Category Archives: Industry Buzz

Passageways to Offer ASAE-Endorsed Virtual Board Meeting Management Solution

ASAE and ASAE Business Services, Inc. announce its partnership with Passageways as the provider of the ASAE-Endorsed Virtual Board Meeting Management Solution. Passageways’ board meeting management product, OnBoard, serves the governance needs of an array of association and nonprofit organizations across the country and around the world. This partnership will help associations navigate the COVID-19 crisis by offering free access for all new accounts through August 31, 2020.

“During these challenging times good governance is more essential than ever. That is why we collaborated with Passageways to make the ASAE-Endorsed Virtual Board Meeting Management Solution available for free to new accounts through the end of August,” said ASAE President & CEO Susan Robertson, CAE. “Association boards, committees and other deliberative bodies need to be able to conduct secure, focused, effective, and productive meetings. They can do it by using OnBoard’s comprehensive suite of secure virtual meeting tools.”

With 95% of the U.S. population under some form of stay-at-home order, video conferencing integration has become more vital than ever. OnBoard features exclusive native Zoom integration that enables directors and CEOs to meet face-to-face directly within the platform.

“Our goal has always been to enable boards and leaders with everything they need for a successful meeting, so they can focus on governance and strategy at their institutions,” said Passageways co-founder and CEO Paroon Chadha. “This partnership is a unique opportunity for all associations to use OnBoard — the platform that ASAE uses for its own governance and board meeting needs.”

Passageways’ OnBoard meeting solution is trusted by more than 12,000 boards and committees around the world. The solution helps teams govern with eSignatures and approvals and drive ongoing collaboration with secure messaging, real-time document sharing, integrated voting, and shareable annotations.

“During this time when we are all searching for virtual solutions for our most important activities, Passageways is laser focused on providing seamless continuity for governance meetings,” said ASAE Business Services, Inc. President Betsy Piper/Bach. “This focus is in sync with our dedication to help associations succeed in fulfilling their missions by connecting with solutions that help increase efficiency, enhance their capabilities, and reduce costs.”

After undergoing ASAE Business Services’ stringent due-diligence process, Passageways’ OnBoard virtual board meeting management solution was chosen as one of ten top-quality ASAE-Endorsed business solutions.

NEW ORLEANS: A LEADER IN FIGHTING COVID-19 THROUGH AGGRESSIVE TESTING AND PLANNING FOR A SUCCESSFUL RETURN

From the outset, New Orleans was one of the first cities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and our stay-at-home policies are working. Cases are decreasing, and we remain laser-focused on the safety of our workers, our residents, and our facilities as we continue to flatten the curve.

COVID-19: Proven Successful Measures

  • Our state is flattening the curve because of the aggressive testing done in highly populated areas so far. And we are continuing to conduct testing across the state with 200,000 additional test kits being provided to us by the White House.
  • From the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Mayor of New Orleans acted swiftly with a stay-at-home mandate and stood up one of the nation’s four initial pilot testing programs, and we are currently testing faster than most other locations.
  • Both President Trump and Vice President Pence have praised Louisiana and New Orleans for the progress we’ve made putting the health of our neighbors first.

From Governor Edwards remarks at his May 4, 2020 Press Conference:

“We’ve been able to reduce our case growth and our numbers in a way that is quite frankly as impressive as anybody in the country, and the Vice President said that today as well. Because their (President Trump’s and Vice President Pence’s) eyes were closely on Orleans and Jefferson Parish a few weeks ago … and they’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the work that’s been done. Which is why, every time I talk to the Vice President he asks me to relay to the folks of Louisiana how much he and the President appreciate the work that’s been done here.

Watch the full press conference here.

From WWLTV.com’s April 27, 2020 report:

Pence applauded Louisiana’s aggressive effort in testing with the state testing among the highest number of people per capita (in America).

