UST Education

Branding & User Experience Best Practices | Key Tips
2022-08-31 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | https://zoom.us/j/96642326346
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Many associations struggle with archaic brand architecture where every department ends up with its own “brand.” This confuses your members, which ultimately hurts conversions. During this webinar, we’re going to help you solve that problem. We will cover how user experience and brand come together as one and how that can help you differentiate.

Learning Objectives

Learn how UX and Brand have merged
Learn how to differentiate in your digital universe
Learn why UX should be part of your association’s culture
Learn best-in-class examples

B129: Unlocking the Mystery of PCI Compliance
2022-08-25 13:00 - 14:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85349685569
In this course you will learn best practices of organizations in implementing PCI Compliance. The course starts with a basic overview of what PCI Compliance is and what it is designed to achieve. Next we review 9 practical tips that you can implement immediately in your organization to ensure a more secure payment environment. Finally we review the Self-Assessment-Questionnaire (SAQ), and what you should know about it.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Gain an overview of the PCI Compliance Requirements
Learn 9 practical tips to achieve a more secure payment environment
Understand what are the annual SAQ requirements

W303: Activity Integrations – Different Approaches To Syncing Activities Between Your System Of Record And Other Systems
2022-08-17 13:00 - 14:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2172193952?pwd=[REDACTED]
Every association today is leveraging more than one system to engage with members, whether that’s to collect award applications, event registrations, course enrollments, or something else entirely. Yet when selecting those systems there is often little planning with regards to integration – thinking, “Well that’s technical, so I’ll let the technical people figure it out.” In reality, integrations should be defined by the business requirements, and associations should know that not all integrations are equal. This session will talk through different approaches to integrations along with business implications for each and reasons when each may be the best approach.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Attendees will be able to understand the business impact of data integrations
Attendees will learn about different approaches to data integrations
Attendees will have a strategy to visually represent their integrations

B136: Revenue Growth and 6 Common E-Commerce Mistakes for Office Supply /JanSan Dealers to Avoid
2022-08-17 11:00 - 12:00 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85349685569
Join the GOPD team to learn how e-commerce can help boost your revenue and how to avoid common mistakes like not knowing your target customers, not encouraging customer feedback, and making the checkout process too complicated.
Attendees will gain a better understanding of how e-commerce can help drive their sales, prevent pitfalls, and put their customers first.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understanding key areas to focus on with an E-Commerce Solution
Ways to increase your revenue through E-Commerce
Steps to an awesome E-Commerce Site

W300: Easy Steps for a DIY Tech Assessment
2022-08-11 13:00 - 14:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2172193952?pwd=[REDACTED]
A technology assessment is a tool to ensure your technology tools and investment is aligned with your organizational strategy. While associations can certainly benefit from a professional, outside perspective, there are do-it-yourself (DIY) steps that generate immediate insights and lead to long-term effectiveness. Get the right people with the necessary skills and training together with efficient processes and capable technology, and the outcome will be an industry-leading association.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Gain insights on aligning your strategic plan with your people, processes, and technology
Identify inefficient technology use and ways to improve

Motivate organizational change through staff buy-in
Learn about best practices and current trends in association technology management

W251: PCI Compliance Workshop 101 for Associations
2022-08-10 11:00 - 12:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2172193952?pwd=[REDACTED]
Did you know that PCI Compliance starts with your finance team. In this course you will learn best practices of Associations and non profit organizations in for implementing PCI Compliance. The course starts with a basic overview of what PCI Compliance is and what it is designed to achieve. Next we review 9 practical tips that you can implement immediately in your organization to ensure a more secure payment environment. Finally we review the Self-Assessment-Questionnaire (SAQ), and what you should know about it.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Gain an overview of the PCI Compliance Requirements
Learn 9 practical tips to achieve a more secure payment environment
Understand what are the annual SAQ requirements

Guide to Fraud Prevention & Detection | Safeguarding Your Organization
2022-08-09 11:00 - 12:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2172193952?pwd=[REDACTED]
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In this course, you will learn how Associations can identify sources of fraud and how to limit your exposure to fraud.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn how to reduce the likelihood of internal fraud.
Learn about best practices to implement for fraud prevention
Learn how to probe weaknesses that leave you vulnerable to bad actors

B134: What You are NOT Being Told About Credit Card Processing
2022-07-28 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
Credit card processing or Merchant Services is widely used by businesses and nonprofit organizations. One can hardly image today going through life without being able to purchase goods and services without using a credit card.

