The fact is, there is more attack surface than ever when employees work remotely en masse, and a basic understanding of cybersecurity issues is essential to helping ensure corporate safety. Here’s why.

When just a handful of workers were doing their jobs remotely, cybersecurity issues were a bit more isolated.

But when everyone is working remotely? Suddenly, those isolated issues become widespread. A recent study from VMWare found that 89 percent of respondents had experienced attacks realted to COVID-19 malware.

And because so many workers now find themselves in environments that aren’t controlled by the IT department, it creates a need for a general understanding of good cybersecurity practices.

A few considerations that associations should be aware of:

Good cybersecurity needs to be as basic as washing your hands. Part of the problem with cybersecurity in remote environments is that people who aren’t personally trained on the process can put such approaches on the back burner, which makes them more susceptible to attack. Jim Alkove, Salesforce’s chief trust officer, recommends getting employees up to speed on the basics. “I think the best thing that any business can do in securing yourself, especially as adapting to … this new work-from-anywhere environment, is to nail the basics,” Alkove explained in an interview with ZDNet. “There are a small number of really important cybersecurity hygiene actions, so think about it in the current climate as washing your hands from a cybersecurity perspective, that businesses can do to really eliminate the risk associated with a lot of common cybersecurity threats.”

It can help ease security complications caused by employee job-hopping. Even before the current crisis, people had a tendency to jump between jobs, and having employees work remotely can exacerbate problems caused by such transitions, writes Bob Evans in a blog post for the security firm RSA. “If WFH becomes our norm, then businesses need to address the ‘mover and leaver’ situation. Job-hopping is more prevalent today, and that trend and will continue into the future,” Evans says. “So, the ‘talent churn’ means companies must impart necessary cybersecurity training and hygiene during onboarding and offboarding.”

Cybersecurity issues can plague even more traditional experiences. If your users are traveling on dangerous parts of the information superhighway, it can put the work network in danger. But the problem is, sometimes the threat comes to you. For example, there was recently a vulnerability with the videoconferencing service Zoom in which the company’s vanity URL feature was used to impersonate business accounts. Properly training employees can help them distinguish threats far easier than they might be able to otherwise.

Using company-approved equipment can help limit problems. If a user is hopping onto the network with a laptop that is loaded with malware, it can cause problems for everyone else on the network. Jarrod Sadulski, a criminal justice professor at American Military University, recommends ensuring that employees are aware of the need to use employer-approved equipment, including laptops and VPNs. “This strategy is helpful because a corporate virtual private network (VPN) can be used, enabling remote employees to access secure end-to-end encrypted cloud resources from the company’s secure network,” Sadulski writes for InCyberDefense. “In addition, using a work-issued computer and VPN allows a company’s IT department to push security updates onto the remote computer and increase cybersecurity on the device. Even if a company computer is not utilized, a private VPN is a good cybersecurity tool.”

This article was sourced directly from Associations Now here, and is written by Ernie Smith. 

Hi, I thought you might find this blog post of interest.

We’ll be posting occasional ideas that might assist industry associations and membership organisations to build better relationships with their members, so keep an eye on theprcompany.co.nz

How effective is your membership engagement?

All associations communicate with their members, but unfortunately that communication can often be ineffective.  Why is that?

And ineffective communication is one of the big reasons that members feel disenfranchised from their association.

That’s because good communication is such an important part of any relationship, be it with your partner at home, or between members and their association.

Here are five sure-fire ways you can improve your communications to members, and enhance their relationship with you.

1.        Don’t ‘broadcast’

Associations assume that all members want the same information all the time.  They don’t.  Members are individuals and will have differing content requirements.  Content must be targeted.  Yes, it takes a bit more time and effort but the alternative is to broadcast information that can be seen as unimportant, irrelevant or inconsequential and if that happens members will switch off.  And nothing will spoil a relationship faster than poor communication.

2.        Fix the ‘newsletter problem’

Some associations publish newsletters that are almost impenetrable.  Some fill the space with whatever is to hand come publication time.  Often the business of producing the newsletter is so all-consuming that little thought goes into it anymore.  However, it’s imperative that real care and attention is paid to newsletter content.  Think about your newsletter and your social media platforms as a subscriber-based media.  Ask yourself “would I pay to read this?”  Because, effectively, your members are paying to read it and they may not always want to pay for it.  This mindset might influence your choice of content.  It might also enhance your member communications and engagement.

