Early Bird Rate Extended!
ISAE is excited to announce that we have extended the Early Bird rates for the 2009 Annual Convention. If you missed the July 1st registration deadline, no worries! The special rates have been extended to Tuesday, July 7th.

ISAE realizes that professional development dollars are limited, this extension is designed to provide members with the ability to stretch their professional development resources.  Take advantage of the opportunity to invest in yourself and your valued team members by registering today for the ISAE Convention.

Here are just a few of the ways that Annual Convention provides value:

• Networking: Now more than ever creating meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships is key for business. The ISAE Convention includes numerous opportunities to connect with fellow ISAE members including the Tuesday night pre-party, golf outing, opening reception and much more.

• Top Notch Keynote Speakers:

• Noah Blumenthal - Founder of the Leading Principles, Inc. and a national speaker and trainer in the areas of leadership development, personal change, marketing and sales behavior.

• Todd Hunt – Head of The Hunt Company and a national speaker that focuses on improving communication and creating success.

• Informative Breakout Sessions: Come learn at interactive sessions on everything from value proposition to volunteer management to social media to finding more time in your day. There are sessions aimed at professionals at all levels.

• Annual Meeting & Prize Giveaway: Close out the 2009 Convention by voting in your 2010 board members and enter to win two amazing annual prizes each valued at over $500!

• A Look Ahead: Keep up on the latest news by attending the Convention. ISAE will proudly announce the location for the 2010 Annual Convention during this year’s Convention.

Go ahead and find out who will be speaking, get all of the golf outing details and check out the agenda.  After that, don’t forget to register for the 2009 ISAE Annual Convention and reserve your hotel room.

Early Bird Registration extended till Tuesday, July 7th!

Register Now!

In order to ensure that ISAE is hitting the mark with our education events, networking and member benefits we will be asking for your feedback! After the 2009 Convention you will be emailed a survey on your overall perception of your ISAE membership. The survey will cover a variety of topics and should take around 10 minutes to complete. The ISAE staff knows that your time is valuable and we appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey. After the results of the survey are compiled the ISAE staff and Board of Directors will use the results to tailor membership benefits and programming to better fit your needs. The survey results will be released in the October Synergy and also posted in the Knowledge Broker’s section of the Web site.

Terry Harper, former Executive Director of Phi Kappa Psi lost his two year battle with brain cancer and passed away on Tuesday, June 2nd. After leaving fraternity service Terry served most recently as the Executive Director of Society of Professional Journalists headquartered in Indianapolis. Terry will be greatly missed.

If you plan to attend the ASAE Annual Convention in Toronto on August 14-18 please email the ISAE staff to let us know at info@isae.org. We would like to set an informal gathering of ISAE members that plan to attend the conference on one evening during the conference.

Over the last few years the association world has experienced a shift in how sponsorships are utilized. Historically when associations have solicited for sponsors it has been on a program by program or event by event basis. This approach offers limited exposure in some cases and may not seem appealing to potential sponsors.

In recent years we have started to see savvy associations lead the way to change this old school approach to obtaining sponsorships. Instead of bombarding sponsors through out the year these associations have designed annual sponsorship packages that cater specifically to the needs of their sponsors.  This approach has typically been the way that corporate marketers obtain sponsorships. The annual sponsorships are tiered to offer different benefits at different levels. Focusing on what the specific associations target market needs and wants for exposure.

The question that this new method has raised is will we loose and not gain sponsor dollars by restructuring our method? Why every situation is unique this is typically not the case. As an example the American Dietetic Association grew their annual sponsorship income from $72,000 to $1.7 million in one year of restructuring proving that the new method was the better option for their partners. Overall the goal should be to create long term partnerships with your sponsors and in the end the benefits will be worth the effort.

Sitting for the CAE in 2010? Get signed up to attend the FREE study sessions for the CAE exam.  Whether you plan to take the exam in 2009 or 2010 it is never too early to start studying.  ISAE has set the dates for the fall 2009 study sessions.  Make sure to mark your calendar and let the ISAE staff know if you plan to attend.

