May 2018

FOCUS

May 2018

NORTH

SERVING

Board Culture Trumps Structure and Process pg 7

11 Member Details Associations Need to Track for Better Engagement pg 12

Published by

www.associationsnorth.com

MINNESOTA’S SENIORS

pg 5

LeadingAge Minnesota is Shaping Services and Support for an Aging Population

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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.

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 or call 651-647-6388 for further advertising information.

Staff Angela Kisskeys, Co-Director VP of Operations & Communications Sarah Ruzek, Co-Director VP of Finance & Education

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CONTENTS May 2018

Amanda Aldrich Events Manager

FEATURES

Chris Villeneuve Membership & Office Manager

DEPARTMENTS

5 Serving Minnesota’s

Mission

Seniors

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

Diversity & Inclusion

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.

Thinking

LeadingAge Minnesota is Shaping Services and Support for an Aging Population

Vision

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

Leaders: 7 Advancing Fuel For Forward-

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Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

Board Culture Trumps Structure and Process

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Moving Forward Together

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The Association Life

14 Conversations 15 Calendar of Events 16 Brain Power

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11 Member Details Associations Need to Track for Better Engagement

Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details Post Event Fulfillment Reports: Setting the Stage for Sponsor Renewals

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

Advancing 11 Advancing Communications: 12 The Essentials: Stay Connected

Invaluable Insights

New Ways to Pay Everywhere You Look

Choosing the Right Retirement Program for Your Association

Board of Directors What skill would you like to master?

Cassie Larson, CAE (Chair) Photography MN Nursery & Landscape Association

Sarah Ruzek Associations North

Gardening

Cody Nuernberg Northwestern Lumber Association

Ann Kvaal, CAE (Past-Chair) AK Communications

Angela Kisskeys Associations North

Parenting

Dave Renner, CAE Minnesota Medical Association

Mark Salter, CAE, ABC (Chair-Elect) CFA Society Minnesota Tara Owens (Secretary/Treasurer) MN Academy of Family Physicians

Cooking

Playing the guitar

Public speaking

Justin Bieganek Mercury Creative Group Amanda Friedrich, CMP Visit Saint Paul

BBQ master

Quilting

Playing jazz clarinet

David Siegel, CAE, IOM Builders Association of the Twin Cities Robbie Thompson Professional Liability Underwriting Society

World-class listener

Proof reading

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Moving Forward Together: Associations North Partners

Featured Sponsor:

AVEX

Why we partner with Associations North…

We have grown alongside this organization and have benefitted from the relationships we have made with its members and staff. The ability to learn and network with the companies, planners, venues, and associations that have a need of our services is crucial to support the growth of our organization. Here at AVEX, we like to say that relationships are built on trust, not transactions, and through our partnership we have the opportunity to connect and foster those relationships.

“We can’t over- emphasize the importance of our relationship with Associations North. Associations North gives us the opportunity to better understand the unique needs of an association.

Through our membership, we are able to build new and nurture existing relationships, all while supporting the mission of Associations North.”

PREMIER PARTNERS

ADVANCER SPONSOR

INNOVATOR SPONSORS

ENGAGER SPONSORS

CONNECTOR SPONSORS 3

Fargo-Moorhead CVB | Visit Duluth | Visit Saint Paul

The Association Life

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

MN Association of County Officers (MACO) MACO is a professional association of county officials dedicated to assisting

Association of MN Counties

its members improve services to their constituencies.

The Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) is a voluntary, non-partisan statewide organization that has assisted the state’s 87 counties in providing effective county governance to the people of Minnesota since 1909. The association works closely with the legislative and administrative branches of government in seeing that legislation and policies favorable to counties are enacted.

North Metro Mayors Association The North Metro Mayors Association was created in 1987 to serve as the champion organization encouraging private and public investments in the north suburban area.