3.        Give ‘em news they can use

In line with the above, keep this thought in mind when casting about for content:  Give them ‘news they can use’.  This is how a journalist thinks.  Most members don’t care about the administrivia of their association.  They want content they will find interesting on a personal level or that impacts their business or other aspects of their life.  So ask yourself – is it useful information, is it entertaining, is it meaningful to members in some way?  Or is it space-filler?

4.        Use the RACSS formula

When you construct content, use the RACSS formula.  Write in such a way that your content is:

• Relevant to your audience
• Actionable in that the material motivates action or thought
• Compelling – it is difficult to ignore, forget, overlook
• Sticky – it is memorable
•  Simple to understand

5.       Use the media to engage with members

Use the media whenever you can.  Nearly 80% of NZers get their news from the 6pm news.   Stuff is the most widely read site in NZ, closely followed by the Herald.  Newstalk ZB 7am news rates off the scale.  Your members are listening to, watching and reading those news outlets, among others.  If your message is in the media, your members will get it.  There are three key benefits to using the media to communicate with members.

• The media is distilling messages so they are accessible and digestible.  Not all association newsletters do that.  So using the media to deliver messages means members get relevant information in easy-to-understand chunks. 
• You are being seen to be abreast topical issues.  Members like the fact their association is on top of things and is respected enough by the media to have a voice.  They take pride in that.  It’s also important for stakeholders to see you in the media, for the same reasons.  Being in the media gives you a cachet, some kudos. 
• Members just want to feel that their association ‘matters’.  They are paying you good money for an intangible service and part of keeping members happy is to make them feel they are paying their money to a worthwhile entity.  Being quoted in the media reinforces that perception.

So there you have it.  Five simple ideas to engage more effectively with your members.  Why do you need to engage them as opposed to just communicate with them?  Watch this space.

Written by Daniel Paul, Director, The PR Company , Wellington NZ 

AuSAE recently concluded voting for elections to the AuSAE Board of Directors and we are delighted to introduce you to our new Board who were announced at the AuSAE Annual General Meeting on Thursday 30 July.

There were four available positions for appointment, and we are delighted to welcome back continuing and re-elected Directors, Damian Mitsch, CEO, Australian Dental Association and Holly Morchat Stanko, General Manager, Association of Consultants & Engineers New Zealand. We are thrilled to also introduce and welcome to the AuSAE Board of Directors; Leigh Catley, General Manager Communications, Federated Farmers and Paula Rowntree, Head of Events & Experience, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

We sat down with Leigh this week and in a short interview discussed Leigh’s previous experience and history with associations, her passion for the sector and what she is looking forward to as she starts her term with the AuSAE Board. Read the full interview below.

An overview of current role and previous experience

I am the GM Communications for Federated Farmers of New Zealand, the country’s peak industry body for farmers and growers. My career background is in journalism, sales, business development, communications and marketing.

My governance experience includes holding board member roles for the New Zealand Agricultural Journalists & Communicators Guild, the New South Wales Public Relations Institute and the New Zealand Registered Hairdressers Association.

I have significant experience working for associations, including the Employers Association of New Zealand, and both the Australian and New Zealand Press Associations. My event management experience includes running conferences for Horticulture New Zealand and Federated Farmers, plus the development of the Primary Industries New Zealand Summit in 2019. I founded the New Zealand primary sector Primary Industry Communicators Day and was a committee member for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Guild Congress held in New Zealand in 2015.

How long have you been a member with AuSAE

About 10 years

How long have you been involved with associations

I have been involved with associations for most of my career, almost 30 years. I fell into the association sector by accident, and in my third role within the sector realised that I had become a career association professional.  

Why associations, what has kept you in the sector

I have always been a believer in the power of a united voice. From very early on in my career I found a passion for advocacy work and ensuring the voice of members is heard, well represented and front and centre. I enjoy working with the facts and information that we collate from members to ensure our industries have a strong voice at the table.

During this time of uncertainty and change, associations and the role we play for industries and communities has never been more important and recognised. The impact and effect that we have to influence and connect to governments has been critical during this crisis, and is vital in delivering member value and providing what members need now.

