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.
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 [...]
Financial Tips for Managing an Association’s Money During a Crisis
These are unprecedented times that most of us we are living in right now. With the COVID-19 pandemic, financial hardship is [...]
Association Graphic Design During COVID-19
COVID-19 has changed work for everyone. Front line workers are working harder than ever and are always at risk. Some started [...]
Virtual Events: An Opportunity to Grow your Association’s Event Repertoire
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it impossible to hold in-person association events. Many associations are now looking to host virtual events [...]
Keep Engaging Association Members During this Pandemic
What have I learned during March and April amidst the global economic pause and stay at home orders? I’ve learned that [...]
Learning to Work Remotely
During this global pandemic, most associations have their employees working from home. Working remotely affects communication, prioritization, and overall organization. With [...]
Ten Tips: How to be a Good, Efficient Board Member
As I sit here at my kitchen table writing this article, I have my children running around in the background, wanting [...]