In spite of its ubiquitousness in commerce, there are a lot of things that organizations are not being told about credit card processing (aka Merchant Services). If you know some important things that you are NOT being told today by your service provider (or in the general media), you would have greater opportunities for data security, cost savings, and process improvements (i.e., eliminating manual processes)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

– Learn about 4 important payment trends which emerged from the pandemic.
– Learn two key changes you should make in 2022 with your payment and credit card collection practices.
– Understand Credit card fees — what you are NOT being told and why that is costing your organization money.
– Learn alternatives to credit card collections — the ecosystem that supports Visa/MasterCard and AMEX definitely don’t want you to know this.
– Learn PCI compliance and security issues for 2022 — why are you not aware of this.
– Learn how to do an RFP for Merchant Services — an outline that you can use today.

W239: 7 Community-Driven Video Tactics To Engage Attendees Before, During, And After Your Live Event
2022-07-21 13:00 - 14:30 | Group Internet-Based
Here’s a hard truth: attendees don’t want to engage with your brand. People attend your events because they want to connect with other real people. When you make attendees the hero of your event’s story, your organization earns authentic engagement that extends far beyond the day of the event.

Join Michael Hoffman, CEO of Gather Voices, to explore 7 proven community-driven video tactics for events. You’ll walk away with real-world examples executed by industry experts and practical how-to’s to get started.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Articulate how community-driven video content drives year-round engagement
Explore real-world examples and translate them to your own organization
Outline the simple next steps to get started co-creating video with your community

How to Improve Strategic Planning For Your Organization: 5 Tips
2022-07-19 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
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Do you do long-term or strategic planning? Do you do retreats to plan your organization’s future? Whether you’re running planning meetings with a board, executive committee, a department, or a smaller team, don’t miss this engaging session. Fast, fun, and easy-to-apply, this workshop gives you five real ways you can improve your planning meetings. You’ll learn practical ways to turbocharge how participants look ahead, generate ideas, choose the best ones, and come to agreement. You’ll discover how to easily sift through products and services that are winners and losers. And you’ll take home techniques to run meetings that will make you and your organization more confident and capable. No lecture and no PowerPoint; this is learn-by doing where you’ll walk away with real tools you can actually use the next day.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Experience and learn 5 tools and techniques that improve planning meetings.
Understand the value of meeting templates and predefined structures.
Apply active, co-creative methodologies to your own meetings to increase effectiveness and engagement.

What is NICRA: Beginners Guide to Understanding NICRA
2022-07-13 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
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A Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, or NICRA, is a negotiated agreement between a company and its cognizant auditor, documenting the government’s acceptance of the company’s estimated indirect rates for the next five fiscal years. The NICRA establishes the indirect rates a company may use on proposals for work with the Federal Government. Once established with one agency, this NICRA is accepted across all other agencies within the Federal Government. In this basic-level course designed for small to mid-sized organizations, participants will learn what a NICRA is, when it is needed, the pros and cons of having one, and recommendations for how to prepare the NICRA.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand the relative terms and definitions for a NICRA.
Learn the Pros and Cons of having a NICRA.
Identify when to pursue a NICRA for the first time.
Learn what is required to prepare a NICRA.
Have the answers to the most frequently asked questions around a NICRA.

B131: Understanding the Payments Ecosystem in Your Organization
2022-07-06 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
Understanding the Payments Ecosystem and the flow of money / UST Education is a crash course in 5 easy modules that educates participants on what you need to know and why (credit card processing and ACH).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Who are the players (a basic flowchart):
How integrations work with your software platforms
Unveiling the confusion of your credit card statement
How you can reduce your cost/fees
Minimizing your risk and PCI compliance

Hold Them Or Fold Them: What’s Your Member Engagement?
2022-06-29 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
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Should membership renewal rates alone define how your organization measures return on engagement (ROE)? What data points should you use to measure member engagement? More importantly, would your association align and agree upon those indicators org-wide and alter programming accordingly? Measuring engagement means understanding the member journey and how they interact with all of your programming. Join us as we explore potential data sets that can help you kick-start your ROE definition within your organization to build your own personalized engagement algorithm.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand how ROE (Return on Engagement) can be calculated
Metrics that can demonstrate escalating levels of engagement
Building an organization-wide framework using engagement metrics as part of larger feedback mechanisms

