When was the last time you scrolled social media or the news and saw the word ‘community’? We’re willing to bet it was within the last hour.

As big believers in the power of community, we’re loving the attention communities are getting. It seems everyone is busy building, joining, promoting or celebrating communities and it’s just what the world needs in the aftermath of the isolation and distance we’ve experienced over the past two years.

Conferences have always played an important role in community-building, especially among professional associations, and here we unpack how this has become more relevant than ever.

For many associations, in-person conferences used to be a keystone, annual touch point. But beyond a handful of folks making a conscious effort to stay in touch and perhaps a survey, post-event ‘engagement’ was virtually non-existent. If you were really savvy, you’d create an online forum for participants to “continue the conversation”, but this rarely worked to build and maintain a true sense of community.

Why?

Because community building is not something you “set and forget”. It requires leadership and stewardship, and most important of all, your members need a compelling reason to keep in touch.

-> Enter virtual

Who would’ve thought the very format we used to shun would not only bring us closer than we could’ve imagined, but has taught us to stay close.

It’s safe to say most of us have mastered and now consider virtual meetings to be the norm so that’s a big barrier removed. Sure, Zoom fatigue is real – but now it’s reserved for poorly designed online experiences.

As your members seek meaningful connections with others in their industry, it’s time for your association to show how much you’ve learnt through the pandemic about why and how your members will gather, how often, and where.

Interweaving in-person gatherings with regular, purposeful, virtual touchpoints will show your prowess in community-building and care for your members.

Our tips for simple but effective virtual community gatherings:

• Take the time to design a program, better yet a roster, that delivers value to your members
• Create a schedule to prime participants and set expectations
• Focus on quality over quantity in the r(Z)oom – smaller groups of members online will work much better for meaningful connections over vast numbers of anonymous black boxes
• Keep the infrastructure simple and lean in to familiar tools - Zoom, Google docs etc. will suffice
• Share ground rules in advance and at the start of the session so participants have plenty of warning and can opt in: e.g. mics on, cameras on, energy ON

Perhaps you’ve already built a community, but struggling to maintain it – or you’re in the early days of building a community of and for your members; whichever camp you fall into, a properly researched, designed and implemented calendar of online and offline events will go a long way to achieving those goals. 

Organising an event in Wellington has become even easier with two premium venues combining under one umbrella – Tākina Events.

As of April 1, Te Papa Venues and Tākina, Wellington’s new convention and exhibition centre opening in mid-2023, officially began operating under the new brand.

The partnership enables business events planners to access and book the spaces and services of two of Wellington’s premium conference venues together.

And situated just across the road from each other in the heart of the vibrant, walkable capital, it’s also ideal for delegates.

Te Papa is one of the capital’s leading conference and events venues hosting more than 900 events each year.

Meanwhile, bookings are flowing in for Tākina, which offers 10,000sqm of flexible meeting and events space over two floors, catering for up to 1,600 delegates in the main plenary space.

The new combination means Tākina Events will not only attract and deliver a wider range of conferences, exhibitions and events, but it will also ensure events are delivered at an international standard with a distinctly Wellington flavour.

“What is already an exciting new asset for Wellington, combined with the venue spaces at Te Papa under one operation, now gives us an opportunity to deliver unique events on a scale the capital hasn’t seen before,” says Tākina Events general manager Andrew Dorrington.

“And joining forces will help to support the promotion of the capital as a vibrant destination for hosting local and international events,” he says.

“With flexible spaces, built-in technology and celebrating local cuisine in the heart of Wellington, and one dedicated team to run the operation means clients – and delegates - benefit from a more efficient service across both buildings.”

Conference & Events Ltd managing director Janet Matheson is excited about the Tākina Events team coming together under one brand.

“We’ve worked closely with the team over several years and we appreciate the experience they bring to the operation.

“Not only are they a well-oiled machine, already having a great relationship with them means we can hit the ground running once the new build opens.”

CTA: Visit www.takina.co.nz

Voting is now open for the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) 2022 Board Election; and will close on Monday, 30 May at 12pm AEST.

Board nominees
As an AuSAE Member, your vote counts in our 2022 Board elections.

You will find the fifteen (15) candidates below with further information about the voting process, which runs from 16 May to 30 May 2022.

