Struggling through what speaker after speaker acknowledged is one of the most challenging times ever faced by the association community, there was still a strong note of determination and resolve among the attendees, panelists, speakers and exhibitors at the ASAE Conference and Expo.
One such call to be open to the opportunities found in times of crisis and challenge came from best-selling author and consultant Gary Hamel, who first sounded a warning to those married to the status quo.
"Problems happen when the leaders of an association are behind the thinking of their members," he said. "That's when denial occurs. That's when digging in and protecting the status quo occurs." It's also when most great changes take place, he declared.
Being open to experimentation -- and the failure it often brings -- was another theme heard throughout the event. Again, as Hamel said, using acorns from an oak tree as a metaphor: "It takes a thousand nutty ideas to come up with one or two that take root and grow into giants."
The first slide of John Goldman's marketing Learning Lab on Tuesday morning welcomed attendees with "MARKET OR DIE." That's a might fine "good morning" for you! But welcome attendees he did. Goldman spent the minutes before the 9 a.m. kickoff of his Learning Lab introducing himself to attendees in the room, and learning about their associations and marketing needs. He also collected business cards to give away some cool prizes during the session. I wonder what I'll win?
Then he cranked up the music, started running around the room and throwing rubber green frogs at the crowd. Seriously. He engaged the audience by getting their thoughts on why in the world he might throw frogs around the room. He then told the "frog and boiling water" story. You know the one: Put a frog in cool water on a stove and slowly heat it up till it's boiling, the frog will let himself cook. But throw a frog into already-boiling water, and he'll jump right out. He equated that story to association executives. When is it time to wait a situation out, and when is the time to jump?
Chris Jenkins, Chief Technology Strategist, The Ohio Society of CPAs
I was a little worried when I first sat down for this Learning Lab and the "chief technology strategist" was going to talk to us about social media. He's the IT guy; what could he know? That was my thought. Shame on me.
Then the first words out of his mouth were "Warning: I'm a techie. I'm not a professional speaker." And I immediately liked him.
Before going any further, he asked the room of attendees how they'd like to proceed. Did we want his canned presentation, or an open dialogue on the subject at hand? We voted for a bit of both.
The gigantic expo hall at ASAE is filled with promotional booths from every major tourist and convention destination city, town, state, hotel, resort, ship and nearby planet. Here are just a few (and we mean, just a small representative sampling) of the cities that are here promoting themselves as a great place in which an association can have a meeting.
During the Monday opening session, social media ubber-analyst and author Charlene Li presented a sweeping talk that helped pull together all the different threads of social media that have been buzzing around the conference.
Here are some important points from her talk to people who run association, many of whom are "afraid" of social media while others are very innovative.
1. It's not about the technology, it's about relationships: Next year, there will be a new set of technologies -- it about strategy, approach, being wherever people are, not about technology.
Vibrant lights and music again welcomed the ASAE 2009 crowd for the Monday morning opening session. To kick the day off, Corinne Gibbons strolled onto the stage with guitar in-hand to serenade attendees. Singing since the age of 19, she now makes her home in Singapore where she started a company that conducts corporate teambuilding programs using choral singing as a tool to inspire and energize staff.
A little recognition
This year's class of CAEs were recognized in Tuesday's opening session. Several of the new CAEs commented on how the education and the honor will help them and their organizations moving forward. As one said, no matter the time and the effort, it was "totally worth it."
Now in its 50th year, John Graham, IV, CAE, said the program expects to see its 4,000th member honored during next year's Meeting & Expo in Los Angeles.
ASAE also took the opportunity to thank the conference sponsors this morning, recognize the 2009 Class of Fellows, and introduce many attendees to the Diversity Executive Leadership Program and recognize this year's DELP scholars.
In his session, author and consultant Jim Kane shared 8 things you need to do to make people loyal:
1. Competency: You can do what you say you can do. That you are competent, however, doesn't impress me. It's expected. I pay you to be competent, so don't expect me to be loyal for it. It's simply satisfying them.
2. Integrity: You tell the truth. I expect this, also. Most associations are afraid of transparency. They are terrified that people will say something bad about them. You can't avoid doing it today. Today, the expectation is for transparency. Still, not going to get alot of credit for it.
Associations do great work to improve society, and a great example of that is cause marketing.
Cause marketing is a partnership between a corporate partner, a charitable cause and an association partner. "That partnership," Steve Drake said, "becomes a way to do good, energize your members and raise money."
You might have thought you had walked into a party instead of a conference room this morning for the Sunday opening session at ASAE 2009. Colored lights bounced across the room as a dance beat welcomed (and awakened) conference attendees.
As things kicked off Sunday, we were all entertained by a song written specifically for this conference. Fellow attendees from associations all over the country lent their voices and musical talents to a great little song that will be going through my head all day. "If you're looking for an answer, connect with me." (The beat of the bongo drums was my personal favorite part.)
The 2009 ASAE & The Center's Annual Meeting & Expo kicked off Saturday evening with an opening reception at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. And what a kickoff it was! The sights, the sounds, the tastes were all perfect examples of all that Canada has to offer.
Using the giant Inukshuk that was the centerpiece of the reception as a navigation point, any direction that you chose to go in the reception room would prove to be a wise one. From award-winning regional wines to delicious Alberta beef to freshly dipped chocolate-covered blueberries, the opening reception was a warm and tasty welcome -- not only to the conference but to Canada as well.
[From Rex] I shot this brief video with my iPhone. The first part is an attempt to shoot one of the coolest effects I've seen: a fog-machine device set up to create a water fall effect with live video being shot on it. Perhaps we'll post a photo that will catch it; this video doesn't. However, as I was shooting it, the performers, a group called the Canadian Tenors, were finishing up a song that will be performed at next year's Winter Olympics and I was able to grab some video of a rather impressive indoor fireworks blast. Very impressive. (See more Hammock photos from ASAE09 on Flickr.)
A little more than 24 hours from now, several members of the Hammock Inc. crew will be on the ground in Toronto for the 2009 ASAE & the Center for Association Leadership Annual Meeting & Expo. But for weeks now, we've been connecting with other attendees all over the country through this little thing we all call "social media."
I'm a planner, an organized routine-loving calendar-toting planner. So with just a couple of weeks to go until we land in Toronto for the Annual Meeting and Expo for ASAE & the Center for Association Leadership, I figure it's time to start working on my schedule while I'm there.
Hammock Inc. prepares for ASAE Annual Meeting and Expo
Several members of the Hammock Inc. team will be in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in mid-August to attend the 2009 Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership.
Members of the Hammock Inc. crew were in Toronto to bring the experience of the ASAE 2009 Meeting and Expo to you in real time. (ASAE=American Society of Association Executives.) Follow the event highlights through our blog posts, tweets, pictures and video.
