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.
Choosing Promotional Products & Gifts for Your Association Event Attendees
An essential part of any successful association event is giving away promotional products to promote the association, promote a sponsor, and [...]
Incorporating a Strategic Human Resources Plan into your Association
Most associations have a strategic plan that guides the association in the execution of the vision and mission of the association. [...]
Preparing for Meetings Held During an Association’s Annual Conference
Just as you might hold an annual backyard BBQ or a yearly food drive, an association will host its annual conference. [...]
How to Get the Most out of an Association Event as an Association Leader
As association leaders, we are used to being on the planning side of things for association conferences and events. When attending [...]
Using Large Format Graphics for Association Events
Large format artwork is essential to any successful association event. Large format refers to anything the attendee does not carry around [...]
Cash Flow Management for Volunteer Board Members
As the accounting manager of an association management company, one challenge that I have encountered is that most volunteer association board [...]
Investing Time in Your Event Schedule to Ensure Success
Keeping to a schedule is critical to ensuring a successful event. Creating a Run of Show (ROS)—a timeline/schedule of events—prior to [...]
How Does Your Professional Association Recruit Members?
Every association has their own method of recruiting members. Some do this through marketing campaigns online or through television/radio. Others, whose [...]
Making Your Association Event More Inclusive
People are becoming more aware about the perspectives of marginalized and minority groups in our society, and more efforts are being [...]
Calm, Cool & Collected: How to Be Professional with Famous Guests at Events
When I returned to work at an event and association management company for the summer, I did not know exactly what [...]
Association By-Laws: What Are They Good For?
As an association management company, we deal with many associations. Having worked in the association management industry for nearly twenty years, [...]
Creating an Effortless Online Association Event Registration
The planning of a successful association event starts months, sometimes even years, before the event occurs. One key aspect to a [...]
Improving Your Run of Show: Interviewing the Expert Technicians
A Run of Show, is a document that contains all the on-stage details of your show/event. It often includes things like [...]
When to introduce a new product or service to your association
Member retention is an important area of focus for every association. Ensuring that your members are receiving value for their membership [...]
How to Write Things That Will Actually Get Read – Part 2
Recently, I was on a call regarding anti-spam legislation (for more information). The mandated “Unsubscribe” button make me think about how [...]
Selecting A Credit Card Processor for Your Association
Sixty to seventy-five percent of the revenue received by our association management clients is by way of credit card payment. If [...]
Planning Association Events – Are You Changing Enough?
Have you ever had a new planning committee member join and ask why a certain component of the event is done [...]
The Board Meeting Menu: Tips on How to Create a Streamlined Agenda for a Successful Association Board Meeting
When you go to a restaurant, you expect your experience to be organized and in order. You expect things such as [...]
Association Accounting Versus Business Accounting – What’s the Difference?
Association accounting is an area that may be confusing to some because the standards are slightly different than for a typical [...]
Why your association should use a graphic standards guide
What is a graphic standards guide? A graphic-standards guide, (which can also be knowns as a brand style guide, brand identity guide, [...]