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Serving Minnesota’s Seniors LeadingAge Minnesota is Shaping Services and Support for an Aging Population

As the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age, a long-term national trend is hitting close to home: Minnesota’s population is getting older. With 60,000 Minnesotans turning 65 each year between now and 2030, a new generation is facing the need to ensure that seniors have access to the care and services that will support them as they age. LeadingAge Minnesota represents the organizations that help seniors age well and live fully in the places they call home.

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“In the not-too-distant future, 1 in every 4 Minnesotans will be at least 65 years old,” LeadingAge Minnesota President and CEO Gayle Kvenvold said. “There has never been a greater need for a unified, collaborative voice to champion the field of aging services. We serve the dedicated people who work in care centers, senior housing, adult day and home care. Caregiving is their calling and improving people’s lives is their mission.”

With over 1,100 members and a staff of 36, LeadingAge Minnesota and its subsidiaries provide a wealth of resources to assist these organizations in their day-today operations. The association’s advocacy work is an important benefit that members rely on to navigate the rules and policies governing aging services. The organization’s legislative issues range from how much money the state and federal government will contribute to supporting seniors to championing policies that meet the evolving needs of seniors and those who provide them with care.

LeadingAge Minnesota members attend an annual Day at the Capitol, where they visit with their state lawmakers to discuss bills that affect their field. They also participate with the national LeadingAge and Argentum associations in Washington, DC.

“In the not-too-distant future, 25% of the adult population in Minnesota will be at least 65 years old.”

Once legislation is passed, the association’s education team creates webinars, videos and other training materials to help members understand the new policies.

Since education is an important part of LeadingAge Minnesota’s mission, staff members from multiple teams meet bi-weekly to build a more complete picture of their members’ needs and develop the association’s 11 annual signature events. Other trainings are based on specific or requested topics, averaging 50 to 75 events each year with attendance ranging from 30 to 4,000 people.

information and resources about aging services and its work to transform how aging is perceived and addressed in Minnesota. Through strategic affiliations with the Minnesota Hospital Association and the Minnesota HomeCare Association, and collaborations with a broad cross section of stakeholders such as the Alzheimer’s Association, HealthForce Minnesota, Minnesota Elder Justice Center, Long-Term Care Imperative and Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging, LeadingAge Minnesota is building common ground to give the broader public a look at the demands of senior caregiving.

As LeadingAge Minnesota looks to the future, workforce has emerged as a pivotal issue and primarily focuses on one question: where will providers find the staff members needed to support this growing population of seniors?

“Our members are creating environments that seniors will be happy to call home,” Prosser said. “When you’re competing with other sectors for workers, how do you find the staff that will fulfill the wants and needs of your residents? We cover that issue in many ways.”

One unique aspect of LeadingAge Minnesota is their commitment to creating solutions that deliver high value for their members. The association has a Foundation that supports initiatives to advance service delivery models and build a 21st century workforce. It also created the Savings & Solutions Center, a wholly-owned subsidiary, to shape trusted vendor relationships and leverage the purchasing power of its members on products and services that help deliver high quality care at lower operational costs.

“Most of the training we provide is for the site leaders, administrators, CEOs or housing directors,” LeadingAge Minnesota’s Vice President of Conferences and Sales Jenny Prosser said. “However, depending on the event, we sometimes have training for other disciplines like dietary, nursing, social services or activities.”

As Minnesota has surpassed the 1 million mark for people age 65 and older, LeadingAge Minnesota is promoting awareness and innovation to shape the future of aging services. Whether its members are in the Twin Cities or in greater Minnesota, they are dedicated to ensuring seniors in every community live with dignity, meaning and purpose.

In addition to providing for the needs of its members, LeadingAge Minnesota reaches out to the public to supply

Learn more about LeadingAge Minnesota at www.leadingagemn.org.

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Advancing Leaders: Fuel for Forward-Thinking

Board Culture Trumps Structure and Process John T. Dinner When looking back at the evolution of governance over the past 25 years or so, there’s been an interesting and marked progression from a structural focus in the early days to a recognition that board work processes also have a significant impact on good governance. More recently, there’s been a recognition that board culture is the third, perhaps most important, leg of the governance stool.

