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Why Are Associations Important Right Now?- By Amy Thomasson

By Adam Natali posted yesterday
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Why Are Associations Important Right Now? By Amy Thomasson, Marketing Director, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Currently, association management professionals are reinventing, repurposing, and redefining our products, services, roles, and organizations in the midst of uncertainty. Changing times are trying times, and it can be difficult to find positivity in a pandemic. Personally, when facing chaos and confusion, I find that leaning into my ‘why’ or purpose provides me with clarity. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you ...
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ILLINOIS HOSPITALS ISSUE PLEA FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES

By Matthew Baldwin posted 14 days ago
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March 19, 2020 Contact: Danny Chun 847-736-0108,  dchun@team-iha.org ILLINOIS HOSPITALS ISSUE PLEA FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES N95 Masks Critically Needed to Protect Healthcare Workers As They Care for COVID-19 Patients Naperville and Springfield – The Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) today issued a plea to the leaders of associations for the construction industry, dentists, veterinarians, and other groups that may be able to help the state’s more than 200 hospitals protect their healthcare workers as they care for COVID-19 patients. IHA is asking the organizations to donate face masks or N95s to their local hospitals. “Hospitals ...
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Insights on how we spun up our virtual conference in a week's time- By Bob Moore

By Adam Natali posted 17 days ago
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By Bob Moore, CAE, Executive Director, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Hi all, I've replied to some posts and have received a few questions so I pieced together how we at the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians launched our virtual conference this week. It was to start 3/18 in New Orleans with record registration just over 2,000. We held out until 3/11, but had no choice but to cancel given the escalation of COVID-19. Seeing that COVID-19 was going to affect our on-site attendance we started talking about ways to have a hybrid event a week or so before we canceled. This helped give us a running start when we canceled the in-person ...
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Coronavirus Update- March 16, 2020

By Adam Natali posted 24 days ago
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Association Forum takes the health and wellness of our professional community very seriously. Based on current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to halt gatherings of over 50 people , the following Association Forum events have been postponed and/or moved to a virtual format: All SIGs and Conversation Circles will be held as webinars. We will send registrants login information prior to these events. March 25- CEO Exchange will be held as a webinar. We will send registrants login information prior to the event. March 31- SmartTech Conference® 2020 has been postponed. We will keep members informed when a new date is determined. ...
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Keep the HUMAN in HUMAN RESOURCES when considering the Coronavirus

By Adam Natali posted 24 days ago
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Everyone can do their part to limit the risk of exposure to the Coronavirus. Everyday preventive actions can help keep people from getting and/or spreading the virus. Stay home when you are sick. Stay home for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects. Employers also play a key role by preparing for various elements that may affect ...
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7 steps to prepare for your AMS expert’s absence

By Melinda Starkweather posted 24 days ago
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  Take time to understand each department’s tasks and the timeframe. What reports are they preparing, for whom and when?   Each staff member who is receiving help should list the tasks they get help with.   Have your AMS expert sit down with each member of staff to review how they provide the help.     Note:  The association power-user may feel threated about this exercise, so leaders must reassure the AMS expert that they won’t lose their job. This exercise is about keeping the association from struggling during a long absence.   The staff and the power user should walk through the exercise, getting screen ...
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ISACA tech recommendations for employees working remotely due to COVID-19

By Adam Natali posted 03-09-2020
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Comments from Simona Rollinson, Chief Technology Officer, ISACA: No matter an organization’s size or level of sophistication, its level of maturity in business continuity and disaster recovery will vary. However, one thing that applies to all organizations is that the best time for sound planning is before a crisis develops. I can never stress enough the importance of planning for a pandemic, cybersecurity breach or any other major incident. Technology can be a great equalizer and provide enterprises with the ability to conduct business remotely. This is the good news. The bad news is that this is not the time to start setting up the remote access infrastructure ...
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Important Coronavirus News and Information

