March April 2017

FOCUS

March/April 2017

NORTH

BUILDBY NUMBER pg5

Mediocrity is Your Biggest Conference Competitor pg 10

Is Telecommuting Right for Your Association? pg 12

Published by

www.associationsnorth.com

How the Builders Association of the Twin Cities Influences Policy Makers and Consumers Through Data

1

Focus North is published 10 times a year by Associations North, 1970 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 100, Roseville, MN 55113.

Phone: 651.647.6388 Fax: 651.647.6416 Website: www.associationsnorth.com Email: info@associationsnorth.com

The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of Associations North.

The subscription rate for members is $25, which is included in membership dues. Editorial contributors in any area of association management are welcome.

Articles accepted for publication are subject to editing

by Associations North. Advertising is accepted on a space availability basis. Contact angela@associationsnorth.com for further advertising information.

Staff

Kathy Johnson, CAE, President Sarah Ruzek, Director of Education Angela Kisskeys, Marketing & Communications Manager Chris Villeneuve, Member Services Coordinator

5

7

10

16

CONTENTS March/April 2017

Mission

FEATURES

To advance and serve the association management profession in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

DEPARTMENTS

5 Build by Number

Leaders: 7 Advancing Fuel For Forward-

How BATC Influences Policy Makers and Consumers Through Data

Vision

Associations North, our members and their associations will thrive and grow.

Thinking

Boardroom Volleyball

Diversity & Inclusion

8

Advertisements and listings in this publication are provided as a public service to readers. Associations North is not responsible for errors or omissions, and inclusion does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. All information is subject to change.

Jenny Prosser (Past -Chair) Vice President of Conferences and Sales LeadingAge Minnesota

Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

10

Market Forces Impact Association Strategies

For advertising information, call 651.647.6388.

Ann Kvaal, CAE (Chair) Owner AK Communications

Moving Forward Together

4

The Association Life

14 Conversations 15 Calendar of Events 16 Brain Power

In principle and in practice, Associations North values and seeks diversity and inclusiveness within the association management industry. Associations North advocates for and promotes involvement, innovation, and expanded access to leadership opportunities that maximize engagement across underrepresented groups in the Associations North membership.

Board of Directors

3

Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details Mediocrity is Your Biggest Conference Competitor

18 Signature Event 19 The North Experience 20 Et Cetera 21 Spotlight

Advancing 11 Advancing Communications: 12 The Essentials: Stay Connected

Invaluable Insights

Who Owns a Sent Email?

Is Telecommuting Right for Your Association?

Favorite sport or team to watch?

Gopher hockey and the high school state hockey tournament.

Wild hockey!

Dave Radziej, CAE (Chair-Elect) President Printing Industry Midwest Cassie Larson, CAE (Secretary/Treasurer) Executive Director MN Nursery & Landscape Association

Elk Hunting with a bow – the mountains are beautiful in the fall of the year.

The MN Vikings – I’m a glutton for punishment.

Kathy Johnson, CAE (President) President

Associations North

Carmelo Cinqueonce, MBA Executive Director MN Dental Association

Tennis.

Football...and all Boston teams.

John Francis President

The Harrington Company

Tara Owens Member Engagement Director MN Academy of Family Physicians

Gopher hockey.

Cody Nuernberg Executive Director Northwestern Lumber Association

Dave Renner, CAE Director, State & Federal Legislation Minnesota Medical Association

Mark Salter, CAE, ABC Executive Director CFA Society Minnesota

Robbie Thompson Executive Director Professional Liability Underwriting Society

Diehard Gopher fan. Enough said.

College basketball. It may have to do with being tall.

I’m a big Gopher fan and watch a lot of youth, high school and college wrestling.

2

Moving Forward Together: Associations North Partners

Featured Sponsor:

Explore Alexandria Tourism

Why we are a NEW partner with Associations North‌

Memorable moment with Associations North...

We are new partners with Associations North to develop new partnerships with our peer entities so we can enhance our support network, ask for advice and grow from the education provided at so many events. We also hope to create relationships with member associations so we can learn about their members and business needs. Already, we have been welcomed warmly, started to create relationships and develop a deeper network of peers!

