Tourism New Zealand is celebrating today’s milestone of reaching three million international visitors annually for the first time, saying it spells jobs, income and economic value for all New Zealanders. 

Tourism is this country’s biggest services export and Tourism New Zealand’s Chief Executive Kevin Bowler says the industry is growing strongly. 

“Yesterday the International Visitor Survey showed total international visitor expenditure up 28 per cent to $8.7 million, and now having topped three million arrivals, it’s good news for all New Zealanders.  

“International visitor spend is distributed widely across the economy; it’s not just accommodation or tourism activities that benefit; spending occurs at the local supermarket, petrol station, dairy, retail shops, and a myriad of other local businesses.”

Even before this recent surge in visitor numbers, the tourism industry was directly responsible for nearly 100,000 jobs (4.7 per cent of employment) in New Zealand. A further 73,000 people are indirectly employed bringing the total number of people employed as a result of tourism to around 170,000 (or 8.3 per cent of all New Zealand’s employment)*.

“We are also starting to see more visitors arriving outside of the traditional summer period and a wider regional distribution of visitor spending – all positive signs for the long-term growth of the industry and New Zealand’s regions. 

Data released today by the Statistics New Zealand show that for the year-ending July 2015, over three million visitors came to the country, an increase of 7.3 per cent on the previous 12 months.

Leading the way was the Australians at 1.29 million maintaining steady growth of 4.1 per cent. 

New Zealand’s second largest source of visitor arrivals are the Chinese at 315,248, growing at 29.5 per cent year on year. 

Australia, China, UK, USA, Germany and Japan round out New Zealand’s top six source markets.  

Kevin says potential visitors to New Zealand continue to associate the country with landscapes and scenery, wildlife, and adventure.

“For the past 15 years we have been playing to these strengths through the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, during which time annual visitor arrivals have grown from around 1.54 million to where they are today.”

* Tourism Satellite Account 2014 – See full report here: http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/Tourism/tourism-satellite-account-2014.aspx

An industry association has announced a raft of new changes, starting with a complete rebrand.

The FBAA has announced a variety of changes, including a new logo it says will appeal to a broader demographic. The association has also launched a new website and plans to introduce video newsletters. FBAA chief Peter White said the changes are the first in a series of new offerings to be rolled through the end of 2016.

“A new higher calibre level of free PD Days will be offered to members with the addition of VIP guest speakers, and these will be professionally videoed and placed on our website so regional people and those that can’t attend can still benefit with the professional content and CPDs," White said.

White said the association was also formally kicking off its CPDOne offering, which enabled the FBAA to manage its members' CPD points and provide access to more content.

White said further announcements and initiatives were on the way from the association, urging members to "just wait and see, and you'll be very pleased".

"I believe this is the most exciting year in the FBAA’s history and is changing the game. This renewal will directly benefit all of our members and the industry as a whole, which is what we are about.”

Article sourced from www.brokernews.com.au on August 21 2015.

AuSAE Networking Lunches offer a great chance to get out of the office and meet new connections in the sector. Each lunch also features an insightful presentation on various topics of importance. Attending a lunch is a great chance to see what AuSAE really offers which is a place like-minded professionals can gather and share workplace challenges and achievements over a delicious two-course luncheon at a great venue. Check out the upcoming lunches below. We would love to see you there!

