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You’ve Been Elected Association President… Now What?
Congratulations, you’re association president! Now what? All too often, organizations have nominations, elections and officer succession systems in place but fall short when it comes to preparing the incoming board
3 Trends in Tradeshows That Will Impact Your Association
If you are an association staff member tasked with managing your group’s tradeshow, you know how hard it is to keep the event fresh. Attendee expectations are constantly changing, and
Four Things Association Board Members Can Do Today To Grow Membership
Growing membership is everyone’s job, but too often it can become pigeonholed as a responsibility reserved for the membership department. As an association Board member, you can also be
Five Ways to Make Your Time With Volunteers More Effective
Volunteers are the engines that help keep many associations running, and it’s important to understand how to make your time count when talking with them. It’s critical to remember that
3 Keys to A Successful Mobile App for Your Next Event
There are now countless ways to engage your audience and spark participation at an event or conference. One of the most successful methods is the use of a mobile app.
Three Tips to Help Global Associations Overcome Language Barriers
As associations grow globally, one of the big challenges they face are language barriers. Fortunately, with a little preparation this is a challenge that can be overcome even for the
Five tips for nonprofits who want to grow non-dues revenue, corporate sponsorships, and new business
After working in sales at a global consumer electronics company for a dozen years, it was time to switch gears. So I moved from the corporate to the nonprofit arena.
Tips for Solving Language Barriers When Working With Volunteers
Volunteer boards and committees sometimes struggle to ensure all of their members are on the same page during an important decision-making process. And, for growing global organizations, this challenge can sometimes
Four Lessons Learned: Planning European Conferences
Have you ever heard something like this? “Our association is hosting a first-time international conference and you are the staff person assigned to it. You need to find a hotel
Building Connections is Essential for CAE Success
Looking back, I probably could have taken the Certified Association Executive (CAE) exam ten years ago. I had just completed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organizational Management (IOM)
Six Tips & Suggestions to Prepare for the CAE Exam
I’ll be honest—when I committed to becoming a Certified Association Executive (CAE), I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew that there were a number of
Three Raybourn Group International staff earn prestigious CAE designation
Three Raybourn Group International employees passed the rigorous Certified Association Executive (CAE) professional exam in January. Founded in 1960, the CAE Program is a recognized mark of excellence in the
5 Event Planning Tips that Made ISAE’s STAR Awards a Success
The Indiana Society of Association Executives’ (ISAE) 13th annual STAR Awards banquet broke all past attendance records and also raised the highest amount of money for the silent auction charity
Six RGI staff recognized by ISAE for professional excellence
During its 13th Annual STAR Awards, held December 11 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in downtown Indianapolis, a senior Raybourn Group International (RGI) staff member was named the 2014 Association
How to Learn Anything Fast
What if you could learn a new skill in just 20 hours instead of the old adage of 10,000 hours? That is what author Josh Kaufman promises in his book
Will your Facebook posts be seen?
Social media. A few years ago probably half of association members would say they don’t use it – now however, it is a growing communication platform with 1 in 4
Utilize This Tool To Help Plan International Events
In association management, many of us work with international members and/or plan international meetings. Sometimes this can be a bit challenging simply because of cultural differences. MPI (Meeting Professionals International),
If You Build It, They Will Come: Inbound Marketing In Associations
Inbound marketing seems to be the catch phrase of 2014. What is it? Simply put, inbound marketing refers to relevant marketing that brings your prospects to you, in contrast to
Obstacle Busting
It’s that time of year again . . . when you look back and evaluate what you’ve accomplished this year – as you plan for doing even more next year.
Getting The Most Out Of Instagram
by Hannah Klare As the final post in this series, I would like to quickly summarize a great article in Association Adviser named “10 Ways to Communicate Better with Instagram”
What is Instagram?