“In discussions with your governor, we’ll continue not only to offer our best counsel, but we’ll continue to offer medical support, medical equipment, that personal protective equipment and we’ll continue to offer support as Louisiana continues to try to increase testing across your state. Although, I will tell you that Louisiana can be proud to have one of the highest per-capita numbers of testing of any state in the country,” Pence said.

Governor John Bel Edwards stated in his Monday news conference that while metropolitan New Orleans would meet the White House criteria for reopening, including infections, hospitalizations and the testing capacity, but due to other parts of the state that are lagging, he extended the state-mandated restrictions to May 15.  This delay will put the state in a better position to adequately test state-wide and not just the New Orleans area. Edwards also stated the Vice President’s support of delaying the start of phase one in Louisiana in his call this week with the nation’s governors.

“I have to say how proud we are, despite the heartbreaking loss of people in our community and the families who’ve lost loved ones, New Orleans has made great progress and Louisiana has made great progress by putting the health of their neighbors first,” Pence said.” 

Read the full story here

Planning to Re-open

  • Our Governor has created the Resilient Louisiana Commission tasked with safely reopening the state, with key committees led by New Orleans & Company’s Executive Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs Walt Leger and Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Romig.
  • Our industry is developing plans with local and state officials aimed at positioning New Orleans as a model destination. We plan on being a leader in developing and implementing new protocols in safety, cleanliness, and sanitation moving forward. 
  • The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center continues to undergo its $500 million master plan renovation under the leadership of its new board chair, New Orleans & Company’s Leger.
  • Hotels, attractions, restaurants and the Convention Center are all working through plans to relaunch utilizing national guidelines to ensure the highest degree of safety possible for employees, and visitors.

Count on New Orleans leading the way in preparedness and safety as we turn the corner on COVID-19. Every step we’re taking right now is with your safety in mind as we prepare to welcome you back. 

ASAE Announces Five Association Leaders for 2020 Class of Fellows

Five association leaders have been selected for ASAE’s 2020 Class of Fellows. The Fellows program recognizes individual accomplishments and contributions to ASAE and the association sector, and it is a call to service for the profession.

“Congratulations to the 2020 class of Fellows. The ASAE Fellows program is a recognition bestowed upon less than one percent of ASAE’s membership. It represents the best of the association community, and this group truly embodies that,” said Debra S. BenAvram, FASAE, CAE, CEO, AABB (formerly named American Association of Blood Banks) and chair of the ASAE Fellows Selection Committee.

The Class of 2020 includes:

Steven Anderson, IOM, CAE

President and Chief Executive Officer

National Association of Chain Drug Stores

Lowell Aplebaum, CAE, CPF

CEO & Strategy Catalyst

Vista Cova

Patricia Montague, CAE

Chief Executive Officer

School Nutrition Association

Stefanie Reeves, CAE

Executive Director

Maryland Psychological Association

Donte Shannon, CAE

Chief Executive Officer

Association of Equipment Management Professionals

The 2020 Fellows join 268 association industry professionals who have received this designation since the program’s inception in 1986. Serving as role models and ambassadors for the association community, Fellows seek out opportunities to serve on boards and committees and participate as speakers, authors, reviewers, and mentors.

The Fellows selection process includes: endorsement by a peer; an in-depth application describing the individual’s innovation, leadership, and commitment to the profession; an interview with two members of the selection committee; and selection from among a group of highly-qualified candidates.

For more information about ASAE’s Fellows program, https://www.asaecenter.org/programs/awards-and-recognition/asae-fellows.

A Message From Our Meetings and Events Teams

Our friends at the Universal Orlando Resorts would like to share the below message with you.

To our Friends in the Meetings & Events Industry,

While for now our parks are closed, our roller coasters quiet and hotels empty, we wanted you to know that we are still here. We are taking care of each other, our families and our community. Our hearts go out to those that have been especially impacted by this crisis.

