Ernie Smith
Associations Now
Washington, DC, United States
Contact Ernie
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Past articles by Ernie:
New Member Onboarding: Long-Term Membership Strategies
Don’t let your new members slip away! Learn how to keep them engaged with our expert tips on long-term member onboarding strategies. → Read More
New Member Onboarding: Getting Their Money’s Worth
Get your new members hooked on your organization with our expert tips on creating frequent touchpoints and understanding what’s not working. → Read More
New Member Onboarding: Beyond the Welcome Packet
Welcome packets might be on the way out, but that doesn’t mean member onboarding has to suffer. Discover how to forge a lasting relationship with new members. → Read More
Five (Really) Easy Ways to Bring More Joy to Your Meetings
After years away from in-person events, people are expecting more. From adding pops of color to showing off the host city, these tips can make an impact. → Read More
How The CLR Turbocharges Continuing Education Programs
The comprehensive learner record, or CLR, helps to track student experience at a granular level—and it could have more value for associations than colleges. → Read More
3 Ways to Find Diverse Meeting Vendors
When putting on an event and you’re not a local, hiring with DEI in mind can be difficult—here’s how to ensure you’re bringing diverse vendors into the mix. → Read More
How MLK Jr.-Inspired Associations Honor Dr. King
The King Center, The Memorial Foundation and other MLK associations and nonprofits take a key role in honoring Martin Luther King Jr.—here's how. → Read More
How Members Can Tell You What You Need
In building its new certification program, AIGA leaned into the power of membership data to find what mattered most to its members. → Read More
Ready to Try Mastodon? Here’s What You Need to Know
Mastodon (an emerging social media alternative to Twitter) has been gaining interest, which might convince association pros to test it out. That may be complex. → Read More
Associations' Guide: Working With Venue Managers [2023]
Rising costs, sparse staffing and a loss of institutional knowledge are making life more complex for venues, here's how to plan events in 2023. → Read More
How HAFA Farms’ Long-Term Goal Came To Fruition
It took more than a decade of work, but Hmong American Farmers Association now owns farmland it offers to its members. Here’s how it reached a long-term goal. → Read More
5 Considerations for Building an Effective Award Program
Launching or revamping an award program is a great way to give attention to members and raise revenue or even your public profile. Here's how to get started. → Read More
How a Local Chapter Delivered Pro Bono Aid to Ukraine
Washington DC chapter of the International Coaching Federation helped its Ukrainian counterpart. Here’s how it became ICF’s biggest chapter collaboration yet. → Read More
What Goes Into Changing Your Association’s Name
Rebranding under a different name comes with a slew of considerations for associations. Learn from how the Audubon Naturalist Society became Nature Forward. → Read More
Navigate Microsoft 365 Like a Pro
Digital transformation experts share tips on implementation, management, governance, and user adoption of the popular platform. → Read More
Managing Interns in Remote or Hybrid Settings
GitLab provides some insight into understanding younger employees’ connectivity needs offsite and keeping them actively engaged with the team. → Read More
Managing Interns Effectively: Flexibility, Soft Skills & Risks
Flexibility is central to managing an internship program—giving interns responsibilities comes with risk but the wrong strategy can lead them to quit. → Read More
What Your Internship Program Needs to Succeed
Internship programs require foresight in both the promotion and planning processes. Here is what you need to organize and run a successful internship program. → Read More
Why Your Association Should Start an Internship Program
Internship programs are essential to building a stronger talent pipeline for your industry. Plus, you can learn from interns as they learn from you. → Read More
AMS Selection: A Quick Reference Guide
Keep this information handy when you’re looking to upgrade or replace your existing tech solutions. → Read More