Blog take over by Nikki Haton Shanks, Strategist! I’m Nikki, a strategist at Association Laboratory, and I’m stepping in to take over Dean West’s from My Seat at the Bar blog for this month. Association Laboratory held its 2nd Annual Content Strategy Summit on Thursday, November 7 at the OLC in Rosemont, IL, in collaboration with .orgSource with nearly 30 attendees! What did we learn? Research shows the majority of associations are implementing content strategy. What prompted this Summit? Each year Association Laboratory conducts a global scan of the association business environment called Looking Forward™. In 2019, the study collected data from more than 400 association chief staff officers and senior domain executives across 20 industries. And guess what? 54% of Looking Forward respondents said they were implementing Content Strategies. This data point was the basis for a day-long program devoted to thought-provoking questions and strategies related to content. 3 […]

“America is a paradise.” This was the exact quote said to me during my time speaking at the Indian Association Congress near Delhi, India this August. Produced by the Indian Society of Association Executives and CIMGlobal, it was India’s premier congress of association leaders. The association profession in India is in its nascent form. This was only the 7th Indian Association Congress (IAC). I had the opportunity to interact with the most excited and forward-thinking leaders of India’s association management profession. Here are some of my quick perceptions. New to association management is not the same as new to business and leadership. Some might think that just because the profession of association management is new, leaders of these associations might be less knowledgeable. Nothing could be further from the truth. Representatives from some of the world’s leading associations were in attendance as well as executives from substantial and uniquely Indian […]

Interested in working on leading edge association strategy projects? Interested in topics across association domains and professional sectors? Do you enjoy working from the comfort of your own home? Do you like facilitating complicated discussions that will drive an association’s strategy for years to come? Do you hate spending all day in meaningless meetings? Tired of being micromanaged? Living most of your life in a car while you commute? Ignoring your family? Maybe you should work with us. Association Laboratory is recruiting a Strategist to lead client engagements. This is a home-based position with occasional travel. Characteristics of the Optimal Candidate You need to understand associations. Would love a minimum 7 – 10 years of association experience. You need Board Presence. You need the capability and/or experience reporting to and facilitating Board and leadership discussions. You need to be able to prove you know what you’re doing. Please be able […]

Dean West, FASAE and President of Association Laboratory will headline the January Power Luncheon of the Florida Society of Association Executives. The senior level event, sponsored by Hyatt Hotels in Florida will be held January 22, 2020 from 11:30 am until 1 pm at the FSU Champions Club, Tallahassee, Florida. Click HERE to register. Mr. West, a globally recognized thought leader and association futurist, will be presenting the first look at data from Looking Forward™ 2020.   Looking Forward is the association sector’s leading study of the association strategy environment collecting information and insight from more than 500 association leaders. Copies of the recently completed study will be available on the Association Laboratory Knowledge Center on March 1, 2020. A provocative and conversational speaker, Mr. West provides an interpretive spin on the new data. He highlights the nature of the problems facing leaders and outlines how successful associations are adapting. […]