Happy Friday! Unfortunately, the weather is pretty dreary in Atlanta — I hope everyone else’s Friday weather is more uplifting!

To begin what I hope will turn into a recurring Friday feature here, I’m going to share a few of my favorite association-related links from the week.

Maddie Grant compiled some comments from people who couldn’t attend ASAE. Budgets seemed to be the biggest concern, which wasn’t too unexpected. Some people also said ASAE didn’t provide education for their core duties, which may or may not have been true. Regardless, I think the number of learning labs at ASAE was great, but there weren’t enough time slots. Offer fewer learning labs at a time, and the problem is (hopefully) solved.

Over at TechSoup, they discussed why small- to medium-sized organizations should care about cloud computing. This is basically what our membership management software provides, and we think technology can really help small organizations become more efficient and organized.

Peggy Hoffman wrote about how chapters can leverage social media, which I loved because this is one of my objectives. Every organization has different needs, but social media is a great tool to keep your members more engaged and recruit new ones, as well.

With what I thought was a great metaphor, Wes Trochlil compared new processes in data collection to the failed “Clash for Clunkers” program. Launching a new initiative can be difficult and time-consuming, and it’s important to do the right amount of testing and research.

In a comment on a previous post here, Robert Swanwick referred to one of his blog posts about a virtual meeting. There are some great tips and thoughts about hosting a virtual meeting on a tight budget that small-staffs can absolutely learn from.

Have a great weekend, and feel free to share more links below!

This is part two of a series exploring the value of virtual attendance following the Aug. 25 Association Chat (#assnchat) on Twitter. Part one can be found here.

It’s no secret the economy is flailing. And, though things are looking up, a trip to Toronto for ASAE and The Center’s Annual Meeting and Expo probably wasn’t in many organizations’ budgets this year. Creating a fulfilling virtual experience one year can drive “real-life” attendance for the following year, which should be ASAE’s goal.

I initially was going to rehash some highlights and quotes from the transcript, but I ended up retyping practically everything. Some key takeaways, though:

• Virtual attendees could pair up with exhibitors for sponsorship on blogs. For example, a blogger would host an ad for a certain exhibitor in exchange for them sponsoring the blogger’s virtual attendance. (@maggielmcg)
• Create a virtual event manager role to maximize virtual attendance. (@maggielmcg, @jmoonah)
• Charge for the edited package of video, audio, etc… There should be a revenue stream attached to valuable content. (Many participants shared this view.)
• What if virtual attendees had access to the live sessions and then paid what they thought it was worth afterward — otherwise known as the Radiohead model? (@dcoriale)
• “Virtual” could encompass a lot of items put together that could not be so easily replicated (i.e. professionally edited packages). (@spkrinteractive)
• Offer a “teaser” for free (perhaps of the general sessions), but have virtual attendees pay for other content. (@spkrinteractive)
• Most content creators want to be paid for what they create. (@busyevent) (My thoughts: Does it matter who pays them? It could be the association, the virtual attendees or perhaps the exhibitors.)
• Volunteers could tweet and take video from each session. (@ceosolutions)

The amount of interaction available to virtual attendees should determine the event’s monetary worth. Maybe it’s worth nothing. Personally, I like the idea of hiring official content creators to document each session — they could essentially function as reporters. (I think it’s the journalist in me really likes this idea!) At this year’s ASAE, it seemed as if the majority of active Twitter users went to the same few learning labs, which minimized the amount of possible coverage.

Jeff De Cagna (@pinnovation), the chat’s moderator, said he was concerned that “associations are looking for ways to make virtual attendees pay for value that should be free. [IRL attendees] pay for the actual value of experience.”

Although I agree with that statement, shouldn’t there be a certain level of experience and interaction that comes with virtual attendance? Of course, face-to-face interaction always trumps electronic, but virtual attendance is becoming more viable as technology continues to evolve.

Perhaps there wasn’t a huge capability for a stellar virtual experience at ASAE this year, and that’s OK — we should look ahead to ASAE 2010 and explore different options. At the rate technology is evolving, there are probably possibilities for next year we haven’t even thought of yet.

The chat’s transcript is available here.

Director of Product Experience Kevin Patrick ran into happy customer Carol Hardwick from the Mississippi Economic Development Council at ASAE and the Center’s Annual Meeting and Expo.

