Support from Tourism New Zealand and its Conference Assistance Programme persuaded AHISA (The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia) to hold its first ever conference outside of Australia. 

Offshore on the radar

AHISA (The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia) had no plans to take its biennial conference overseas. AHISA’s Business Manager Anne Veenstra says: “We didn’t really have it on our radar but we were approached by Tourism New Zealand, which sent out a survey asking whether we would be interested in hosting a conference in New Zealand. I had filled it in and was allocated a place on a familiarisation visit but opted not to take it until I had spoken to the Board and had confirmation that taking the event offshore was something they were interested in.

“The next thing TNZ did was prepare more information. We were accepted under TNZ’s Conference Assistance Programme for bid support; without this opportunity we would not have been in a position to put a proposal to our Board. A feasibility proposal was prepared, a PCO in New Zealand did a budget for us and TNZ produced a very glossy brochure tailored specifically to us which included general costings based on the information I had given. We decided to consider both Auckland and Queenstown and we received welcome letters from the Mayors of both cities. TNZ printed hard copies of the brochure for the next Board meeting. It was quite spectacular. The Board was delighted with the presentation and said, in principle, yes, we will go to New Zealand.”

Bringing benefits - and no downsides

Veenstra notes: “The main benefit of taking the event outside Australia was to change it up a little bit, take the membership somewhere different. There is an excitement in going offshore and there didn’t seem to be any downsides to taking the event to New Zealand. The cost was fairly similar to Australia, and in fact the accommodation was probably a little bit cheaper. Most of our members are based on Australia’s eastern seaboard and our next meeting was due to be in Western Australia. In many cases it was easier to get to New Zealand than Western Australia and often cheaper, with less flying time.

“Additionally, we have a New Zealand counterpart, ISNZ (Independent Schools of New Zealand). They have 30-35 members, half a dozen of which are also AHISA members. They have agreed they will not hold a conference in 2017 and we will hold a joint conference.  We are trying to build our relationships with our counterparts over there and this was a really good opportunity to work together cooperatively.”

Spectacular sites

“Because we fell under the Conference Assistance Programme we could do site inspections of both Auckland and Queenstown with no cost to the association,” Veenstra continues. “The programme was excellent. TNZ really listened to what I said when they devised the itinerary; there was no wasted effort and everything I went to see was very relevant. They offered great suggestions in terms of activities and venues.

“When I was in Auckland I would have been very happy to hold the conference there - it had great facilities and the off-site options were excellent. Logistically Auckland is possibly an easier option, with more choice in terms of venues and accommodation, but Queenstown has just got that ‘wow factor’ and such spectacular scenery. There was no hesitation from the Board and we decided to host the conference in Queenstown in 2017. A lot of people have indicated they want to extend their time when they come to New Zealand, and we will run a partner programme, too. We plan to have a final gala dinner at the Skyline restaurant up Bob’s Peak, and we will look at incorporating things like Arrowtown, vineyards, the steamship Earnslaw, golf. Queenstown offers great options.”

Phenomenal support

“Tourism New Zealand has been phenomenal - you couldn't fault them from day one,” Veenstra says. “Having a TNZ Business Events Manager in Australia - Helen Bambry - is a major asset. She has maintained regular contact and just been superb. She escorted me on the site inspections and was so professional and knowledgeable about her product. At the conference handover at our event in Sydney she is also assisting - TNZ has funded a short cultural performance, while Queenstown Convention Bureau is providing a video on Queenstown to show to get people excited and fired up. We also hope to have a sponsorship exhibition component at the conference, and TNZ has offered to work with other government agencies to put us in touch with New Zealand businesses to see if they want to become involved.

“I couldn't say anything bad about TNZ at all, and the Conference Assistance Programme is excellent,” Veenstra concludes. “If you were doing it on your own you would have to get approval from the Board to fund all the trips, then have to tap into the local channels yourself. To have TNZ do that for you reduces the amount of time you have to spend on organisation and for a not-for-profit like us it really helped that we didn't have to put our hand in our pocket to get it off the ground. Tourism New Zealand made it really easy. The support we have received has just been phenomenal.”