We are also thinking about you; our partners, our clients and the entire meetings and events community. We stand with you as we navigate these unprecedented times and recognize the need for increased flexibility going forward. Our sales team is here and eager to assist you with your meetings and events needs when you are ready.

In the meantime, we are busy enhancing current procedures and developing new ones. Every decision we make begins with the health and safety of our team members and guests. Our goal is to make the best use of this time so that we are more ready than ever to deliver unforgettable experiences that engage, inspire and entertain.

So it goes without saying; we can’t wait to welcome you back to Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood when the time comes. After all, it’s the power of bringing people together that unites us. Until then, please take care of yourself and your family.

We’ll see you soon.

Your Universal Parks & Resorts Meetings & Events Team

Virtual ASAE Marketing, Membership & Communications Event Sees Three Times Normal Attendance

Over 3,000 individuals registered for the reimagined one-day virtual Marketing, Membership, & Communications Conference on April 29. The previously scheduled event on April 16-17 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual MMCC was the largest ever with registration over three times higher than the event’s highest recorded attendance in 2015. The event could not have happened without the support of ASAE’s Strategic Partner; Naylor Association Solutions; the virtual platform provider TopClass LMS by WBT Systems who made it possible for attendees to access the event free of charge, and Matchbox Virtual who provided video production services for the event.

Attendees experienced a virtual MMCC tailored to focus on relevant communications and membership issues based on the COVID-19 crisis. The virtual event kicked off with a keynote from Afdhel Aziz, Founder and Chief Purpose Officer Conspiracy of Love, a brand purpose consultancy advising Fortune 500 brands. He shared the three principles of purpose that organizations should keep in mind as they begin to envision a post COVID future. He stated purpose needs to be built from the inside out, purpose does not have to be political, and purpose must measure what matters. Aziz concluded by encouraging attendees that in these difficult times to remember to be transformational, rather than transactional and that resilience is a responsibility.

The keynote presentation was followed by 12 additional sessions that focused on proven email techniques, membership strategies, and the intersection of crisis communications and cultural chaos among many other topics. Each of the sessions was pre-recorded which allowed speakers to participate with attendees in real time during their sessions. The event concluded with a moderated virtual happy hour where attendees discussed the highlights of the day.

“Due to the extreme circumstances presented by COVID-19, marketing, membership and communications professionals were seeking ideas and solutions that can be thoughtfully applied in a rapidly evolving environment. Speakers quickly pivoted to recast and reframe their content to address the current climate. And sponsors jumped in to ensure the content could be delivered in a way that was user friendly for attendees and speakers” said Robb Lee, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, ASAE.

All content from speakers will be made available post event. For details visit: https://mmcc.asaecenter.org/.

PlanetIMEX Countdown

On 6 May IMEX will launch two of three PlanetIMEX islands. Islands where you can reconnect, talk future business and continue learning in the company of friends and colleagues from the global business events community.

Community Island – live 6 May

News, views, research and insights from our business events world – it’s all here on Community Island. Plus, this is the place to kick back and enjoy some downtime PlanetIMEX style from #imexstillrunning to laid-back island music mixes.

Education Island – live 6 May
Explore our full programme of education, designed to continue our commitment to provide high quality professional development to our industry.

  • EduMonday Live will be taking place on 11 May, where you’ll have the opportunity to register for a full day of education and interactive content. Also, hear from Ray Bloom and Carina Bauer as we embark on a new exploration into the virtual world of PlanetIMEX.
  • Don’t miss the keynote with Guy Bigwood, Managing Director, Global Destination Sustainability Index, he’ll be discussingThe big pivot: Towards a regenerative events industry’.  Futurist Rohit Talwar will present ‘The Future of Events – Three Scenarios’ and guide us towards five survival strategies for the future.
  • Be sure to join the She Means Business debate with a panel including Julia Brewing, Head of Marketing DACH at Facebook and Gabriela Suhoschi, Director of World Water Week, where they’ll be discussing the tough decisions women in business and events are making today. A joint event by IMEX and TW Magazine supported by MPI.
  • On Tuesday 12 May, our Community Day will bring together education from industry partners and associations including EIC, ADMEI, GCB, IAEE, IAPCO, ICCA, ZEUS and more.
  • The Education island is also home to our Sustainability Village and our Nature Talking Point.

