The National Convention Centre is Canberra’s leading meetings and events venue; unrivalled in facilities, size and scope. The Centre is diverse, flexible and equipped to handle events of all sizes.

Inclusive space, personable staff and process friendly - our $80 Day Delegate Package is designed with you in mind. Whatever your conference needs in 2018 we have a creative solution for you.

Terms and conditions apply, for more information please contact ncc.sales@ihg.com

For the link to the website, please click here.

Partner of FCB Workplace Law, Matthew Robinson, examines the Industrial Revolution 4.0 through the lens of Australian Employment law and Industrial Relations impacts on the Manufacturing Industry.

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 is expected to drastically transform not only Australian manufacturing processes but the industrial relations framework of the business models that underpin them. Australian workforces will be reskilled, retooled, relocated and restructured, requiring business owners to exercise foresight into how existing industrial relations models will need to adapt to the technological changes on the horizon.

In this three part series, the FCB Group will explore the untapped area of employment and industrial relations implications of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 on the Australian working landscape. This first article will examine how the Industrial Revolution 4.0 will impact job criteria and job composition in the Australian manufacturing sector. Our second article will consider the impact of Enterprise Bargaining, workplace flexibility, independent contracting and the influence of the Australian Union movement. Finally, the third article in this trilogy will discuss how Australian advanced manufacturers can take steps to protect their intellectual property, confidential information and workforce from external competitors.

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 is set to impact all stakeholders in the manufacturing industry, including the size, composition and location of your workforce. Information is the best defense in ensuring your company is able to adapt its industrial relations strategies to capture and drive the business opportunities presented by these changes. Look out for Article 2, which will discuss how these changes are likely to result in manufacturers having to adopt changes to their current industrial relations strategies, including the negotiations of Enterprise Agreements, impacts on the Union movement and the growing importance of employment contracts.

For FCB's full article, click here.

Could your organisation survive the loss of member trust for a cyber attack you had the ability to prevent? Just one incident could potentially destroy your organisation’s brand.

By Paul Ramsbottom, Managing Director at ASI Asia-Pacific

In just the past few years, the way associations communicate with members and constituents has undergone massive change — and this change is happening at a blistering pace.

More than likely, the Association Management System (AMS) or CRM you bought just a few years ago to manage your data is probably now just about obsolete because it can’t keep up with the newest technology developments and your members’ and constituents’ rapidly expanding needs. In particular, your current system is probably not equipped to defend against the very real — and very frightening — data security risks your organisation is now facing.

Security threats are everywhere — no geographic area or industry is immune (including associations).

Security challenges require more focus, planning, and resources than ever before. It’s no longer enough to simply secure your data and third-party applications — you must ensure that the data centre where your entire system is stored is secure. Data security is a proactive AND reactive process.

How do you mitigate your risk? And how do you ensure your data and your organisation’s reputation are protected?

The majority of security breaches have some sort of root cause related to employee negligence. The top 5 causes of breaches are:

1. Weak Credentials

2. System Misconfiguration

3. Service/Software Vulnerability

4. Web Application Vulnerability

5. Social Engineering

Along with the tangible financial losses that can result from a data breach, a recent survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute estimates that an organisation’s brand value drops anywhere from 17-31% after a breach. That is almost a third of your brand value that you could lose due to a data breach. And your brand value is arguably your most important asset.

Specific Threats to Associations and Not-for-Profits

Despite what some may think, associations and not-for-profits aren’t immune to security breaches. There are growing threats that you need to protect against today before your data is compromised and your organisation’s reputation is irrevocably damaged. Associations and not-for-profits need to be particularly vigilant because:

• Your mission/philosophy may be polarising and can be attractive targets for ‘hactivists.’
• Unlike larger companies, not-for-profits have fewer protections in place and are still typically on a sharp learning curve (and hackers could prey on this).
• Even though you don’t have millions of credit card transactions, you’re still at risk (hackers may see you as a weak target).
• Not all data breaches are for credit card information — your organisation may be hacked in an effort to embarrass and harass you by those who are opposed to your mission.
• As your budget/revenue continues to grow, you become more vulnerable.
• With more organisations looking to offer members and constituents online and self-service options to improve efficiency and reduce costs (and provide greater constituent convenience), there’s a greater need to protect against security breaches.