As new members in 2016, we were fortunate to have the Leadership Conference hosted in Alexandria! As our first event, it was amazing to be a part of a group who were so open to introduce themselves, want to know about Alexandria and take the time to introduce us to others! As our first conference, it was memorable in itself, but we truly appreciated the education and the mix of fun thrown in!

PREMIER PARTNERS

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS 3

Global Experience Specialists | Fargo-Moorhead CVB | Visit Duluth | Visit Saint Paul

The Association Life

Featured Industry: Law Enforcement Whoever you are, whatever you do, there is an association working on your behalf.

Association of Training Officers In Minnesota Exists to promote the professional standards of peace officer training and education.

Special Operations Training Association of the Upper Midwest Special Operations Training Association of the Upper Midwest is a non-profit organization comprised of public safety personnel; including tactical officers,

MN Chiefs of Police Association The MN Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA) is a non profit, professional membership organization

crisis negotiators, safety personnel; legal advisors, communication support, and paramedics.

with the mission of bringing the highest quality of police services to people of Minnesota. MCPA’s vision is to be the recognized voice for professional law enforcement in Minnesota.

4

Build by Number How the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) Influences Policy Makers and Consumers Through Data

Want to foster a great relationship between your association and the general consumer? According to the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, all it takes is a lot of data and a crew of committed people to convert that data into meaningful messages. Sound like a big task?

That’s because it is.

5

For a professional association to connect directly with consumers is a rare model, but one that drives the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) forward.

David Siegel, Executive Director, comments, “I’ve worked in the association world a long time, and one of the things that makes BATC really unique is that our Business-ToConsumer reach is quite extensive. We really work to connect the buyer with the builder.”

One of the association’s most prevalent points of contact with consumers is the annual Parade Of Homes. You’ve likely seen BATC’s marketing campaigns for the Parade Of Homes, including billboards, radio spots, and now digital advertising. But, how does BATC discern the best messaging to connect prospective home buyers with their members? Data - and lots of it.

BATC recently conducted a massive research project on the Parade Of homes, using exit surveys, consumer surveys, focus groups, and more to learn about the consumer experience. Siegel explains the results, “We found out there are two audiences at our parade of homes.

A number of people who go are transactional, and they attend specifically and uniquely to meet builders and buy a home. There’s also an aspirational segment of people who love homes, home design, and interior design. They aren’t there to buy, but they tell all their friends about it.”

Using the results from this research, BATC can craft especially unique messages to these demographics and eventually bring in buyers who will match perfectly with their builders.

BATC’s members that the spirit of home ownership and remodeling is alive and well in Twin Cities residents. “We also learned that people appreciate their communities, so we developed a tagline saying We’re experts in building community. People really do relate strongly to their neighborhoods,” adds Siegel.

“That research also informed our issue advocacy. When we go out and talk about the importance of home building, we can say ‘We want to be able to build safe durable homes, in the community you love, at the price you can afford,’ and it resonates with people. The research told us how to communicate with Minnesotans about their homes.”

While collecting and leveraging data has proven effective for BATC, converting numbers into marketing campaigns is no small feat. Siegel reflects, “We get mired in the facts and statistical data, but people can’t relate to that. We need to focus on the emotional impact, and that’s hard.”

In addition to connecting consumers with their members, BATC uses data to discover and support local and state political candidates who are friends of housing. Through Independent Expenditures, BATC supports political candidates who understand the value of the housing industry.

The research doesn’t stop there, though. “We just did a survey asking what Minnesotans think about homeownership and new homes,” says Siegel. Using the survey results, BATC created an issue-awareness campaign. The goal of this campaign was to instill a general sense of appreciation for Minnesota’s builders and a knowledge that they are a vital part of Minnesota’s economy.

“In the age of big data, it’s valuable to get out into the marketplace and find out what people think. We learned that 84% of Twin Cities residents believe owning a home is central to the American Dream.” This fact assured

These politicians might, for example, recognize how certain building codes can drastically affect housing affordability--and oftentimes price families out of their homes--with what is otherwise an unnecessary change.

When politicians understand the importance of keeping housing affordable, BATC can lobby for or against state and local legislation that influences the market. Not only is supporting these political candidates good for BATC’s members, it supports the consumers who hire builders and remodelers.

