Sector and AuSAE News

  • 17 Aug 2015 12:51 PM | Kerrie Green

    Imagine walking down the hall of a conference venue.


    You stop and enter one of the rooms. A speaker is telling the audience the three steps that they must follow to be successful. The audience sits quietly. Some write or type notes.


    Now imagine walking into another room at the same venue. The audience is talking to each other in pairs and triads about how to customize and apply one of the three steps needed for success. The speaker walks around the room listening and engaging in various conversations.


    Evaluating Your Conference Model


    Read the two examples listed above again.


    Which example resembles the majority of your conference general sessions, plenaries, breakouts and workshops?


    You’ve just identified your conference session mental model. And you’ve also just identified your cognitive bias.


    Consider each example again. What are the underlying beliefs exhibited in each example regarding conference education?


    Your Mental Model


    Every person that comes to your conference has a set of beliefs about how the world works. What life is really about. And how they succeed in their job.


    Similarly, everyone that helps plan and implement your conference has a specific set of underlying views about how your event should work. What defines success. And what your target market expects.


    These views and beliefs are strong mental models that drive your actions.


    Mental models are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures of images that influence how we understand the world and how we take actions. Very often, we are not consciously aware of our mental models or the effects they have on our behavior.

    Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline


    Start With Your Mental Model... 


    To view this full article please click hereThis information was originally sourced from Velvet Chainsaw here and was written by Jeff Hunt. 

  • 17 Aug 2015 11:45 AM | Kerrie Green

    When we talk with successful people working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths, we often hear a similar story: that one special moment, program or person that inspired them along the way. These are the kind of moments that stir curiosity, feed a long-held thirst for knowledge, or ignite some unknown passion.


    For students, it could be a classroom visit from a software engineer, an after-school program on robotics, or an excursion to laboratory or science museum that opens up young minds to the diverse career opportunities offered by science and tech.


    We think these moments are too important to be left to chance.


    Australia is not keeping up with demand when it comes to graduates in fields like computer science, and when we look at girls, Indigenous Australians, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, that picture is even worse.  


    That’s why we will work with three Australian not-for-profits to introduce and inspire 10,000 underrepresented students to careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. These landmark partnerships will put to use $1 million in cash grants from Google.org to deliver hands-on training and career programs that will reach these underrepresented groups.


    Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience will develop STEM content into their Year 7 and 8 curriculum for Indigenous students, making the subjects relevant through experience-based learning. The program will increase the digital skillset of 4,000 Indigenous students by 2018.


    FIRST Robotics Australia will take its FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Robotics program into 150 new schools, providing a robotics set, teacher mentoring and support to student groups across Australia. FIRST will reach more than 1500 students in low-SES areas and regional schools, building teamwork and inspiring young Australians in the fields of engineering and computer science. To sign up, visit firstaustralia.org/new-grant


    Engineers Without Borders Australia will expand its “Regioneering Roadshow”, which will give hands-on, STEM and computer science focused training to 5,000 young people, with a particular focus on young women. The Google grant will double the existing program’s geographic reach and connect young professional engineers to community, youth and school groups across regional Australia. 


    Australia’s jobs of the future will require new skills, and it’s critical that students from all walks of life are introduced to this field and have the opportunity to shape it and benefit from it. We hope that these three organisations will create more moments that will inspire our kids.


    For more STEM resources visit www.google.com.au/startwithcode  


    This blog post was originally sourced from Google here and written by Maile Carnegie, Managing Director and Alan Noble, Engineering Director of Google Australia. 

  • 27 Jul 2015 3:56 PM | Kerrie Green

    Dear AuSAE Members, Partners & Supporters,


    On behalf of the board of AuSAE, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Brendon Ward to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Brendon who assumes his responsibilities effective today will be based in our Brisbane office. 


    Brendon joins the AuSAE team from an extensive background in the NFP and Charities sector. He headed New Zealand’s Charities regulator, following a career as CEO of the New Zealand Recreation Association and the heading up of the internationally lauded volunteer program for Rugby World Cup 2011 which is now a benchmark for global events. 