Board culture really speaks to the group dynamics and boardroom behaviors among directors with management: the free expression of ideas and issues, the trust and confidence among directors with management and a collective focus on the organization’s mission and vision when making decisions.

The basic fiduciary requirement that directors act in the best interests of the corporation and exercise a duty of care is often viewed in legal terms. Similarly, director independence has been defined in terms of structural perspective with respect to management. Both have significant behavioral and board culture implications that trump any legal or structural requirements when it comes to board effectiveness.

Rather than defining director independence in terms of an individual’s relationship with staff, real independence, is more about a director’s ability to exercise meaningful oversight and holding 7 staff accountable, without sacrificing

the ability to also partner with staff to help the organization deliver. When you think of healthy boardroom behavior and dynamic between directors and management, look for substantive evidence that: • Directors have the opportunity and the freedom to ask relevant questions that will give them the necessary comfort and confidence to fill their oversight obligations; • The relationship between the Board and Management is characterized by the highest possible level of trust and open communication; • It is not acceptable for Directors to simply conform, criticize or control matters during boardroom deliberations; • The Board understand their role and that of Management and guards against becoming operationally focused, micromanaging or acting in a manner that is passive and subservient; • Management regards the Board as a strategic partner and asset and actively seeks the advice and counsel of Directors; and, • Meetings characterized by dialogue and debate with Management respecting the need for Directors to conduct meaningful due diligence.

At the heart of a healthy boardroom behavior is the degree of candor between the Board and staff. By candor, I mean that freedom with which directors are able to raise issues and speak out. A lack of candor slows down decision-

making and represents one of the most significant obstacles to board success. A lack of candor blocks smart ideas, fast action, and directors from effectively using their skills and experience.

Candor helps to ensure all views and issues are put forward for consideration so that directors are equipped to make the best decision possible relative to organizational strategy and other corporate considerations. This inherently means that a healthy board culture exists when contrarian views, various options and constructive challenging or testing of conventional thinking and the status quo are welcomed, encouraged and expected.

Evidence of a healthy board culture most often shows up in the decisionmaking process. Once a board has reached a decision, all directors need to take ownership for and support the outcome, regardless of personal views.

Individual directors need to respect the collective nature of board decisionmaking, recognizing that there is rarely one right answer or approach to addressing a particular issue or opportunity. While good debate and deliberation are hallmarks of a healthy board within the confines of the boardroom, director solidarity in public is also a critical requirement.

As much as board structure and governance processes play a critical role in the decision-making process, it is really the boardroom culture that will determine the quality of those decisions, the health and effectiveness of the board and an organization’s success in achieving its vision.

John Dinner is President of John T. Dinner Board Governance Services. For the past 20 years, he has partnered with clients across sectors to help them improve their board’s value and contribution to their organization’s success.

He can be reached by email at: john@boardgovernance.ca

Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

11 Member Details Associations Need to Track for Better Engagement MemberClicks

Do you really know what’s happening in your membership? What your members are truly interested in, or what topics make them tick? Can you easily see what events they have the attended in the past year, what their engagement levels are, and why they stay?

Most importantly, do you know how to use this kind of information to help improve member engagement and retention - and even new member sales?

Many associations abandon what we like to call “member discovery” because it’s just too much work, it’s not automated and if their website isn’t integrated with their AMS (Association Management Software) they find the data entry to be cumbersome. More often than not, even associations that are tracking this information are unsure of how to get this intelligence out of their membership management system and to use it to help them achieve their goals.

“Take a proactive approach. It begins with effective tracking and then sharing of results. Knowledge is power!”

The result? Missed opportunities abound for demonstrating membership value and increasing engagement, retention and sales.