Siegel comments, “If you can gather the data, it can inform a lot of the decisions that you make. And, if you can gather the data, you can build a messaging platform on top of that which can be powerful and significant for an association.”

Have a story to tell? Email angela@associationsnorth.com.

6

Advancing Leaders: Fuel for Forward-Thinking year’s banquet is good governance.

Insist that conversations and questions that send the board “into the weeds,” be handled after the meeting or are directed to committees.

Insist that directors prepare for meetings and do their homework.

Boardroom Volleyball photo credit: freepik

Ever watch a board meeting that looked more like a volleyball game?

The sport is between teams of players separated by a net, each trying to score points before the ball hits the ground. (Equate the board table to the net.)

In the case of a board meeting, a director throws an idea in the air.

Other directors comment and ask questions to keep it in the air, the idea is spiked a few times, and it either fails (hits the ground) or it passes.

The process may go on for 15 to 30 minutes at which time another ball is served and the discussion repeats.

The behavior of the directors (players) make it look more like volleyball than governance. Here are the sounds of boardroom volleyball:

All directors should be empowered to say, “this conversation does not seem like governance, let’s get back to our responsibilities so we can complete the agenda.”

• I have an idea!

• I hear you but I prefer graphic representations so I can’t understand what you’re saying.

• I think it’s a good idea, we “kind of” do that and I “sort of” like the idea, “you know.”

• Count me in but don’t count on me, I can’t be accountable with my busy 7 schedule.

• Sorry, I’m a linear thinker so I just don’t understand this discussion.

• I know our staff is at capacity and committees are under-performing, but I don’t think this will require much time.

• I remember when we tried something similar --- it didn’t work so I’d be against it.

• Would you repeat the statement?

I was distracted by texting on my phone.

• Hey what was the motion again?

• Enough said, “Let’s vote!”

It takes a good meeting chair and the discipline of directors to avoid boardroom volleyball.

Discuss this playbook with the “team.” the chair conducts the meeting and must insist on decorum; requiring that directors speak or ask questions after being recognized.

Carefully follow the “threads” of ideas. A question may be asked. Two or three people offer answers and several directors begin speaking; turning the discussion into a tangled mess with nobody remembering the original issue.

When a statement is made or question asked, determine its relevance. Restate the question and be sure the poser gets an answer before moving on.

Avoid menial discussions during governance. It is doubtful that a chat about what was on the menu at last

Rely on a carefully crafted agenda, explaining there is an expectation to complete all the work within the allotted time frame.

It takes a good meeting chair and the discipline of directors to avoid boardroom volleyball.”

Depend on the mission (reason for existence) to frame all discussions.

The board’s work should advance elements of the strategic plan. Keep it on the table and frequently ask, “What part of the plan does your idea (question or comment) support in our plan?”

Be sure directors know their role and responsibilities through leadership training and access to governance resources.

When meetings sound like a volleyball game set down the ball and return to the motion or item on the agenda.

All directors should be empowered to say, “this conversation does not seem like governance, let’s get back to our responsibilities so we can complete the agenda.”

Bob Harris, CAE, provides governance tips and templates at www.nonprofitcenter.com.

He provides board orientation and facilitates strategic planning.

Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

Market Forces Impact Association Strategies

photo credit: Jannoon028

A wide variety of external market forces will influence your association’s long-term success and potential. These market forces impact your lifecycle and determine how rapidly you need to reassess your service offerings and their value.

Setting Strategic Direction Many associations built their strategic plans toward achieving an overly optimistic vision of the future that may no longer be realistic. Assumptions must be reconsidered and economic models need to be reevaluated to determine if your strategic plan is still viable.

You need to ask yourself: what do you need to more effectively meet the evolving needs of your membership and market potential?

Determining your strategic direction is difficult and must be approached realistically. Effective strategic planning requires a deep assessment of your market environment.

You must truly understand the market forces at play that determine your ability to succeed and reassess assumptions about those forces in regards to the future.

You have to be mindful of what matters to your members within the context of a variety of complicated market forces. This context influences their need for you and ongoing reasons for continued renewal of their membership.