• Anita Campbell, CEO Nusery and Garden Industry NSW and ACT
• Craig Young, CEO of TUANZ
• Greg Harford, Chief Executive of Retail New Zealand
• Hilary Beaton, Executive Director of the Public Libraries of New Zealand
• Holly Morchat Stanko, General Manager for the Association of Consulting and Engineering New Zealand
• Jane O’Dwyer, CEO Cooperative Research Australia (CRA)
• Jodie Long, CEO of the Australasian Sonographers Association
• John Winter, CEO of the Australian Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association (ARITA)
• Kerry L’Anson, General Manager, Member & Community Engagement at Optometry Australia (OA)
• Leigh Catley, General Manager of Communications at Federated Farmers of New Zealand.
• Lindsay McGrath, CEO at Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Australia
• Michelle Bilcavs, CEO of the Association of Consulting Surveyors National
• Osman Mewett, CEO of Australian Seed Federation
• Paul Cargill, Head of Growth and Development at Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
• Paul Nicolaou, Executive Director of Business Sydney

Board positions

Members will vote to elect:

• Four (4) Directors.

The successful candidates will take office following the AuSAE Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 31 May 2022 and serve on the Board for two years.

They will be part of a seven-member Board comprising the President and six (6) Directors.  The Board will appoint one of their members to serve as the Vice President.

What does being a Director involve?

As a Board member, you will help shape AuSAE's future direction. You will bring your knowledge, skills, and experience and provide strategic guidance to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Association. You will be responsible for setting the core activities of AuSAE, reflecting the views of Members and for strong governance, risk, and financial management.

Being a Director provides an opportunity to contribute to the association sector and ensure that AuSAE is an association that you will continue to be proud of.

Skills and attributes

AuSAE seeks Directors with skills, attributes, and experience to support the CEO and lead the Association. These include:

• Corporate governance
• Finance and risk management
• Strategic planning, implementation, and review processes
• Communication and marketing
• Networking and leveraging networks
• Association industry and issues affecting the sector

Ideally, the Board will comprise individuals with these skills and experience.

Election Process

AuSAE elections are governed by AuSAE By-Laws and an independent election specialist is appointed to manage the voting process.

The following table provides details of the election timeline.

Want to know more?

Information about the 2022-2023 Board of Directors can be found on the Board of Directors webpage

To find out more about the election process or the work of the AuSAE Board, please contact the AuSAE Board of Directors

Shorter and simpler Australian domain names launch on 24 March 2022.

.au direct (e.g. getyour.au) represents Australia’s first new .au namespace since 2004 andwill provide Australians with greater choice when building their online presence. For Australian businesses, .au direct will provide short, simple and uniquely Australian domain names, a greater choice of website or email address ending in .au, as well as addresses that are easier to type into mobile devices.

Registering new .au direct names

From 24 March 2022, Australian businesses will be able to register new .au direct names. These are names that are available to the public on a first come, first served basis as they are not already registered in any other .au namespace e.g. com.au, or org.au. New names can be registered via any participating .au accredited registrar.

Registering the exact match of an existing .au domain you hold

If you already hold a .au name in another namespace e.g. com.au, org.au. etc. you will have six months from 24 March until 20 September 2022 to apply for its exact .au direct match. For example, if you are the registrant of getyour.com.au you will have until 20 September 2022 to apply for getyour.au via a participating .au accredited registrar. In most cases you’ll be able to register and begin using your matching .au direct domain name soon after you apply for it.

In some cases, there may be more than one applicant for the same .au direct domain name as there are different registrants that hold the same domain name licence in different namespaces.

For example:

• Tina is the registrant of getyour.com.au
• Gene is the registrant of getyour.net.au

Both are registrants eligible to apply for getyour.au

In these cases, the .au direct exact match will be allocated according to the Priority Allocation Process. If you are an existing registrant, you can expect to hear from your existing .au registrar about the launch of .au direct and how you can apply for the exact match of any .au names you already hold licences for.

Applying to register your matching .au direct name is optional and has no effect on your existing .au domain names. Your existing name in the .au domain will continue to operate as it does today, provided you maintain your registration.

More information

For more information about .au direct and how it may impact your business, we’ve developed detailed factsheets on .au direct and the Priority Allocation Process.

If you want to hear the latest news about .au direct and important updates about the .au domain, you can become a .au member. It’s free to join and there are a range of member benefits, including invitations to regular events and webinars. Become a .au member today!

Lots of companies realized that customer service wasn’t cutting it anymore, so the focus shifted to customer experience to respond to changes in customer demands. Lessons from the shift can pave the way for associations to improve the member experience.

By Lisa Boylan Mar 15, 2022

There has been an evolution from customer service to customer experience in recent years. It makes sense because, if you think about it, service is a pretty one-sided proposition. You are providing something to someone based on what you think they want. But what if you had a really good idea of what members want because you actually figured it out—and applied it?

