive Community Strategy
Leverage your association’s community by connecting online groups to your organization’s larger mission. Also: Unless board practices change, gender equality won’t happen until 2055.
Daily Buzz: Engage Members Through Online Meetings
Not every member will be able to attend your conference in person. Online meeting technology can help bridge that gap. Also: the disparities behind Equal Pay Day.
Membership Hack: Virtual Expos
Not all of your members will be able to attend the annual meeting. For those who miss it, a virtual expo can be a great way to remotely engage people in professional development.
Dealing With a Lot of Legacy Software? Think Virtual.
The concept of virtualization, long popular for remote access to computers, could offer your organization an alternative to keeping outdated operating systems around just for the sake of a single app.
Daily Buzz: It’s Time for a Needs Assessment
A needs assessment isn’t a once-a-year (or longer!) gig—it’s something your association should be focusing on habitually. Also: networking opportunities for remote employees.
Daily Buzz: Outlining Your Nonprofit’s First Budget
When your nonprofit is just starting out, a budget is a critical tool to managing and growing your organization. Also: when to put out a post-event recap.
Government Shutdown Takes Toll on Weather Conference
The American Meteorological Society’s 2019 Annual Meeting starts in Phoenix this weekend. But thanks to the government shutdown, at least 500 fewer attendees are expected. AMS is preparing for the worst, while hoping for the best.
As Podcasting Matures, Data Standardization Efforts Emerge
The podcasting market, which is growing into a major media force of its own, is fostering an array of new tracking standards, including one produced by NPR. The Interactive Advertising Bureau, meanwhile, is launching a certification campaign.
Daily Buzz: How to Save Money on Business Travel
Traveling for business? This one tip could save your budget. Also: why you aren’t having a company holiday party.
When to Consider Shortening a Conference
Does some of the reasoning experts give for compressed workdays also apply to multiday events? Some things to think about before making a cut.
Tech Memo: Cut the Cord
Today, even your phone can be virtual. Here’s how one association is using virtual phones to save money and collaborate.
Books: Virtual Connections
In Can You Hear Me? How to Connect With People, CNN commentator Nick Morgan explains how to build better digital relationships.
When Nuance Is Lost: The Perils of Digital Leadership
Leading an organization is already a deeply challenging thing, but it becomes even tougher when you’re mostly doing it through digital interfaces. The recent decision by Linux creator Linus Torvalds to take a break to work on his personal conduct speaks to the fundamental nature of this challenge.
Turn Members Into Hackers (the Good Kind)
Associations can enlist their members to participate in quick-sprint hackathons to help develop new products and services. In exchange, participants get a highly engaging experience. Here’s what one hackathon looked like at #ASAE18.
Study: Email-Induced Stress Goes Home With You
A new academic study finds that the incivility of email can have an effect on an employee’s output—as well as that of their partner, who also deals with the added inbox stress.
How Summer Changes Life in the Office
Unlike schools, associations aren’t off for summer. But that doesn’t mean the office doesn’t respond to the hot weather months. Here’s how some workplaces accommodate the season.
How the American Camp Association Created its Podcast
It’s no secret that podcasts are rising in popularity. Here’s how the American Camp Association created its CampWire podcast as an extension of the content it’s already producing.
More Tech-Training Tips For Your Association
A few more ways you can get your staff firing on all cylinders when it comes to learning a new software tool.
I Can’t Live Without My… Zoom
This app brings remote teams together in virtual spaces.
Wednesday Buzz: Is This the End of Mini Shampoos?
Major hotel brands are phasing out mini toiletry bottles for larger pump bottles. Also: Beth’s Blog shares helpful tips for creating a happier and healthier workplace culture.
Arkansas River Outfitters Group Adds Layer of Safety to Whitewater Rafting
To better ensure the safety of those whitewater rafting along the Arkansas River, the Arkansas River Outfitters Association has announced a plan to place automatic external defibrillators at eight key areas along the river.