AuSAE congratulates member Matthew Monaghan on his recent appointment as National Chief Operations Officer at Optometry Australia. Monaghan first entered the not-for-profit sector in 2006 and in the lead up to this appointment held various management roles within the sector including responsibilities encompassing membership, events, sponsorship and people management. Recently Monaghan kindly shared his musings with AuSAE’s General Manager Australia Kimberley Miller. 

You have clearly achieved a great many things throughout your career, how did you get your start?

My first role within the not-for-profit sector was at the Aged and Community Care Victoria (ACCV). With a background in events management and marketing I joined to oversee the delivery of events for the organisation, shifting from a model of external PCO’s to building a capable and sustainable events team within the organisation. The organisation was evolving and I had the opportunity to identify some great mentors, be it lifelong members or board members. This really cemented the purpose of working within the not for profit sector, building relationships and not a transactional approach. I quickly found that to successfully manage an events unit, significant multiskilling was necessary and the position presented great exposure to finance, governance, marketing and stakeholder management. Over time I set up processes, procedures and policies that were implemented organisational wide and that achievement highlighted to me that I wanted to explore more generalised management roles within the not-for-profit sector.

What is your biggest professional achievement to date? 

My biggest professional growth period was certainly my time at the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA). Over a five year period, I had the pleasure of building the organisation from a small not-for-profit with staff handling extremely diverse duties, to a medium sized not-for-profit with four dedicated business units each reporting to a line manager. The reach of the state division also increased to encompass three regional offices. During my time at IPAA, their was significant change and the need for adaptability. I commenced as Manager of Events and Member Services, progressing and over time to Operations Director, before taking on the CEO role for a period of 7 months.

The organisation grew rapidly from a team of 7 to 28 which saw my focus shift to change management and the establishment of good governance practices. My key takeaway from this journey is that without strategy, change is merely a substitute rather than progress that can lead the organisation forward.

What was the hardest work project you have ever undertaken?

While at the IPAA, the organisation experienced a significant decline in event attendance over a twelve month period due to changes facing the sector. It was with this challenge that presented an opportunity to undertake a project we called “Public Sector Week”. This was an opportunity to celebrate the work of the public sector with the focus on uniting and celebrating the work of the sector and importantly educating the public of the work of the sector. The IPAA set out to hold a record number of events in the space of one week, attract media attention and a large attendance all while running our core services in the background. I expected this to be a high risk, high stress project, however I did not foresee the resignation of IPAA’s CEO, and two team members due to various personal circumstances all within a short time frame before the launch. I am pleased to share that Public Sector Week was a success with 97 events, facilitated across 40 event sites in both Metropolitan and Regional Victoria held and an attendance in excess of 8,000. To read more about Public Sector Week please click here.

What exciting projects are you commencing in your current role at Optometry Australia? 

It is an exciting time for Optometry Australia having recently undertaken a name change and realigned strategic priorities through a new innovative strategic plan. I am leading the implementation of a National IT infrastructure project for the organisation as well as working across the business, a very exciting opportunity as this is a driver for our member engagement strategy. I have various projects both at operational and strategic levels working with both the state offices and National Executive and board.

What would you say to someone starting out in the not-for-profit sector with a view to become a future leader? 

Be an architect of your own outcomes and make sure you take every opportunity to diversity your skills. Communication and collaboration is key whilst being able to take a step back and celebrate your collective achievements as a team. I would also recommend taking on a mentor and attending regular sector networking events to meet people who can help you on your journey. Whilst we all work to service different sectors we all have the common objective of contributing to the outcomes of a specific sector and supporting and equipping professionals to truly enhance the capacity and capability of the sector. I have worked across the health, property, government sectors within member based organisations the ability to transfer skills across sectors and attending AuSAE activities has supported these transitions whilst building very beneficial networks. 

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AuSAE thank member Matthew Monaghan for appearing in the September Edition of AuSAE Insider.  AuSAE recognises a current member every month, acknowledging their success and ongoing commitment to advancing the not-for-profit sector. If you would like to share your story with other executives, please contact Kim Miller, GM Australia AuSAE at kimberley@ausae.org.au. 

