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Taking Your Event to the Next Level (On a Non-Profit Budget)
As a non-profit meeting planner, it’s easy and sometimes inevitable for your annual events to become stagnant over time. What was once the social event of the year for your
3 Things to consider When Launching A New Association Website
Thinking of pulling the plug on your current association website? There’s a lot to consider before making the dive. Here are three tips to help chart your course. 1. Define
How to Find a Great Keynote Speaker on a Budget
If you’re engaged in association management, you know how challenging it can be to execute a conference or tradeshow when you’re working with a tight budget. Specifically, finding an excellent
Three Signs Your Association Board Isn’t Effective
As an association board member, you show up to the meetings, participate and sometimes you even spend hours preparing in advance. But is the Board on which you’re serving effective? Is
Not Politics As Usual: What Associations Can Learn from the Presidential Election
Personal political persuasions aside, you have to admit that this Presidential election has been interesting to watch. Even other national, state and local races have been far from politics as
Simple Ways Board Members Can Contribute to Conference Success
For many associations, the annual conference is THE networking and education event of the year. As an association board member, you already believe in the organization and the value of
I’m A Committee Chair… Now What? 3 Tips For Success
Congratulations, you are running a volunteer committee for your organization! You have a great opportunity to make a meaningful contribution… if you can figure out where to start. Serving as
Four Keys to Consider Before Starting a Certification Program
Many trade and professional associations use individual certification or company-wide accreditation programs to promote the professionalism of their members and the standards of the industries they serve. A certification
5 Signs Your Association’s Strategic Plan Is In Trouble
Strategic planning is critical to any association’s future. If your strategic plan is successful, the board and management will be crystal clear on the organization’s purpose, goals and metrics, as well
Strategies for Selling to Associations
On a daily basis, association headquarters receive numerous phone calls and emails from potential providers of services and products that associations need, such as conference venues, speakers, hotels, even databases
Volunteer Recognition on a Budget: 3 Ways to Say Thank You
As an association professional, you work with a lot of dependable, hardworking volunteers, but you have little to no budget to recognize the efforts they make on behalf of your
Three tips to make webinars more successful for associations
Members are always looking for quick, easy and painless ways to learn about the latest trends in their fields, and webinars can be a great avenue to provide this valuable
Non-Profit Budgeting: Is Your Money Meeting Your Mission?
Perhaps the most important role of a board member is to make sure your money meets your mission. The mission, or core purpose, of your organization should power its
The E-Book for Avoiding Financial Pitfalls
Embezzlement. Fraud. Financial crisis. As a stakeholder of a non-profit organization, these are words you never want to hear. But every day, non-profits find themselves facing these issues. Most had no
How to Prevent Non-Profit Financial Mismanagement
A 2013 Washington Post analysis of Federal filings from 2008-2012 found that more than 1,000 non-profit organizations in the U.S. checked the box on their tax forms indicating that they
Should you say yes to serving on a Board of Directors?
Governance is critical to a non-profit’s success. For good governance, you need good board members. There is a lot of responsibility in serving on a board – especially if you’re
Non-Traditional Sponsorship Options to Help Your Association Grow Revenue
Companies are constantly flooded with requests to sponsor an event or group, so securing new sponsors or demonstrating value to current sponsors can be a challenge. What makes your association
Five FREE Tech Tools for Associations
As the story goes, everyone is trying to do more with less and there is never enough time in the day. If you had a dollar for every time
Now You’re the Board Chair: 10 Tips for Board Meeting Success
Becoming the chair of the board of directors for your organization is a big responsibility. People will look to you for leadership and guidance and one of those increase responsibilities
5 Tips For Running Efficient Volunteer Meetings
Probably THE key asset to your association is the volunteer corps; and THEIR key asset is their time. So, to use time wisely, and make them value the time
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,
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
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
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
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,