Strauss Articles
Knowledge, Insight, and Experience
Every Thursday, our experts provide insights into industry trends and issues that readers can leverage to improve their associations and signature events.
How to Make New Association Members Feel Welcomed
New members should feel welcomed and receive guidance to connect with other members when joining an association. Making an association a [...]
Maximizing the Potential Benefit of Attending an Association’s Virtual Conference
In a world where the show must go on, a new and increasingly popular avenue is virtual conferences. We are seeing [...]
Is It Time Your Association Hosts an Indigenous Sharing Circle?
Our society is currently adapting to the restrictions and guidelines of the COVID-19 pandemic while confronting the systematic oppression of Black, [...]
Association Ethics for Staff and Volunteers
Ethical behaviour means acting in ways that are consistent with behaviours that society, individuals, and businesses have deemed to be “proper” [...]
How Association Leaders Can Boost Morale During a Pandemic
As we continue to live and work through the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever for association leaders to [...]
Six Points to Remember When Redesigning Your Association’s Website
Redesigning a website takes a lot of planning and forethought. There are a lot of small details that can distract you [...]
Hosting Association Events Amidst a Global Pandemic: Adapting to New Health and Safety Standards
2020 has seen association events cancelled left, right, and centre due to physical distancing protocols. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social [...]
Finding New Association Board Directors
An association’s annual general meeting (AGM) is for the membership to approve the financial statements of the previous year, elect or [...]
GST/HST and QST on Registration Fees for Virtual Meetings and Trade Shows
Many associations have been forced to cancel in-person professional development meetings and/or trade shows because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as described [...]
Association Trade Shows Gone Virtual
Face-to-face events continue to take a back seat due to the COVID-19 outbreak, leaving associations to find unique alternatives for members [...]
Hosting Association Golf Tournaments in a COVID-19 World
Association members are missing their face-to-face networking opportunities used to catch up with fellow members or to have those deep conversations [...]
“Zoom Fatigue”: Is it affecting your Association? Tips on How to Manage it.
With so many of us working from home, video conferencing through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms has increased. The demand [...]
Maintaining Association Member Engagement in a Socially Distant World: An Interview
In this interview, Sandra Harssar, an executive member of the Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC), discusses her journey as a [...]
Board/Senior Staff Optimal Levels of Engagement: How Do You Assess Them?
Engagement is such a crucial factor in managing the new world where the COVID-19 pandemic exists. There are lots of discussions [...]
Creating an Association Membership Directory
The membership directory is a useful tool for association members. Industry partners and stakeholders make use of it often. The directory [...]
Virtual Meetings for your Association Board
With many people currently working from home, the need for association staff and volunteer leaders to work online is necessary in [...]
Board Succession Planning During a Pandemic: How is Your Association Adapting?
Due to the changing times as a response to COVID-19, many associations have been adapting operations and seeking new solutions. Member [...]
Navigating the Pandemic as a Board Chair: An Interview
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Strauss’ association clients continue to work with volunteers, board members, and association staff to navigate their [...]
Refining your Association’s Standard Operating Procedures
Associations frequently rely on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and association task calendars to guide board members and association staff through their [...]
Mindfulness & The Association Leader
We are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic; association leaders are undoubtedly going through challenging and unpredictable times. As an [...]