How to Deliver the Best E-commerce Experience for Associations
2022-06-28 13:00 - 14:30 | Group Internet-Based
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Associations often struggle with e-commerce. Most understand that members and non-members have extremely high expectations in today’s digital age thanks to Amazon, Google, Target, etc. A common struggle is how to deliver that kind of experience, particularly when transactions happen in their AMS and other platforms that were not built to do so. Jake and Joe will talk about how to think of e-commerce and the use of traditional association platforms differently and show how to decouple the Store or Marketplace from legacy systems to provide a great buying experience for the user.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Comparing Best-in-Class e-commerce Experiences to Associations
Looking at your Membership Model to support great e-commerce and innovation
Technicalities in how to build your commerce site

S104: Symposium Session #4: Membership Engagement – Pass The Pen
2022-06-22 14:45 - 15:45 | Group Internet-Based
Highly relevant and engaging content is in ultra-demand as associations are trying to find meaningful connections with their constituents to boost their membership value. How do they produce content on a year-round basis that resonates with members and keeps them engaged? That’s where member-created content comes in. Members are often an untapped resource of knowledge, ideas, and stories. They bring authenticity and unique perspectives to your association that not only builds credibility, but with the appropriate strategy, member-created content can increase engagement through elevated experiences and building stronger connections that last.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify members who are actively creating content and/or are subject matter experts and invite them to become a contributor for your association
Reach highly sought-after audiences on a deeper level and draw in a more engaged audience by using content centered around member experiences
Spotlight and share member-created content to simultaneously enhance the experience of your readers and engage the members who created the content on a new level

To attend the Symposium in person, please register here: IN PERSON SYMPOSIUM

S103: Symposium Session #3: Understanding the Payments Ecosystem Of your Association/Nonprofit
2022-06-22 13:30 - 14:30 | Group Internet-Based
Coming Soon!

To attend the Symposium in person, please register here: IN PERSON SYMPOSIUM

S102: Symposium Session #2: IT Zen – How to Create Harmony Across Leadership, Business and Technology
2022-06-22 11:15 - 12:15 | Group Internet-Based
Organizations rely on technology to fulfill their mission, deliver quality service to their members and customers. Everyone talks about “IT is everyone’s business”, yet organizations continue to struggle to find true IT Zen – why? Ben and Gretchen will discuss their experience and observations to help organizations figure out what may be interfering with a more harmonious experience for customers and staff and the systems that support them.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify and discuss the the barriers to IT Zen
Define the role of is business leaders
Discuss the relationship of IT and technology resources

To attend the Symposium in person, please register here: IN PERSON SYMPOSIUM

S101: Symposium Session #1: Everything You Want To Know About Engagement Scoring (but didn’t know to ask)
2022-06-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Group Internet-Based
Association professionals understand conceptually what engagement scoring is and why it’s important, but do you know how to produce accurate scores that are meaningful and actionable? The key is how you build your engagement model – the activities and behaviors you can measure and their relative importance to your picture of engagement. During this session, we’ll dive deep into the nuances of creating a model that truly reflects what you value most in your members, and what they value most about your association. You’ll learn the do’s and don’ts of building the right model for your association and walk away with tips on how to get started.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand the key principles of engagement scoring
Determine how to choose the right activities to score for individuals and organizations
Learn how to assign points and weight them relative to all activities using 100-point scale

To attend the Symposium in person, please register here: IN PERSON SYMPOSIUM

N116: AP Automation – Processing Global Payments, Eliminating Fraud, and Segregating Roles and Responsibilities to Reduce Risk
2022-06-21 13:00 - 14:30
This session will provide an overview of current challenges and trends impacting financial processes in today’s Accounts Payable departments. It will focus on how automation can drive new levels of efficiency and how digital transformation can improve payment analytics and eliminate manual errors. Additional best practices to be discussed include:

Processing global payments to any country in any currency.
Strengthening fraud prevention.
Segregating roles and responsibilities to ensure corporate accounting compliance.