Brisbane | 'Reinventing for Relevance' Lunch on Thursday 3 September

Stephen Tait (CEO at CCIQ) will outline the steps CCIQ has gone through on their journey and provide you with insights, knowledge and experience of this truly transformational process which has resulted in record membership numbers, unparalleled reach and ever increasing influence and engagement [more]

Adelaide | 'When it's time to Realign, Regroup and Restructure' Lunch on Tuesday 8 September

Kathryn Cunningham (CEO at AASA) will sit down with AuSAE's Deputy CEO, Toni Brearley, to discuss AASA's secrets to restructure success and how to get your team and membership base on board with significant change plans [more] 

Melbourne | 'Grow the Pie or Look after the Slices?' Lunch on Tuesday 15 September

Paul Greenberg (Founder and Chair at NORA) will share NORA's journey and how the team will focus on remaining relevant, defining strategic direction and best serving both their membership and industry [more]

Sydney | 'Grow the Pie or Look after the Slices?' Lunch on Wednesday 16 September

Paul Greenberg (Founder and Chair at NORA) will share NORA's journey and how the team will focus on remaining relevant, defining strategic direction and best serving both their membership and industry [more]

Canberra | 'How to Commercialise your Not-for-Profit' Lunch on Thursday 17 September

Vera Visevic (Partner at Mills Oakley Lawyers) will discuss how not-for-profits can undertake commercial activities to ensure the long term viability of your organisation [more]

Perth | 'Effective Leadership' Lunch on Thursday 24 September

Christina Matthews (CEO at WACA) will share the steps, key insights and learnings Christina has observed through WACA's transformation [more] 

This excerpt was originally sourced from Associations Now here and was written by Katie Bascuas. 

Take a look at a couple of companies that are getting rid of performance reviews and rewarding hackers who can identify security concerns and how these ideas could prove fruitful for associations.

Whether it’s membership, online learning, or marketing, associations can take a cue from for-profit organizations in any number of areas.

While they may not have the same staff resources or budgets as for-profits, associations can still match up in dexterity and capability. Here are a couple of recent examples of corporate ingenuity that might spark ideas for associations:

Wave goodbye to annual performance reviews and rankings. Last month, consulting firm Accenture announced it will be eliminating yearly reviews and employee rankings beginning in September.

Why? According to Accenture, the amount of time and resources that were being spent on the reviews wasn’t yielding the desired goal: to boost employee performance.

“The process is too heavy, too costly for the outcome,” the company’s CEO, Pierre Nanterme, told The Washington Post. “And the outcome is not great.”

To read the full article please click here. 

This information was directly sourced from  the MS Research Australia website here. 

MS Research Australia has been recognised as Charity of the Year in The Australian Charity Awards 2015. There are approximately 2.5 million people worldwide and 23,000 within Australia affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). In just ten short years MS Research Australia has greatly increased the level of funding for MS research creating a significant impact on the number of research programs focusing on MS throughout Australia. Using strong research governance principles as well as innovative campaigns and platforms, MS Research Australia is achieving its goals.

Dr Matthew Miles, Chief Executive Officer of MS Research Australia said, 'It is a great honour to be awarded Charity of the Year. This award is a culmination of over ten years of very hard work by many people. The support of people with MS, donors, state based MS societies, allied organisations and corporate organisations has been critical to this success'.

The Australian Charity Awards were introduced in recognition of the dedication and achievements of non-profit organisations, charitable funds and charitable institutions. As a partner program of The Australian Business Awards, the Awards highlight charitable organisations that have achieved outstanding results through initiatives that have significantly benefited charitable causes.

Ms Tara Johnston, Program Director, Australian Charity Awards says, 'The initiatives of charitable organisations are dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals, inciting social change and creating a positive impact on the broader community. We are proud to honour MS Research Australia for its achievements'.

Mr Simon McKeon AO, Patron, MS Research Australia and 2011 Australian of the Year said 'As the Founding Chairman and now Patron of MS Research Australia, it's wonderful to see how the hard work of many people in this impact-driven charity has achieved great outcomes for people with MS'.

Megan Healey is a mother of three children and was diagnosed with MS 17 years ago. She says 'As someone who is living with MS, it gives me hope to see the ground breaking achievements of MS Research Australia. It is imperative that we continue to work towards a cure for this disease not only for the individuals living with MS, but also for their family members and the community. National awards such as this are wonderful for the recognition of the hard work and also to increase awareness about MS'.