Networking Island – live 14 May
Explore potential new business relationships and spark up one-to-one conversations with our global business events community.
Joining instructions coming soon…

Best wishes,

Your PlanetIMEX Team

ASAE Research Foundation Announces Recipient and Update to Scholarly Research Grant Program

The ASAE Research Foundation named the latest academic institution to receive a grant from the Scholarly Research in Association Management Grants Program (SRGP). The SRGP provides investigators with funds to conduct research on a cross-section of topics relevant to association and member-based organization management. This cycle’s recipient will receive a $13,250 grant that starts on April 15 and lasts for 18 months. 

This cycle’s recipient is: 

University of Washington 

How, When and Why do Associations Advocate? Association Engagement in the Policy Process 

Mary Kay Gugerty, Professor, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance 

“Congratulations to Dr. Mary Kay Gugerty and the University of Washington. Dr. Gugerty’s research will provide valuable insights about advocacy, and associations’ engagement in the public policy process. This study is a great example of the ASAE Research Foundation’s ongoing collaboration with the academic community to help advance a body of knowledge in the field of association management. We look forward to sharing the results of Dr. Gugerty’s work over the course of the next several months,” said ASAE Research Foundation President and Chief Research Officer, Sharon Moss, Ph.D., CAE. 

A new addition to the SRGP portfolio is the Sal Martino Legacy Grant, which supports research exploring diversity, equity, and inclusion in association management. It is intended to direct funds to the research activities of those working (or matriculating) in an academic community, association management professionals, and consultants/private contractors in association management. 

Funding for the Sal Martino Legacy Grant for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Research is provided by Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, LLP. Applications open on May 11.  

To learn more about the Scholarly Research Grant program and additional opportunities to apply, visit https://foundation.asaecenter.org/research/scholarly-research-grants.  

IMEX launches new online experience – PlanetIMEX

In its desire to give back to the international business events, meetings and incentive travel industry following the massive outpouring of support since IMEX in Frankfurt was cancelled, the IMEX team have created a brand-new virtual experience, due to launch 6 May and run for several months.

PlanetIMEX has been designed as a destination in its own right and will feature 3D, interactive islands, each created using principles borrowed from the world of online gaming. 

Visitors to PlanetIMEX will be granted unlimited, free access to a variety of content and activities on three islands: A beach-themed Community Island; A forest-inspired Education Island and a Networking Island characterised by canyons, mountains and valleys.  

Although the execution is light-hearted, each island has a serious purpose. The intention is to keep the spirit of IMEX alive by allowing visitors to explore, reconnect, talk future business and continue learning in the company of friends and colleagues from the global business events community. 

Says Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO, “We decided early on that we wanted to gift something back to the industry we love while continuing our commitment to providing high quality education, business and networking value. Rather than switch to a one-off online event, in true IMEX fashion we opted for innovation through transformation! Instinctively we looked to our Nature Talking Point for inspiration.

“PlanetIMEX is therefore a fresh and original concept with a visual charm that pays tribute to the exhibitors who always make our shows look so appealing. We’ve combined education, community, and business introductions with wellbeing, including some old favourites such as #imexstillrunning. All of this takes place in a new ‘magical place and space’ which we hope the industry will appreciate and value. That said, like many others in our industry, this has been – and remains – a learning curve. We’ve jumped right in to try something new and we’re excited to learn, refine and enrich it over time.” 