Three words you would use to describe an Association professional

Flexible
Communicative
Calm

What are you most looking forward to as you start your term on the AuSAE Board

I am looking forward to meeting the members and broader community, learning more and gaining further insight into association management best practice.

This year has presented many challenges and opportunities for us all, I am looking forward to exploring the opportunities that are now available to AuSAE and thrilled to be a part of the Board during this time of change as we pave the way of new direction.

AuSAE recently concluded voting for elections to the AuSAE Board of Directors and we are delighted to introduce you to our new Board who were announced at the AuSAE Annual General Meeting on Thursday 30 July.

There were four available positions for appointment, and we are delighted to welcome back continuing and re-elected Directors, Damian Mitsch, CEO, Australian Dental Association and Holly Morchat Stanko, General Manager, Association of Consultants & Engineers New Zealand. We are thrilled to also introduce and welcome to the AuSAE Board of Directors; Leigh Catley, General Manager Communications, Federated Farmers and Paula Rowntree, Head of Events & Experience, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

We sat down with Paula this week and in a short interview discussed Paula’s previous experience and history with associations, her passion for the sector and what she is looking forward to as she starts her term with the AuSAE Board. Read the full interview below.

An overview of current role and previous experience

I am the Head of Events & Experience at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), and previous to this role I was the National Conference and Events Manager at the RACGP.

I have worked in a variety of events and membership roles in associations including; Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland, and the Law Society of Queensland. I also spent some time at NSW Trade and Investment in the role of Manager for International Missions and Events which gave me great insight and understanding of small business and challenges small businesses face.

I currently sit on the Board of Directors of PCMA, a global association leading social and economic progress, professional and personal development and business growth and organisational success in the business events industry.

How long have you been a member with AuSAE

I have been a member with AuSAE since 2017. The RACGP currently holds an Organisational membership with AuSAE but I also maintain my Individual membership with the organisation. I choose to keep this membership as a personal statement that I believe in and support AuSAE at an individual level as well as contributing from my own organisation.  

How long have you been involved with associations

I have worked in associations and member-based organisations for more than 18 years.  

Why associations, what has kept you in the sector

I like being a part of an organisation where I feel we are trying to make a difference in the world. Associations touch every aspect of people’s lives and collectively contribute to communities globally. They work towards a common goal of creating better economic, operating, business and financial environments for members. By associations providing this support, members are able to operate successfully, remain financially viable and continue to contribute to the community. I am drawn to associations because I feel like I am contributing to the bigger picture.

Three words you would use to describe an Association professional

Community focused  
Selfless  
Adaptive

What are you most looking forward to as you start your term on the AuSAE Board

What I’m most looking forward to is being a voice for members and being someone who the members feel is truly representative of their voice.

I am looking forward to being a part of the continual financial growth of AuSAE. I would like to be someone who contributes thoughts, ideas and innovations that allows AuSAE to be even more financially sustainable and is able to really focus on member value.

The COVID-19 crisis and the economic shift it has created has put a sharper focus on personal branding as a path for career opportunity. Associations should find ways to leverage this growing trend.

The shaky nature of our economy at the moment has helped to change some of the calculus around what people will do to stand out.

Facing furloughs, layoffs, or just general concerns that their job may no longer be on stable ground, many professionals are turning to new tactics to help maintain a presence or voice in the world, perhaps relying on social media to do so.

This makes sense, and it appears to be part of the driving factor behind a recent trend toward platform customization. Last week, Medium announced a plan to allow its users to use new publishing tools that aim to make it easy to customize a visual design—a road that few social networks have gone down in recent years. As the company’s vice president of product design, Alexis Lloyd, put it:

Our new beta includes tools that enable you to have more control over visual expression. We’re launching with a foundational set of controls around color, headers, type, and branding so that you can make a space on Medium that is uniquely yours. And this is just the beginning: we intend to evolve and build on these features over time, giving you even more flexibility to make Medium your own.

To put this all another way, Medium is creating stronger design controls as a reflection that a good Medium platform can be a key element of a personal brand.

BUILDING MORE THAN A PROFILE

This is a shift that has been a long time coming, to be honest. With the exception of the short-form blogging network Tumblr, few modern social networks have put such an emphasis on personal branding. It was something of a missing piece, actually. Sure, you could update your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter profile page to have its own header, but social media has often favored the organization over the individual in its rigid structure. (You could blame the social network MySpace for this, as it associated customization with a Lisa Frank-style explosion of colors and animated GIFs.)