Key Market Forces When discussing market forces, you have to consider everything from shifting demographics to the increases in your operating costs. As businesses consolidate or fail, your market potential for members is impacted both in the dues they can afford as well as the volume of potential members. The cost of everything is rising, from food to your employee benefits, but you cannot always pass all of those costs onto members because the economy is also unstable for them.

Some associations now have competitors encroaching into the membership market you thought was exclusively yours. Regulations and governmental influence are

constantly evolving. Being able to assist your members and staying on top of these changes may not bring direct revenue into your association, but may be a primary reason they renew with you.

Generational issues are not limited to inter-generational conflict or the general shift in attitude toward work and volunteer service. There are also strategic implications caused by the impending retirement of many Baby Boomers. This results in the need for ensuring Baby Boomer’s knowledge is transferred to your younger leaders.

This also impacts associations if the Baby Boomers were the ones who saw the value in your membership. The younger leaders who follow them may not value the same things as their predecessors. You will be vulnerable unless you can match your value to this new generation of leaders within member companies.

These uncertainties create opportunities for creative leaders to provide real value to their members.

The use of technology offers evolving opportunities for connection. It also creates new barriers to positioning your association’s value in a world where the answer to a question is just one Google search away.

Moving Forward The changing dynamics of these evolving market forces and the uncertainties generated by them are exceedingly complex. Yet these uncertainties also create opportunities for creative leaders to provide real value to their members.

By finding innovative ways to service and satisfy your members, you will create lasting value that will enable them to easily make the decision to continue renewing their membership.

By: Jill Johnson, Johnson Consulting Services. Learn more at: http://www.jcs-usa.com.

8

Creative Solutions for your Marketing, Print & Signage Campaigns

2007

55 East Fifth Street, Suite 201D | Saint Paul, MN 55101 651-222-8004 | www.allegrastp.com | 651-265-8111 | www.image360stp.com

Find Venues 9

Convenient • Affordable • Charming 800-423-6466 visitowatonna.org/meetings

2017

YE RS

Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details

Mediocrity is Your Biggest Conference Competitor photo credit: katemangostar

Your real conference competition is not that event held six months after yours. Nor is your competitor time, money and resources. Your real competitor is mediocrity to paraphrase authors Karin Hurt and David Dye. You’re In A Difficult Position: Look Backwards Or Forwards For Programming?

Today’s technology driven, hyperconnected, instant gratification, real-time world puts you as a conference organizer in a difficult position. You’re expected to deliver highly participatory, forward-thinking, experience-driven, sensory-laden, learner-centered, performance-focused conferences that move the needle for your customers.

Too often our current conference planning processes focus on the greatest common denominator. We promote and sell last-year’s best practices and success. We’re outdated from the start. We look backwards.

We also strive to offer something for everyone at our event. Trying to be all things to all people melts excellence and emerging practices into commonplace, ordinary averageness.

“Wow, that registration process was flawless. I can’t wait for next year’s event so I can experience meeting logistics perfection again,” said no one ever!

We aggregate speaker proposals. We let volunteers rank them on what they know or who they personally like. We roll the dice that what was submitted actually meets our core customers’ needs. We assume the more people involved in designing the program and choosing the experts and content, the more customers we’ll attract. Well, it doesn’t work that way. It leads to mediocrity.

The Devil’s In The Details Mindset As a conference organizer, you may even lose your soul to logistics, to-do lists and ever increasing detailed tasks.

You become hell-bent on ensuring that every precise meeting specific is perfect. From registration to trade show to contracts to BEOs to room set efficiencies to audio visual equipment, your attention is on the perfected particulars, the stuff, the objects.

This drive to make sure that the logistics are right causes you to forget who the conference is for—people!

You’ve succumbed to mediocrity because your event is perfect as far as logistics are concerned. However, your conference experience lacks depth, connection, conviction, emotion and purpose. It runs smoothly as planned.

But it misses the mark to help your customers advance in their jobs.

Meet Expectations With Dull Drab Staleness Or Originality?

1. Is your conference designed to give your customers the experience they expect?

2. Word of caution here. If you plan to meet their expectation of just one or two takeaways, you’ve already lowered your conference standards to average at best.