AuSAE has welcomed new members from the following organisations this month.  

Is your organisation on this list? If your organisation is on this list as an AuSAE organisational member but you are unsure if you are part of the membership bundle, please contact the friendly AuSAE team at info@ausae.org.au. 

Not on this list? To join AuSAE today please visit our membership information page here.

AUSAE WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS FROM:

Note: to respect the privacy of our members, we only release membership type and organisation details publicly each month.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” 

—Henry Ford

Business owners must constantly have one eye on their balance sheet to ensure revenue is healthy and expenses are in check, particularly when they’re just starting out. 

For many businesses, outlaying a membership to an industry association can feel like an extravagance, but it’s important to look closely at the value these memberships can deliver and return, well beyond the initial investment. 

Most Australian industries have a representative association, but what are the benefits of belonging to one? 

Shape your industry 

Industry associations provide a mechanism for you to input into and shape the direction of your industry. They also represent their members in government, policy and other negotiations so having a voice in these discussions can be really valuable for your business.

Knowledge is power 

Industry associations often author reports or commission research into areas of its members’ interest. As a member of the association, you’ll often have free access to the latest industry information, trends, statistics or tools—this can only be a good thing for your business. 

Opportunity knocks 

As a central point of contact with a comprehensive database of businesses aligned to an industry, associations can effectively match supply to demand and act as a conduit to introduce its members to new projects, partnerships and other opportunities. 

Power in numbers

When an industry works collectively, they have the power to effect change—whether it’s to lift standards, create opportunities, mitigate risk, and more—an industry is more effective when it works together as a whole. 

Networking, mentoring and professional development 

Industry associations often provide opportunities for its members to attend networking functions, hear from guest speakers, participate in workshops and seminars or to mentor newcomers to the industry, or vice versa. This can be a cost-effective way to participate in these kinds of activities, tailored specifically to the industry within which your business operates. 

Credibility

Being a member of an industry association also brings with it a level of credibility and recognition. It demonstrates that your business was assessed by the secretariat and recognised as a worthy inclusion to the association—that’s why many businesses note their memberships on their websites or business cards. 

These are just a few of the many benefits of joining an industry association and PaySmart works closely with a number of them. Keen to find out more? Contact your Business Development Manager today for their insights and an introduction to your industry association. 

These special AuSAE Workshops are suitable for anyone involved in managing and implementing PR strategies. This program is a fantastic way to gain knowledge and practical steps to create a Public Relations strategy for your Association. In addition to PR Managers, this program would be useful for Boards and Senior Management seeking to gain a better understanding of PR campaigns and the benefits for Associations. 

Debbie Bradley (Account Director at Zadro) will guide delegates through they key concepts, skills and tools necessary to create and implement effective PR strategies. The program offers practical ideas that can be implemented immediately. 

Understanding how to create and implement effective PR strategies is key to becoming an industry leader and establishing a combined voice that will represent your valued members. On the day you will be guided through a step-by-step interactive process to develop a PR strategy that gets results. 

Find out more about the event details by clicking on your location below. For AuSAE Members to attend is $395 AUD and non-member, not for profit professionals is $595 AUD

Sydney, Wednesday 14 October - Register Here

Melbourne, Tuesday 27 October - Register Here

Contact us on +61 7 3394 8381 or email events@ausae.org.au for more information.

This article was originally sourced from Associations Now here and was written by Joe Rominiecki. 

Every member has his or her own reasons for engaging with your association, but how do you best serve diverse needs while maintaining focus on common goals?

From my recap of membership ideas from the 2015 ASAE Annual Meeting two weeks ago, the quote that seemed to get the most attention among readers—and which has stuck in my mind the most, too—is that “members define what engagement means, not the association.”

One reader, Jeffrey Cufaude, president and CEO of Idea Architects, rightly pointed out that this has always been true. 

