Guiding Associations

Acumen Blog

What Role will Hybrid Events Play?

by Caley Mutrie, CAE, IOM | Jan 20, 2023 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Meetings & Conferences

From all that I’ve heard and read, hybrid events will continue to play a significant role in the association landscape in the future. The presence of mixed events means accompanying challenges will stay with us in 2023 and beyond as association boards and staff manage...

A Guide to Releasing Policy Statements on Social and Political Issues

by Suzanne Fedie, CAE | Dec 6, 2022 | Acumen Blog, Acumen Education, Association Management, Case Studies, Marketing & Communications

Presented and Written by Matt Close, Membership and Marketing Manager, Suzanne Fedie, Executive Director, and Melinda Waite, Executive Director What should associations do in response to highly charged political issues? Recent events in the United States and across...

10 Things to Look for When Recruiting New Board Members

by Julie Frinzi | Nov 10, 2022 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership

Even though David Letterman hosted his last show almost 7 years ago, his Top 10 lists live on! So, here we go - The Top 10 Things to Look for when Recruiting New Board Members: Are they … #10 Financially Resourceful? Donating time does not pay the bills. Many people...

Board Emergencies: Are You Prepared?

by Sandy Koehler, CAE | Oct 12, 2022 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership

Certainly, in the last few years, we’ve all become familiar with emergencies and perhaps have come up with new individual mechanisms to cope with them. But how about your board members? Are boards adequately trained to react quickly when emergencies arise?...

Assessing Your Board’s Performance: What’s the Right Way?

by Elizabeth Schlicht, CAE | Sep 6, 2022 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership

Employees of any company often expect to perform some sort of assessment on their performance each year, often as one part of the annual review process. Self-assessment and reflection are important skills for identifying areas of both development and opportunity as...

Board Liability Issues: Managing Risk

by Suzanne Fedie, CAE | Jul 27, 2022 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership

Professional membership associations are fueled by the vision, dedication and passion of its volunteer board members. As new leaders are elected to an association’s board, each brings to their role unique personalities and new leadership styles. With routine...

Enhancing Association Brand Image: Growing Your Target Audience

by Association Acumen | Jun 27, 2022 | Acumen Blog, Marketing & Communications

Brand image is the external perception of how its members and the public feel about a particular association. Members usually pay dues for products or services offered, and if they are satisfied (or dissatisfied), they will often share experiences, thus creating a...

Association Acumen In a Nutshell

by Association Acumen | Jun 16, 2022 | Acumen Education, Association Management

More Association Predictions for 2022

by Association Acumen | May 20, 2022 | Acumen Blog, Association Management

As we navigate through the still uncharted waters of 2022, our Leadership Team, composed of Executive Directors and senior management, shares more predictions for the year, based on industry trends and what they’ve experienced first-hand. It’s time to reassess “legacy...

Dealing With Divisive Board Members

by Sandy Koehler, CAE | May 20, 2022 | Acumen Blog, Association Management, Leadership

What happens when one or two members continually disrupt board meetings? What steps should be taken to diffuse the issue? What if the steps taken do not stop the board members from being disruptive or spreading negativity across the board? Should the board members be...