Innovation on the web front is a mix of design and technology or “form and function.” By keeping up with the ever-evolving technology behind the scenes we are able to provide our clients with the latest and greatest methods to share information and collaborate with their members. 

This famous quote from a poem in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings implies that some people actually wander on purpose.  Philosophically, that can sound super adventurous and mystical, but realistically, some people do in fact wander because they’re lost.  Go figure.

Enter: “Standing Committees.”

As association professionals, we provide education to our members to help bridge the gap between academic study and professional life.   With tight competition for our members’ time, money, and attention, educational design becomes increasingly important to help our events and offerings stand out.

What exactly are the measures of success when it comes to adult education?  How does the way that adults learn affect how we should be designing our conferences? Molly Marsh, AMR Management Services Director of Education and Engagement Design advocates for a comprehensive meeting design approach. “Using demonstrated member, audience and industry needs to drive your educational approach ensures maximum relevancy and impact for your association events.”

With only four months until the effective date, companies and organizations across the globe are scrambling to make sense of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and assure compliance come May 25, 2018. The association industry is no different.  With the vast amount of information regularly collected about members, associations are looking deep within themselves to assure that members and their data are well protected.  Here at AMR, GDPR is in the forefront of our minds as well as the protection not only of data, but of our clients and how they successfully engage with their members to provide the best services, resources, and conferences while complying with the new regulations. 

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Miss Sloan” or watch “House of Cards,” there are probably more than a couple of scenes that portray lobbyists as scum of the earth with questionable morals and flexible principles all jockeying for financial gain or political power. But in real life, the lobbyist’s mission is simple and probably mundane; it is to study the impact of potential laws and regulations on the population they represent, convey that impact to others, and advocate for the position that best serves those they represent.