    Brendon’s roles, international and voluntary sector exposure, and strong networking connections across New Zealand and Australia will bring value to the next phase of AuSAE’s development. As the peak body for the NFP and charitable sector across Australia and New Zealand, the board are delighted to have Brendon head the AuSAE team to continue the drive to add benefits, skill sets and outcomes ensuring our sector is recognised as a major contributor within the economies it works.


    The board is looking forward to members continuing to increase engagement with AuSAE as new services come on stream to support our individual operational capacities.  A key part of our strategy is to have strong and vibrant local communities encouraged by both new and existing member participation.


    Brendon is “extremely excited about potential opportunities for both AuSAE and the sector and I am looking at further building my network of relationships to create an environment that will stimulate full engagement of those who work in our sectors”.


    I ask you to join with me in welcoming Brendon to AuSAE and encourage you to engage with Brendon over the coming years to strengthen and grow AuSAE. Brendon can be contacted directly via email at ceo@ausae.org.au


    Warm Regards,

    Nick


    Nick Hill

    President 

    Australasian Society of Association Executives

    president@ausae.org.au


  • 27 Jul 2015 9:00 AM | Louise Stokes

    This blog post first appeared on the AVA website here, written by Marcia Balzer, National Public Affairs Manager, Australian Veterinary Association.  


    I was very lucky a few weeks ago to present at the annual conference of the Australasian Society of Association Executives, the industry body for those of us who work in not-for-profit organisations.


    For the first time, I told the full story of the AVA’s unique member-centred advocacy program that commenced in April 2013. It was an opportunity to step back, take stock, and see how far we’ve come in the two years since we started our brave new experiment.

    The Need

    During the preceding years, members and non-members had become increasingly vocal about their expectations that the AVA should speak up for the profession and advocate more effectively for change. Two member research projects in 2012 highlighted that being an effective advocate was the most important job we had. But it also showed that neither members nor non-members thought we were doing a great job at it.


    We had a number of things going for us at the outset:

    • a set of decent policies and position statements
    • a democratic process to maintain and develop policies
    • employees responsible for advocacy in states and nationally
    • a professional communications team
    • a track record providing technical animal health and welfare advice on request
    • experience collaborating across the organisation to advocate during major issues such as Hendra virus outbreaks and natural disasters.
    But we lacked a cohesive or strategic approach, which meant there were gaps. Big gaps. We struggled to get to grips with big issues affecting the profession such as workforce planning and economic sustainability. In the other areas where we did work, it was hard to identify the impact we made, and whether we were having any impact at all. The result of that, of course, was that our members were even more in the dark - our advocacy work wasn’t pulling its weight in recruiting and retaining association members.

    For the full blog post by Marcia please click here.

  • 24 Jul 2015 4:30 PM | Louise Stokes

    A woman is awaiting sentencing after she faked a terminal illness to solicit funds through Give-A-Little fundraising page in New Zealand.


    It seems that this is not the only charity page set up to gain funds which have made headlines.


    The family of Chiefs assistant coach Andrew Strawbridge's family set up a page to raise funds for a Samoan hospital.


    Last month a woman started a campaign to raise money for Greece, and the sister of suspected Charleston church shooter also set up a page to recover expenses after her wedding was delayed.

    Charity Sector researcher Michael Gousmett joined Paul Henry today.


    "I think it’s a concern. The figures are quite startling. I couldn’t actually find any information on where the 19 million dollars or so was that was given through the Give A Little page as actually accounted for. That is a lot of money and at the end of the day I could find nothing that gave me any assurance as to how that money is being accounted for."


    Watch the full interview with Michael Gousmett here.


  • 24 Jul 2015 4:24 PM | Louise Stokes

    This content was sourced directly from http://cavell.co.nz/ here: http://cavell.co.nz/articles/2015/incorporated-societies


    New Zealand has over 23,000 incorporated societies, yet the legislation governing incorporated societies has barely changed in over 100 years. Recently the Government accepted the Law Commission’s recommendations to replace the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 with a more robust, modern Act. Consultation on a draft Incorporated Societies Bill is expected to commence by the end of 2015.