PlanetIMEX goes live on 6 May when both Community Island and Education Island open to industry visitors. Education programming starts on EduMonday 11 May with a day of education and interactive content, starting with a keynote by Guy Bigwood, Managing Director of the Global Destination Sustainability Index. Bigwood is also the lead on the IMEX Nature Talking Point research, supported exclusively by Marriott International, and set to be launched later this year.  

Tuesday 12 May will be IMEX Community Day, with content delivered by a range of IMEX’s association and other partners. It will also include the IMEX-MPI Future Leaders Forum. 

On Thursday 14 May IMEX Introductions will encourage industry buyers and suppliers to explore potential new business relationships and spark up one-to-one conversations.

The following week on Monday 18 May, PlanetIMEX will provide specialist content aimed at specific buyer communities, including a new interpretation of Exclusively Corporate, the Agency Directors Forum and Association Focus.  

The education platform on PlanetIMEX has been generously designed and developed by sponsors, Cvent.

Patrick Smith, CMO of Cvent, the market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, explained, “All of us at Cvent are incredibly proud to be partnering with IMEX to help them bring this extraordinary online experience to life. As longtime leaders in the meetings and events space, IMEX Group is dedicated to helping everyone in the industry make connections that matter. While the in-person experience at IMEX in Frankfurt will be greatly missed this year, our teams have collaborated to create a unique and deeply engaging virtual environment. While nothing can replace meeting face-to-face, it’s important that as industry leaders, we make the best of this current situation, and to be able to help IMEX deliver their great content to their global audience in an interactive, compelling way is really exciting.”

Over time the IMEX Group plans to expand the content, programmes and engagement opportunities on PlanetIMEX. Access is free although registration is required for both education content and IMEX Introductions.  

ASAE Reveals 2020 Gold Circle Awards Winners

ASAE announces the winners of the 2020 Gold Circle Awards competition, which denotes excellence, innovation, and achievement in association/nonprofit marketing, membership, and communications programs. With the cancelation of the 2020 Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference due to COVID-19, ASAE will be taking a new, creative approach to recognize, celebrate and share the work of GCA Awardees.

There are two components of the week-long celebration. During the week of April 13, winning organizations and campaigns from each category will be highlighted in short videos shared on the main ASAE Center Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. On Friday, April 17, the celebration will culminate with a live virtual interview of the Gold Circle Awards Overall Excellence Winner from 2-3 pm ET. To join the virtual celebration use https://zoom.us/j/370220073

The 2020 competition received 189 submissions across 15 categories, including a new category for digital content. The Gold Circle Awards committee voted to introduce this new category to address the segment of work associations execute that are not full marketing or communication campaigns such as, apps, blogs, podcasts, or social media. 118 judges from a variety of associations, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations evaluated the submissions this year. The awards are sponsored by HighRoad Solutions, an association-specific digital marketing agency that helps associations leverage email marketing and marketing automation to gain greater insight on how to grow revenue.

“On behalf of the awards committee, I want to congratulate the 2020 Gold Circle Awards and Merit Award recipients. The creativity shown in this year’s submissions illustrates the amazing work associations do on a daily basis, and the impact they have on the world around them,” said Renee Harris-Etheridge, MBA, MS, CAE, Director of Membership, National Association for Home Care & Hospice and chair of the Gold Circle Awards Committee.

“MMMC has always been a tremendous platform for the Gold Circle Awards. And while the current health crisis forced the cancelation of the event, it does not diminish the extraordinary work of the Gold Circle Awards winners, nor our ability to showcase and share how their efforts move their organizations and the community forward,” said ASAE Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Robb Lee. 