The 2015 Australian Charity Awards program received a significant number of nominations, with five organisations shortlisted and recognised for Outstanding Achievement and MS Research Australia announced as the overall winner for The Australian Charity of the Year.

For more information on The Australian Charity Awards go to www.charityawards.com.au

The Philippine Council for the Advancement of Association Executives (PCAAE) is pleased to invite and provide AuSAE members with a complimentary conference pass for their Association Executives Summit III (AES 3) to be held on December 3-4, 2015 at the Philippine International Convention Centre. 

The AES is the biggest annual gathering of association managers and professionals to connect with colleagues while gaining practical tips and tools to help their organisations succeed. 

To learn more about the AES please visit visit this website. 

This media release was directly sourced from the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) here. 

Over 4 000 charities now have a ‘red-mark’ against their name for failing to report to the national charity regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

The red-mark on the charity’s listing on the ACNC Charity Register, available online at acnc.gov.au/findacharity, sends a clear message to potential donors, volunteers and grant makers that the charities are not compliant with their ACNC obligations.

ACNC Commissioner, Susan Pascoe AM, said that these charities were required to submit their 2014 Annual Information Statement by 31 January 2015.

“These charities, which are now more than six months late, have a red-mark on their listing on the Charity Register to highlight to people that the charity has yet to meet the legal requirement of submitting their 2014 Annual Information Statement.

“Once the charity submits its overdue 2014 Annual Information Statement, the red-mark will be removed.

“Submitting an Annual Information Statement is not only an obligation of being an ACNC registered charity, it’s also a way for charities to demonstrate transparency and show the public the work they are doing in the community.”

Ms Pascoe said that the ACNC supports charities in meeting their ACNC obligations, and that the ACNC was committed to enhancing public trust and confidence.

“Registration with the ACNC gives eligible charities access to various Commonwealth charity tax concessions to help them achieve their charitable purpose.

“The public expects us to ensure that only charities operating legitimately have access to these benefits.”

Ms Pascoe said that the ACNC was here to help charities wanting to meet their obligations.

“To those who haven’t submitted yet, I urge you to join the 40 000 registered charities that have already submitted their 2014 Annual Information Statement.

“If your charity needs assistance submitting its Annual Information Statement, contact our friendly staff on 13 ACNC.”

Charities can check their reporting due date by viewing their charity’s entry on the ACNC Charity Register at acnc.gov.au/findacharity or by logging into the Charity Portal at charity.acnc.gov.au.

Charities can find further information about the 2014 Annual Information Statement at acnc.gov.au/2014AIS.

A list of charities more than six months late with their reporting is available on the ACNC website at www.acnc.gov.au/redmark.

Is your association attractive to your next generation of members? As your baby boomer members retire so will their membership. Making sure your association is ready to service the Next Generation Members will ensure future growth and sustainability.

The Next Generation have been brought up in an era of technological and social change, they are predicted to make up more than 50 % of the workforce by 2020.

In this day of easily accessible information the next generation of members are not joining your organisation for the same reasons older members joined or in the same ways! Associations who recognise this are using tools to help them manage their content and how it is delivered to their members online.

By implementing your website with a fully integrated online association management system you are able to target those new members through a variety of means. Integration of your database, membership portal, events and communication can also provide you with the tools to better review your member engagement.

Associations that have tailored NexG sections on their websites together with dedicated social media platforms provide the next generation with appropriate engagement. By remaining up to date with responsive websites and communication tools your association is recognising that NexG members are the ones actually driving the demand.

Recognising that NexG depend on their mobile devices, your website needs to deliver messages clearly on the first screen. Not having much time to articulate your value and ensuring a positive experience means is important to deliver what the NexG wants and needs, when they want it and how they want it.

