The Events Corner: September 2013

Membership is the theme for September with our chapter, and it is shaping up to be a great month!

As association executives, we strive to find the answers to the following questions:

-- What is the life expectancy of our association and its membership?

-- Gen X, Gen Y, Millennial… the list goes on.  How do we attract them to our organization?

-- OK, so we got them.  How are we going to keep them?

There are several books, articles, whitepapers and other research out there by well-respected individuals, but sometimes it helps to gain insight live at an education session.

Join us on September 25th at the Sheraton Ottawa when David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data moderates a very special panel of our chapter peers and discusses this very topic, with examples of how to get there.

Stay tuned to the blog: David will be posting before the lunch about this very topic!

Other notices:

Final Reminder:  The Chapter’s September Kick-Off is taking place at the Brookstreet Hotel on September 5th.  We look forward to welcoming everyone back after a wonderful summer!

Still undecided about CSAE National Conference and Showcase?  Check out their line-up of education sessions.  There are many options to choose from.  There is still a small window of time to register!

For our Business Members:  Please mark your calendars for September 24th at noon, when registration opens for exhibitors for our 2014 installment of Tête-à-Tête Tradeshow.  Registration will sell out quickly, so please don’t forget to reserve your spot!

Interested in submitting an article for the blog?  Please review our Blog Submission Guidelines, and reach out.  We would be happy to further discuss and get your opinions out there!

How Necessary is “Industry-Specific” Knowledge for Executives?

For some time, I’ve had the off and on discussion with colleagues and even executive recruiters on the topic of what makes a good Executive Director.  Inevitably, the obvious subjects of knowledge of governance, management, organizational development and even good marketing (many other subjects to that would make the list too exhaustive) skills come up.

However, I’ve also noted that as the conversation continues, industry-specific knowledge remains as the discussion point that carries us along the most.

There are CSOs who work in associations and come to their roles with experience built up  specifically within the sectors their association represents.  On the other hand, there are others who come to their role as association management experts with general knowledge from a variety or sectors associations may represent.

Which is better?  An industry specific background to lead an association or is management experience in various associations better?  There may or may not be one direct answer that fits all situations but I do believe it is a debate that begs more thorough discussion in the association world.  I believe it is one where Boards tend to favour their own while executives tend to be more open to the idea that someone can learn “the issues”.

For completion of my CAE designation, I drafted a brief paper discussing this issue (see below).  What do you think?

This post was submitted by Mark Buzan, CAE, Executive Director of the Canadian Dental Assistants Association.  Mark is an association management executive with nearly 16 years experience effectively working with a variety of national nonprofit boards. Mark has directed planning initiatives, strategy & business operation plans, written governance policies, & managed annual budgets to meet organizational goals & optimize organizational effectiveness. He also has a solid reputation for building, managing & promoting member programs to increase bottom-line with improved member services & benefits.

Specializing in strategic communications & government relations, he is a relationship builder in public relations, government relations, social media, & stakeholder relations in roles such as a Stakeholder Liaison, Senior Communications, & Executive Director.  Mark is Public Relations accredited, a Certified Association Executive, & CoAuthor of Online PR & Social Media for Not-for-Profits & Associations.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Message from the President

Welcome to our CSAE OG blog spot! 

Thank you for your interest in blogging with us. The idea behind our blog is to create a space for members of our Ottawa-Gatineau chapter to connect and share ideas. One of our primary goals as your local association is to build communities, both real and virtual, where you can track best practices and pick up practical take-aways for immediate application to your day job.

Be a part of the conversation! 

The intent of this blog is to spark ideas about an issue or trend in an area of association management. Your comments on the matter are welcomed and encouraged.

Be a conversation starter! 

If there is something keeping you up at night in your association work and you want to share an observation or idea, put your hand up! Contact one of our Communications Committee Co-Chairs to put your name forward:

François Brunet  
Co-Chair Communications Committee  
fbrunet@desystems.com                    

Dawn Kelly
Co-Chair Communications Committee  
DKelly@caslpa.ca

**Note that bloggers will be selected based on subject matter and relevance.

Add our blog to your newsfeed so you can keep yourself up-to-date on association trends and issues. Check back frequently for updates on content.

Thanks for being engaged.

Susie Grynol, CAE
CSAE OG President

The Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter of CSAE is back in full-force!

September is fast approaching, and after a two month hiatus, we are looking to welcome all chapter members back to our upcoming events.

We are starting our 2013-2014 program on a high - the Brookstreet Hotel will be host to our Annual September Kick-Off this year.

We encourage all members to attend this FREE event, and learn more about the committees, and re-connect with or meet new colleagues.

"I hope everyone enjoyed their summer and I look forward to seeing everyone at the CSAE September Kick-Off Dinner on September 5th at Brookstreet Hotel. We are looking forward to hosting you and for those interested, we will be offering short tours of our facility. See you all soon." Marc Forgette, Sales Manager

Registration is now open, and we look forward to seeing you all there!

Are you going to CSAE National?

If you have yet to register, CSAE National Conference & Showcase is shaping up to be a fantastic conference this year. Take a moment to check out the conference sessions, and register. We hope to see many Ottawa-Gatineau members at the conference this year!

Stay tuned!

Our Fall Series of Lunch & Learn opportunities will be announced soon, and September 25th will be our first of the season. Keep an eye out on the blog for more information, or click here for our Events page.

Têtê-à-Têtê will be on February 6th at the Ottawa Convention Centre. Industry suppliers take note – exhibitor registration opens on Tuesday, September 24th at noon. Space WILL sell out quickly, so mark your calendars! For exhibitor pricing details, please click here. Association executives mark your calendars – registration will open later this fall.

Do you have questions on how to get involved locally, or are you interested in submitting a post to our blog? Feel free to contact us, we would be happy to send you a copy of the blog guidelines, and help you find the right committee for you!