3. Have you normalized conference mediocrity as acceptable?

We’ve all heard conference participants say if they can just get one or two takeaways, it was worth it. Wow, the bar is really low. And that’s not good.

We have altered our customers’ and leaders’ standards of what is acceptable (tolerable?) and what is good for conferences. The standard of good has become good enough which translates into mediocre. We have attended and planned good enough conferences so much that we have accepted it is as normal. We even score conferences on satisfaction rates–which does not lead to change, learning or loyalty.

The Choice To Be Better Than Status Quo Starts With You Great conference experiences are not just a consequence of good intentions, flawless logistics, attentive committee management and meeting deadlines.

It requires reimagining, recreating and rethinking every aspect of your conference participants’ interaction with you, your company, your conference venue, your speakers, and their peers. This means you need to refocus on your conference strategy!

Then align that strategy with your customers’ needs.

Be forewarned! It’s not about acquiescing to everything your conference customers ask for and want.

It’s about being proactive, not reactive.

It involves getting ahead of your customers’ needs and then delivering on stellar promises. It’s about focusing on conference core purpose. It’s about advancing the profession or industry.

Jeff Hurt, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting. Jeff speaks and blogs about meeting and technology trends, the future of conference education, adult learning and all things meetings. Find out more at: velvetchainsaw.com or Twitter: @JeffHurt 10

Advancing Communications: Stay Connected

Who Owns a Sent Email?

photo credit: creativeart

Randy Dean, MBA - The E-Mail Sanity Expert ™ After one of my recent client sessions in Atlanta, Georgia, I was pondering the question, “who owns a sent email?”

One of the attendees said, “It seems like once people hit ‘Send’, they often absolve themselves of all responsibility.”

3. They get it, but they don’t understand it. Hey, maybe your e-mail composition skills aren’t the best. You didn’t make the problem, issue, or task terribly clear, or they lost the most important items in your dense text structure. Or, you sent it to 15 people, and no one realized they owned something in there. I see all of these happen all the time!

That really struck a nerve with me. Because when you think about it, many e-mail users do just that -- they hit “Send” and assume their work and responsibility is DONE. But there is a problem with this: how do you know that the e-mail you sent was both properly received, and was also properly understood? As a matter of fact, if you hit “Send”, and think your work is over, I strongly believe you are basically asking to get burned, especially when sending e-mails of an urgent nature. Here’s why:

Because of these issues, a “sent message” is actually still “owned” by the sender, until they can confirm that not only did the receiver get it, but the receiver also understands it and knows what they need to do with it. And, if something fails along the way, it likely isn’t the receiver’s fault (unless, of course, the receiver is just being careless and not paying reasonably timely attention to what they received.)

1. Some e-mails don’t get there. This simple fact is a truth -- some e-mails don’t get through. They fail. Failure rates are of course quite low inside of an organization, but once you send externally, a certain percentage of e-mails simply don’t make it. (The other party might actually NOT be lying when they tell you they didn’t get the message.)

2. Even if the e-mail gets through, the receiver might not be there. They are home with a sick kid. They are stuck in bad traffic. They are in a “run on” meeting. They are working on a deadline project and forget to check their e-mail. If you send them something requiring a quick (or even worse -- immediate!) reply, you are out of luck. They won’t see it until it is too late.

“I’m so sorry I wrote you a long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.”

- Sir Winston Churchill 11

If the sender is held accountable for most e-mail communication failure situations, they would, by default: 1. Pick up the phone when sending something critical/ urgent/hot. They wouldn’t put all of their trust in e-mail servers, and/or that people are simply sitting at their desk waiting for the next e-mail to come in. They would OWN that message until they know it was properly received, and, for truly urgent messages, they would confirm that receipt using the telephone.

2. They would write better e-mails and subject lines. Put yourself in the recipient’s shoes: can they easily and clearly understand both what the message is about, and what they need to do with it. If not, you as the sender might want to edit that message for clarity.

3. They would ask for clarity. All human brains work differently. You can’t assume they understand you completely. Give them an option to follow up with you if they have any questions and ask them to confirm both receipt and task deadlines/ownership in a short reply message. Then, you know it is now “theirs”.