    Overview of incorporated societies


    An incorporated society is a popular structure for members pursuing shared cultural, sporting, recreational, community, religious or educational interests. Incorporated societies must have at least 15 members (note that a corporate body counts as the equivalent of three individual members). The key feature distinguishing an incorporated society from other business structures such as a company is that it must not distribute profits or financial benefits directly to its members. An incorporated society is allowed to run a business, provide benefits to members and the public and reimburse members for reasonable expenses, but the members should not have an ownership interest in the society or its assets.


    Incorporated societies are currently governed by the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 (Act) and the society’s rules (or constitution). It is intended that societies should be largely self-governing and free from inappropriate state interference. Thus, the Act provides a broad framework, allowing each society the flexibility, through its rules, to operate in furtherance of its particular structure, culture and goals.


    Recommendations for new Act


    The proposed legislative overhaul will seek to refresh and modernise a very old piece of legislation (the current Act still refers to fines in terms of pounds and shillings) and fill some gaps where the Act is deficient. In particular, the Act lacks guidance about how disputes within societies should be resolved and about the obligations of the officers running societies.


    We set out below some of the key recommendations for reform:

    • That the minimum membership requirement be cut from 15 members to 10.
    • That every society be required to have a committee of officers to make decisions and run its affairs, including one person to be the society’s statutory officer.
    • That the new Act contain a list of officers’ duties along the lines of directors’ duties in the Companies Act 1993 and a set of rules governing the disclosure and management of conflicts of interest.
    • That the new Act contain an expanded list of statutory requirements for the content of every constitution and the introduction of a model constitution containing all of those rules required by the new Act.
    • That every society must have rules in its constitution to provide procedures for the resolution of complaints about misconduct and discipline of members and about grievances brought by members concerning their rights or interests as members.
    • That members may resolve to liquidate a society at a single meeting, rather than the current double meeting requirement, but 30 days’ notice of a motion to liquidate would be required.
    • The deletion of the current provision that members will not be deemed to be associated for pecuniary gain merely because they are entitled to a share of society property on dissolution. This is in conflict with the fundamental rule that a society must not operate for the pecuniary gain of its members. The new Act should provide that any surplus assets on dissolution should be distributed to another incorporated society, charitable trust or not-for-profit entity that is prevented from distributing its surplus assets to an individual.

    What this means for current societies


    When the proposed changes come into effect, every current society will need to check that its constitution complies with the new requirements. Amending a society’s constitution can be a lengthy process, so there will probably be a transition period to allow those societies which require amendments to their constitutions sufficient time to comply. In the meantime, members setting up a new incorporated society should consider the Law Commission’s recommendations when drafting their constitution and considering their governance structure.


    If you are interested in hearing more about incorporated societies or any other business law matters, please contact a member of our Business Team. Our Business Team members specialise in commercial contracts, start up businesses, business sales and acquisitions, restructuring and advising on business compliance.

  • 24 Jul 2015 4:04 PM | Louise Stokes

    Most Company Secretaries realise that a board portal solution could make their team’s life easier, but persuading the executives and board of the benefits can be challenging. Although the capabilities and advantages of board portals have greatly expanded, it is best to keep the message simple.


    Three core arguments to support your recommendation. Diligent Boards, the world’s most widely used board portal provider, has identified three compelling reasons for adopting board portals in an organisation.


    1. Secure mobility and convenience for Directors. 

    Carrying multiple paper board books is cumbersome and difficult for Directors, who frequently travel. What’s more, they often need other historical papers and relevant information in addition to the current board materials. Board portals eliminate the need for all that paper by keeping everything in one convenient digital place. An added advantage is that Directors will no longer be bound to their homes waiting for couriers.


    2. Enhanced collaboration, better decision making. 

    With board portals, organisations are able to release information to everyone who needs it at the same time, thereby increasing opportunities for collaboration. What’s more, board portals provide leaders with earlier access to critical materials pre-meeting, allowing for a longer review time and thus better decision making. Using a board portal, Directors can share comments with other board or committee members and discuss issues prior to the actual meeting. 