Understanding PCI Compliance/Critical PCI Basics

Your organisation probably accepts credit cards for on- and off-line membership renewals, product purchases, and event registrations. PCI compliance means you’ve taken the necessary steps to ensure your constituents’ payment card data is kept secure through every transaction and that they — as well as your organisation — are protected against data breaches.

There are two main types of PCI standards that you need to be aware of:

PCI-DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and applies to service providers – such as application hosting or data centers – that store, process, or transmit card holder data.

PA-DSS stands for Payment Application Data Security Standard and applies to software applications that process credit card transactions that store, process, or transmit card holder data.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of 12 requirements designed to protect cardholder data. Cardholder data is any personally identifiable data associated with a cardholder, including:

• Primary Account Number
• Expiry Date
• Name
• Magnetic Stripe Data

All merchants accepting debit/credit cards must comply with the PCI DSS at all times — including associations that accept electronic payments. PCI compliance is an ongoing process, not a one-time event — so your organisation needs to stay on top of its status at all times to prevent security breaches today and in the future.

While many software solution providers claim they’re PCI-compliant, the truth is, many are not. How can you know who to trust? You can check to see which solutions have been validated on the PCI website (https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/assessors_and_solutions/vpa_agreement). Always look for the PCI-validated logo when choosing a provider.

The maximum security you can achieve is by using a solution to manage your data that is PA-DSS Validated in a hosting environment that has been assessed as PCI Compliant by a third-party assessor.

PCI is specifically geared towards the security and protection of credit card-related data. But, because it is such a stringent and comprehensive security standard, it helps with data security in general. As an example, the latest PA-DSS standards call for stringent requirements for the creation, storage, and retrieval of User ID and Passwords.

So what can and should you be doing?

1) Educate yourself on the various security standards and perform your own security self-audits.

Organisations including the Online Trust Alliance, National Institute of Security, Open Web Application Security Project and the Payment Card Industry Security Standards are excellent sources of best practices and resources.

There are also several great resources to perform your own security self-audit, including:

• Security Self-Assessment: https://otalliance.org/resources/security-privacy-risk-assessment
• PCI Self-Assessment: https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/pci_security/completing_self_assessment

2) Ask Your AMS/CRM Vendor about their PCI compliance

When evaluating the security of your current or future Association Management System or CRM, use the following checklist to ensure your security is optimised:

Service Providers (Hosting Centres):

 Do they have an approved Attestation of Compliance (AoC) on file with the PCI Security Standards Council?

 What is the current approved level of PCI PA-DSS?

• The vendor should be able to provide the approved product name, product version #, PCI PA-DSS version #, re-validation date, and the expiry date and you should confirm what they tell you by going to https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/assessors_and_solutions/vpa_agreement.
  

 What is their plan to get current?

 Do they have a comprehensive Corporate Security Assurance Plan designed to ensure client security?

 Have they engaged independent penetration testing services to ensure their systems are protected from the latest security threats?

Software Product Vendors:

 Do they have a completed and approved PCI PA-DSS ‘Validation’ on file with PCI DSS — or are they simply ‘PCI-Compliant’?

 What is the current approved level of PCI PA-DSS?

 What is their plan to get current?

 Do they adhere to secure coding and testing practices as published in OWASP security standards?

Don’t just take your vendor’s word, make sure you check with the appropriate regulatory bodies as well.

And finally, in the longer term you should look to create your own corporate data security plan and possibly seek third-party assistance in doing so.

Advanced Solutions International (ASI) is a recognised global, industry thought leader that focuses on helping associations and not-for-profits increase operational and financial performance through the use of best practices, proven solutions, and ongoing client advisement. Read the whitepaper at www.advsol.com/AuSAEnews

Shark Scientist announced as Ocean Lead at the United Nations Association (Western Australia)

Media Release - 26 February 2018

Amanda Elizabeth, Shark Scientist and Founder of the Fin Free Soup initiative, has just been appointed as the Ocean Lead for the United Nations Association (Western Australia). In her newly created role, Elizabeth will manage the Ocean Portfolio, organise ocean based events and drive public awareness about marine conservation.