There’s a ton of research out there about generations and the differences between them. We’re living in an interesting time because it’s the first time in history that there are four different generations in the workforce: Traditionals (born 1925-1942), Boomers (1943-1960), Xers (1961-1981) and Gen-Y (1982-2001). The years are a bit fluid, but these are common definitions.

The Baby Boomers boast 76 million people, as well as being the largest group in the workforce. Xers are sort of that in-between generation — it’s the smallest in size and its members really value a balance between their work and personal lives. And those pesky Gen-Yers are the “entitled” bunch, and are the second largest, just behind the Boomers (which makes sense because we’re the children of Boomers).

Yup — I’m a Gen-Yer. And I find the research about the differences between generations pretty fascinating. Associations can use the information from all the research to their advantages — different generations have different strengths, and each one can be put to use in a different way to benefit the association.

We’ve all heard the generalizations — Gen-Yers feel entitled, Gen-Xers are lazy and Boomers don’t think their younger colleagues have truly paid their dues.

But we’re all individuals. Generalizations don’t make sense. It’s true that different generations communicate differently — a 24-year-old might be more apt to text message than a 56-year-old. But while it’s true that the Boomers used typewriters and record players, it’s also true that they’ve used CD players and smartphones. We all tend to forget that the older generations have used the same new technologies as the younger ones.

There are five strategies to more effectively handle the differences between generations:

1. Positive Vision: Leaders should create a vision that others want to achieve

2. Positive Essentials: It’s important to understand the differences between the generations. But you have to know how to use them to your advantage within your organization. Talk to people and get to know your members, coworkers and volunteers. Know what people think about things in your association.

3. Positive Responsibility: Stop the buck. Stop the blame and accept responsibility for what is yours. Don’t necessarily cast off blame onto the younger members.

4. Positive Communication: Consider how you’re communicating with different generations. The way you relate to an Xer is probably not the way to relate to a Yer. Of course, everyone is different, so it may take a little while to arrive at the appropriate method. It could be texting, e-mailing, calling, Facebook, Twitter … everyone has their own preferred channel from which to receive information.

5. Positive Sustainability: You need all four previous tools to create sustainable relationships within your association. In addition to behavioral changes, create a mental shift. Maybe you have to put Boomers, Xers and Yers in a room together and practice. Have everyone say one complaint about another generation, and then ask them to turn their complaint into a request. Both behavioral and mental changes are the key to creating positive change in your organization.

Consider starting a “reverse mentoring” program. A Yer and a Boomer could pair up and the Yer could help the Boomer understand his or her perspective a bit more. It will likely turn into a more collaborative relationship, and everyone will reap the rewards.

Everyone has “generation capital” — something to be shared with others and something of value. People from different generations bring different viewpoints to the table. You may find that your association can do more with less people, if they’re all of different generations. Value one another, and remember that “generation” does not equal “age” — people change as they get older, no matter which generation they belong to. Take advantage of the “generation capital” within your association. You might be surprised at just how much everyone has to offer.

From http://alphabettr.com/

This is part one of an ongoing series entitled “Tech Tips.” We’ll be sharing valuable tips and information about the importance and benefits of technology, as well as what to look for when selecting a vendor.

Web-based technology can be daunting for associations, especially those with fewer than nine people on staff (aka “small-staff associations”) who may have less time and resources to devote to an AMS. Although it does take some time to learn how to use the software, there are several benefits to “cloud computing” — using the Web for data management. There is no software to install or hardware to keep up with, and you can access your information from any computer. Since your data is available “in the cloud,” you can authorize as many administrators as you like. To be sure, Microsoft Excel and Access are valuable pieces of software, but when you’re managing several hundred or thousand members, plus other things such as dues payment and event registration, those tools can become a bit outdated and cumbersome.

There are many, many options for Web-based association management software. Most providers include disaster relief and data back-up in their plans, so there’s very little need to worry about losing your organization’s information. Support is often included in your monthly or yearly fee. The vendor staff should be knowledgeable about the product and be able to provide tons of support — your organization won’t even necessarily have to employ an IT staff. Because your technology vendor has multiple association customers, the vendor staff will probably be aware of best technology practices for associations, and work those into its product.

Managing your data “in the cloud” can help make your organization more efficient. There may some initial investments — not just money, but also your time — but know that the proper training can make a world of difference once you begin to use the software in your day-to-day life. And no matter which AMS you choose, you’ll likely be able to create new revenue streams, such as sponsorship or job board revenue.