“Everybody thinks about the member experience,” said Kurt Heikkinen, CEO of Forj, a member experience and virtual events platform. “And there are parallels to customer experience with member experience.”

A More Personal Experience

By adapting lessons from customer experience to member experience, association professionals have an opportunity to improve the member experience by establishing relationships that are more meaningful and less transactional. Doing that will help boost member growth, retention, and engagement, Heikkinen said.

Understanding what members want and realizing that it probably goes beyond just a resource, course, or certification means looking at other customer-focused businesses that are responding to consumers on a more personal level and meeting their needs in the moment, without glitches, complications, or delays.

For example, during the pandemic, consumers became accustomed to easily accessing streaming services and products from online vendors. And those expectations carried over into their experience with associations. If consumers can have straightforward interactions daily with their service providers, they are going to expect the same convenience from associations. Notably, 73 percent of customers said that one extraordinary experience raised their expectations of other companies, according to customer engagement research done by Salesforce.

Measurable Outcomes

Added to the mix, association CEOs are contending with multiple challenges, including competing priorities, a lack of resources, and reduced budgets. “Some of that comes from a lack of strategic alignment,” Heikkinen said.

To help address that gap, Forj recently launched its MX Maturity Model [registration required], a framework to help leaders identify where their association is on the continuum of excellence in member experience. Providing members with a better experience starts with understanding why they join an association. It is usually for many reasons, including to learn, grow, contribute, and be part of a community. They want to connect and have an experience that meets their needs in a proactive and personalized way, which will reinforce their connection to the community.

Having a positive experience increases members’ desire to not only sign up once, but also to come back to the community, renew their membership, and make an investment to advance their career, body of knowledge, and impact in their field of work and industry.

It’s clear that consumers’ expectations have changed dramatically. “It’s moved from reactionary to predictive and personalized,” said Heikkinen. “We expect our service providers to know us. We expect them to understand who we are already and to tailor, personalize, and predict what our needs are before we have to ask for them,” he said.

Taking a page from customer experience trends and applying it to the member experience will be a useful roadmap for associations to follow as they proactively seek to meet members’ evolving needs and expectations. “It’s what today’s members—and tomorrow’s members—will expect,” Heikkinen said.

By Lisa Boylan

Lisa Boylan is a senior editor of Associations Now.

Originally posted here

How Customer Experience Trends Can Improve the Member Experience | Associations Now

The Great Resignation is only a small part of the employment story. We’re in the midst of The Great Reshuffle too. People aren’t just leaving jobs; they’re finding new ones. 

In this reshuffle, your association is in a prime position to offer certification programs to professionals working in and entering your industry. So if you haven’t yet, now is the time to get your team and technology ready to take advantage of this massive market growth potential.

Why Certifications Are More in Demand Than Ever

I find it really interesting that during the pandemic, enrollment in short-term credential classes increased by 70%.  That makes sense, in an uncertain economy, career security means reskilling and upskilling. Jobseekers see certifications as a differentiator in the talent marketplace. Those who lost dead-end jobs during the pandemic know certifications will open up better opportunities for them. Professionals switching careers or looking for advancement understand the value of having industry credentials on their resumes.

But, don’t forget that the demand for certifications is driven by employers too. In industries undergoing change, employers need staff who have the skills to keep their businesses profitable. Companies can’t do all this training themselves. They naturally look to your association to help them stay competitive as a business and as an employer.

What It Takes to Be the Premier Provider of Certifications in Your Industry

We all know that during the pandemic, habits and routines changed. Working, shopping, entertainment, education, socializing, you name it—everyone had their own digital transformation. Your association had to shift gears and speed up its digital transformation too, starting with the mindsets of staff and leaders. 

Think and Work Agilely 

I know one thing for sure, agile isn’t just for software developers. Debra BenAvram, FASAE, CAE, CEO of the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies, spoke to Associations Now about a new certification program: “Now, if I don’t get that to market in an eight-month period, I may as well not even bother trying. We’re competing with the Amazons, Googles, and other groups like that, and we’ve got to compete. That’s what our members are expecting from us.” 

How long does it take for a program idea to go from conception to launch at your association? If you want to remain relevant in your market, you can’t afford to take months or years to launch new programs. Associations that pivoted quickly during the pandemic and experimented with new practices were rewarded with larger audiences, more engagement, and increased revenue. 

Agility requires having ideation and decision-making processes that allow you to act quickly despite not having all the answers. You also need configurable SaaS technology, like an AMS, that allows you to adapt to new scenarios. (Bonus points if the AMS has a built-in Certifications Management solution.)