Amanda says, “I’m thrilled to be announced as the Ocean Lead for the United Nations Association for Western Australia. It is a great honour to represent such a prestigious association and my new role will enable me to share my passion for conservation and provide a platform to make a difference.

"I am excited to be a part of this incredible organisation that works tirelessly to raise awareness about environmental issues. In leading the Ocean Portfolio I intend to bring awareness to a number of oceanic issues, placing a strong focus on plastics in the ocean and the ways in which this can be addressed,” adds Amanda.

With a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in both Marine and Biological Science from Murdoch University, Amanda finished in the top 5% of students. Following this she completed her Masters in (Marine) Biological Science at the University of Western Australia under the supervision of renowned Shark Scientists Professor Shaun Collin and Dr Ryan Kempster.

“I have a passion for protecting marine life and have a strong belief that there are better options out there to protect ocean users but also conserve marine life in its natural state. My focus is on the conservation of sharks with a focus on the electroreceptive thresholds of sharks and rays,” said Amanda.

About the United Nations Association (Western Australia):

The Western Australian Division of the United Nations Association of Australia (UNAAWA) work to connect the WA community, government and other stakeholders with the work, goals and values of the UN. They operate at a state level to achieve positive change in support of the charter, aims and ideals of the United Nations.

Amanda Elizabeth is an expert in the field of Shark Biology and as a Shark Scientist is available and ready to educate everyone from parents of kids taking part in nippers through to the decision makers at a National Government level. Her passion for the environment and conservation is second to none.

This article was originally sourced from PRWire. 

Sydney 2 February 2018 - The Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA), part of the Australian Alliance for Data Leadership (AADL), has announced that Steve Sinha has been appointed Chief Operating Officer for the network of associations which includes ADMA, IAPA, DGA and Digital + Technology Collective.

Steve brings to the Associations more than 30 years’ experience in media, operations and business transformation including seven years as Melbourne Managing Director at OMD Australia. During this time at OMD Australia, Steve delivered a programme of digital, data, content and strategy transformation that saw the Melbourne agency treble in size. He continued his passion for digital & data transformation and organisational change with the successful launch of the consultancy Media Operations Transparency in 2016.

Steve’s experience also encompasses a passion for industry representation, spending 7 years as Melbourne Chairman & member of the National Awards Committee at the MFA as well as sitting on the Australian Chapter Board of the IAA for 2 years.

In his new role, Steve will report to CEO Jodie Sangster and have responsibility for driving operational efficiency for the network of associations under the new Australian Alliance for Data Leadership structure.

“We are delighted to welcome Steve to the team. His knowledge of the industry and experience in business transformation will be invaluable to ADMA and the AADL associations as we go through our next period of growth and expansion. We are planning to continue our exciting growth phase in 2018 in order to drive the future of our industry and increase the benefits we bring to members. Bringing Steve on board will ensure we continue to lead the charge and deliver to the high standards expected by our members”.

Steve says “ADMA and the entire AADL network deliver experiences on the cutting edge of data and digital transformation. My new role will be a fantastic vantage point to ensure that ADMA and the network effectively help businesses, marketers and all in the industry navigate an increasingly complex landscape and deliver best practice.”

This article was originally sourced from ADMA.

Within the span of a decade, social media has overtaken others forms of advertising. For a brand to be noticed, it must have a social media presence. Cue the social media marketing manager. This individual brings the benefits of social media marketing to their brand or company. From LinkedIn to Twitter, from Facebook to Instagram, and every other social media platform; this unique individual creates a social media marketing strategy that drives customers to engage with and become loyal followers of their brand.

But how does a social media marketing manager deal with the entire gamut of operations to build their brands reach and expand their influence? Apart from the keen eye for design and flair for writing, what are the critical skills needed by a social media manager?

