I am one of the optimists; I believe that Canadians will see the safe return of association events in the fall of 2021. However, I realize that not everyone is in the same place. As associations consider when to bring members together, they must consider that members must be [...]
The last 14-months have felt more like a daily one-hundred-meter dash rather than a marathon. While I am no runner, I prefer the steady pace of a marathon. But, like most association leaders, I can handle the occasional sprint. During the pandemic, we have missed the personal connections and [...]
While continuously adapting, we are proud to have made it through the hardships of countless event cancellations and closures over the past months. We have been able to adapt and focus, and now we may see another opportunity to pivot, beyond virtual events. In the months ahead, health authorities [...]
2020 has seen association events cancelled left, right, and centre due to physical distancing protocols. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social gatherings now restricted to small groups. Hotels, convention centres, and other venues are enacting new health and safety guidelines. In August, I hosted an online brainstorming session with [...]
What have I learned during March and April amidst the global economic pause and stay at home orders? I’ve learned that despite legislated closures, jobs lost, and event cancellations, association members are engaging with their associations more than ever! They want to be engaged and connected; they want to [...]
A lot of thought and energy goes into preparing the agenda for an association’s board of directors meeting. However, without proper planning and structure, a strong board can easily lose track of priorities throughout the meeting. Planning an agenda and ensuring that board members arrive prepared is equally about [...]
Whether you are the Chair of an association board of directors, or the chief staff officer (Executive Director), facilitating tough conversations at the board level isn’t always easy. The best way to handle tough conversations is through open and transparent dialogue and, whenever possible, by arranging face to face [...]
It is critical that associations communicate openly to their members with information about events, staff and policy changes, publications, website updates and more. It is especially important to communicate with members regarding changes within the association. Even small modifications, like a minor change in schedule or location for a [...]
National and international associations by their nature are accustomed to managing projects with a remote workforce, whether that is volunteers or staff. As our team of association professionals has grown, it has meant that all our staff are no longer working from our association management company’s office, rather we [...]
As stated in one of our previous articles, “Members are the lifeblood of associations. Without members, an association would cease to exist. An association’s members are its most valuable asset and bring the life, the drive, and the mission to associations.” An association should be using a variety of [...]