By making it easier for your members to interact with your website on mobile devices will help to increase the number of your member visits as well as be inviting for your NexG members to become a part of your Association. Responsive Web Design provides an optimal viewing and interaction experience — easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling — across a wide range of devices. Your members now want the full experience of your desktop site on their mobile device expecting a better membership experience.  Responding to call-to-actions immediately can translate to increased member activity and engagement

In April this year, Google made some timely adjustments in terms of favouring mobile-friendly websites.

"Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results.” – Google.

Now might be the time to assess your next generation membership segment and adapt your marketing and communication to not only their current, but also their future needs.

For more information on how you can provide a more next generation member-friendly online strategy, contact the team at Internet Vision Technologies today info@ivt.com.au +61 3 9723 9399 www.ivt.com.au

The Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia Ltd, recently changed its name at its Annual General Meeting to the Aerial Application Association of Australia Ltd.

This change was made to better reflect the wide range of aviation businesses and pilots the company represents including both agricultural and firefighting operations.

CEO of the Association, Mr Phil Hurst, said that the change was an evolution of the Association that had been representing both the agricultural and firefighting sectors for many years and the Association would maintain its history through the ongoing use of the AAAA acronym (pronounced ‘Four As’).

“AAAA was originally founded in 1958 and since then has been willing to adapt to the changing need of its members as they have grown.

“In addition to supporting farming clients by protecting crops, sowing seeds and applying fertilizer, the firefighting sector has emerged as an increasingly important sector in need of strong representation through a united voice.

“AAAA’s track record of positive government relations, safety promotion, environmental protection and whole of life professional development means that both agricultural and firefighting companies and pilots are now able to support an Association that is clearly focused on their needs.

“AAAA recently held the inaugural Aerial Firefighting Operators Conference in Albury which was well supported and produced a strong strategic direction across a range of fire-related issues.

“AAAA will be seeking to work cooperatively with the National Aerial Firefighting Centre and the State/Territory Fire Agencies over the coming months to establish a professional relationship that will support the agencies in their interactions with firefighting contractors.

“The inaugural Aerial Firefighting Conference was such a success that operators have already voted in favour of it becoming an annual event. Next year’s event will again be held in Albury and will also feature a trade show.

“Operators, pilots and trade supporters can all become members of AAAA with a wide range of benefits on offer ranging from political representation to practical programs on everything from dangerous goods to human factors training” Mr Hurst said.

Media Contact:

Phil Hurst - CEO – AAAA E: phil@aerialag.com.au 02 6241 2100 or 0427 622430

This media release was directly sourced from the Aerial Application Association of Australia (AAAA) Ltd. For more information please visit their website here.

The 2015 ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo had no shortage of ideas and opinions on the current state of membership in associations. Here are four takeaways that stood out, including the definition of engagement and the next big threat to membership stability.

The dust is still settling from another ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo. In my five days in Detroit, I heard a litany of ideas, questions, and discussions about association membership, both in Learning Labs and in informal conversation.

It was clear that association membership pros have a lot on their minds. In the coming weeks, I will likely revisit some of the stories and ideas I heard to share them in detail here, but, for now, while many of us in attendance are in the midst of returning home, here are four reactions from some of the ideas that caught my ear:

Members define engagement, not the association. Tuesday’s Learning Lab “Engagement Is More Than a Buzzword” was one of the best deconstructions of a single association topic I’ve seen in a long time, and engagement is certainly a term in need of clarity. Presenters Joe Vallina, CAE, of the American Nurses Association and Maddie Grant, CAE, and Jamie Notter of Culture That Works described the process they’ve taken to define engagement at ANA, but the most crucial insight they said associations must come to understand is that members define what engagement means, not the association.

In other words, each and every member has individual and unique reasons for engaging in an association and preferred methods for doing so, they said. The association must work to understand what those definitions are and aim to serve them, but it doesn’t get to determine the stakes of the game. That’s an important shift in mindset.

To read the other three takeaways please click here.  This article first appeared on Associations Now here and was written by Joe Rominiecki.