Before then, you as the Sender still own it. The recipient isn’t on the mark -- the sender is -- until that recipient clearly takes the baton. Get your people to understand this, and many less e-mail problems will occur.

Advancing The Essentials: Invaluable Insights

Is Telecommuting Right For Your Association?

As associations compete for talent in the job market, it’s probably accurate to suggest we need to be creative in compensation and benefit plan to recruit and retain staff. Considering a telecommuting policy may help your organization be competitive.

We implemented a telecommuting policy over four years ago. It didn’t come without some “angst” but at the end of the day, it’s working for us and we’re considering expanding it. As you contemplate “if” a telecommuting policy is right for your association, here are some things we considered.

1. Will your technology support remote access? This should include phone systems as well as computers and software. Our association management software is webbased, as is our phone system, using VoiP. Our system software had the capability for secure VPN access for data and non-web based systems housed on our servers.

2. How do you regularly interact with members? How often do your members “drop” in to your office? We have a number of member events that take place in our professional development center, but they are scheduled so we are able to accommodate them. If most of your day to day communication with members is via phone and/or virtually, the option to telecommute may be more feasible.

3. Consider which positions/job functions are suitable for remote access? For example, handling of payments (cash or check)and other functions that require different levels of security and controls may not allow for remote access. You should also consider exempt versus non-exempt status. Do you have adequate controls to monitor non-exempt staff to assure compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and other personnel related regulations. In our case, we are able to monitor log in times and have processes in place to assure we maintain the necessary compliance.

4. Do you have measurable goals and work assignments to monitor productivity? This was the area I struggled with the most. If I can’t “see” people, how do I know they will be working? Honestly, I had to get over that antiquated thinking. If I can’t trust my team members, I don’t have the right people in place OR it is my management style and therefore my issue. What I have found is that my team holds themselves more accountable when telecommuting than when they are in the office.

When we first started telecommuting, staff would IM me to report they were using the bathroom. They don’t do that when they are in the office, they don’t need to do it when they are working remotely!

5. How do you want to handle the technical requirements for remote access? Are you going to reimburse for internet costs? Who will provide

photo credit: photoduet

the equipment? That is easy if all staff has laptops or tablets, but if they have desktop computers, will they use personal equipment? If so, what are the minimum requirements, what security software is required, etc. It is also important to think about who might have access to equipment or data from the employee’s remote location?

6. How often can staff telecommute?

We allow telecommuting one day a week (Tues, Wed or Thurs) and upon special request for circumstances such as medical issues, etc. We also allow staff to telecommute when the weather is bad.

7. Develop a policy. If you decide to allow telecommuting, be sure to draft a policy – reviewed by legal counsel - that outlines key elements like eligibility, limitations, right to change/ delete the policy, etc.

8. Consider a “trial” period. Test it! Work out the kinks before implementing a full policy.

9. Communicate the policy. Be sure to clearly communicate the expectations.

10. Monitor and adjust. Expect and inspect. Make sure those who telecommute are meeting the goals and expectations.

Toni J. Nuernberg, CAE, CBF, President & COO, National Association of Credit Management - North Central Affiliate, an association dedicated to credit management. Toni can be reached at tnuernberg@forius.com.

12

Deacon’s Lodge Golf Course

Breezy Point Resort provides flexible meeting and event space, healthy cuisine, professional staff, and free wireless. Let us build a custom meeting package for you!

Breezy Point Resort was nominated for 4 Minnesota Meetings + Events 2012 Best of Awards

(800) 432.3777

www.breezypointresort.com

Welcome to your prime destination for meetings and group events. We have the venues, dining and activities to make your stay incredible.

MEET. PLAY. STAY. 320.251.4170 800.264.2940 VISITSTCLOUD.COM 13

Conversations: In Focus

Different view points. Different solutions.

How do you help a new employee understand the culture of your organization?

First you need to know if you are hiring to fit the culture or if you are hiring to change the culture. That determines in many ways how you integrate someone into your organization.