Another commenter, Glenn Tecker, chair and co-CEO of Tecker International, chimed in with a separate dose of realism:

“The distinction between growing value to members and growing the organization remains a critical strategic conversation with immense implications for fulfillment of mission. While each member may define engagement for themselves based on the personal reward for which they are looking, a critical mass of common cause will continue to be the glue that holds the enterprise together.” 

Tecker’s point reminded me of a dilemma for associations that I noted a couple years ago; I even made up a term for it, “value vertigo": 

“You ask members what they value and find too many disparate needs to serve them all, but when you produce core benefits you believe are valuable, you find it difficult to maximize engagement with them.”

This seems to be a common challenge for associations, but it’s a simple problem that perhaps any business faces: People have infinite unique combinations of wants and needs, but the most viable business opportunities lie where those wants and needs align among the most people. How do you manage that tension and find the common ground where members can be served?

In their Learning Lab at the Annual Meeting, Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant, CAE, cultural and digital strategists at Culture That Works, and Joe Vallina, MBA, MSM, CAE, publisher at the Amercan Nurses Association, identifed the five common “buckets” of engagement across associations—purchases, customer satisfaction, content, volunteering, and community—though they stressed the mix of engagement methods that will maximize both reach and “stickiness” is unique to every association.

From the accompanying handout to their session, “Engagement Is More Than a Buzzword”:

“Engagement … is fundamentally internal to the individual member. It’s their engagement, not yours. The benefits of engagement accrue to the association, certainly, but in order to build engagement—to increase that stickiness—you must be focused on the members and their experience, their needs, their motivations, and their lives. This will require some customization. … It will sometimes involve intangibles. … And certainly the engagement has to overlap with the association business model … otherwise there’s not much point (think revenue-free web hits back in the dot-com bubble). But the more you can craft your engagement strategy around a clear picture of what matters—internally—to the members, the more successful you’ll be.”

In the March/April issue of Associations Now, Anna Caraveli, Ph.D., managing partner of The Demand Networks and author of The Demand Perspective, shared a model for engagement that positions the association as a “partner” in engagement with members, citing an example from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association:

“These members are engaged because their relationship with the association enables them to do something they want to do in the first place, better than they would be able to do on their own. As a result, AOPA becomes a partner rather than merely a provider of benefits. Its members choose to become engaged to achieve outcomes that matter to them.” 

Think for a moment about the Apple iPhone (or any smartphone, but we’ll go with the most iconic for the moment): It was an impressive device when first launched, but it became revolutionary only when Apple opened up the App Store to third-party developers. It had a handy set of apps built in, but the App Store let users shape the iPhone to their liking and do completely new things, many of which Apple itself never imagined. Apple has sold millions upon millions of essentially identical devices, but every single one quickly becomes unique according to its owner’s preferences.

That’s one more way to understand how an association can serve a critical mass of people with a wide array of interests. These ideas all put the association in the role of facilitator and convener, focusing perhaps less on the what and why of member engagement and more on the how, where, when, and with whom. If the association can’t define member engagement, it can be the platform for engagement that accelerates members toward their chosen goals.

This article was originally sourced from Velvet Chainsaw here and was written by Dave Lutz. 

Activation (or leverage) is the most misunderstood, yet most critical, success driver for sponsorship ROI.

Savvy marketing professionals totally get activation. But most of our profession doesn’t. This is why many of us continue to sell non-emotional promotional opportunities and incorrectly call them sponsorship.

We need to capitalize on this golden opportunity. Consumer events are kicking are butts. Yet most professional conferences have a leg up on target market concentration and buying power.

Sponsorship Activation Defined

According to Kim Skildum-Reid, author of The Sponsorship Seekers Toolkit 4th Edition,

Leverage – also known as activation… is what a sponsor does with a sponsorship after the deal is done and is the most critical factor in getting a good result from an investment.

Skildum-Reid advises sponsors to focus on the event experience not the event. The event–your conference–is finite. The conference experience, however, begins at the time of consideration and continues weeks after your big close.

Activation Built On Attendee Touchpoints

Progressive conference organizers will learn from, and coach, their sponsors on how to leverage their support beyond a few days.

