The American Society of Association Exec-utives is seeking comment from the association community on a set of new proposals that would restrict government employees from attending “widely attended gatherings” held by trade associations. According to ASAE, the proposed regulations seek to prohibit any government employee from attending a trade association event, accepting gifts (even if the value is less than the currently allowed $20) or attending a social gathering if that association employs a registered lobbyist.

ASAE has prepared an analysis of the proposed regulations, which you can read here. The group is also gathering feedback from the association community in anticipation of preparing its official response. I encourage you to share your views with ASAE by e-mailing rhay@asaenet.org or calling (202) 626-2788.

Tim Schneider
Schneider Publishing Company

SportsTravel magazine announced the winners of the 2011 SportsTravel Awards at the TEAMS ’11 Conference & Expo on October 6 in Las Vegas. TEAMS: Travel, Events And Management in Sports, is the world’s largest gathering of event organizers and travel planners from the sports industry. The 2011 Indy 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana, won as Sports Event of the Year.

The SportsTravel Award winners were nominated and voted upon by readers of SportsTravel, the sports world’s event magazine. To be eligible, events had to occur between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011. Criteria for nomination and voting included:

• Superior organization of and attendance at the event
• The event provided a superior experience for competitors and/or spectators
• The event’s host city or venue served to enhance the event

“We are pleased to recognize these superior sporting events. Each of the winners is a prime example of achieving excellence in organization and management for both competitors and spectators,” said Timothy Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel magazine, which organizes the annual TEAMS Conference and Expo.

“The SportsTravel Awards program is an opportunity for our readers to honor their peers for a job well done,” said Schneider. “Our readers are the leaders of the sports-event industry, and they really know what it takes to execute high-quality athletic events. These awards reflect their expert evaluation of what makes events superior.”

The ballot included nominees at the amateur, collegiate and professional levels in three categories each. Each event’s host city was also acknowledged during the awards ceremony.

The 2011 SportsTravel Award winners are:

• Sports Event of the Year

2011 Indy 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana

• Best New Sports Event

2011 PBR Last Cowboy Standing in Las Vegas, Nevada

• Best Professional Sports Event Series or Circuit

2011 NFL Playoffs in Various Cities

• Best Professional Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event

2011 Winter X Games 15 in Aspen, Colorado

• Best Professional Single-Sport Event

2011 Indy 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana

• Best Collegiate Sports Event Series or Circuit

2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Various Cities

• Best Collegiate Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event

2011 NCAA Outdoor Track-and-Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa

• Best Collegiate Single-Sport Event

2011 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California

• Best Amateur Sports Event Series or Circuit

2011 Tough Mudder Series in Various Cities

• Best Amateur Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event

2011 National Senior Games in Houston, Texas

• Best Amateur Single-Sport Event

2011 ABA BMX Midwest Nationals in Rockford, Illinois

The TEAMS Conference & Expo is organized by Schneider Publishing, the Los Angeles-based company that publishes SportsTravel and Association News magazines. For further information on the TEAMS Conference & Expo, please visit TEAMSconference.com or call toll-free (877) 577-3700.

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TEAMS: Travel, Events And Management in Sports is the annual conference and trade show for the global sports-event and travel industries. Established in 1998, TEAMS is the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers. For further information on the TEAMS Conference & Expo, please call toll-free (877) 577-3700 or visit SchneiderPublishing.com.

SportsTravel is the sports world’s event magazine. Founded in 1997, SportsTravel was the first magazine to identify and serve the sports-related travel and event industry. Published 10 times a year, SportsTravel is the authoritative source of information for those responsible for deciding where sporting events are held and travel planning for sports-related groups. The readers of SportsTravel generate 47 million hotel room nights annually. For more information, visit the magazine’s website at SportsTravelMagazine.com.

SportsTravel and TEAMS are registered trademarks of Los Angeles-based Schneider Publishing Company, Inc. For further information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free (877) 577-3700 or +1 (310) 577-3700 if calling from outside the U.S.A.

During the last few years, a lot of associations have had to streamline and are asking staff members to do more with less. Fortunately, according to Todd Patkin, author of the new book “Finding Happiness,” managers can show staff members how much they appreciate their efforts without breaking the bank.

“People will never admit it, but money is not the thing they desire most from their work. Instead, showing appreciation, respect, and, yes, even love are the three most important ways to make your people feel great about their work,” says Patkin, who grew his family-owned business using the principles he espouses. Patkin made it his number-one priority to always put his employees and their happiness first. “As a leader, I quickly found that if my team was content and their work environment was a positive one, they would be more engaged and motivated, and they would truly care about our organization’s future.”

To that end, Patkin offers these five strategies:

Send “love” notes. Patkin advises executives to send a specific, handwritten note conveying their sincere appreciation and admiration when they see a job has been well done. “When you’re a leader, you’re busy and often overwhelmed,” Patkin acknowledges. “Remember, though, that positive reinforcement and sincere gratitude will increase the respect your team has for you and will improve their opinion of your entire organization. Also, it will encourage them to likewise say ‘thank you’ more often to their own subordinates.”
Distribute inspiration. According to Patkin, buoying your team’s spirits should be one of your daily goals. “If you run across a quotation or story that inspires you, don’t keep it to yourself—pass it along to your employee,” suggests Patkin.
Tell success stories. Patkin notes that even if they brush off praise or downplay their achievements, everybody loves to be recognized and complimented. He advises executives that, when someone in their organization has done something great, tell that person—and tell the rest of the team, too. Whether correctly or incorrectly, many employees feel that their leaders take them for granted and only point out their mistakes, so make it your daily mission to prove that perception wrong.
Identify stars. According to Patkin, identifying stars is taking the concept behind telling success stories to the next level by recognizing employees at a regular event. “Instead of singling out just one person, you might even consider recognizing multiple individuals every month,” Patkin suggests.
Make it a family affair. Whenever possible, engage your employees’ families when praising them, advises Patkin. Having a leader validate all the hours each team member spends at work will be remembered far longer than a bonus.