Here are the 2020 Gold Circle Awards winners:

Advocacy Campaign
Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed); Saving Jobs and Lives – End Device Tax

Convention/Meetings Marketing Campaign
Insured Retirement Institute; IRI Annual Conference Marketing Campaign

Digital Content
Infectious Diseases Society of America; #WhyIVaccinate: Taking Twitter by Storm to Spread the Truth About Vaccines

E-Magazine
National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies; Perspectives Magazine

E-Newsletter
Association of Equipment Manufacturers; AEM Industry Advisor e-Newsletter

Media/Public Relations Campaign
Institute of Management Accountants; Management Accounting – The Gateway to More

Member Retention Campaign
American Urological Association; Stretching Beyond Excellence – American Urological
Association’s 2019 Member Retention Campaign

Membership Recruitment Campaign
IPC; IPC Membership Recruitment Campaign

Member/Volunteer Engagement Campaign

ISACA; ISACA’s 50th Anniversary: Honoring Our Past, Innovating Our Future

New Product/Service Launch
Chicago Association of REALTORS®; Young Professionals Network (YPN) Real Estate Boot Camp

Print Magazine
American Optometric Association; Member print magazine (AOA Focus) redesign re-imagined

Rebranding Campaign
National Association of REALTORS®; That’s Who We R 2019 Consumer Advertising Campaign

Video
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization; My Legacy, My Hospice: Lou’s Story

Website
Society of Surgical Oncology; SSO Website

Overall Excellence Award Winner

Infectious Diseases Society of America; #WhyIVaccinate: Taking Twitter by Storm to Spread the Truth About Vaccines

We recognize the Merit Award as a distinguished honor awarded only on a case by case basis, to an applicant who had a very strong submission and project. However, the judges determined that the submission did not meet the level of a Gold Circle Awards. Merit Award winners were voted on by the Judges to award the work and impact executed by the organization, of which they believed was deserving of recognition by its peers.

The 2020 Gold Circle Merit Award recipients are:

Digital Content
Society of Women Engineers; Society of Women Engineers’ “Diverse” Podcast

E-Newsletter
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; College Insider

Member Retention
AAMI; Membership Restructuring Initiative

Member/ Volunteer Engagement
Austin Board of REALTORS®; Be A Member Campaign

Rebranding Campaign
American Physical Therapy Association; ChoosePT

Website

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; NACDL.org

For more information on the winners, visit Gold Circle Awards.

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre successfully rearranges 66 events

Communication, compassion and an adaptive mindset secure future business for the Centre

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has been consistently communicating and working closely with clients to reschedule a large number of meetings and events that have been impacted by the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. As a result, they have so far successfully rescheduled 66 events into the latter half of 2020.

The Centre’s team have been utilising all their vast experience to rearrange its calendar and apply as much flexibility and empathy to accommodate the large number of events which have been affected. The Centre’s team rose to the challenge, working extremely closely with our clients to find their preferred dates and offer solutions.

They also used their specialised knowledge to help organisers to ‘reimagine’ their events, making adjustments to event design and layout, based on the expected business events landscape in the future. Of paramount importance has been their passion and concern to assist loyal clients and help international associations, who have been patient and collaborative, in finding mutually suitable dates in the calendar to maintain their meetings in Malaysia.

The Centre’s team also revisited the capabilities of the venue itself, to identify how both technology and more creative use of space and F&B provision will enable meetings and events to continue seamlessly taking into account the new operational requirements pertaining to hygiene, social distancing and virtual events, so clients can conduct meetings with peace of mind and focus on their business imperatives while the Centre provides an ideal environment for business continuity.

According to the Centre’s General Manager, Alan Pryor, “COVID-19 has presented all of us with many unique challenges, but we are remaining as flexible and resilient as possible, and working very hard and closely with all our recurrent and potential new clients to ensure that every event at our venue is a success. We look forward to welcoming events back to the Centre once Government deems it safe to do so, and we are ready to institute all guidelines and provide a safe, healthy and secure environment in line with operational standards laid out.”

“Until we can meet face-to-face, we wish all our clients, stakeholders and communities at home and abroad good health and wellbeing and express our sincere condolences to those who have experienced personal loss during these very trying times,” he concluded.

For all the latest news and information on the Centre, visit www.klccconventioncentre.com.