Report: Employers Adjusting to Tough Competition in Tight Labor Market
A Conference Board report suggests that employers may decide to hire more remote employees or lower education requirements to help make up for a global hiring crunch.
Membership Hack: Virtual Happy Hours
The Women’s Fiction Writers Association brings members together with a glass of wine via virtual happy hours, which are streamed live and posted online.
Thursday Buzz: A Day to Celebrate Business Travelers
Upside and Dress for Success partner up to deliver a national day to honor business travelers. Also: How to keep remote employees feeling connected.
Meetings Memo: Bridge the Gap
Virtual meeting ambassadors reduce the digital divide.
A Better Path to Motivation
Wanting to do good work and test new ideas doesn’t require memes—we’re already wired to do it. But leaders can do more to make sure that enthusiasm isn’t stifled.
More Pilots Less Moonshots: Lessons on Innovation
A pharma visionary reflects on risk management and measured growth.
Technology Association Speeds Up Certification Update
The association convened three dozen professionals and experts to ensure its scenario-based cybersecurity certification exam was meeting industry needs.
A Last Look at Leadership in 2017
From advocacy to orientation, there were plenty of challenges for leaders, but also some new opportunities.
Time to Move? One Association Learned a Few Lessons
The American Tinnitus Association is now in the DC area after decades in Oregon. A move can go smoothly, it learned—but take a close look at that copier lease.
Membership Hack: Showcase Members’ Talents
To drive deeper engagement and a sense of community, the National Art Educators Association exhibits members’ creative talents both in person and remotely.
Associations Partner on Air Travel Innovation
Two associations created NEXTT to address passenger travel that’s expected to double by 2036 at airports that are already close to capacity.
4 Types of Members on Your Volunteer Bench
Building volunteer bench strength requires a wide roster of members. When you’re assembling a qualified team, be on the lookout for these four types of volunteers, and be ready to provide the support they need.
CTIA: Consumers Taking Mobile Security More Seriously
The association says that more than three-quarters of consumers surveyed now put a passcode on their devices, and many are taking steps to secure their devices from threats both online and offline.
Long Live The Learning: A Year-Round Content Strategy
The valuable knowledge delivered at your conferences deserves a life that lasts longer than a few days. From livestreaming and hashtags to webinars and podcasts, associations are getting savvier at making conference wisdom part of a year-round content strategy that adds value for attendees and engages a wider audience. For association professionals taking time away […]
Board Smarts: Trickle-Down Governance With an Online Board Portal
An online board portal boosts collaboration and security for the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania.
Foundation Report: From Foresight to Action
ASAE Foundation's future-focused research forecasts change drivers.
Membership Hack: Social Ambassadors
The Society for Simulation in Healthcare tapped members as social ambassadors to promote a week-long online advocacy effort.
Give Yourself Some Options: The Perks of a Hybrid Cloud
Privately hosting your own cloud has its downsides, as does putting everything on a cloud provider like Microsoft Azure. But the hybrid cloud, which combines elements of each approach, is a great way to maximize the benefits of two types of cloud computing.
Disaster Recovery Planning for Your Office: Practice Makes Perfect
A disaster recovery plan is essential to keeping your organization running in the case of a natural disaster. But it’s only effective if your staff knows what’s in it and how to implement it.
What to Do When Disaster Strikes Your Members
After nearly three weeks of natural disasters, many associations are responding by offering support and resources to members in some of the hardest-hit storm zones—prioritizing what and how they communicate to keep the focus on recovery.
Amid Rural Broadband Weak Spots, Nonprofits Offer Last-Mile Help
Broadband internet is a given in many cities and suburbs, but in rural areas, it’s harder to come by. But that’s not for lack of trying by a variety of nonprofit groups.
Wednesday Buzz: Win Over Gen Z With VR
VR technology may help your organization connect with Gen Z. Also: A common piece of career advice may actually be hurting women.