Activation plans are owned and primarily funded by sponsors. And they can be greatly enhanced with proper use of the conference organizers assets. Successful activation elements will often incorporate two threads:

• One carried out by the sponsor in support of your conference participants.
  
• The second, collaboratively carried out through your owned assets.
  

Trust and collaboration, with a focus on the paying attendee, is key to stacking the deck for results.

Start by sharing your event timeline with sponsors, including pre- and post-event touchpoints. Brainstorm together to identify the best opportunities to interact with, and improve the participants’ experience. Pinpoint crescendo moments where sponsors can change and leverage those opportunities.

Beyond Your Turf

Sometimes we focus so intently on activation as it applies to our conference that we miss opportunities to ride the coattails of our sponsor’s marketing assets. And we miss the chance to engage the audiences our investors have built or the trust they’ve earned.

Do your homework to understand these assets and consider the ones that can aid your conference experience or reach.

1. Content Marketing

Do they embrace content marketing? Will they consider talking about or mentioning their involvement in your conference?

2. Prizes

Do they have access to products that can be used as prizes, giveaways or sampling?

3. Communications

Does it make sense for them to develop communications that mentions your conference or show?

4. Talent Access

Do they have access to talent, celebrities or thought leaders that would be valued by your participants?

How Much Should Sponsors Invest in Activation?

Activation investments vary greatly, depending on the sophistication and integration of the sponsor’s other marketing initiatives.

Skildum-Reid says best practice sponsors spend as little as 10%-25% of the rights’ fee, incrementally, to leverage sponsors. Less sophisticated or siloed sponsors will need to spend quite a bit more to activate.

In today’s competitive business environment, creativity and empathy will be key drivers for successful activation.

This article was originally sourced from Pro Bono News here and was written by Ivan Brown. 

Over a decade ago, while studying part time I began my career as a residential youth worker after a friend of mine told me “the job is fun, all you need to do is take kids surfing and skateboarding”. Being a social science student and 19 at the time this proposition sounded perfect in that I was able to help people, get paid for my efforts and have fun all at the same time.

Unfortunately, after getting the job, my first shift replaced those high aspirations with a harsh reality. The truth was that my work days were usually spent dealing with violence, drug abuse, self-harm, suicide attempts and other not so pleasant experiences.

Although, there were good days and youth work was rewarding in many ways, I quickly learnt that my saviour like aspirations of helping people were in reality as unrealisable and personally unfulfilling as my pay rate! Eventually, after a few months of working in an all-round tough environment I realised that I had two options – either I quit, change profession and give up a slice of my social conscience or I step up and do something different to make a real impact in people’s lives.

I chose the latter. This new direction aside, I realised that to make an impactful change my energy was probably best spent working as a leader of staff and, to my surprise, not investing any more intensely in direct care. The reason I made this decision was that I continually witnessed high turnover of staff, staff conflict over the “right” way of doing things and stifling bureaucracy at all levels – all of  which I believed were compounding the crisis nature of an already tumultuous setting.

In my view, the young people didn’t need any more chaos in their lives, and, to be fair, there were youth workers way better than me at service delivery. Where I was stronger than others was anticipating future events, planning for others needs and not losing my cool under pressure. Although perhaps not thought of in those terms at the time, they were all fundamentally leadership related.

On that basis I embarked on a journey, and within three months I became a Team Leader of small team, within a year a Caseworker, then at 22-years-old I became the Operations Manager, leading almost 100 staff, and at 27 I was appointed Chief Executive Officer.

Being the youngest CEO in residential care, and perhaps one of the youngest in the broader NFP sector, was not easy, and along the way I encountered many obstacles and made mistakes, some common to young leaders in any sector and some unique to the NFP sector.

Although, each next generation of aspiring leader will need to find their own way and make their own mistakes, these three principals have assisted me and many new leaders, particularly those who are young in life or the NFP sector, to become successful leaders.