Here are 7 critical skills of the best social media managers:

1. Project Management

No, not the certification; but the ability to manage multiple audiences across multiple channels using multiple reporting tools without going non-compos mentis. This has the ability to drive anyone crazy. Call it what you may, project management, time management, strategy planning, calendar scheduling; the term doesn’t matter, the skill does. A good social media marketing manager takes the time to plan, to schedule, to engage with customers, to evaluate analytics, to assign or reduce resources, and where necessary revise unproductive strategies.

2. Being socially active

A social media manager may not be the face of a brand to the consumer, but they are the face of the brand to everyone they interact with, from other media managers to PR agencies. A media manager that isn’t themselves active on social media reads very poorly.

Would anyone trust someone with no Instagram or Twitter account to grow theirs?

An individual that is active on social media channels naturally has more clout. To be active means to be in touch and engaged. Being personally active on social media gains you the confidence of both your brand and your audience.

3. Reading between the Lines on Analytics to understand your audience

A social media manager doesn’t just take a brand to market. They know when to market and how to market. Social media managers analyze the effectiveness of the brand using Google Analytics, SemRush, Ahrefs, and other reporting tools, including platform-specific ones.

Take the simple example of analyzing your Twitter audience based on their interests and customizing future tweets to target them better. It’s not just numbers, the analysis is important. Read more about this here.

Clicks, impressions, likes, they all matter. But what matters more is how this information or data is interpreted and manipulated to produce better results.

4. Using multiple platforms and tools with a mixed approach

Social media managers cannot stick to a single platform for marketing anymore. Multi-facetious and multi-pronged strategies are key. Using different social media marketing tools and taking a mixed media approach to marketing is what ups the game.

Knowing how to effectively use tools such as Hootsuite, CoSchedule, Buffer, etc. for scheduling and drawing out data from platforms is important. Fine tuning and developing new strategies based on the extrapolated data is more valuable. Correctly understanding consumer demographics, locations, interests, and choices will help shape marketing decisions and target consumers that convert.

5. Staying updated with the latest trends

Social media marketing trends, tools, and technology change rapidly. What’s hot today is redundant tomorrow. Take the extreme example of Orkut. It lost out in competition to Facebook and MySpace and was dissolved in 2014.

Or for that matter television. It’s still used for advertising but does not have as much of a social impact as Facebook or YouTube.

Instagram’s doing better after starting Stories. Facebook videos are the in thing. Tweets now have 280 characters.

Of course, these are examples of platforms. But the same applies to brands.

6. ‘Getting’ the context

Understanding the context, the pop culture, the reference points relevant to your brand’s prospects and customers is crucial to being able to create posts that people want to read and share or engage with in any way. It’s equally important to understand the brand and industry in which your brand operates. This helps maintain a consistent tonality of the brand voice, while also being able to reference stuff that’s happening ‘out there’ that your audiences may care about.

7. Know the tool

To survive in the social media jungle, media managers must adopt social media marketing platforms as quickly as night is the day. Adapting to new trends and technologies is essential but knowing the ins and outs of the tools that are at hand your workplace to manage social media is critical. Learning new tools and platforms as soon as they are available and becoming early adopters of a technology ensures you Have the upper hand when you are looking to expand your professional horizons.

These are just a few of the skills that social media marketing managers need, but they are the critical ones.

This article was originally sourced by Martech Advisor. 

Artificial Intelligence: What Association Decision-Makers Need to Know

Thursday, 15th February 2018
10:00am - 11:00am Sydney Time
Online - via webinar
Presented by Jeff De Cagna
Free for members and non-members

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping our world, and we are only just beginning to fully appreciate its far-reaching impact. AI raises many complex questions and creates many difficult choices for individuals and organizations alike. Boards, chief staff executives and other senior decision-makers need to get past the hype, separate AI fact from fiction and take actions to build their associations to thrive in what is rapidly becoming an "AI first" world.

This high-impact learning session will present three thought-provoking perspectives on the present and future of AI, and propose three questions for association decision-makers to explore as they consider how AI can help them reinvent their organizations in the years ahead.