As the ATM Turns 50, an Association Reflects on Its Legacy
The automated teller machine, a device that has changed the way we interact with money, celebrated a golden anniversary this week. The ATM Industry Association, which itself is turning 20 this year, is ready to celebrate.
If You Build the Tech Internally, You Own it
In an era when a lot of technology gets outsourced or bought from outside vendors, there’s still plenty of market opportunity from having something built from scratch with internal resources. The challenge, of course, is figuring out what that might be—and resourcing for it.
Tuesday Buzz: Are Your Events Digitally Secure?
Hackers may try to ruin your next event. Here’s how to secure your meeting data. Also: Don’t let this excuse be the reason your employees are working remotely.
Better Connected: Engaging Virtual Meeting Attendees
Groups that host hybrid conferences don’t want their virtual attendees to feel left out. That’s why many are turning to staff, volunteers, and other experts to make sure the virtual audience feels just as connected as those onsite.
Associations Help Consumers Get Ready for Summer
A number of groups are helping Americans make the most of their summers, while raising awareness of their industries at the same time.
It Takes a Village: Preventing Fraud at Small-Staff Associations
Some ways that small-staff associations can protect their financial assets and deter fraud by gathering support outside of the finance department. The bottom line: Don’t go it alone.
New Site Aims to Prevent Stolen Phone Resale
A new website from CTIA, the U.S. wireless industry, will help consumers, businesses, and police identify lost or stolen smartphones available for resale.
Membership Hack: Listening Tour
A team from the American Dental Association visits dentist offices to listen to members’ unmet needs.
Livin’ on the Edge: What Comes Next After Cloud Computing
It’s too early to say whether or not associations should take edge computing, the successor to cloud computing, seriously. But what should be taken seriously is its potential. Any good association IT department should research potential disruptors ahead of time.
Thursday Buzz: Celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day
Global Meetings Industry Day honors the positive impact of meetings on communities. Also: Make your next meeting feel a little more like home.
To Deepen Member Engagement, Redefine Volunteering
Offering volunteer opportunities can be one of the most effective ways to bring members closer to your association. But the work they do needs to benefit the volunteer as well as the organization. One way to deepen member engagement is create enough different opportunities to match your members’ volunteering preferences.
Monday Buzz: Is Your Association Ready for a Digital Culture?
Transforming your association to be more digitally strategic takes a radical change in mindset. Also: Don’t make these membership engagement errors.
Meetings Memo: Go Live With Live Streaming
Five reasons to consider live streaming your next event.
New Survey Offers a Glimpse at Association Staffing Trends, Challenges
PNP Staffing Group’s “2017 Association Salaries, Staffing & Trends Report” reveals some common threads among associations, including organizational priorities and the effects of more millennials in the workplace.
Why Employees Resist Using Your Collaboration Tools
Is your association relying on the wrong tools to collaborate internally? Possibly, but the first question you should ask isn’t if there’s a better tool. It’s about why your current tools are losing out to emails and phone calls.
How Higher CEO Pay Can Impact an Entire Organization
Association CEO compensation is up these days. That's good news for execs, but it can have a broader ripple effect too.
How to Make Valuable Face Time With New Members
Onboarding is an essential piece of the membership engagement puzzle. While many associations have an onboarding campaign that includes targeted messages, it can be easy to overlook the value of making face time with new members.
How to Keep Your Employees in 2017
Five association professionals offer tips on attracting and retaining top talent. Not to be a Scrooge, but here’s some potentially distressing news: Three-out-of-10 employees will likely leave your association within the next two years. That’s what global advisory Willis Towers Watson found in two major studies this year. “Given today’s shifting workplace and how technology […]
#Tech16: Not All Hackers Are Bad Guys
ASAE’s Technology Conference & Expo closed on Wednesday with keynoters Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, two well-known hackers who are exposing technology flaws to protect the public.
Report Highlights Internet of Things Security, Privacy Issues
Last week, the Broadband Internet Technology Advisory Group released a report with Internet of Things security and privacy recommendations.