Robbie Thompson Executive Director Professional Liability Underwriting Society

Anna Tanski President/CEO Visit Duluth

Mark Salter, CAE, ABC Executive Director CFA Society Minnesota

I try to customize the process to suit the personality of the new employee. Chances are if they’re working at Visit Duluth they’re outgoing, social and dynamic so I like to provide a verbal overview of our culture and then give them the opportunity to experience it through immersion. I love describing what drives our organization and our approach to everyday duties, tasks and objectives. I emphasize the important role their actions, attitude and input have on office culture. Each time a new employee joins the team there’s a chance the culture may shift or be redefined based on how their personality traits mesh with the existing team.

Understanding culture starts before the first day on the job.

Throughout the hiring and onboarding process, we work hard to treat applicants the way we want them to treat our members and their future colleagues – to model the behavior that will make them successful. Also, understanding culture is a two-way street. The better we understand the culture they’re coming from, the easier it is to show them what’s similar and what’s different, and the faster we all adapt.

14

Calendar Of Events: Mark It + Make It

7

FRIDAY APRIL

18

For more details and to register, visit: www.associationsnorth.com/calendar

17

TUESDAY APRIL

Freebie Day! Your desk 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Webinar: Refreshing Your Exhibit Hall Your Desk 12:30 pm

Associations North wants to thank our members for making a difference each and every day!

On April 7, check your email and choose one complimentary freebie from a collection of great items. Enjoy a freebie on us because you’ve earned it!

Your convention registration is great (hopefully!), but participants are staying out of the exhibit hall in droves. Perhaps it’s you. Well, your approach to the exhibit hall. Does it look like it did ten years ago? Are you doing the same thing over and over expecting different results?

THURSDAY MAY

Go BIG or GO Home Annual Meeting & Expo U.S. Bank Stadium Mark your calendar, invite your team and get ready for the BIGGEST event of the year! Walk the field of U.S. Bank Stadium, think outside the classroom, connect with peers and get new ideas to do your job better. You won’t want to miss this one!

Upcoming Events April

May

6

Communications Networking Group

7

3

Webinar: Board and Committee Orientation and Motivation

Freebie Day

11

16

Webinar: Creating Impactful Credentialing Programs

CEO Networking Group

12

17

Annual Meeting & Expo - US Bank Stadium

Meeting Management Networking Group

18

23

Membership Networking Group

Associations North Board Meeting

18

Webinar: Refreshing Your Exhibit Hall

25

Financial & Accounting Networking Group

28

Young Professionals Networking Group

June

15

July

1

Webinar: Getting the Most Out of LinkedIn

11

Associations North Board Meeting

9

Young Professionals Networking Group

13

VIP & Volunteer Appreciation Reception

14

Allied Networking Group

25

Financial Networking Group

20

Webinar: Write Like a Rock Star

26

Meeting Management Networking Group

22

Golf Classic

28

Headshots Day

Brain Power

Ready to Make a Difference?

Associations North, D&I Committee Associations North strives to provide its members and stakeholders with the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly changing association leadership environment.

Among the areas of focus is diversity and inclusion in the association industry. And Associations North’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee is one of the ways it is leading in this area. Dara Rudick and Melvin Tennant, will once again serve as committee co-chairs.

Associations North values and seeks diversity and inclusiveness within the association management industry. It also advocates for and promotes involvement, innovation, and expanded access to leadership opportunities that maximize engagement across underrepresented groups in the membership.

You are invited to join the Diversity and Inclusion Committee to help advance this work. We are seeking committee members from all backgrounds and with a wide range of skills sets such as sponsorship development, training, advocacy, marketing and research.

The committee has laid a strong foundation of initiatives that Association North members can use to expand their memberships, train their staffs and members and stay plugged in to relevant business trends in diversity.

Make a difference and join this impactful committee.

Email Associations North at info@associationsnorth.com with your interest.

Next Diversity & Inclusion Committee meeting will be set once we receive volunteer commitments. Details to follow.

16

IT’S

Every year there are 800,000 golf tournaments.

You, and many of your members will host or have “professionally planned” at least one.

CertiFresh Cigar is the nation’s leading cigar supplier to golf courses. We serve the finest private country clubs, daily fee and resort facilities in the country.

Golf tournaments are important fundraising activities, and recruiting successful sponsorships are crucial. Cigar sponsors will line up to promote their business to your golfers. Beautifully customized packaging with the world’s top-rated cigars delivers not only an incredible impact, but a solid ROI.

