2023 CSAE Town Hall – Updates on CSAE’s Activities and the Year Ahead

The 2023 Town Hall was hosted by CSAE Board chair Daniel García, CAE, and Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE, CSAE’s president and CEO.

Key highlights from the Town Hall are below, and you can watch the full recording here.

• Tracy recalled how, at this time last year, we were still in the middle of the pandemic. CSAE’s strong strategic plan guided us through the ongoing uncertainty. Under its current strategic plan CSAE’s strategic priorities are: to be the champion for associations, to be the centre of excellence for the association sector and to be a model for continuous improvement in association management.

EDI & Truth and Reconciliation

• CSAE’s Board of Directors supports moving ahead on the EDI front, which was identified as a need in our member research. CSAE is currently assembling an EDI advisory committee comprised of board, staff and members to steer our efforts around four goals. They are: to focus on upholding EDI standards and accountabilities with the Board, to enhance our measures and hold ourselves accountable and to develop and share our tools that support EDI; and continue to build an inclusive culture.

• Truth and Reconciliation is an important focus as well, and the board is having discussions about how we can make a meaningful contribution to the Truth and Reconciliation agenda in Canada. CSAE has also entered a partnership with Indigenous Works to deliver three webinars during the course of the year.

• Daniel and Tracy opened with land acknowledgements. Daniel also encouraged all those present to look beyond a simple land acknowledgement and continue to analyze the ways in which Indigenous Peoples are treated and have historically been treated.

CSAE Events

In-Person

• This year’s Summer Summit is happening in Mississauga and the annual conference is in Montreal in November.
• This year’s conference is all about EXPERIENCE – a full-on immersive experience. Last year’s conference revealed the importance for a balance between business and executive members. This ensures that business members have a robust audience of executive members to connect with and speak to. To get a healthy ratio, CSAE first marketed the event to executive members. This will ensure that there are ample opportunities for business members – as well as sponsors and exhibitors – to interact with association professionals. Those on the waitlist will be hearing from us to complete your registration. And if you’re not yet on the waitlist, visit the conference website and add your name. CSAE is releasing tickets in a measured way to keep the ratio balanced.  
• Networking is one of the key features of all CSAE events and we work hard to ensure that we provide a wide variety of opportunities to connect. 

Virtual

• While in-person events are important, so are virtual ones. As a national organization, holding a virtual town hall or a virtual AGM is the only way we can ensure equitable access to critical information about your association, so CSAE believes virtual is the future for such meetings.
• For learning events like the Governance Forum, virtual participation makes it so much more accessible for smaller associations that might have some professional development budget but may be challenged by travel and accommodation costs.  
• CSAE is responding to member needs and our own operational considerations. Much like the meetings and events industry, there are many factors at play. The economy, for one, and rising costs across the board. There is also a drive toward increased sustainability and a reduced carbon footprint for events, and a growing awareness of the need to accommodate different needs. All of these point to the need to balance in-person and virtual events.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

• The CPD requirement for the CAE ® program launched in 2022. This was set in place to ensure the CAE® program’s value and credibility as a mark of the highest professional standards.  The CPD requirements and the Competencies for Association Executives are scheduled to be reviewed every three years to make sure that they remain current, flexible and relevant. CSAE’s goal is always to make it easy and beneficial for CAEs to maintain their designation. 
• If there is a specific topic you’d like to explore as part of your professional development, you can reach out to a member of the team with your suggestion or submit to our suggestion box in the membership section on the CSAE website. 

CSAE Networks

• To make it easier for the most senior staff members to connect, CSAE recently launched a virtual CEO network. Check out the Leader-to-Leader Learning Series that is now offered, with monthly networking and professional development sessions for each virtual Network. These are moderated by volunteers and members of the special interest groups. 
• Members have been very clear since the outset of the pandemic about what they need – access to affordable professional development and learning opportunities; connection with others in similar circumstances, shared interests or areas (not always defined by geography); resources on demand; and equitable opportunities for engagement. And, in this post-pandemic era, you want it delivered in ways that work best for you. In-person attendance for executive members was down; affinity for virtual events was up; geography is no longer the only draw; special interests are connecting members across the country; and time has become a most precious commodity – people are stretched to and beyond capacity.
• Our planning structure required a change to make it more responsive to current realities. That is why CSAE has shifted from network councils to event-specific volunteer task teams who work with the CSAE team to plan network activities. Network activity planning will be done by volunteer groups in collaboration with CSAE staff, with consideration for internal capacity, sponsorship opportunities, and member needs. This change is aligned with CSAE’s strategic plan which includes establishing communities of practice, investing in a revised CSAE brand which will be announced in the coming months, and responding to member needs based on member research.
• Networks, regional and virtual, are here to stay as they are essential to delivering value. They continue to function as integral elements of CSAE, offering members opportunities to connect, network and learn with other professionals in your region and areas of special interest. In addition to regional networks, we currently have virtual networks for young professionals, for small associations and for CEOs. If you’re hoping to see any other virtual network established that meets your own particular special interest – let us know in the suggestion box.
• The network councils have done a tremendous amount of work over the years to advance CSAE and offer valuable programming to members, and CSAE is deeply grateful.