Finally, the session will identify leading practices to automate AP in NetSuite

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Discover the leading practices to automate AP in NetSuite
Learn how to segregate roles and responsibilities to spread control of info and reduce risk
Understand how to use digital technology to prevent fraud in AP
Identify how to take full advantage of NetSuite’s 360° visibility to improve AP processes
Anything additional

What Are the Benefits of User Generated Content
2022-06-15 13:00 - 14:30 | Group Internet-Based
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Highly relevant and engaging content is in ultra-demand and associations are feeling the pressure to supply. How do they produce content on a consistent basis that resonates with members and keeps them coming back for more? That’s where member-created content comes in. Members are often an untapped resource of knowledge, ideas, and stories. They bring authenticity and unique perspectives to your association that not only builds credibility, but with the appropriate strategy, member-created content can increase member engagement through elevated experiences and building stronger connections that last.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

How to utilize your member content to your advantage
How to engage with members socially to create deeper connections
Understand member personas and how to engage with different groups

Best Marketing Automation Strategy | Automation Best Practices
2022-06-14 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
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Correlation doesn’t always equal causation, however, better marketing automation capabilities are strongly correlated with better market performance. This session will cover several Marketing Automation Best Practices and how industry leaders get value out of their Marketing Automation investment.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn if more marketing tools lead to better results
Learn the top five things you should consider when picking a Marketing Automation Platform
Learn a few things industry leaders excel at that laggards don’t

B126: How to Write an RFP (Request for Proposal) for Merchant Services: Improving Your Business Process and Net Income
2022-06-09 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
What Criteria Should Every Merchant Services RFP Contain and Why Does it Matter?
Your credit card processing fees are a top ten-line item in your General Ledger. When releasing an RFP to evaluate new merchant service providers, knowing how the credit card industry works is crucial. Your fiduciary obligation and reputation are on the line. With compliance standards to meet, and risks to mitigate, there is much to understand. We will demystify the credit card processing flow, players, terminology, and musts to consider. You will leave feeling prepared to write your RFP and EVALUATE your perspective merchant service providers based on the criteria most important for your organization. We will evaluate how to identify the gaps in your current payments ecosystem and supply you with the questions to ask to reduce these issues in your future state.
1. Knowing What You Don’t Know
2. Terminology of the Industry and the Flow of Payments
3. Capturing Your Current State Through GAP Analysis
4. Risk Mitigation (PCI Compliance, Fraud)
5. How to Compare Pricing and Find Hidden Fees
6. Putting it All Together: Writing the RFP with Your Future State in Mind

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

To give your organization a higher level of understanding of payment processing and equip you to make the most educated/informed decision on your payment processor/merchant services selection.
To provide you with important recommendations that will assist your progress in creating an omnichannel payments ecosystem.
To create a working framework that your Association can use to effectively evaluate future Processors while taking into consideration your current business process.

Best Practices for Using a Open Source Knowledge Base System
2022-06-08 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
For a long time now with associations the narrative has centered around: Bring all our content into one central location and go from there. A more effective approach is to leave your content where it is and let your search tool find it where it lives. When associations define all their content sources as one knowledge-base, the impact can be profound. Their audiences will understand that they are the global information resource and look to them for learning, community, and leadership.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

How your AMS, LMS, CMS, videos, podcasts, journal/magazine articles, job board, etc. form your knowledge-base, and that’s a good thing!
Explore how the normalization of content and taxonomy — manually or using AI processes — prevents ‘lost in translation’ member (and prospective member!) experiences.
Let your systems do what they do best while consumers of their respective knowledge enjoy an aggregated and consistent content discovery experience.

The Digital Ecosystem Approach: How It’s Shaping The Future For Associations
2022-06-02 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
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Our ever-evolving modern world presents many unique challenges to associations and member management. But in a world of change, meeting and exceeding members’ expectations remains a top priority and leveraging best-in-class technology positions your association for success.
To achieve member satisfaction, associations must evolve their everyday tools by selecting software that integrates so they can leverage member data and track member engagement in real-time. When tools and technology are able to communicate and interact with one another, it creates a digital ecosystem.
The digital ecosystem approach is the way of the future – and the present. It provides freedom and flexibility to choose tools and technology that work best for your association while facilitating a centralized hub for member data. In this webinar, Wicket Co-founder and CEO, Jeff Horne dives into this topic in more detail and provides practical examples so you can feel confident as you begin to form your digital ecosystem.