Become the Professional Development Partner for Industry Employers

Who’s educating your industry’s workforce now? How much business do your competitors have? What’s preventing you from taking that market share back? 

When you make it easy for employers to do business with you, they will rely on your certification programs to help them fill skills gaps and retain employees. Establish an employer advisory council to help you identify in-demand competencies and compliance training needs, develop career pathways, and ensure your certificate and certification programs are teaching and validating the right skills and experience.

Develop credentialing programs for early-career professionals so they can quickly acquire the skills they need, prove their mastery of those competencies, and show prospective employers their commitment to ongoing growth. 

Differentiate Your Programs from the Competition by Focusing on the Learner Experience

With all the online competition, education is a commodity— too often, the lowest price wins. To rise above the rest, you must focus on the learning experience. What can you provide customers that they can’t get anywhere else? What need do they have that is going unfulfilled? 

Do market research to find information. Talk with people and watch what they do. Are they looking for more opportunities to connect and have conversations with others? Then build that into your programs. Experiment with ways to bring learners together more often. 

Tune-up Your Smart Marketing Machine 

There’s a lot of noise in your audience’s inboxes and social platforms, so your marketing campaigns must grab and hold their attention. Earn your audience’s attention by telling them what they need to hear in a way that makes them want to take action. What emotions can you activate? What will also appeal to their logical mind?

I recommend starting with the basics. Know what you want (goals), how you’re going to measure progress toward those goals (metrics), and then come up with persuasive, relevant, and helpful messages targeted at different audience segments. See which tactics meet your metrics and which don’t, then tweak and test again. 

If you don’t understand your target audience’s behavior, interests, and aspirations, none of this will work. Siloed data is of no use here. You need the full picture of a member or customer—one you can get if your AMS’ API makes it easy to integrate with other systems. 

Tap into the Experience and Network of Your Technology Partners

You usually only think about going to your technology partners when you have questions about your software, but your partners are focused on people and practices too. When thinking about experiments and new directions, your Customer Success Manager can help you figure out how to leverage your AMS to make these visions happen. 

Your tech partners have seen all kinds of programs at associations facing the same challenges and using the same technology. They can introduce you to counterparts in other organizations. I recommend starting a peer network to discuss challenges, share what’s working, and inspire each other to elevate your certification programs to the top of the market.

Don’t miss the window on establishing your association as a trusted provider of certification programs that stand out from the rest of the competition. If your AMS is not up to the job, it’s time for a technology reshuffle. 

Val Brotherton

originally posted here

1. Whistleblower Legislation

Both the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (‘Corporations Act’) and the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Cth) contain protections for whistleblowers.

We all know finding and attracting good talent is difficult right now. But, has your association considered recruiting internally and looking at the staff already part of your team?

Louise Roper, the Principal Recruitment Consultant at Beaumont People, shares her insights about recruitment struggles the association and membership sector are facing right now. Take a look at the video below.

Whether you decide to recruit internally, externally, or both, remember always to look at the job requirements and the skills your current employees have, and your association’s culture needs. This will help you make good hiring decisions and build trust in your hiring process.

In June 2020, the Federal Government passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Registries Modernisation and Other Measures) Act 2020 (Cth), requiring all new and existing directors to obtain a Director Identification Number (DIN).

Resultingly, Part 9.1A was inserted into the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (‘Corporations Act’) and Part 6-7A into the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth) (‘CATSI Act’). These new parts set out the requirements to obtain a DIN and offences for failure to do so.

1.         What is a DIN?

A DIN is a unique identifier number comprised of 15 digits issued to directors to verify identity. Directors need only apply once for a DIN as it is permanently assigned to the director.

2.         What is the purpose of a DIN?

The Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS), which is overseen by the Australian Tax Office (ATO), is the body responsible for the implementation and administration of DINs. The ABRS notes the purpose of the regime is to help prevent the use of false or fraudulent director identities, ease the tracing of directors’ relationships over time for external administrators and regulators and to combat unlawful director activity such as illegal phoenix activity.

3.         Who needs to apply and when?

A DIN is required for directors and acting alternate directors of:

• a company, registered Australian body or registered foreign company under the Corporations Act;¹ and
• an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation under the CATSI Act.²

When a director must apply for a DIN is dependent upon the date of appointment.

The table below sets out the requirements for Corporations Act directors.³

The table below sets out the requirements for CATSI Act directors.⁴

4.         Implications for charities and not-for-profit organisations

The DIN requirements apply to all ‘registered bodies’ which is inclusive of charities and not-for-profits even if the organisation is registered under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 (Cth). Obtaining a DIN is not necessary for incorporated associations which are not registered Australian bodies. Therefore, directors of charities and not-for-profit organisations are required to have a DIN.