This webinar is presented by Jeff De Cagna FRSA FASAE is executive advisor for Foresight First LLC and a respected contrarian thinker on the future of associating and associations. He is an author, speaker and advisor for associations and non-profit organizations across North America and around the world. Jeff is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK) and a Fellow of ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership. Jeff served on the ASAE Board of Directors from 2007-2010.

A graduate of the Johns Hopkins and Harvard universities, Jeff has pursued executive education at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Oxford University and Harvard Business School. He holds the Leadership Certificate for Nonprofit Board Chairs and the Certificate of Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource, the US-based organization for non-profit boards, the Design Thinking and Innovation Specialization from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and has completed Foresight Practitioner training at the Institute for the Future.

REGISTER NOW

AuSAE are delighted to officially open registrations for the annual AuSAE Conference and Exhibition (ACE) 2018. Under the theme “Ignite your thinking”, ACE will leverage lessons from innovators, corporate sector leaders and leading association professionals to challenge traditional ways of thinking. What is being done differently and how can we change our current business models to adapt, shift and position our businesses for the future?

To celebrate this news we are pleased to announce our first keynote addresses for ACE 2018. Matthew Michalewicz and Gill Hicks will headline our speaker line up for 2018 thanks to the generous support of ACE 2018 Keynote Partner Saxton Speakers Bureau.

Introducing Matthew Michalewicz

Matthew is currently the CEO of Complexica, a provider of Artificial Intelligence software that helps large organisations increase revenue, margin, and customer engagement through automated analytics.

Previously Matthew was the co-founder and CEO of SolveIT Software, growing the company from zero to almost 180 employees and $20 million in revenue before selling the business to Schneider Electric. He was named the Pearcey Foundation's Entrepreneur of the Year, among Business Journal's '40 under 40' list of accomplished business leaders, University of North Carolina Alumnus of the Year, and an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

Introducing Gill Hicks

Gill is globally known as an Advocate for Sustainable Peace and a valuable resource in Countering Violent Extremism. Her devotion to making a personal greater contribution and positive difference to the urgency of building peace was realised when she was made permanently injured in the London terrorist Bombings on July 7th, 2005.

We look forward to welcoming Matthew and Gill to the stage in Adelaide on 28-30 May and hope you can join us at the largest sector gathering for association professionals.

To find out more about ACE 2018 please visit www.ausae.org.au/ace.

To register, click here.

We look forward to seeing you all at ACE2018 !!!

Innovation is key to ensuring your organisation continues to solve the problems your customers face in a meaningful way. Your ongoing vitality relies on you keeping pace with how the world of your customer is changing otherwise your once happy customers will become disillusioned with your product and service solutions and a competitor will step in and offer something more to their liking. It’s inevitable.

How do you innovate, or more importantly, how can you accelerate innovation within your organisation? Guild Insurance realised several years ago that we didn’t have good answers to these questions so we enlisted the help of Inventium, Australia’s leading innovation consultancy. Our journey with Inventium continued last week when we toured Silicon Valley together with a small delegation of Australian business leaders to speak to 10 of the most innovative companies in the world and hear how they do it. This is what we learned.

1. Culture is king

It sounds obvious, but workplace culture is the key to who wants to work with you, how they will work with you and whether they want to stay working with you. This begins with a bold vision that inspires staff to pursue a higher purpose and feel empowered to step out of their comfort zones to try something new. Bring this to life through values that prioritise innovation and ensure you never compromise these values. Know the behaviours that you won’t accept, and ensure all staff hold true to these, regardless of whatever superpower an individual staff member may possess. Last but not least, empower all staff to be involved in innovation. Involving all staff will identify the select few with the drive to help you achieve disruptive innovation.

2. Innovate or die

Creating change that adds value takes focus. Provide your teams with a pathway to follow and grease the wheels of motion by putting someone in charge of that process who is unfamiliar with the problems to be solved. At a minimum your process should include:

a. Use customer feedback to find the intersection between the job they want to do but can’t get done and your strategic priorities. That’s the problem you need to solve.

b. Hold idea generation and prioritisation sessions where ideas can flow without judgement.

c. Prioritise, but don’t judge the ideas – it’s futile. Use lean methodology to rapidly experiment and test out solutions, and keep iterating to evolve the solution until you get evidence from your customers that it is solving their problem. Only then put your solution into widespread production.