Here are a few things your team should consider tracking if you are not: 1. Reason(s) for joining 2. Their interests (business and personal) 3. Committees and groups they are interested in, or are participating on 4. The type and frequency of communication they’d like to receive 5. Business goals, what they are looking to achieve

6. When they started working in their field 7. What types of events they attend regularly 8. What events or programs they have contributed to or volunteered for 9. What other groups and organizations they are involved in outside of yours 10. Their social media outlets 11. The top categories getting the most activity on your online member directory How do these things apply to membership value? With this type of information being collected regularly, your association is now able to: • Create highly targeted communications to boost member engagement • Provide opportunities for them to engage based on their specific interests • Demonstrate that you have taken time to understand their interests and needs • Show members what they’ve already invested in the association in terms of dollars • Share with members what they’ve received…and what’s in it for them!

• Show their participation at events, on committees, at workshops etc.

• Identify trends with individual or groups of members • Show referrals and connections made between people • Connect people based on activity, interests, and relationships • Demonstrate value in your online directory in order to sell advertising and sponsorships • Use data from your website activity to entice potential members to join Member-based organizations today must take a proactive, ongoing approach to demonstrating membership value for engagement and retention. It all begins with effective tracking and then sharing of results. Knowledge is power!

Your organization can easily track these details and use them to acquire, engage, and retain more members.

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2017

YE RS

Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details

Post-Event Fulfillment Reports: Setting the Stage for Sponsor Renewals According to the 2012 IEG/ Performance Research Sponsorship Decision-Makers Survey, post-event fulfillment reports tied audience research as the most important service provided by conference hosts.

So what is a post-event fulfillment report? In a nutshell, it’s a report penned by a host organization and provided to sponsors following an event. It benefits sponsors in the following ways: • Helps sponsors justify their investments.

• Builds internal support at sponsoring companies.

• Demonstrates how conference hosts have over-delivered.

• Sets the stage for renewal discussions.

• Delivers gratitude on behalf of conference hosts (and their constituents).

While typically reserved for sponsors, fulfillment reports could easily be tailored to address the needs of exhibitors, speakers and attendees – any constituent group for whom an organization might wish to demonstrate a mutually beneficial partnership. According to IEG, key elements of a post-event fulfillment report include: • A brief introduction and executive summary. Assuming it’s the only portion of the report some busy professionals will read, it should summarize key deliverables and include a short interpretation of data.

• Participant/attendee information, including attendance figures, demographics and the results of any audience research (e.g., aggregate evaluation data).

• All on-site exposure documented through photos, samples and reproductions; the number of people who received promotional items or were exposed to advertising; and a comparison of quantities, location and position delivered versus what was promised.

• Any off-site exposure (e.g., print, television or radio).

• Trackable promotional results, including the number of people responding to sponsor campaigns.

• Any additional outcomes (e.g., donations to charitable organizations, employee participation or economic impact summary).

Additionally, consider adding in thirdparty endorsements or testimonials, including feedback or data from the event’s attendees or participants.

Particularly impactful are pictures of attendees with their names, titles, organizations and insights. Issuu gives anyone with digitally bound content the ability to upload and distribute publications worldwide both quickly and easily. So what does it take to develop and release your first postevent fulfillment report? Here are five tips to get you started: 1. Dedicate staff resources. Assign someone as the lead and ensure multidisciplinary buy-in from all other supporting departments/staff.

2. Make it an ongoing process. Create the basic template and keep it updated leading up to the event. Ensure all staff assignments onsite and postevent are clearly communicated. This should ensure the report is less tedious to complete post-event (with no lost information).

“Post-event fulfillment reports tied audience research as the most important service provided by conference hosts.”

3. Keep reports succinct. There’s no magic number – but you’ll know what’s right for the recipients of your report.

Bullets, photos, charts and other brief expressions of content are always preferable to lengthy paragraphs 4. Consider the different audiences.

A single report may be viewed by the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer, the marketing department and countless other individuals employed by your sponsoring organizations. Consider their needs and ensure your post-event fulfillment report meets them head-on.

5. Deliver in a timely fashion. It’s best to complete and deliver a postevent fulfillment report within 30 days following an event.

