Association boards are given the responsibility of taking the best interest of its collective membership into consideration while making knowledgeable and well thought-out decisions. Often these decisions made around the boardroom table are of a strategic nature that may alter or transform the future outlook of the association. One [...]
One of the challenges facing associations today is association board member engagement. It’s critical that board members feel engaged and are actively involved in the important and useful undertakings of the organization. Board members are an association’s internal champions and ensuring they are active and keen to participate is [...]
One of my roles within our association management company is to prepare for and attend our client board meetings. I regularly prepare for three board meetings and one committee meeting and often two meetings fall within the same week. That schedule can be overwhelming, but if everything is well- [...]
Where do you get the biggest return for association marketing today - traditional or digital media? I was sitting in a typical board meeting the other day and the conversation was about ways to market the association and its members. This board has set up a committee to look [...]
Even for the best run associations, inevitably a bump in the road will appear, seemingly out of nowhere. A variety of things can pop-up to surprise or derail a successful association, and how these situations are handled by the Executive Director or Chair, is the sign of the association’s [...]
A standardized file folder naming system, for both electronic and hard copy/paper documents, has many benefits that go beyond making it easier to find things, such as efficiency in training new staff, and reduced misfiling. Below is an overview of the system used by Strauss for association record keeping [...]
Generating revenue and controlling expenses are the keys to ensuring the overall health of your association. For national associations that meet throughout the year, controlling travel and meeting expenses can be a significant part of successfully maintaining your annual budget. As an association executive (chief staff officer) I rely [...]
As an association management company, we advise boards of directors on many issues, including managing conflicts of interest. In an earlier article, Are You in a Conflict of Interest?, Geoff Powell addresses the broad elements of conflict of interest and how to manage them (he also includes references to [...]
Unfortunately, the amount of sales tax to charge on conferences and events is far from straightforward. It is important to collect the correct amount of sales tax, because if the amount collected is too low, the event organizer is responsible for the difference—plus, “regular” interest and “penalty” interest. Another [...]
Part of being an association manager or event planner is looking at ways to connect members of the association with suppliers and other stakeholders within the industry. Golf is a great mechanism to achieve this connection. The benefits of hosting a golf tournament for your association include: Accessibility - [...]