By Hannah Klare Recently, I created an Instagram account and strategy for a RGI client association. So, what is Instagram? Instagram is a place where communicating with pictures is an
Set Smart Goals to Achieve Anything
Have you ever tried to lose weight? How about exercise more or finish that best-selling business book that is going to change your world? Does your organization have hurdles it
Tips To Keep Attendees Coming Back
According to a Harvard Business Review, increasing your retention rate by 5% can increase your profits by 25%-90%. Not only does retention rate apply to membership, but especially those attending
If A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, Then A Video Is Worth A Million
The Indiana Society of Association Executives (ISAE) unveiled our newest marketing tool, a membership recruitment video, at the 2014 ISAE Annual Convention in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The membership recruitment video,
When The Volunteer Administrator Is The Volunteer
Most of my professional life has involved managing volunteers. I even hold certifications (CVA and CAE) attesting to my knowledge in this area, and I think I’m pretty good at
Volunteers: Walk a Day in Their Shoes
Volunteers: Can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them. If you work in association management, I’m sure you’ve heard the saying before. Many times, those who haven’t walked
Looking Through A Volunteer’s Eyes
Do you volunteer for other organizations? Do you serve on any volunteer boards? Do you donate your time to a charity or service organization? As association professionals, we tend to
Respecting Your Volunteers’ Time
When I was preparing to become a volunteer leader for the first time, I was taught an important lesson about working with volunteers. It was impressed upon me that every
Lessons from the Other Side: 4 Things Volunteering Has Taught Me About Volunteer Management
Volunteer management is a critical skill for association professionals. After almost a decade of managing various committees and task forces, I thought I knew all the ins and outs of
Lessons From The Other Side: 4 Things Volunteering Has Taught Me About Volunteer Management
Volunteer management is a critical skill for association professionals. After almost a decade of managing various committees and task forces, I thought I knew all the ins and outs of
RGI Staffers Earn Association Executive Designation
INDIANAPOLIS – Raybourn Group International (RGI) is pleased to announce that two of its valued staff members have recently earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. Amanda Cook, CAE, serves
What does “International” mean for an organization?
Last year at this time, the Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA) was finalizing a lengthy re-branding process for the association. Attention was given to a new logo, focused mission and
Are you a Scrooge, Milk or Antique Association?
New to the association management profession, I recently read a book suggested to me by a colleague to gain a better understanding of how to grow membership. In The End
The Value of Membership
Is membership valuable? As a volunteer, I work with many non-profit fraternal organizations. The number one question I keep asking their leadership is “what makes membership valuable?” Associations exist in
Eight Ways to Make your Staff Retreat Rock
I recently had the opportunity to meet with a small group to help plan the annual Raybourn Group International (RGI) staff retreat. RGI is made up of about 30 individuals
Study Reveals Marketing Impacts the Bottom Line
A new study from Salesforce’s ExactTarget and Deloitte found that marketing execs are increasingly responsible for areas that don’t strictly fall under the traditional marketing umbrella, including customer service, data
The New Kids on the Block: Generation Z
Just when I thought I finally had a handle on what the Millennial generation was all about, I’ve learned there is ANOTHER generation of talented, connected and socially conscious coming-of-age
You don’t know what you don’t know
I’ve been spending a lot of time recently developing a new member onboarding process. I’ll be the first to admit that the Corporate Housing Providers Association’s model could be updated
Marketing Time Management: Respecting Your Own Time and Your Marketing Pro’s Time
Guest Blog By: Robby Slaughter, Principal-AccelaWork There are a couple of very good reasons you’ve got at least one marketing professional to help promote your association: that person is an expert in marketing, and
Marketing to Millennials
Author– Katherine M. Finley, PhD, CAE Millennials or gen Y is the name for the generation born between 1978 and 1994 and represents over 80 million individuals. As a group,
5 ways to implement a successful mobile app at your next event
There’s nothing better than wrapping up an event with a feeling of success. I mean, what is the point of all the hard work and months of planning if there
Making a Dent In the Universe . . . Putting a Dent in Your Membership Growth
Guest Blog By Kordell Norton, CSP He smiled. “If they had not done it already . . . they had it on their bucket list of to-do’s. EVERYONE of them.”
5 Questions for Leslie Murphy, FASAE, CAE
RGI has talented, knowledgeable and professional executive directors guiding strategy and direction for all client associations. We are recognizing these leaders with the 5 Questions blog series. We asked each
5 Questions for Mary Ann Passi, CAE
RGI has talented, knowledgeable and professional executive directors guiding strategy and direction for all client associations. This month, we recognize these leaders with a new blog series. We asked each
5 Questions for Mark McSweeney, CAE
RGI has talented, knowledgeable and professional executive directors guiding strategy and direction for all client associations. This month, we recognize these leaders with a new blog series. We asked each
5 Questions for Jackie Williams, CPA
RGI has talented, knowledgeable and professional executive directors guiding strategy and direction for all client associations. This month, we recognize these leaders with a new blog series. We asked each
ICBR Wins Best Association Website
Created in 1994, the Indiana Commercial Board of REALTORS® (ICBR) coordinates required licensure education, industry information, professional networking and public policy for the benefit of its members. The former ICBR
2013 ISAE Star Award Winner for Outstanding Convention
On December 12 2013, the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior received the ISAE Star Award for Outstanding Convention for an Association with an annual budget under $750,000.00. The 2013
2013 ISAE Star Award Winner for Outstanding Convention
The 2013 Eastern Seminar, April 22-23, 2013 in Savannah, Georgia was a home run for the Vacation Rental Managers Association. The event reached a milestone as the largest Eastern Seminar