While it would be optimal to customize every post-event fulfillment report before hand-delivering it to sponsors, that’s likely not feasible given our often limited time and resources. So, do your best. If nothing else, deliver the report via your organization’s email platform and be sure to personalize the recipient’s name.

Aaron Wolowiec, CEO, Event Garde, a professional development consultancy. Aaron is a learning strategist and meetings coach for leading associations and membership societies across the United States. Aaron can be reached at: aaron@eventgarde.com

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Advancing Communications: Stay Connected

New Ways to Pay Everywhere You Look Gary Braley

Zelle, Bitcoin, Venmo and Ripple - what’s it all mean and do I really need to know? Every way your association interacts with members and vendors will change due to new payment systems and blockchain technology. Credit cards are rapidly going out of style because they are fraud prone and checks are rarely used. As a result member renewals, product sales, contract negotiation and other transactions will be handled with Apple Pay, Venmo, Ethereum and dozens of other new tools.

Let’s look at three major areas of change: 1. Peer to peer payment apps like Venmo 2. Tap to pay at checkout with your smartphone 3. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin We often hear about the future “cashless” society but what exactly will replace good old dollar bills? For many years we’ve used credit cards and checks to transfer money and we still use bills and coins frequently. But few people carry large quantities of cash and credit cards are increasingly misused resulting in major financial loss.

Who are my peers and how can I pay them?

As with many changes today, much of the activity - the so called peer to peer (P2P) systems - depend on our smartphones. Dozens of app based methods let you to easily send money to your friends (peers). While the common example of such transfer is college students splitting a bar tab, you can in fact with a few taps on the ubiquitous Venmo app send money for any purpose directly to another phone. This app along with many others like it, is linked to a bank account; their is no charge with debit accounts and the usual charges associated with credit cards. One caution concerning Venmo; it is meant to be a social network app and all your transactions will be public unless you change the privacy setting!

Zelle is likely the biggest P2P development you’ve never heard of. Dozens of major banks joined forces to use Zelle for such payments. If you have an account with one of these banks you can use your smartphone to transfer

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money to someone with an account at any of them. Last year 75 billion dollars was transferred using Zelle.

P2P functionality is creeping into messaging apps as well.

There is an Apple Pay Cash button in iMessage allowing direct transfer among iPhone users. Other similar options include PayPal, Google Wallet and Facebook Messenger.

To stem the tide of credit card theft more stores allow you to pay by tapping your smartphone on the credit card terminal.

Many apps and smartphones allow this. Right now the major hang up is that terminals need to be upgraded and staff need to be trained. While credit cards are notoriously easy to copy and steal, tap to pay is virtually theft proof since the card information is not transmitted at any time and it only works using thumbprint or face recognition.

We can’t talk about modern money without mentioning Bitcoin; most people have heard of it but few understand it. In a sense Bitcoin is much like our current money - you can exchange dollars for Euros, Pesos, Rubles and Rupees and you can exchange dollars for Bitcoin. And just as some businesses accept Euros, some businesses accept Bitcoin. How is Bitcoin different? Bitcoin is not backed by any government like most traditional currencies are. It was invented a few years ago and just like most currencies, how much Bitcoin is worth depends on what “we” decide it’s worth. If the price of an object goes up, you can say the value of the dollar went down - compared to that object.

Bitcoin values fluctuate just as exchange rates vary for any currency every day. Bitcoin has the potential advantage of being anonymous so no one knows what you pay to whom.

This brings us to the most important aspect of Bitcoin and that is Blockchain. Blockchain is a powerful new database that will upend our entire business structure.

You’ll gradually hear more about Blockchain and less about Bitcoin because Blockchain has the potential to drastically transform the world of business. Payments are changing rapidly, stay tuned.

Gary Braley is a speaker and writer on popular technology topics. He can be reached at gBraley@Braley.com.