Volunteering with CSAE

• To best serve CSAE members, we’re creating equitable access to opportunities, increasing a wider range of volunteer opportunities – limited standing commitments via membership and professional development advisories to project-based task teams and working groups, to opportunities for micro-volunteering. This way, those who can make longer commitments find opportunities, and those who prefer a more time-limited and task-oriented role can also find a way to play a part. All CSAE members can volunteer. Multiple opportunities emerge over the course of the year to volunteer, both at the network level and the national level.

• There is currently a call for volunteers to the board of directors and board committees, as well as for a membership advisory group and professional development advisory group. See all the opportunities available here.

New Platforms for Engagement – Associations Connect and a New Marketplace

• Associations Connect is getting a facelift. In a few weeks, members will enjoy a more user-friendly interface along the lines of a Facebook-style home page, making it even easier for you to navigate, contribute, and connect with peers. We are also working to significantly upgrade our resource library and supply the tools and templates that you’re looking for.
• Members are encouraged to go on the platform as it stands today to explore and contribute as much as possible.
• Coming soon: A new platform that will bring the business community and association professionals together in a dynamic marketplace. Members will be able to explore products and services and gain information and insights from one another about what is available and worth checking out. It will be a one-stop-shop for associations to go whenever they are looking for solutions. Details are coming in a couple of months.

Research

• In the past year, CSAE conducted a sector-wide study that developed a bird’s-eye-view and understanding of the sector as a whole. Understanding the current landscape has informed CSAE’s programming and marketing priorities, and continues to inform our growth strategy. The highlights of the study are available here.
• Many in the sector are wondering what the post-pandemic association picutre looks like on the membership front. Are there membership trends we need to be aware of that have an impact on our respective organizational success? Do associations need to recalibrate their practices to respond to new realities of what it means to be a member-based organization? What are key priorities post-pandemic? CSAE is embarking on new membership trends research that will give us benchmarks and a better understanding required for strategic, data-informed decision-making and evaluation. Good participation ensures that the results are robust and meaningful.

CSAE Brand

• Recently, CSAE hosted some member focus groups as part of our efforts to ensure our brand is clear, strong and resonant.  Our brand is reflective of our work, membership and overall value, and is an essential foundation that will enable us to grow and be a welcoming place that is representative of the diversity of associations across Canada. We are in the midst of a robust brand review process and look forward to sharing more as we go.

Advocacy

• CSAE continues to leverage opportunities to champion the sector, weighing in on issues of importance. We’ve done work this past year on the Lobbying Act, CNCA  and pre-budget consultations.
• We are also excited to be part of a 2024 budget coalition hosted by Imagine Canada, where our collective voices across not-for-profits and associations can make an impact.  
• CSAE has secured some media coverage over the past few months in publications including the Globe and Mail. Tracy had a fantastic conversation with Craig Dowden of the Do Good to Lead Well podcast a couple of weeks ago as well. CSAE will be sharing the link to the podcast as soon as it becomes available. Members may find some nuggets in the conversation that you may relate to in your own work and leadership. 

Continuous Improvement

• Internally, CSAE has adopted some new systems, such as a project management software (ClickUp) to keep the team aligned and on track, and an HR system (Deluxe HR) that is efficient and supportive of our team members with respect to their goals and objectives.  Working in a remote environment has prompted these operational improvements, as we work to nurture connectedness and team spirit while improving efficiencies. 
• The Member Services team has put together a new feature called Walk-In Wednesdays, which take place on the first Wednesday of each month. You can jump into the platform to talk to us about pretty much anything – from technical support in managing your profile, to asking questions about the CAE program, to getting information about insurance services or other membership benefits.

CSAE Insurance Services

• Offering our members the insurance coverage they are looking for at a competitive price is an important feature of membership. Based on feedback from members, we recognized that there was room for improvement around the quality of service being provided. As a result, we made the decision to change the broker of record to Dion IPM. The change was communicated to members in as timely a way as possible. We are confident the new broker and the soon-to-be new offerings will continue to meet all the coverage the needs of Canadian associations. If you have any further questions regarding your own insurance needs, feel free to reach out to info@csaeinsurance.com.

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