    3. Significant cost and time savings. 
    If your organisation prepares a significant number of paper board packs (e.g., 20), the cost of paper, toner, photocopying and couriers can really add up. Plus, the traditional process of printing, copying and distribution is very labour-intensive. And even if you’re using an electronic method, the process can still be quite time-consuming because most electronic tools are not designed for the specific requirements of preparing board and committee papers.


    Find out more!


    For more professional advice about making the switch to board portals, please email Diligent at info@diligent.com or simply call 1800 106 454. 


  • 24 Jul 2015 2:54 PM | Louise Stokes

    Scientific research puts New Zealand on top

    Director of Gateway Antarctica at the University of Canterbury and SCAR Vice President Professor Bryan Storey successfully bid to host the biennial SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Open Science Conference in New Zealand. He relates the support he received from Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events Team, from bid to best-ever result.

     

    Why New Zealand?

    Professor Storey tapped into the ground-breaking research being done in this field in New Zealand, highlighting the knowledge transfer possible by bringing thought leaders to the country for the conference. “Science is a key sector for New Zealand. New Zealand is a world leader in Antarctic science which is why it is perfect for SCAR. New Zealand is a great place to do Antarctic research as the people understand the effects of the warming world.”

     

    Challenges and solutions

    “Initially I was concerned about the cost and distances involved for overseas visitors coming to New Zealand. However, working with Tourism New Zealand they helped with all of these concerns and supported me through the whole process of bidding for the international conference,” Professor Storey says. “Tourism New Zealand assured me that delegates always like coming to New Zealand because it is a safe destination, it is accessible, a beautiful country and it has the reputation for welcoming people. They were correct; our delegate numbers exceeded expectations and the conference was voted the best ever.” In all, 950 delegates from 39 countries attended the XXXIII SCAR Biennial meetings and the 2014 Open Science Conference, the largest gathering of Antarctic researchers ever in New Zealand.

     

    Brilliant bid support

    Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team offers outstanding support to associations that want to bid to host an international conference in New Zealand. Its Conference Assistance Programme (for events of more than 200 international delegates) can help with travel costs to support the bid, bidding documents, financial feasibility studies and marketing strategies to attract delegates. Its toolkit of support ranges from footage to factsheets and pre- and post- event itineraries.

    Professor Storey says: “Our organising committee worked together with Tourism New Zealand, the local Convention Bureau, our PCO and the venue to put together a bid that showed we are unique in our team approach. The New Zealand government provided letters of endorsement and through the Conference Assistance Programme we accessed funding for a promotional booth and travel support to ensure we had all the expertise on ­hand in Buenos Aires when we presented our bid at the 2010 biennial meetings.”

     

    More profile for the membership

    “There is no doubt that hosting the conference in New Zealand raised the profile of Antarctic research in New Zealand by reaching out to many thousands of people through television and media releases,” Professor Stoprey says.  “It also helped raise the profile of New Zealand research internationally by attracting delegates from many different nations. It is hard to say if hosting the conference in New Zealand actually increased the number of SCAR members. New countries are joining all the time and there is no doubt that holding conferences helps in that regard.”

     

    Benefits beyond the conference

    The event took place during a busy series of scientific conferences in New Zealand, with

    SCAR sharing part of the Open Science Conference with COMNAP (the Council of Managers of the National Antarctic Programs), as well as hosting joint cocktail events with delegates from the 31st General Assembly of the International Council of Science (ICSU). The event organisers leveraged off each other, culminating in a science programme which brought the work of the associations to the attention of the wider community in public outreach events World Science Week and NZ ICEFEST. “World Science Week capitalised on both SCAR and ICSU events happening in the city, leading to some very successful public lectures,” Professor Storey says.