But we may start seeing a shift in the other direction, as concepts like the résumé, built for a physical world, become increasingly outdated, and talented professionals increasingly look to build not just a single sheet of paper that highlights their talents, but an entire brand.

This trend has probably emerged earliest in the media world, where Substack and similar email platforms (along with the pioneers of this model, Patreon) have become more than just vanity exercises but ways to build a professional brand through personal work. In fact, Substack’s popularity has even created problems in newsrooms, as Digiday reports, as employed writers build out newsletters that compete with their own existing beats.

Now, building a web portfolio has always been possible, but tools like Medium and Substack lower the barrier in ways that allow even those without technical knowledge to do so. And while much of this strategy relates to building a level of influence, which matters more in creative and management fields, it can also be a reflection of skill: In recent years, job sites have even adapted their approach to be less about making introductions and more about testing, to objectively show a person’s talent at a technical skill.

And it makes sense that it’s happening now, really. A lot of work these days is done through the internet, and even if we see a vaccine tomorrow, odds are that a lot of people discovered a comfort level with remote work that will make digital connections like these more important—not just in the form of tweets but also by maintaining active platforms outside of work.

Beyond giving them a creative outlet and a megaphone, it also is a passive way of applying for work without having to mail job applications out there first—if your name gets out there enough, the employers may come to you.

A FOUNDATION FOR ASSOCIATION OFFERINGS

This trend, which is still relatively early, is an opportunity for associations, in part because they facilitated many of these actions in a physical world. I remember early in my career as a journalist and graphic designer that I gained connections in my field not just by meeting people at annual meetings, but by bringing my portfolio along and showing examples of my work.

Associations have always been at the center of the universe for many industries, and unlike prior generations where opportunities like that can come up only once in a while, the internet allows these interactions to happen daily. And it’s a role that is growing more in importance as we’re stuck in our homes but looking to maintain our careers.

There are a few ways that I could see this working out for industry groups—maybe they decide to partner with a newsletter or a podcast, something the International Parking and Mobility Institute has done to great effect. Maybe they build their private communities in ways that are more directly promotional of members, allowing them to create something front-facing—think like Squarespace, but simpler—so as to help professionals stand out more.

Associations have been good at building strong content offerings. Imagine what they could do if they put some of that energy toward building platforms that directly allowed members to raise their personal profiles.

If an association can help build a member’s personal brand that gets them a job or helps build a business, odds are good they’ll become a member for life.

This article was sourced directly from Associations Now here, and is written by Ernie Smith. 

Like it or not, decision-making during a pandemic is complicated, and easy solutions might turn into long-term headaches. Here’s some advice for leaders looking to find a balance.

Association leaders always face difficult decisions, but the ones they’re being asked to make now may be the toughest in a long time. They’re deciding how to make big changes quickly to salvage hard-hit revenue streams from meetings, sponsorships, and member dues. At the same time, they’re considering important operational questions, like whether and when to reopen offices or reduce their workforce through furloughs and layoffs.

Experts in careful decision-making have a few guideposts for leaders to follow as they’re navigating difficult choices brought on by COVID-19.

Agility needs to be balanced with caution. Many leaders are eager to respond on the fly to urgent needs, but acting too quickly can threaten long-term strategic efforts. Decision-making should take into account long-term goals, not just short-term initiatives, write Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott of Harvard Business School. “Strategic planning, converting strategic objectives into activities, is central to most organizations,” Groysberg and Abbott write. “Still, it is not possible to anticipate every event that might impact those plans. Executives need to be agile in order to adapt plans in response to unforeseen problems or opportunities. In doing so, they need to balance flexibility and speedy reaction times with long-term strategic focus. It is difficult to get this balance right!”

Now is a bad time for shortcuts. According to leadership strategist Brett Whysel, many people are tending toward the path of least resistance right now, but shortcuts are a bad idea. “In the absence of reliable information, analysis, and leadership, we are left with our gut feelings and decision-making shortcuts,” Whysel wrote recently in Forbes. “Yet, in a novel pandemic, we lack the experience and expertise to form reliable and unbiased intuitions or know which shortcuts work.” He recommends following the advice of trusted sources and being gracious to others doing their best to make hard decisions.