Advancing The Essentials: Invaluable Insights

Choosing the Right Retirement Program for Your Association In today’s competitive talent market, the type of benefit program offered by your association is becoming increasingly important and top of mind for your prospective candidates.

Offering a benefit program that appeals to your talent demographics but still aligns with your association’s budgetary and operational needs can be a challenge. There are several retirement programs that are currently available to associations, ranging in complexity and cost, that can aid in talent recruitment and retention.

Employee contributions are not permitted, which could be a drawback for some associations. The SEP is easily established by adopting a prototype Form 5305-SEP or any prototype SEP document that is sponsored by the custodian. Associations can contribute a discretionary amount up to 25% of each employee’s compensation each year. There are no filing requirements with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Department of Labor (DOL). The employee would be 100% vested in the contributions at the time of funding.

Essentially, there are 3 types of retirement programs that associations can implement. Each type of plan has its own benefits and related pitfalls, so choosing the right benefit structure needs to be carefully evaluated.

Simple Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE): The SIMPLE plan is the next step up from the SEP plan. The SIMPLE plan offers enhanced features not offered in the SEP plan; however, does bring with it additional complexities. The SIMPLE is available to any small business (generally less than 100 employees). Like the SEP, the SIMPLE can also be established by adopting a prototype Form 5304-SIMPLE and Form 5305-SIMPLE or any prototype SIMPLE document sponsored by the custodian.

Employees are also able to contribute their own compensation to the SIMPLE plan (pre-tax) up to $12,500 (if under age 50) or $15,500 (if over age 50) for 2018. Unlike the SEP, contributions have less flexibility. The association is required to contribute either a matching contribution of up to 3% of compensation, or a 2% non-elective contribution to each eligible employee.

There are no filing requirements with the IRS and DOL and the employee would be 100% vested in the contributions.

Simplified Employee Pension (SEP): The SEP plan is a fantastic program for small associations looking for a way to provide retirement benefits to employees with minimal administration and cost. Contributions are provided entirely by the association and are funded into the employees’ Individual Retirement Account (IRA), that is set up for each participant.

“In today’s competitive talent market, the type of benefit program offered by your association is becoming increasingly important.”

401(k) Plan: The 401(k) Plan is the most common and robust retirement savings vehicle that is offered in the marketplace. The 401(k) Plan offers the greatest flexibility in terms of contributions, funding, and operational choices surrounding eligibility and vesting. The 401(k) Plan, however, can be costly and has the greatest administrative complexities.

To establish a 401(k) Plan, a qualified plan document and related trust must be established. The 401(k) Plan will require an annual Form 5500 filing with the IRS and DOL. Depending on the plan design features, annual nondiscrimination testing could also be required. Employees, however, are able defer up to $18,500 in either pretax or Roth contributions (if under age 50) or $24,500 (if over age 50) for 2018.

Choosing the right retirement plan vehicle is complex and there are many factors that need to be considered before implementing or changing your current benefit program. Also, as your employee demographics change, the benefit offerings should be reviewed and monitored to ensure your benefit program meets both your employees’ needs as well as your association’s operations.

For more information regarding retirement plans, please contact Olsen Thielen CPAs Employee Benefit Plan Specialist, Magen Koepp, CPA, at 651-621-8558 or mkoepp@otcpas.com.

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Conversations: In Focus

Different view points. Different solutions.

Why do you attend Associations North Annual Meeting & Expo and Why Should Others?

Register By May 31st to Save! associationsnorth.com/solutions

Being a busy association executive, it is easy to fall into the pattern of doing what has worked in the past for various association initiatives.

Attending the Annual Meeting & Expo provides me with new ideas and outof-the-box solutions to break out of the habit of doing the same thing year after year. I also find leaving the office once in a while is a great refresher and opportunity to network with industry colleagues who face many of the same challenges.

Gretchen Huetteman Partner & Senior Account Executive The Harrington Company

You have the wisdom and brilliance of the best in Association management right there, happy to provide counsel and knowledge. All you have to do is attend and ask.