1. You must know why you want to lead

As an enthusiastic and energetic emerging leader in the NFP sector you most likely will want to “help” others, but here’s a news flash, so do the vast majority of the people working alongside you. Similar to a sports team, all the players love to play but they can’t all be, and nor should they be, captain. It’s not uncommon to hear NFP people recite their personal reason for working for an agency and wearing it as a badge of honour. Perhaps this helps remind us why we do such challenging work and somehow subsidises our efforts which are often undervalued, or maybe it is the way we justify our right to be NFP employees.

In any case, this narrative sharing no longer relevant or useful if you want to lead a NFP, the sooner you recognise that passion is a prerequisite to NFP participation and not the sole qualifier for leadership, the quicker you will become a productive leader. Being a NFP leader is not about being the most passionate about the cause, rather it is about being the most able to harness, cultivate and put to work other people’s passion. This requires a totally different mind and skill-set.

To read the full article please click here. 

This excerpt was originally sourced from Business 2 Community here and was written by Rosemary Melchior. 

When targeting millennials, many nonprofits focus on the best ways to reach them in a changing media landscape with the end goal of increasing donations. But tapping the potential within this audience goes beyond just raising money. There is an opportunity for nonprofits to reach out to this generation in a way that could engage them on a whole new level.

In the same way that millennials value experiences over products, they value donating their time over their dollars. According to the Millennial Impact Report 2015, 77 percent of respondents said that they are more likely to volunteer if they can use their specific skills or expertise to benefit a cause. In addition, millennials are part of a skilled workforce with a sense of social good. In 2014, 82 percent on average reported participation in positive action toward social change.

By focusing solely on money, organisations are looking at only half the picture. Here are three ways nonprofits can focus on creative capital in addition to financial capital when targeting millennials.

Implementing the “Reverse Registry”

Nonprofits should frame their needs within a story instead of a wish list. Instead of asking for money to fix a problem, show the impact of the problem and give millennials an opportunity to take the next step.

In 2011, I launched a social-good project called Underheard in New York with several others. We followed a “reverse registry” – instead of asking for a known solution, we talked about the need it would fill. One of the homeless men participating in the project walked 40 blocks each day to use a library computer. After hearing his story, someone donated a filled MetroCard so he could take the subway, and someone else donated a laptop computer – both wonderful, unanticipated results.

Many companies have adopted the participation economy concept, and nonprofits should too. If nonprofits give up a small amount of control, millennials are apt to feel like they have more ownership over the solution and may even deliver an outside-the-box answer.

To read the full article please click here. 

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) New Home Sales Report, a survey of Australia’s largest volume builders, showed a modest decline in July 2015.

“Total seasonally adjusted new home sales eased by 1.8 per cent in July this year, but remain in strong shape,” said HIA Chief Economist, Dr Harley Dale.

“New home sales are spending mid 2015 drifting along at a historically high level. It appears that the cyclical peak for total new home sales occurred in April, but the subsequent downward trend is very mild,” said Harley Dale.

“Key leading indicators of home building, including HIA New Home Sales, suggest little prospect for further growth in new home construction in 2015/16,” said Harley Dale. “However, following three consecutive years of strong growth which has propped up the domestic economy considerably, both HIA New Home Sales and ABS Building Approvals signal another healthy year for new home construction in 2015/16.”

Detached house sales fell by 1.0 per cent in July this year. The annual peak for detached house sales has passed. Over the three months to July this year detached house sales fell by 3.3 per cent to be 4.0 per cent lower when compared to the three months to July 2014.

‘Multi-unit’ sales peaked in May this year and fell by 4.2 per cent in July following a decline of 2.9 per cent in June. Over the three months to July this year multi-unit sales increased by 8.3 per cent, but it was the strength of the May result that drove the quarterly outcome.

In the month of July 2015 detached house sales increased by 4.2 per cent in New South Wales.

Detached house sales fell by 2.3 per cent in Victoria and by 4.9 per cent in Western Australia. Sales were close to flat for the month in Queensland (-0.6 per cent) and South Australia (-0.2 per cent).

For further information please contact: Harley Dale, Chief Economist 0414 994 186

This media release was directly sourced from the Housing Industry Association website here.