Where:                        
Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Headquarters, 8645 Founders Road, Map

Time:                           
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Dates:                         
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Test Dates:                 
Friday, December 4, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2010

Jim Benak
Gillespie Conference Center
53995 Indiana State Road 933
South Bend, IN 46637
(574) 323-2461
Jim.benak@hilton.com

Edward Dorris
Main Event
6880 Hillside Court
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(317) 570-8900
ed@mainevt.com

Michael Reynolds
Spinweb
8580 Cedar Place Drive, Suite 116
Indianapolis, IN 46240
(317) 324-1100 ext 1200
michael@spinweb.net

Mary Smith
Hilton Garden Inn
53995 Indiana State Road 933
South Bend, IN 46337
(574) 232-7700
msmith@innatsaintmarys.com
Referred by: Jim Benak

Katherine Wentworth
MDwise, Inc.
1200 Madison Ave., Suite 400
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(317) 822-7117
kwentworth@mdwise.org

Searching for Qualified Candidates?
Searching for the right candidate can be a lengthy process. Most professionals are busy enough without the hassle of searching through countless applications and resumes only to find that they are coming up empty handed. So what is the solution? The key is to strategically place your open positions where you will locate qualified applicants with applicable skills, experience, and education. When posting a position on the ISAE Web site you tap into a unique captive audience of association professionals providing you with the ideal opportunity to find the perfect candidate.

One of the many benefits of ISAE membership is our job listings area on the Web site.  ISAE members can place their position on the Web site for free, providing access to job seekers interested in working for associations and nonprofits.  Click on the following link http://www.isae.org/sections/jobs.php to view current listings.  If you have a listing you would like to have posted or want to know more, contact the ISAE staff at kvoorhest@isae.org.

Help ISAE improve your member benefits and suggest documents for the Knowledge Broker’s online resource bank. We are looking for documents and examples in the following categories:

• Administration
• Board of Directors
• Human Resources
• Marketing & Communications
• Membership
• Meeting Planning
• Organizational Planning
• Foundations
  
  

You can be the best negotiator in the world, but the bottom line is whether your contract is legally clear, inclusive and enforceable. Understanding hotel contract basics is critical to both planners and suppliers. This session is for novices and pros that need a refresher on the basics. It will cover legal tips and pitfalls to avoid that every meeting professional must understand to survive in today's business climate and avoid expensive lawsuits. Topics will include: the three steps to reviewing a contract proposal; John's golden rule for contracting; breach of contract issues- "penalties" vs. "damages" and what's enforceable; the importance of understanding profit margins in the hotels; the two methods of calculating guest room attrition damages and which one is preferred by planners vs. what is preferred by hotels; and a recommended formula for calculating attrition damages. We will also discuss tips on renegotiating your contract in today's economy. The session will be interactive and your questions will be addressed.

John S. Foster, Esq., CHME, is an attorney and counsel specializing in the legal aspects of meetings, conventions, trade shows & special events and association management. He is an associate or general counsel for over four hundred (400) organizations and has been named as one of the 25 Most Influential People in the meetings industry by Meeting News. His peers have also voted him a Special Recognition Award through the Georgia Society of Association Executives (GSAE). John has also been selected as PCMA's Author of the Year. MPI has selected John to be a Platinum Speaker and a Subject Matter Expert in its Peer-to-Peer program. John is also a Chapter author for PCMA's Professional Meeting Management book on "Contracts in the Meetings Industry". John is the legal columnist for CONVENE magazine published by PCMA. He reviews meeting contracts for organizations nationwide and speaks frequently at industry events.

When:                         
July 23, 2009

Time:                           
1:00 p.m. Eastern

Presenter:                    
John S. Foster, Esq., CHME

Cost:                           
$49

REGISTER NOW!

It is more important than ever to create networks of professionals that support the association profession and the professionals that it is made up of.  If you are currently an ISAE member and know someone that could benefit from professional growth through value packed education and networking, as well as saving money on must attend programs then encourage them to join ISAE!

Check out the Web site for a complete list of benefits that ISAE offers to our members. Click on the following link to download a 2009 ISAE Membership Application.

Take a look at what we have posted and if you have an article, handout or power point presentation that you feel would benefit your fellow ISAE members please pass it on to Katie Voorhest.  This section provides numerous tools to help you run a more seamless organization, and it is a FREE benefit with your membership!

Would you like to reach more than 500 association professionals?  If so, then join your fellow members and advertise in the monthly publication of Synergy!  If you are interested in advertising in Synergy with your own banner ad, please contact Katie Voorhest.

The rates are as follows:
Animated banner ad - $200 per ad/per month

Place an ad for three months or more and receive a 20% discount!!