19 take-aways from ASAE Annual Conference
August 30, 2010
On social media
1. Social media is no longer a separate medium; it is another communication channel that needs to be utilized with the same planning, thought and interest level as traditional media.
2. Legal ramifications of social media use by staff, volunteers and members need to be considered as a major part of any policy discussion.
3. A digital strategy is not the same as a social media strategy.
On products
4. There is a need to evaluate how “free” is impacting your space, market, or membership. Free continues to change the rules of the game for associations. Information that is abundant should be considered free; scarce information is valuable and worth paying for access.
5. How can your next product or offering meet a new or emerging need in your marketplace?
6. Develop assets that provide advertisers with the access they need. Association media products –whether print or online—not only need to place the profession or field in context for the members, but they also must allow advertisers to be a part of that relationship.
On meetings
7. Meeting attendees want real value above all else: tools that will help them justify their profession to stakeholders in the industry.
8. Technology available for communications and meeting enhancements are developing at a rapid pace. Time and resources must be devoted to regularly reviewing these tools to ensure your association is not missing out on opportunities for the members you serve.
9. Use that technology wisely: Announce a membership special to your attendees or promote a new book or member tool.
10. Pay attention to the traffic flow of the show floor. Traffic “builders” and “connectors” like refreshment stations at prime locations are a key to the success an exhibitor finds on the floor.
11. Provide more than an “approval toolkit” for members to have their boss approve the conference registration and expenses. Make sure every attendee goes back to the office with a new suite of tools, knowledge and insight, so that next year’s conference is a given in the budget.
On leadership
12. More than ever, leaders need to be developed at every level of your organization. Leaders at all levels exist to serve and to improve their own immediate environment every day.
13. Hire staff who know more than you, and your organization will always excel.
14. Acting with integrity is an essential ingredient for any organization, especially in the association space. Making decisions with integrity will always improve the big-picture, long-term view for your association.
15. Create white space–space to think, to experience, to enjoy. Consider how the concept of white space can apply to your work life and your home life, and turn off the things that suck white space out of your life.
16. Make sure that your work aligns with the direction you want for your life. Find a true North and it will help get you through tough economies, tough bosses, tough assignments.
17. Inclusive environments are not optional for our workplaces. It is considered a requirement for many constituents.
18. It is okay to FAIL. Now more than ever, when we are being pushed to innovate, we need to let our teams know that it is okay to have ideas and concepts fail. Learning and moving on is part of the process to creating success.
On workplace technology
19. Take a good look at the operational technologies used in your office. Where can you make changes that will allow for more sharing at a lower hard cost? Consider open source software like OpenOffice or enterprise apps like Google Enterprise for calendars, documents and e-mail.
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3 Comments Leave a Comment
1. Smash Hit Displays | August 30, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Loved this article! Most exhibitors seem to think they will get more sales than they know what to do with. The truth is that most of the sales will come after the show as long as you follow up with them. As long as you have talked to people who are interested in your products/services and got their contact info, then you have done your job at the event.
2. Tweets that mention Conne&hellip | August 30, 2010 at 4:19 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Maddie Grant and Robert Barnes, Michelle Harman. Michelle Harman said: RT @maddiegrant: [MUST READ. love takeaways.] 19 take-aways from ASAE Annual Conference http://bit.ly/cHrgfm #asae10 [...]
3. associationjam.org&hellip | September 1, 2010 at 2:07 pm
19 take-aways from ASAE Annual Conference…
Connect, the Network Media Partners blog, has 19 take-aways for associations from ASAE10 – on social media, products, meetings, leadership, and workplace technology….
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