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Medical Societies Select The Markens Group for Management
Three New England-based medical societies have selected The Markens Group as their full-service management firm: the Connecticut Podiatric Medical Association, Hartford Medical Society, and the New England Association of Neonatal Nurses. We hope to help these groups advance wellness throughout the region! Medical societies comprise a large portion of the professional groups throughout the New…
3 Reasons Why Members Quit (And What to Do About It)
A robust, engaged membership means a thriving association. But if members are jumping ship, your association might be in trouble. For any association, retaining members is just as important as recruiting new ones. Here are three of the top reasons why members leave and how you can encourage them to stay.
Craft a Vision that Inspires Members
Leaders in the association world have to inspire members, staff, and stakeholders to act. Whether that’s promoting a profession or supporting a cause, this work helps the organization move forward. One of the most effective ways to energize, inspire, and activate members is to share a vision statement for your association. A vision statement is…
Offer an Unforgettable Conference Experience—6 Practical Tips
With today’s tech, associations can easily host meetings online. Yet face-to-face conferences continue to be popular. Why? It’s about the experience. A conference can transport attendees to new locations and offer extraordinary activities and opportunities. If you want to host a successful conference, focus on the attendee’s experience. Here are six practical ways to…
5 Simple Steps to Improve Your Board’s Decision Making
Association boards of directors face many tough decisions. After all, the direction of the organization rests in their hands. To make things more complicated, board members have to collaborate to make decisions. That can be a challenge in itself! If you serve on a board that struggles with decision-making, try this five-step process. A structured…
How to Boost Conference Attendance—Three Easy Ways
If you run an association, you understand the importance of conferences. Not only do they connect your members, they’re often an important source of revenue. So, if conference attendance is lagging, your association might be in trouble. Let’s fix that. Here are three simple ways to boost attendance at your next conference.
Celebrating 30 Years of Growth, Being a Great Place to Work
2018 marks TMG’s 30th anniversary, and we are so proud of our accomplishments and growth over the years! Our region’s business journal, BusinessWest, recently wrote an excellent story about our milestone. Check it out below!
What you Need to Know Before Hiring an AMC and How to Prepare your Organization
It can be tough to think about opening your doors to an association management company (AMC) for your organization. But when played right, association management companies are a valuable asset to provide solutions and increase revenue. This is particularly helpful if your company is experiencing growth and could use an extra lift to its internal…
Social Media: Engage!
Does Your Association Need Social Media? We’ll cut to the chase: the answer is yes! Some of our clients are initially resistant to starting a social media program for their association. Some think their demographic isn’t on social media. Others say that they’ve been fine without social media, so why change? But the truth is,…
Find Your Banana Moment
By Laura Spencer Has a unique perspective or enlightening idea ever inspired you to change the way you do things? That kind of insight is as important in business as it is in broader life. Some people refer to those perspective-shifting experiences as “aha moments,” but for me they’re “banana moments.” I know, I know—it…
Meet Susan Martins, Controller & Office Manager
Susan Martins joined The Markens Group in October of 2008. Her role as Controller and Office Manager, she manages the accounting, event planning, training, and office for TMG. 1. How long have you been working in your field? 32 years 2. What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally? Professionally: getting the job done right…
It’s the Most Generous Time of the Year
Many holiday stories center around charity. They call for those with greater means to take in the poor from the cold, feed the hungry, and share prosperity during the long winter months. Just think of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, where Ebenezer Scrooge ultimately changes his miserly ways and opens his heart and pocketbook to…
The Markens Group Certified by Great Place to Work®.
The Markens Group has been certified as a great workplace by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work®. We earned this credential based on ratings from anonymous employee surveys. “It’s my personal philosophy, backed by research from Heskett and others, that employee satisfaction directly correlates to business success,” said Ben Markens, our president and…
Don’t Rough Up the Mic: Tips for Awesome Presentations
By Laura Spencer, Member Services Coordinator Speaking at association conferences can be daunting—especially for those of us who don’t do it every day. Beyond preparing the material, there are a number of audio, visual, and logistical considerations that can truly make or break a presentation.
Meet Kate Smith, Member Services Coordinator
Kate Smith joined The Markens Group in May of 2017. Her Roll as Member Services Coordinator is to support all client activities, database management & collaborate with staff on different projects. 1. How long have you been working in your field? I’ve been in association management for 3 years, with a background in operations management.…
What’s That Smell?
The opportunity to network with peers is one of the biggest values of association conferences, yet it can be incredibly difficult to start the conversation if you don’t know anyone. Even the most extroverted folks still struggle to break in. Fortunately, there are many ways to start and sustain meaningful conversations. Of course, there are…
Getting the Most From Association Conferences: an Attendee’s Perspective
By Stephen Brand, Executive Director of Global Learning and Development at Bay Path University During the past Spring, I attended six conferences back-to-back. What an experience! Those months were both exhilarating and exhausting—but extremely valuable. That’s because I went to each event with a plan. You’ve really got to think ahead, especially considering that the…
Personal Relationships Drive Membership Growth
By Jim Sotiropoulos, TMG Association Executive An association’s success, or lack thereof, can be largely measured by how effectively it grows and retains its membership. Those associations that fail either to attract new members or to provide value to existing members will ultimately cease to exist. Therefore, most association managers are in a perpetual struggle…