Compliance & Risk Management Training: Key Considerations
2022-05-26 11:00 - 12:30 | Group Internet-Based
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GKG Law’s Rich Bar will be the instructor for a UST Ed webinar on May 26, 2022. Rich’s webinar, Association/Nonprofit Board of Directors: Governance, Risk Management & Training, is targeted to CEOs, COOs and CFOs. Attendees will learn how to better equip board members and directors for success in their roles; how to ensure the board continuously works to promote and obtain the mission of the organization; fiduciary duty considerations and challenges; and appropriate conflict of interest management. Further course description can be found below.

One of the most important components of an association CEO/COO/CFO’s demanding role involves serving as a day-to-day conduit to the board. Boards comprised solely of volunteers sometimes don’t receive the comprehensive training needed to perform successfully. Too often, volunteer board directors don’t understand the full spectrum of fiduciary, contractual and legal duties associated with their role, or the risks and responsibilities involved when a perceived or actual conflict of interest arises. As a CEO/COO/CFO, what steps can be taken to avoid these potentially critical issues?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn how to better equip board members for success in their roles through training and communication.
Learn how to educate volunteer board members to understand their fiduciary, contractual and legal duties associated with their role
Understand what steps can be taken as a C-Level executive to avoid potential critical issues around board governance.

Top Benefits of Benchmarking for Employee Retention
2022-05-24 15:00 - 16:30 | Group Internet-Based
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During this session you will get an overview of benefits benchmarking. We’ll cover the impact how your employee benefits can influence employee retention and talent acquisition. We’ll discuss, costs, plan designs and various other key metrics to be aware of.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understanding the importance of benefits benchmarking
Determining strategy for making change within your benefits package
Correlating employee benefits with talent acquisition and retention

How To Create Engaging Video Content
2022-05-24 13:00 - 14:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87881506988?pwd=[REDACTED]
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This webinar will reveal the key industry insights we’ve learned while designing, creating and executing an association docuseries content model. Join WorkerBee.TV President Dan Stevens and learn how docuseries.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn how to increases your association’s recruitment, retention and revenue
Positions your association and members as leaders in your industry
Captures your association younger, fresh-to-the-industry audiences

W291: Reserve Funds – 3 Major Considerations for Management & Board Members in 2022
2022-05-19 13:00 - 14:30
In this course we will learn why it is important for organizational sustainability to establish and maintain reserves. We will learn what methodologies are best to use to determine the size of reserves that are appropriate to your organization. We will also learn about IPS and how it how it helps.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn why it is important for organizational sustainability to establish and maintain reserves.
Understand what methodologies can be used to determine the size of reserves appropriate to your organization.
Learn about IPS and how it helps.

W263: 5 Non-negotiable Web Strategies Every Association Needs in 2022 & Beyond
2022-05-19 11:00 - 12:30
It’s not enough to simply maintain the status quo online. Your association needs to innovate and lead with a digital-first web strategy. In this session, Ray van Hilst and Chris Bonney from Yoko Co will walk you through the top 5 non-negotiable web strategies associations need to be implementing today. This won’t be a blue sky, esoteric exercise in lofty ideas that aren’t realistic. This webinar will walk you through practical, easy steps to implement tomorrow to create better engagement, increase traffic, and position your website for the future.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn the simple tweaks to your website that can dramatically increase engagement
Learn what page on your website is way more important than your homepage
Learn how to create better content faster
Learn how to write web content that converts

Best of Both Worlds: Mastering Hybrid Work Environments
2022-05-18 13:00 - 14:30 | Group Internet-Based
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As we continue to adapt to the ongoing pandemic, we can count on one constant: hybrid work is here to stay.
The Great Resignation is proving that employees have little tolerance for hasty returns to our offices. Employers, too, have seen that remote work doesn’t just work—it offers measurable benefits.
Now the challenge for association leaders is this: maintaining productivity, security, and engagement as we settle into hybrid work.
Join Heinan Landa (Founder & CEO) and David Campbell (COO) of Optimal Networks for a discussion on how your organization can refine its approach to hybrid work and capitalize on the benefits that both in-office and remote work have to offer.
About Optimal Networks
Optimal Networks is a Rockville, MD-based IT company that helps associations advance their mission by way of thoughtful technology guidance and white-glove support. For three decades, clients have turned to Optimal when they are spending too much time overseeing their IT team, are worried about the security of member data, or are concerned their technology isn’t providing the flexibility that employees and members expect.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn how to engage and collaborate with members
Learn how to engage and collaborate with coworkers
Learn how to maximize productivity with both technology and thoughtful scheduling
Learn how to keep member data safe from anywhere