3. The need for speed

The pace of change has never been this fast and will never be this slow again.

The value of your greatest ideas may be as short-lived as a Snapchat video. Your ultimate success will not be defined by the ideas you generate but by your speed of execution. Don’t be afraid to make the occasional mistake along the way - as long as you rapidly iterate them any failures will be small. Have faith that ultimately the lessons learned will be more valuable than the cost of any failure. Never allow your desire to push forward as hard as you can to become an excuse for sloppy work. Lastly, don’t try to do it all by yourself. Collaborate with anybody who’ll listen, even if it’s a competitor – the insights you’ll get in return may just provide the paradigm shift you’re looking for.

Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes – it’s not all grandios or daringly disruptive but you need a dose of that too. As long as you focus on delivering change that adds value, no matter the size, you can change somebody’s world for the better which ultimately makes us all better off.

Developing association professionals in current and future CEO roles

The AuSAE Mentoring and Leadership Program helps develop experienced association professionals in their current roles and prepare aspiring association leaders for future CEO roles. Applications are open until 19 February 2018

Would you like:

• Guidance for your personal and professional development in the association profession, from someone with a wealth of experience?
• An opportunity to learn from guest speakers on a range of association leadership topics?
• Satisfaction from helping others and contributing to the future success of the association profession?
• A chance to develop your mentoring and leadership skills?

WHY IS THIS PROGRAM IMPORTANT?

For associations to thrive, they need great leadership. This program is designed to build leadership capacity in the profession by pairing association professionals with experienced mentors and by giving them an opportunity to develop and fine-tune leadership skills along with a like-minded peer group. Participants in mentoring programs report a number of benefits from their participation: improved confidence, self-awareness, clearer career direction, better communication skills, listening skills, feedback skills, more assertive communication, and enhanced management skills.

WHO CAN APPLY?

To join as a mentee, you must be an association professional aspiring to a more senior leadership role, a CEO role or a current CEO looking to develop their skills and leadership in the Association Sector.

To join as a mentor, you must be an association CEO, former CEO or a very experienced association Senior Manager.

Both mentees and mentors must also be willing to attend program events, webinars and complete the training provided.

The program is open to participants in all states.

The Program Launch and Progress Review meetings will be held in Sydney, Melbourne and possibly other locations depending on the location of successful applicants. The final meeting is by webinar.

FEE

The fee for mentees for the entire program is $995 plus GST (members) and $1395 (non-members). Payment is due once the mentee has been matched and has a place in the program. Payment plans are available on request.

Mentors are volunteers - they are not paid and there is no fee for their participation.

WHAT'S INVOLVED?

The AuSAE Mentoring and Leadership Mentoring Program is an 8month program, from March to November 2018. Mentors and mentees will be matched according to application details and are required to attend three events - Program Launch, Mid-Program Review and Program Close – some of which will be face-to-face meetings while others will be delivered via Webinars. There will be 3 guest speaker webinars for mentees (mentors may choose to attend as well).

During the program, mentors and mentees will be expected to be in contact monthly.

Mentees and mentors will also be asked to complete Art of Mentoring online program training to prepare them for their mentoring relationship. Acceptance into the program is conditional upon your commitment to completion of the training.

During the program, you will receive frequent communications from the Program Facilitators, giving you helpful tips and information about mentoring and access to other relevant materials available for supporting mentees.

During and at the end of the month program you will be invited to provide feedback to AuSAE about your experience.

WHAT IF I'M NOT SELECTED?

We will endeavour to match all mentees that apply, provided that we have a suitable mentor. Some mentors may not be matched if their expertise/ experience is not suitable for any applicants. If we don’t have a suitable match for a mentee or mentor, we won’t pair you for the sake of putting you in the program.

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

Apply NOW as applications will close by 19th February 2018. Please give as much information as you reasonably can in your profile as it will assist the matching process. You will be advised in early March if there a suitable match for you.