Clear decisions are critical in a pandemic that doesn’t follow common logic. As University of Pennsylvania law and psychology professor Tess Wilkinson-Ryan writes in The Atlantic, the complexity of the problem makes it difficult to resolve. Exploring the human impulse to “shame” other people’s bad decisions, she suggests that mistakes are inevitable when leaders don’t provide clear direction. “Individuals are being asked to decide for themselves what chances they should take, but a century of research on human cognition shows that people are bad at assessing risk in complex situations,” Wilkinson-Ryan writes. “During a disease outbreak, vague guidance and ambivalent behavioral norms will lead to thoroughly flawed thinking.”

The lesson for leaders: Be clear and specific in your decisions and how you communicate them. In the absence of that, the problem gets worse. Consider people’s inconsistent response to social-distancing recommendations.

“Most people congregating in tight spaces are telling themselves a story about why what they are doing is okay. Such stories flourish under confusing or ambivalent norms,” she writes. “People are not irrevocably chaotic decision makers; the level of clarity in human thinking depends on how hard a problem is. I know with certainty whether I’m staying home, but the confidence interval around ‘I am being careful’ is really wide. Concrete guidance makes challenges easier to resolve.”

This article was sourced directly from Associations Now here, and is written by Ernie Smith. 

Thanks to COVID-19, associations want change agents in the corner office, but budgets are tight. The savvy new CEO, one expert says, will be creative and study contracts closely.

Nonprofit lawyer Jeffrey S. Tenenbaum has noticed a change in his workload lately. For most of his career, Tenenbaum, managing partner of Tenenbaum Law Group, always spent more time working on association CEO employment contracts than on CEO termination agreements. These days, though, he’s been spending an equal amount of time on both. And though he doesn’t have hard data on whether more association CEOs are exiting due to the pandemic, he’s seeing associations looking for innovative, turnaround CEOs—and perhaps casting off leaders who don’t fit that definition.

“There was a time when you could have a placeholder CEO, someone who’d kind of coast and keep the trains running on time, but who didn’t need to be a great innovator or great at strategic thinking, re-creating business models,” Tenenbaum says. “That’s not a luxury that any association has anymore. There’s a real need for strong, dynamic leadership, starting at the top.”

That situation presents a challenge, though: While demand has increased for the kind of innovative CEO who can earn top dollar, the current economic situation means that association are hesitant about lavish compensation plans. That puts more pressure on the CEO job candidate to be aware of the hiring environment and get guidelines established in their employment contracts.

Tenenbaum will speak more fully on CEO contracts at the ASAE Virtual Annual Meeting & Exposition on Tuesday, August 11. In advance of that session, he shared a few considerations for CEOs braving the job hunt.

Know what you want going in. Ultimately, Tenenbaum says, association hiring committees have a limited amount of flexibility for compensation when it comes to pure dollars. But they can divvy up that figure in various ways—via perks, deferred compensation, and so on. Prospective CEOs should have a sense going in of what their goals are from the outset. If the job involves international travel, those business-class upgrades will matter a lot; if retirement is on your mind, deferred compensation may make more sense. “I say, ‘We can ask for whatever you want, but pick and choose what matters most to you. You’re not going to get it all.’”

Plan for the end before you start. “I think one of the—if not the—most important part of the CEO employment contract is the prenup,” he says. Consider what the contract says about what benefits and compensation the CEO is due if his or her tenure ends: the amount of severance, the length of the severance period, and which benefits will remain in place during that period. One critical element of the contract is language about terminations for cause or without cause, which have distinct effects on what compensation the departing CEO receives.

Know how much leverage you have. Innovators may be valuable, but not all innovators are created equal. Nor are all associations. “If you’re a first-time CEO, and it’s a smaller association, they don’t have a ton of money,” he says. “Are you going to have the leverage to negotiate really good severance provisions and really narrow cause provisions? Probably not.”

Draw some bright lines between the CEO and board. Board members are more likely to micromanage a CEO’s day-to-day actions unless they’re explicitly barred from doing so. Language in the contract can give staff leaders the control they need. “One of the most important provisions in the employment contract, I think from both perspectives, is the provision that says the CEO shall have the sole authority for the hiring, firing, termination, compensation, and promotion of all other staff of the association,” he says. “When boards pick and choose winners and losers on the staff, it’s always a disaster.”