     

    First-class infrastructure

    New Zealand’s welcoming reputation and excellent conference and hospitality infrastructure ensured a seamless event. Professor Storey said: “Auckland has first-class conference facilities that have the ability to cater for all different requirements and conference sizes. A great range of hotels are all within walking distance and it is a safe and friendly environment. Excellent restaurants and evening venues are only a stone’s throw away too. The proximity of everything was great and it made doing business here easy.”

     

    The final word from delegates

    “Beautiful city, excellent facilities, friendly people. It was a very successful conference.”

     

    If you or your association could benefit from the Conference Assistance Programme, please contact Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team on businessevents@tnz.govt.nz, or head to www.businessevents.newzealand.com

  • 24 Jul 2015 2:22 PM | Louise Stokes

    This article excerpt first appeared on ProBono here.

    A legal toolkit has been developed to assist charities and Not for Profit organisations in undertaking a merger.

    “Mergers can be very rewarding, but require significant time and resources in order to be done successfully,” charity law expert at Mills Oakley Lawyers, Vera Visevic said.


    “The toolkit reflects our experience and that is that many more Not for Profits are coming to us asking about mergers, finding merger partners and what’s involved in the process. Many organisations come to us with no idea of the complexity around mergers and the huge undertaking around legal and administrative issues. Many people need to co-operate for a successful merger. Both boards need to be on the same page as well as everyone else in the organisation.”


    She said that many mergers fail because when d-day arrives they realise that there will be a loss of staff and the issues often become personal. “Politics and ego can often get in the way,” Visevic said.


    The merger toolkit delivers nine steps towards a successful merger from a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through to the ‘deed of merger’ and the settlement process.


    The Merger toolkit can be downloaded HERE


    Join the AuSAE Webinar on August 4 titled "Saying 'I do' to Mergers" presented by Vera Visevic from Mills Oakley Lawyers


    Charities and other not-for-profits are increasingly considering the merit, or otherwise, of mergers. Financial difficulties, executive turnover, membership demands and industry consolidation may result in not-for-profits needing to join forces. If your charity or not-for-profit is considering a merger, take part in this free webinar to have your questions answered, including:

    • What is the current climate surrounding mergers?
    • Why merge?
    • How do you find the right partner and assess potential compatibility?
    • How do you plan the wedding and ensure you make it all the way down the aisle?
    • What makes a happy marriage?
    Register for the free AuSAE Webinar here: http://www2.redbackconferencing.com.au/AuSAE-webinars

  • 24 Jul 2015 2:01 PM | Louise Stokes

    This information was originally sourced from Velvet Chainsaw here and was written by Wendy Holliday.


    Sponsorships featuring logos, eyeballs and impressions don’t carry the same value they once did.


    At the same time, sponsorship buyers are becoming more sophisticated about the dollars they invest and how they leverage emotional marketing. They’re also refining their palate to deliver more intimate customer and prospect experiences including hosting their own exclusive events.


    Conference and trade show organizers now find themselves immersed in a prove-it-or-lose-it sponsorship environment. Those who fall short on proof of performance will churn through sponsors, as they watch margins decline. Those who step up to deliver more meaningful benefits, grounded in attendee mattering will not only survive, but thrive.


    Increasing sponsorship revenue is one of the highest priorities for our customers. Over the past couple of years, we’ve analyzed, researched and learned quite a bit to help move this needle. Many of you have helped formulate our higher level thoughts for the next evolution of event based sponsorships for B2B conferences. The sum total of this work lays out four big concepts that can help guide your organization to higher revenue and improved experiences:

    1. Why a Change in Sponsorship Strategy is Urgent
    2. Sponsorships Built on Attendee Mattering
    3. Driving Change with Current Investors
    4. Helping Sponsors Turbocharge Their Activation Plan


The Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE)

Australian Office:
Address: Unit 6, 26 Navigator Place, Hendra QLD 4011 Australia
Free Call: +61 1300 764 576
Phone: +61 7 3268 7955
Email: info@ausae.org.au

New Zealand Office:
Address: 159 Otonga Rd, Rotorua 3015 New Zealand
Phone: +64 27 249 8677
Email: nzteam@ausae.org.au

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software