Could Drone Deliveries Save Lives? A Public-Private Partnership in Rwanda Might Prove It.
A nonprofit firm is working with a drone-delivery startup and one of the world’s largest logistics companies to create a drone-delivery network in Rwanda. The goal? To deliver important medical supplies throughout the country.
Meetings Memo: Future Formats
Conference structure in the years to come, according to the German Convention Bureau's Future Meeting Space research project.
Want to Improve Your Culture? Don't Micromanage It
Leaders steer the culture of their organizations, actively or not. But leading well demands an awareness of when managing becomes controlling.
Aligning Your Mission, Values, and Benefits for HR Success
At #ASAE16, Learning Lab Speaker Mark Sedgley told attendees that aligning your association’s mission, values, and benefits will attract, engage, and retain talent.
Don't Freak Out, But Your Security Isn't Perfect
You can do everything to ensure your security is top-of-the-line, but inevitably, there are limits to the measures you can take. Even measures considered best practices have inherent weaknesses and are full of edge cases you haven't even considered. Case in point: The federal government recently pointed toward recent flaws in the popular two-factor authentication method.
Why Telemedicine Is Making Major Progress Nationally
With HR departments starting to embrace the technology, telemedicine is on track to see massive growth in 2016. According to a new American Telemedicine Association report, states are doing better than ever at lowering regulatory barriers to allow the practice.
Thursday Buzz: The Travel Industry's Massive Impact
According to a new report, the travel industry accounts for one in 11 jobs across the world. Plus: Consider your opposition.
Wednesday Buzz: Make Your Association a Better Environment for Freelancers
Free your organization from the constraints of traditional thinking and discover new ways to manage freelancers. Plus: Some reasons you may not eventually be replaced by a robot.
Higher-Ed Learning Trends Associations Need to Know
A recently released report looked at 18 trends, technologies, and challenges that will affect higher education in the next five years. But they’ll also have an impact on associations, as those students become members.
As One Internet Tax Battle Ends, Talk of Another Heats Up
As part of a deal that led to the passage of the Internet Tax Freedom Act last month, Congress will be taking a fresh look at online sales tax legislation. But state governments that have been waiting to collect taxes for more than two decades are ready to take matters into their own hands.
Proactive Steps to Build a Culture That Values Membership
The author of a chapter in the new edition of Membership Essentials shares advice on getting colleagues in other departments invested in the value of membership.
Brought to You By: Smartphones
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 smartphones.
Teach Your Members and Staff Leadership by Showing Them the World
How supporting international volunteer work within your organization can teach leadership skills that your members and staff will rely on for a lifetime.
What’s Taxing Nonprofit Accounting and Finance Professionals?
Two recent surveys highlight some of the biggest challenges facing accounting and finance professionals in the nonprofit industry.
More Investment, New Technology Could Relieve Drain on Finance
Technology isn’t the answer to everything, but it may be for challenges facing nonprofits’ finance departments, according to a new study.
Air Transport Group: Stronger Conflict Zone Threat-Sharing Needed
With a recent plane crash raising concerns of the dangers of flying over conflict zones, the International Air Transport Association—citing a new report on last year's deadly Ukraine crash—is calling on governments to improve their sharing of security threats with airlines.
New Research Suggests Telecommuting Is Effective, But Only In Moderation
A new study published by the Association for Psychological Science points out the importance of building relationships with coworkers in person, which can be difficult for full-time telecommuters.
For Auto Cybersecurity, the Cavalry Has Arrived
As the rapid computerization of cars and other devices goes hand in hand with the rise of cybersecurity risks, industry leaders are moving to create solutions before those risks lead to major problems.
Tech Memo: Virtual Interview
Hiring via video makes remote feel face-to-face.
EFF Calls for DMCA Changes After Jeep-Hacking Report
In the wake of a recent report highlighting the potential for vehicle hacking on the roads, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said that hackers should have the right to analyze the software in vehicles—a stance the auto industry disagrees with.