5.         How to apply

Applications for a DIN must be made personally and are at no cost.

Directors who are Australian residents can apply with a paper form or online through the ABRS website which requires a myGovID account. Foreign directors must fill out a paper application with the necessary identity documentation.

6.         Non-compliance

It is essential that directors comply and keep up to date with DIN requirements as both civil and criminal penalties apply for non-compliance. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) is responsible for the enforcement of associated offences set out in the Corporations Act. Relevant offences include failure to have a DIN when required, failure to apply for a DIN when directed by the Registrar, applying for multiple DINs and misrepresenting director ID. Non-compliance may result in an infringement notice leading to potential civil penalties of up to 5,000 penalty units (currently $1.1 million) and/or criminal penalties resulting in up to 12 months imprisonment.⁵

<sup>Article written by Mills Oakley

About Mills Oakley 
Mills Oakley is a leading independent Australian law firm with 120 partners and more than 650 staff located in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth.</sup>

We are a Top 10 Australian law firm by size. Our mission is to provide a superior service experience while operating an efficient business model that delivers value for clients, without compromising quality.

We assist leading corporates in transferring their legal work from higher cost firms in order to achieve significant fee savings whilst retaining an excellent standard of work and client services.

We service a full range of clients, from ASX200 corporates through to government departments and agencies, private companies, and individuals. Our client base includes some of Australia’s leading companies such as Qantas, Citigroup, Suncorp, IBM, Investa, and many others.

In 2017, we were awarded the Law Firm of the Year title at the Australasian Law Awards and have consistently been ranked by independent media surveys including those conducted by The Australian and The Australian Financial Review as Australia’s fastest growing law firm as benchmarked against other leading corporate law firms Our continued growth across Australia demonstrates not only our commitment to clients, but also the trust that our clients place in Mills Oakley as a preferred legal service provider.

Our comprehensive expertise, in conjunction with our entrepreneurial spirit and national reach, means that we are ideally placed to provide the highest level of service.

For more information, visit www.millsoakley.com.au

^{-----------------------------------------}

¹Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 1272C (‘Corporations Act’).
²Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth) part 6-7A (‘CATSI Act’).
³Corporations Act (n 1) s 1272D.
⁴CATSI Act (n 2) s 308.25.
⁵Corporations Act (n 1) sch 3.

It turns out there is an optimal email plan for successfully engaging new members at the outset. And two simple and specific questions in the emails help kickstart the relationship in several beneficial ways.

Want to get excellent renewal and retention rates with new member onboarding emails? According to the New Member Engagement Survey [PDF] by Kaiser Insights, LLC, and Dynamic Benchmarking, associations that include new member-specific emails in onboarding programs had higher retention rates.

And the associations that had the best renewal rates used an email plan that roughly follows this 3-3-6 schedule: three emails the first week, once weekly for the next three weeks, and then monthly for six more months.

“We finally have an evidence-based model for bringing people on board,” said Elizabeth Engel, CAE, chief strategist at Spark Consulting. She recommends asking two specific questions in the latter part of the schedule.

How Does It Work?

The initial messages in the first part of the 3-3-6 model tend to be very process oriented,  such as getting members set up with website login information and so forth. Once you are in the monthly email phase, Engel suggests asking these two questions:

1. How did you hear about us?
2. What were you looking for when you joined?

Include a variety of radio buttons or a checkbox in the emails, depending on whether you want one response or multiple responses, but it’s a good idea to have some preset options members can choose from. And in both instances, be sure to include a comment box in case a member comes up with an option you haven’t thought about yet. If enough people come up with the same idea, then you can update the preset options.

Why Is It Effective?

Asking people how they heard about your association helps you understand the return on investment of your marketing efforts so you can allocate future dollars appropriately. It also reveals which marketing campaigns are successful—indicating you should do more of them—and it shows which campaigns are less successful and should have dollars redirected from them.

Asking members what they were looking for when they joined allows you to immediately connect them to what they are interested in to help build a relationship early on with the association’s programs, products, and services.

“It shows that you are paying attention to her as an individual, that you want to know what she needs, and that you’re there as a solution provider for her,” Engel said.

What’s the Benefit?

“The overall benefit for both the member and the association is that everyone is happier and able to get the relationship started more quickly,” Engel said. But once you have that information from the member, it is imperative to do something with it. “It creates a virtuous cycle for everyone,” she said.

Originally posted here