CONNECT TIME

CertiFresh Cigar Event Program “gives back” to associations with every cigar purchased by their cigar sponsor. Contact us to learn the details.

CertiFresh Cigar is built on Guarantees Guaranteed Fresh One Year Guaranteed Top-Rated Cigars Guaranteed - talk of the tournament.

CONTACT - MICHELE MAHMOOD michele@certifreshcigar.com certifreshcigar.com

Sometimes business has to be taken care of, and sometimes it has to be in person. With 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, state-of-the-art a/v equipment, 500 hotel rooms and award winning catering, Treasure Island is the perfect place to stay connected with your clients, partners and vendors. Let’s get down to business together.

800-375-2373 © 2017 Treasure Island Resort & Casino

17

TIcasino.com | 1-80 0 -2 2 2-707 7

The North Experience: Marketing & Sales Symposium

Over 90 marketing, communications, membership and sales professionals experienced this year’s Marketing & Sales Symposium. Here’s what attendees had to say…

· · · · ·

Great energy, fresh message, loved Amazing, entertaining, fun, informative Hilarious and engaging VERY informative – great tips Love this quick, bright format! GOLD!

Have great ideas and want to help plan the 2017 symposium?

Email: info@associationsnorth.com.

To see more photos, visit the Associations North Flickr page: www.flickr.c om/photos/ associations live

SPONSORS

Visit Duluth | Fargo-Moorhead CVB | Mystic Lake Casino Hotel 18

Golf Classic | May 17

THURSDAY, JUNE 22

THE WILDS GOLF CLUB | PRIOR LAKE associationsnorth.com/golf 19 19

Et Cetera: Association Extras

NEW MEMBERS Elizabeth Anderson

Minnesota Medical Association

Amy Beilke

Professional Sales Association

Matt Conn

Grand Casino Marketing

John Cook

MemberZone

Jenna Davis

MN Milk Producers Association

Dana Ecker

La Crosse CVB

Nicole Kangas

The Sanford Center

Shawn Peterson

Maple Lane Media

Alyssa Olson

MN Milk Producers Association

COMING SOON! NEW WEBSITE Spring is here and it is time for some cleaning! The Associations North website is getting a complete makeover as part of our rebrand efforts and we are in the final stages before going live. Watch for the new website to be launched in May!

CAREER CENTER Did you know Associations North has a new career center complete with sample job descriptions, career resources, ask an expert, bank of searchable resumes, and members receive a discount on all job postings?

Check out the place to hire and be hired in the association community, associationsnorth.com/career.

PRE-ORDER 2017 COMPENSATION & BENEFITS STUDY The 2017 Compensation & Benefits Study is set to be released in late May -- pre-order your copy and be the first to have access to data and trends from over 85 Midwest associations and over 1,100 organizations nationally.

To pre-order the 2017 Compensation & Benefits Study, visit: associationsnorth.com/salary.

20

Spotlight: Member In Motion

Get to know industry movers and shakers.

Jill Gerwig Editor/Membership/Marketing Minnesota Builders Exchange

If you really knew me, you’d know ...

What’s your favorite type of cuisine?

I’m obsessed with Jonny Lang.

Italian.

My personality is...

I have too many _____ in my closet...

Complex.

Shoes!

As a kid, I was...

Favorite joke or brain teaser...

Inquisitive.

If a quitter never wins, and a winner never quits, who thought of quitting while you’re ahead?

My motto is...

Learn something new every day.

Best Halloween costume?

Retired Peyton Manning

First live concert?

Whitney Houston, back in her “Bodyguard” days…

I will always love her.

Haha!

How I recharge...

Reading, reading and more reading.

21

h t u l Du

With breathtaking beauty

at every turn, Duluth has a flexible selection of meeting spaces, like the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC).

Our experienced convention services team is here to assist you every step of the way.

Visit Duluth: Stacy Oltmanns | (218) 722-4011 DECC: Sue Ellen Moore | 218.623.1204

22

*BARCODE ENDORSEMENTLINE FIRSTNAME LASTNAME BUSINESS ADDRESSLINE 1 ADDRESSLINE 2 CITY, STATE ZIP