Could the SIM Card Become a Thing of the Past?
The little card that ties a single phone to a single network could be on the chopping block as the GSM Association works with Apple and Samsung on an update that could have broad support from mobile providers.
The Groups Fixing the Matterhorn's Overcrowding Problem
As the epic Swiss mountain celebrates a notable anniversary, local associations around the Matterhorn are working to ensure that the mountain remains environmentally sound and that climbers are safe. Their strategy? Limiting the number of people who can climb at a given time.
Tech Glitches Are Annoyingly Natural. Let's Prepare for Them
For about an hour last week, it seemed like we were facing the second coming of the Y2K bug, when three large computer platforms broke down within hours of one another, for reasons having nothing to do with security breaches. The situation highlights a basic problem at the enterprise level: Systems don't age well and are poorly maintained.
How to Help Advocacy Resonate With Leaders
The National Association of Manufacturers has launched program that educates its top members on government relations. It’s an idea that even associations that don’t lobby can learn from.
Pro-Privacy Groups: Facial-Recognition Rules Aren't Enough
A number of associations and advocacy groups in the civil liberties space have walked away from the bargaining table due to an impasse over the consumer use of facial-recognition technology. The problem? As the groups put it, it's far easier to change your password than your face.
Conference Circuit: Picture Perfect
The BioCommunications Association’s 85th Annual Meeting opens next week in Santa Fe.
Thursday Buzz: A Cannabis-Flavored Bar Association
Marijuana legalization gets some fresh legal backing with the establishment of bar association. Plus: Twitter gives users more control of who they block.
Wednesday Buzz: Keep Up With Rapid Changes Online
An association expert reveals a list of tools to help small teams compete in the wildly competitive digital space. Plus: What's the real environmental impact of an event?
Thursday Buzz: A Boating Association Leader's Legacy
The boating community mourns the death and remembers the achievements of a cofounder of the Boat Owners Association of the United States. Plus: CEO Update aims to recognize the industry's best leaders.
Report: Connected Cars Could Become Targets for Hackers
As the dashboard gets more tech bells and whistles, concerns are emerging that cars could be vulnerable to hacking. Several automotive groups are looking to reassure wary consumers that private driver data will be protected.
Don't Try This at Home: Orthodontists Warn Against Home Remedies
Officials with the American Association of Orthodontists are strongly recommending that the public skip treatment advice on the internet—because, if it goes wrong, the risks can be very high.
Associations Refresh Regulatory Push After White House Drone Incident
While the optics of a drone crashing near the White House didn't exactly look all that great for the unmanned aerial vehicle industry, groups say it's simply more evidence that the FAA needs to take action on the issue.
Architects Group Faces Pressure on Human Rights Issues
The American Institute of Architects is facing scrutiny from an activist industry group that argues that the organization's ethics policy does not do enough to stop architects from designing structures that can be used for torture. The activist movement, however, has thus far had no success with AIA's board.
Social Media Roundup: At the Center of a Storm
How the National Association of Police Organizations has managed two high-profile cases involving deaths of unarmed citizens at the hands of police officers. Also: Are virtual teams better than those that share offices?
Cruise Industry Group Finds New Harbor in DC
n a move designed to ease operations, the Cruise Lines Industry Association will move its member operations and lobbying efforts into a single office in Washington, DC. It's a tough move, as many of its employees currently work out of a Florida office.
Best Benefit Ever: Authors Get Virtual Publishing Help
Author U provides support and resources to help members turn ideas into books.
The New Meetings Strategist
Technology advancements, rising competition, and revenue imperatives are changing the meeting planner’s role. Today, it’s more integral to an association’s success than ever. Say hello to the new strategic meetings manager.
Away from Home and Happy
For health and tech enthusiasts or retail and art lovers, there’s something for every meeting attendee.
Meetings Are Hot Again: Conventions Rising
Conventions and expos are back in big business.