David Siegel, CAE, IOM Executive Director BATC/Housing First Minnesota

Attending Associations North Conference is a must – it’s a day full of great education and exceptional networking opportunities. Each year they keep reinventing and providing new education and experiences that I look forward to. What more could you ask for?

Stacey Caris Meetings & Events Coordinator MN Multi Housing Association (MHA)

Coming next issue: What system do you have in place for backing up files and data for your association?

Submit your answer & headshot to: angela@associationsnorth.com.

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

Calendar Of Events: Mark It + Make It

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TUESDAY MAY

Webinar: Let’s Get Digital At Your Desk 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm 71% of internet usage now happens on mobile and the predominant internet activity on mobile is social.

For many of us, our phones are the first thing we pick up in the morning and the last thing we put down at night. As a result, your association has more moments throughout the day to connect with members and prospects than ever before.

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WED-THUR JUNE

SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE (Annual Meeting & Expo with Golf Classic) Mystic Lake Center The fun starts June 13th!

Find the solutions you need as you connect with 450 attendees, industry experts, exhibitors and golfers while enhancing your career, building relationships and experiencing one of the Twin Cities’ newest venues!

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TUESDAY JUNE

Webinar: Emotionally Intelligent Leadership At Your Desk 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Leaders are made, not born and communication is the key to becoming an effective leader.

When you learn to use your Emotional Intelligence, you can communicate more effectively to influence and empower those around you.

Upcoming Events May

June

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CEO Meetup Group

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8

Webinar: Let’s Get Digital

13-14 Solutions Conference with Annual Meeting & Expo

22

Membership Meetup Group

and Golf Classic

August

July

15

Webinar: Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

18

Meetings Meetup Group

1

CAE Informational Meeting

31

Communications Meetup Group

9

Member Visits

10

Headshots Day

21

Membership Meetup Group

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Brain Power

Ace Your Next Golf Event By: Minneapolis Northwest Tourism Jenny Stendahl, Golf Operations Manager at Rush Creek Golf Club in Maple Grove, Minn., is a master at helping groups put on exceptional golf events. Here she offers her expert advice on how to have a successful outing, including tips for beginning golfers.

Go Above and Beyond • Get creative with mini-games set up at each hole, such as a marshmallow drive contest and bean bag toss. These little extras provide added fun and entertainment.

• Use the popular scramble format for groups – teams of four select the best drive, the best second shot, and so on, until the ball is in the cup. This keeps the game moving and takes the pressure off first-time golfers.

• Take advantage of specialized branding services, such as branded pin flags or adding your logo as a decal on the golf carts. Personalized cart tags and scorecards are a nice touch, too.

• Make sure the food is top-notch, whether you’re having a formal steak dinner or a casual taco bar.

Etiquette for Beginners • Get in the swing of things by taking practice swings at a driving range ahead of time. Many ranges offer areas to practice chipping and putting, as well.

• No matter your skill level, remember that pace of play is important. “You don’t have to be good to keep up,” Jenny says. As long as you keep moving, you’ll be good to go.

• If you’re not a golfer, you can still look the part. Good rules of thumb include no jeans, cutoffs, sweatpants or sandals, and tennis shoes or golf shoes are a must.

• Include prizes with the games like drink tickets, merchandise, or a gift certificate for a round of golf.

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WHAT’S NEW? • TWO Days to Connect at Annual Meeting & Expo, Cornholapalooza and Golf Classic Save $30 by attending all three events!

• In-Depth Educational Workshops for Deeper Learning • Open Concept Trade Show with Mind Dash Conversations that inform, engage and excite • New location, New Experience: Mystic Lake Center • Ask the Expert, AMS Speed Shop and More!

Bring an RFP to Solutions Expo for a chance to win $250!