Get clarity on performance reviews. Restricting reviews to once-a-year check-ins is bad for rank-and file staff, and it’s no different for CEOs, Tenenbaum says. He recommends having quarterly check-ins codified in the employment contracts. Moreover, he says these check-ins should be performed by the board members who engage with the CEO the most. “I think it benefits both sides to define the group that’s going to evaluate and set the compensation for the CEO [that way],” he says. “I don’t like this idea of having a separate compensation committee that has no real working relationship with the exec, and all of a sudden they’re brought in at the end of the year, especially to evaluate how he or she did. I just don’t like that process at all.”

This article was sourced directly from Associations Now here, and is written by Mark Athitakis. 

A new guide from the Events Industry Council includes a code of conduct that outlines how attendees contribute to the health and safety of a meeting. A look at some examples included in the guide and beyond.

When face-to-face meetings resume, it will not only be on event organizers and venue staff to provide a safe environment. An equal share of responsibility falls on attendees.

That’s a key point made in the Events Industry Council’s newly released Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide.

Developed by EIC’s APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force, the guide features a number of resources, including a code of conduct that is meant to help organizers engage all meeting participants in the health and safety of their events.

“Community buy-in by all participants at the event level serves to advocate for the well-being of our fellow global citizens and our industry,” said Kinsley Meetings Chief Meeting Architect and APEX Commission Chair Allison Kinsley, CMM, CMP, CED, in a press release.

The code of conduct breaks down what attendees can do to support the “collective well-being of an event” into three phases: before leaving home, onsite, and post-event.

For example, the guide urges attendees to follow relevant guidance provided by the World Health Organization or their local health department before traveling. In addition, attendees should monitor the health of people they have been in close contact with. If a family member has recently had COVID-19 symptoms, the attendee should stay home.

The onsite section of the code is the most comprehensive. Not only should attendees wear a mask and agree to have their temperature checked before entering the venue if required by organizers, they should also adhere to social distance protocols and respect the personal space of their fellow attendees.

Then, once the event wraps up, attendees should contact event organizers if they test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of returning home.

“We must, as individuals and organizations, take the responsibility to own the assessment and mitigation of risk, taking into account guidance from global, national, regional, and local public health officials. If we do so consistently, and communicate these steps effectively, we will make considerable strides,” said EIC CEO Amy Calvert in a press release.

In addition to the details that EIC outlines in its code of conduct, the reality is that attendees and exhibitors will also have to acclimate themselves to other new meeting and tradeshow etiquette. Things that would have been common in the past—like hugs and handshakes—are likely no-gos for the immediate future.

In a blog post published on Trade Show News Network earlier this month, Briquelle Neyens, a digital marketer at Skyline Exhibits, discussed how tradeshow booth staff need to prepare. Her advice is just as relevant to attendees.

“Shaking hands will be a hard habit to break, but one route for your booth staff to go is to let booth guests guide this interaction,” she wrote. “If they don’t reach out for a handshake, leave it at that and know that both sides are in agreement and understanding of the situation. A tilt of the head could be a simple replacement.”

Neyens also spoke about not overstepping boundaries and minding people’s space. “You may have seen markings at your checkout area in your local grocery stores to keep shoppers in each aisle at a respective distance during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she wrote. “This idea could be similarly used in your booth to ensure that it doesn’t feel overcrowded.”

This article was sourced directly from Associations Now here, and is written by Samantha Whitehorne. 

Welcome back to our AuSAE Member Chat Series – Half an Hour of Power. This week we are delighted to have sat down with AuSAE member, Nick Pilavidis, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Institute of Credit Management. In a short 30 minute interview we discussed four key questions with Nick to reflect on the last four months and look forward to the future post this crisis.

What do the next 6 months look like for your association and your members

For our members the next 6 months will be more challenging than what we faced at the onset of this crisis. What started as a flood of customers seeking extensions of credit, will now turn to more in depth conversations to renegotiate credit and the high-risk factors involved during this time.

As an association we will need to keep our finger on the pulse and ensure we are supporting members with new needs that may arise. We are monitoring the situation and keeping conversations open with members to fill any gaps in knowledge, information or resources that they will need during this time of transition.