Customer Service Broken? Your Technology Probably Is, Too
The cable and internet giant Comcast is in the middle of a major shift on customer service, after being dogged about it for years. The odds that it'll fix the problems right away are slim—and that highlights the role technology infrastructure plays in keeping standards high.
Directing With Drones: MPAA Wins FAA Exemptions for Filmmakers
Thanks, in part, to a push by the Motion Picture Association of America, a handful of film-production crews will be able to use the unmanned devices to get a perfect shot.
Wednesday Buzz: Careful With That Year-Round Event Marketing
Just because you want to give your attendees a piece of your event year-round doesn't mean they want it. Aim carefully so they don't get sick of you. Also: IBM takes the freemium route with Watson.
Experiential Learning: Another Meetings Must
Your attendees don’t just want to sit back and watch speakers present. They want to be part of the action and have an immersive experience. Making that happen will mean deeper engagement and more satisfied conference attendees.
Opt-Out, Not Opt-In: California Passes Tough Kill-Switch Law
Putting the wireless industry on the defensive, the Golden State has passed a law that will require the antitheft mechanism to be automatically enabled on new devices sold starting next summer. Trade group CTIA cautions this approach could lead to inconsistencies in rules nationwide.
Best Benefit Ever: Satellite GPS Device Discounts
The American Motorcyclist Association's new discount could come in handy on remote roads, where a mobile signal is anything but a sure thing—or if, heaven forbid, a member's bike is stolen.
As iPhone Thefts Drop, "Kill Switch" Pressure Rises for Wireless Industry
With evidence of a drop in iPhone thefts after Apple introduced a "kill switch" on its devices, industry efforts to voluntarily introduce the anti-theft mechanism are beginning to bear fruit—with Google and Microsoft recently stepping up to the plate. But the possibility of legislative or regulatory mandates on the issue lingers.
Best Benefit Ever: Online Research Options
With two new member offerings, the Southern California Genealogical Society is making it cheaper for members to research their lineage.
Mobile Device Policy Case Study: Society of American Florists
How one association, the Society of American Florists, handles its mobile device policy for its staff.
Microsoft Eyes New Windows Cloud Offerings
The tech giant's new Azure RemoteApp could offer a way for IT managers to keep their legacy Windows apps running in a mobile ecosystem. But Microsoft's platform doesn't lack competition.
CTIA's Voluntary "Kill Switch" Plan Gets Mixed Reviews
While public officials approve of the mobile industry's move to offer free software that allows users to disable stolen smartphones, some say the CTIA's plan should be opt-out, not opt-in.
Supreme Court’s Aereo Decision Could Change TV Business, Groups Say
Last week's announcement by the Supreme Court that it would consider the legality of streaming video startup Aereo could shake up the business landscape around two key technologies: Over-the-air broadcasting and cloud computing.
Social Media Roundup: Morale Boosters That Won’t Cost You A Dime
Boost staff morale without breaking the bank (or more specifically, spending a penny). Plus: Debunking the cloud computing myths.
Social Media Roundup: Are These Startups the Future of Nonprofits?
How nonprofit firms like Watsi and Pencils of Promise are bringing startup approaches to charitable causes. Also: Advice for exhibitors that can't make it to every trade show.
CTIA, FCC Score Deal on Cellphone Unlocking
It took CTIA: The Wireless Association a while—and some prodding—to create a voluntary policy on allowing consumers to unlock their phones, but it released one on Thursday. That doesn't mean tech enthusiasts are happy with the results.
AllSeen Alliance Aims to Standardize the Internet of Things
The AllSeen Alliance, a new open-source group launched with the Linux Foundation’s help and a tech giant’s generosity, hopes to help your many devices talk to one another.
Florida Partners With Google Maps to Document Miles of Beaches
Looking for a unique way to showcase your state or region’s assets? Capitalize on new technology like Visit Florida and its partner Google Maps, which captured more than 7.5 million images of the state’s beaches to help promote tourism.