By Adam Natali posted 02-24-2020
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With the impact the Coronavirus is currently having on the travel industry, Association Forum would like to share the following informational articles to keep our members informed.   How Coronavirus Is Affecting a Meeting Near You , Smart Meetings Answers to Travelers’ Questions About the Coronavirus , The New York Times Coronavirus: Morgan Stanley’s Hong Kong summit goes virtual amid virus fears — as it happened , Financial Times Poll: Coronavirus fears create travel planning chaos , SF Gate Some Japan investors worry as coronavirus puts question-mark over Tokyo Olympics , Reuters Smartphone convention nixed over coronavirus fears hits ...
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Press Release: Association Forum announces award winners to be recognized at Honors Gala 2020

By Adam Natali posted 02-19-2020
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CHICAGO (FEB. 19, 2020)— Association Forum’s Awards & Scholarship Committee met earlier this month to review and judge award applications for five of the association’s most prestigious awards. The following honorees will be recognized at Association Forum’s Honors Gala on June, 18, 2020 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown-Magnificent Mile. “We are very excited to acknowledge these honorees,” said Association Forum President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE. Each year, the association community gathers at Association Forum’s Honors Gala to celebrate the profession and honor the leaders who strengthen it. The Honors Gala supports the Association Forum ...
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Usability studies are the first step in understanding how users navigate your website- By Marilyn Mages, CAE

By Adam Natali posted 01-21-2020
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By Marilyn Mages, CAE Undertaking a website redesign is something that every organization will experience at some point. So a few questions that all association staff must ask prior to getting started include: What is going to drive our decisions? And how do these concepts meet user’s expectations as well as meet the needs of the current content strategy. Sandy Marsico, founder and CEO, Sandstorm Design, believes that UX design (user experience) starts with understanding a user’s motivations and behaviors. To get the needed answers, she encourages her clients to conduct a usability study on their existing site to uncover how things could work more efficiently. ...
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Agility and Diversification

By Adam Natali posted 01-14-2020
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“If its main source of revenue starts to dry up, or if changing trends suggest it may not be around for much longer, an association must be prepared to pivot and change its business model — not in the future, but right now.” - Sheri Jacobs, president and CEO of Avenue M Group  In the January/February 2020 issue of FORUM , we hear from forward-thinkers blazing the trail forward for association revenue models. If you’re looking for innovative ways to diversify your portfolio, we’ve got you covered. There was a time that less than 5% of an association’s revenue came from non-dues revenue. That time was 1953. Feel old yet? As a share of association ...
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Important Legal Alert for Forum Members- By Kimberly A. Pendo

By Adam Natali posted 01-14-2020
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By Kimberly A. Pendo - (312) 929-1964 - kpendo@clpchicago.com As you may be aware, the City of Chicago’s City Council adopted a new lobbyist registration ordinance (SO2019-5305) in July focused on ethics reform. Among other things, the new ordinance requires a non-profit organization’s paid staff, contractors and pro bono representatives, as well as volunteer leaders and organizers (in some circumstances), to register as lobbyists with the City if they represent or support a City law or ordinance that would further the interests of the organization or its membership. While generally supportive of the Mayor’s efforts to implement ethics reform, the Forum ...
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Building the Brand of YOU: A Personal Branding Discussion- By Amy Thomasson

By Adam Natali posted 01-08-2020
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By Amy Thomasson As association management professionals, we know that branding our organizations is important, but what about your personal brand? At the 2019 Holiday Showcase, Jacqualine Price Osafo, MBA, CAE; Membership and Development Director, Water Quality Association, and I facilitated a discussion on the meaning, implications, and challenges of personal branding.   What is personal branding?   We defined personal branding as how you market and differentiate yourself to others. It’s the unique combination of values, skills, and experiences that make up you. Personal branding is an ongoing process with no expiration date. It’s strongly correlated ...
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FORUM Magazine Redesigned- Part 2 of 2- Nariman Tahir