Register By May 31st to Save! associationsnorth.com/solutions

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Et Cetera: Association Extras

WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS! Josh Anderson

Minneapolis Northwest Tourism

Nikki Baggenstoss

Capitol Ridge Event Center

Steve Bonoff

Printing Industry Midwest

Matt Doffing

Independent Community Bankers of MN

Irina Fox

Industrial Fabrics Assn Int’l

Ethan Grefsrud

Fargo-Moorhead CVB

Athena Hollins

MN State Bar Association

Debra Hurston

Hurston Consulting

Jeanne Hutter

Visit Lakeville

Sara Lepp

PRMIA

Sarah Mayer

Hennepin County Bar Association

Nick Moreno

ACA International

Suzanne Murphy

Ewald Consulting

Mark Neeb

ACA International

Florkime Paye

PRMIA

Emma Penzenstadler

Marine Retailers Assn of the Americas

Roger Whitman

PRMIA

Erling Zhang

Global Management Partners

PROUD MEMBER WINDOW DECAL Thank you for sharing your proud member window decal MN Commercial Association of Real Estate, we’re proud to have you as members too! Didn’t receive yours? Call 651-647-6388 or email chris@associationsnorth.com and we will re-send. Hang your proud member window decal and share a photo with us on: Twitter: @assnsnorth \\ Facebook: @associationsnorth

2018-2019 RENEWALS We’re looking forward kicking off a new 3-year strategic plan starting July 2018! Watch for details on exciting new education, programs and services coming your way. 2018-19 renewals will be emailed soon, feel free to process online or mail payment. If you have any questions or would like to know how to get your entire staff involved, email Chris@associationsnorth.com or call 651-647-6388.

WHAT DOES YOUR PROFILE SAY? As a member, we want to serve you the best way we can. If you haven’t visited your member profile, check it out to see past event history, outsanding invoices, select communication preferences, indicate which Meetup Groups you want to join and view other pertinent information to your membership. Log in to your profile at: associationsnorth.com and click on Manage Profile.

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Spotlight: Member In Motion

Get to know industry movers and shakers.

Erin Murray Program Manager, Marketing & Events MN Electrical Association

Favorite cuisine...

My personality in one word:

Italian - specifically anything pasta!

Give me all the carbs.

Genuine. What you see is what you get with me!

My dream car...

Words to live by...

Range Rover. A little luxury mixed with a little rugged…perfect!

If you smile at the world, the world will smile back.

One amenity I’d love to add to the workplace Treadmill desks! They say sitting is the new cancer.

The store I would like to max out my credit card: Cabelas. I love the outdoors, so I could do some major damage there!

Windows or Mac? I consider myself a weird hybrid user. I prefer Windows in the workplace because I feel like it is more universal amongst co-workers and business to business (and it is what I am just so used to!), but I prefer Mac in my personal life with my iPhone and iPad.

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I have too many...

Pairs of yoga pants… it’s an addiction! But a practical and comfy one at least.

My all-time favorite Halloween costume...

A peacock…my favorite animal! I bought 150 faux peacock feathers from amazon and it took 2 months to build. I was pretty proud of myself! Halloween is my favorite holiday so I tend to go all out.

CHEERS TO 20 YEARS

Celebrating two decades of community, vibrancy, impact and connections.

WE FOUND YOUR

NEW MEMBERS It was pretty easy, too. We just used search engine optimization and digital marketing the same way we handle your printing and direct mail — effectively and affordably.

We’ve been helping other associations with their marketing for years, and we can help yours, too.

Want to find new members?

Call us to start.

PRINT

DIGITAL

cgpl.com

MARKETING

PROMOTIONAL

info@cgpl.com

952.447.5044 22

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

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MORE CHOICES TO STAY. MORE SPACE FOR ASSOCIATION GROUPS.

With over 42 hotels, six new properties, and 9,200 guest rooms, Bloomington is home to the largest concentration of hotels in Minnesota. That means there’s always room for groups to stay, meet and work. And the Mall of America® serves as a dynamic backdrop and instant entertainment complex for evening outings that everyone can enjoy.

Explore Bloomington and book your association group at tcook@bloomingtonmn.org