Not Dropping the Ball: Dropbox Eyes the Enterprise
Dropbox hopes to use its popularity with the public to help drive even more popularity with the business world, and the company is looking for some massive funding to make it happen.
Social Media Roundup: The Savvy Apps Every Event Planner Can Use
Seven apps your event planner should use. Plus: The technology that makes digital face-to-face interaction possible, and how it applies to your association.
Lunchtime Links: Facebook’s Graph Search Gets Granular
Facebook's search bar gets an upgrade. Plus: How a digital world might make physical spaces seem a bit out of date.
Event Planning: Why the Learning Experience Matters
Well-known keynoters, high attendee numbers, and hundreds of education sessions are nice, but they don’t guarantee a successful meeting. What does? Designing a learning experience your members can’t re-create or find elsewhere. Take a cue from two associations that have been there, done that—and ended up with more engaged attendees.
The Tech Effect for Meeting Planners and Attendees
With smartphones, tablets, and apps changing the face of modern life, it’s only natural that these technologies would change meetings too—for planners and attendees.
Don't Call it A Drone: Unmanned Vehicle Industry Tries Image Makeover
The potential for unmanned vehicles, better known to the public as "drones," remains massive despite its ongoing association with international warfare. But with the industry facing protests outside its annual meeting, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International is working hard to change the messaging around the devices.
A Rough Patch: 3 Lessons From a Very Public Firing
Last week, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong tried to ease the pressure before layoffs hit the company's struggling Patch business, but a momentary loss of cool overshadowed what was meant to be a reassuring moment. Here's how you can avoid a similar incident.
Lunchtime Links: Don’t Beat Around the Bush
Why your organization should focus on detailed language in its calls to action. Also: How to keep the communication cables alive between your telecommuting employees.
Tech Memo: Tech to Watch
How to keep pace with mobile members through networking, streaming and content publishing.
Why Your Meeting's WiFi Matters
More attendees are saying goodbye to laptops and hello to mobile devices. What does higher demand for WiFi at hotels and events mean for meeting planners?
Study: Administrative Professionals Need More Tech Training
Office professionals are often left relying on themselves when it comes to professional development, according to the International Association of Administrative Professionals, which is urging employers to increase skills training for these workers, especially in the area of technology.
Cloud Competition: Microsoft Expands Offerings, Cuts Prices
With expanded offerings and a price match with certain Amazon services, Microsoft hopes its revamped Windows Azure platform could entice some businesses away from the market leader.
Big Data and the Problem of Finding Your Missing Keys
If you're spending all this energy looking through big data for business insights, be sure you have a good idea of what you're looking for, or you won't actually find it.
In-Person Meetings Drive Collaboration and Innovation
Does face time result in more innovation? Yahoo said “yes” when it ended telecommuting. And new meetings research reveals the same. But how do you show the value of your association’s in-person offerings?
How to Put Your Twitter Account on Lockdown
With two recent brand-hacking incidents, Twitter is facing rising calls to improve its security. How can you keep your own association's brand safe on social media? We have a few ideas.
What You Should Know About Java's Security Issues
One of the most-widely used pieces of software in the world has struggled to shake off a wide array of security issues. If you use it, is it time to change platforms?
Management Style: What's Your Leadership Type?
From Oprah to Ben & Jerry, these titans of industry each have their own management styles. What can you learn from them?
Gas Crisis: Shortages Continue in Sandy-Ravaged Areas
Associations, including AAA, are playing key roles in keeping both consumers and station owners informed as the industry deals with gas shortages.
Lunchtime Links: Why You Should Think Like Starbucks
How Starbucks introduced a new store feature based on consumer research. Also: How to think around an issue.
Telecommuters Are More Productive, Study Says
A recent study found higher productivity and job satisfaction among people who work remotely compared with office workers. But what are the costs of working virtually?
The rise of the “Amazon Tax”: What associations need to know
California’s new sales-tax law could mean more-expensive online shopping — and for some, the need to collect taxes.