By Adam Natali posted 01-06-2020
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In the second installment of our two-part blog series on the redesign of FORUM magazine, we discuss the graphic design of the publication and how the design choices reflect Association Forum’s foundation and future. Read our first post in the series with Association Forum President Michelle Mason here .   Designing a magazine is about more than just the cover; it’s everything from fonts to grids to colors and all the little graphic themes that make a book cohesive. As Nariman Tahir, art director at marketing communications agency GLC, began the process of redesigning FORUM , she recalled the core values that Association Forum President Michelle ...
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FORUM Magazine Redesigned- Part 1 of 2- Michelle Mason

By Adam Natali posted 12-12-2019
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This is the first installment of our two-part blog series on the redesign of FORUM magazine. In this post, Association Forum President Michelle Mason shares her vision for the organization and how FORUM ’s redesign reflects AF’s evolution. Look out for the next post in the series on the magazine’s design with GLC Art Director Nariman Tahir. Michelle Mason took the helm of Association Forum on September 15, 2014, and along with the board of directors, her objective was to adapt the (at that time) 98-year-old organization to the challenges of the 21st century and the expectations of members whose professional lives needed to evolve with the pace of digital ...
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THE VALUE OF TRANSITIONING FROM SPONSORSHIP TO PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS

By Adam Natali posted 12-09-2019
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The Value of Transitioning from  Sponsorship to Partnership Programs By Dan Kowitz and Bruce Rosenthal Associations have had very successful sponsorship programs for many years. The cornerstones of many of these programs have been logo placements, advertisements, visibility, and recognition. However, the inclinations of companies are changing when it comes to their affiliations with associations. Companies are no longer almost automatically sponsoring associations whose members comprise their customers and prospective customers. Companies are seeking business value, marketing value, and ROI in their relationships with associations. Companies are more ...
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PRESS RELEASE: 2020 Woman of Influence Announced

By Adam Natali posted 10-30-2019
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Adam Natali 312.924.7009 natali@associationforum.org CHICAGO (November 1, 2019) — Association Forum is pleased to announce Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, President and CEO of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), as the 2020 recipient of the Woman of Influence Award. Being named the 2020 Woman of Influence is a reflection her tireless leadership in advancing the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the association community. As a trailblazer, she has demonstrated with excellence a proven track record of innovation, impact and paying it forward through coaching, mentoring and service to others. ...
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PRESS RELEASE: Association Forum Inks Partnership with Partnership Professionals Network

By Adam Natali posted 04-29-2019
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dan Shea 312.924.7031 shea@associationforum.org CHICAGO (April 23, 2019) — Association Forum and the Partnership Professionals Network (PPN) have announced a one-year partnership that will bring together two influential organizations that represent associations to provide education and training to advance corporate sponsorship and partnership programs. Through this partnership, Association Forum members can engage with PPN at a member rate, including the upcoming Corporate Partnership Accelerator Day in Chicagoland on May 8. Association Forum will also host three of PPN’s complimentary Idea Exchanges throughout the year. ...
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Is Drama Detouring Your Association from Its Mission?

By Adam Natali posted 11-16-2018
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By John and Jacki Davidoff ( This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of FORUM)   Last Friday, the board of directors of a prominent organization received a presentation by its law firm following an investigation of employee complaints regarding the organization’s culture. At the report’s conclusion, the CEO resigned, effective immediately—the latest in a string of top executive resignations. Just after those events, we received a phone call from a member of the organization’s executive committee. “How should we ‘message’ the situation?” they asked us, explaining that the party line was that the CEO resigned “to spend more time with his ...
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Podcasting for Associations is Exploding

By Adam Natali posted 11-02-2018
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This article originally appeared in the June/July 2018 issue of FORUM- View PDF By Dan Pietroske   Audio programs for associations are nothing new. In fact, some organizations have been doing them for more than ten years. Recently, interest has been on the rise due to the availability of podcasts on mobile devices and the increased accessibility of the technologies used to produce them. To find out more about how associations are embracing podcasts and audio programs, FORUM spoke with several organizations who are at the forefront of the podcasting trend. The production efforts ranged from staff-driven “do-it-yourself” to complete outsourcing from a vendor. ...
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