Areas of concern

A key area of concern for our association is the inability to host face to face events and the impact on our connection with members while we can’t meet in our usual event setting. This level of interaction is our key tool to connect with members and provides that natural check point with the community, as well as the ability for our members to connect with each other. We have moved to providing online communication tools for our members such as forums, chat groups, social media and website updates, but I think there is still a need for that face to face interaction. The sooner we can get this back, the better for everyone.

Like most associations, a concern for us is the risk surrounding our annual conference which is set to take place in Brisbane in October. We are about to launch our new look conference, aiming to mitigate this risk by moving to one day seminars in 5 cities and adding a virtual conference component in.

Areas of opportunity

This crisis has allowed us to re-focus, identify, adapt and communicate our value proposition to members. We have found new ways of connecting, delivering member services and lobbying for our sector. With the changes in the way we work, learn and operate we have been given the opportunity to showcase the broader value our association can provide members including connection with thought leaders and industry to guide them through this time.

As the saying goes, never waste a good crisis, and although we are operating in challenging times this crisis has highlighted the value that credit management can bring to businesses. As an association our focus will be to harness this crisis, and ensure the credit management profession is properly recognised for what they do and the value they can provide.

Celebrated moments in the last four months

The speed and agility in decision making from our entire team is something to celebrate. It has been great to see the team step up and respond quickly to members and their needs over the last few months. We have moved our face to face training to virtual classrooms, and the team have really taken this in their stride. We are now able to offer our education more frequently with greater reach and access to the membership base.

Overall, we have experienced a stronger team culture and collaborative approach while working from home. As an organisation we are committed to providing members with the tools and training they need to navigate the remainder of this year and that common goal has anchored the AICM team to a key outcome.

Although associations may be able to hold smaller, in-person events that follow social-distancing mandates, a lot of people may still not feel comfortable travelling or attending. To navigate this, more associations will implement a hybrid strategy for all of their meetings.

With travel and gathering restrictions still in place in many locations around the world and not expected to ease anytime soon, large conferences and tradeshows are likely not in the cards for associations in the coming months.

At the start of the pandemic, that meant associations had to pivot their events to completely virtual. But now associations are looking at the hybrid model as the way to offer attendees two options: a smaller, in-person event that adheres to social-distancing requirements or a virtual experience.

The format is rapidly gaining popularity. According to a recent survey by Etc.venues, 73 percent of event professionals say they are planning to host a hybrid event before the end of the year.

While implementing a hybrid meeting structure will raise additional logistics to work through, it also comes with benefits. For example, you may be able to attract new attendees to the online component, such as working parents, those with compromised immune systems, caregivers, and international participants. In addition, hybrid meetings could provide new ways to deliver content and allow you to extend the life of your event by giving attendees the ability to watch sessions on demand.

More importantly, a hybrid format will allow those who may be uncomfortable travelling to take part remotely and connect with fellow industry professionals. This shows that your association is putting its members’ and attendees’ comfort first—something that could translate into better retention and loyalty.

A few groups already have plans to host hybrid meetings in the months ahead. For example, November’s Event Tech Live conference will take a hybrid approach. ETL will expand its typical two-day tradeshow in London to include five virtual days of content as well.

“There is no doubt that COVID-19 has accelerated our plans to go fully hybrid just as we have seen many events around the globe pivot to online-only to keep their community connected and provide value for their sponsors,” said ETL cofounder Adam Parry in a press release. “What’s most exciting to me is using this opportunity to push the boundaries, to once again experiment with the formula of an ‘exhibition.’”

Other associations that have hybrid meetings planned include the American Fats and Oils Association, American Trail Running Association, and New England Water Works Association. Even the behemoth CES 2021—which is currently expected to have an in-person component in Las Vegas in January—says it will “continue to make the show’s content accessible for our digital audiences” and “provide a platform for our exhibitors to showcase their groundbreaking product launches and technology breakthroughs digitally, as well as physically in Las Vegas.”

While these are only a few examples, I expect the list of associations taking a hybrid approach to grow. In fact, to use a cliché, I expect hybrid meetings to become “the new normal.”

This article was sourced directly from Associations Now here, and is written by Samantha Whitehorne.