“Showing people love, appreciation, and respect trumps money just about every time when it comes to building long-term motivation and boosting employee morale and loyalty,” concludes Patkin. That’s an important thing for executives at associations and other nonprofit organizations to keep in mind as they manage their organizations during these uncertain economic times. To order, “Finding Happiness,” please visit the bookstore at AssociationNews.com

Tim Schneider
Schneider Publishing Company

Last month, while the nation prepared to observe the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Travel Association released a new set of 10 recommendations that it hopes will strengthen traveler security while encouraging more travel to and within the U.S. in the decade ahead. These principles are important to association executives and meeting planners who depend on domestic and international attendees at their meetings, conventions and trade shows. They’re also important to the destinations, hotels and suppliers that are a part of the association meetings industry.

With the stated goal of building the world’s most secure and efficient travel system, the U.S. Travel Association’s recommendations center on three key areas: Reducing traveler wait times, improving customer service and adopting risk-based approaches to traveler security:

1. Reduce TSA checkpoint delays to 10 minutes or less
2. Decrease visa wait times to 10 days or less
3. Decrease wait times for international arrivals to 20 minutes or less
4. Engage the private sector to train customs and TSA officers in customer service
5. Make online consular services more user friendly
6. Embrace videoconferencing technology for visa interviews
7. Establish a nationwide trusted traveler program
8. Expand the Visa Waiver Program
9. Streamline the visa process for repeat visitors
10. Expand the customs service’s Global Entry Program

While the events of 9/11 and the economic turmoil experienced in the years since have presented challenges for meeting planners and the domestic travel industry, the past 10 years have been particularly difficult on international travel to the United States. According to the U.S. Travel Association, global long-haul travel grew 40 percent from 2000 to 2010, but overseas travel to the United States during this time rose only 2 percent. Even though there are more travelers worldwide, U.S. market share of the global travel market has dropped from 17 percent in 2000 to 12.4 percent in 2010.

According to U.S. Travel’s estimates, if the U.S. had simply kept pace with the growth in long-haul international travel in the past decade, 78 million more travelers would have visited the United States. Those visitors would have added a total of $606 billion to the U.S. economy and created approximately 476,000 additional jobs in the U.S. in each of the past 10 years.

The U.S. Travel Association believes that the implementation of these recommendations will help the U.S. attract more international visitors, encourage increasing levels of domestic travel and create more travel-related jobs. Their implementation also has the potential of strengthening the attendance at association meetings and trade shows. For more details, please visit the U.S. Travel Association website at ustravel.org.

Tim Schneider
Schneider Publishing Company

Continuing our report on Malcolm Gladwell’s fascinating book Outliers, we’ll take a look at his explanation of why birth months matter in athletics and academics, and the background on the 10,000 hours of preparation that made the Beatles and Bill Gates.

Birth Months Matter

Climbing the pyramid in Canadian Hockey Leagues doesn’t just go to the swiftest or most agile. Professional hockey players are born in January 5 ½ times more than players born in November.  In the U.S. football and basketball don’t select and differentiate quite as dramatically. Baseball and European soccer are organized similar to Canadian hockey and have a similar skewed pattern of success related to birth months.

What is this all about? Is there some mystical force at work that enhances children born in different months and gives them some added skills in reaching the highest level of their sports?

Not exactly. According to Gladwell and his research most of this has to do with the age cut off dates imposed in these youth sports leagues and it works about the same way in educational achievements as well.

Going back to Canadian hockey, the eligibility cut off date is January 1st. A boy who turns ten on January 1 can be playing alongside a boy who is 6 to 11 months younger. The cut off date therefore provides a decided advantage to the child who meets the eligibility close to the arbitrary cut off date. That child can be almost a year ahead in physical and mental maturity.

Gladwell quotes two economists who looked at the relationship between scores on “trends in math and science.” They found that the older—the ones closer to the eligibility cut off date—scored between 4 and 12 percentage points better.

It is those who achieve early success, Gladwell concludes, who are given extra or special opportunities that lead to further success. It’s the best students who get the most attention and added teaching. It’s the biggest nine- and 10-year-olds who get the most coaching and practice.

If we understand the disparity, of one arbitrary cut off date, may be we should consider two or three different cut off dates for different leagues or classes. Wouldn’t we have twice as many, or more, gifted athletes or outstanding students?

More complicated to administer, but wouldn’t it be worth it?

The 10,000-Hour Rule

Achievement has always been thought to be talent plus preparation.  According to Gladwell, the more psychologists have looked at the careers of the gifted, the bigger role preparation plays.

The Beatles came to the United States in 1964 and were the stars of the “British Invasion”.  They first started playing together while still in high school in 1957.  Three years later, they were invited to play in Hamburg, Germany.

According to John Lennon, “In Liverpool we only played one hour sessions.  In Hamburg, we had to play eight hours, seven days a week.  The Beatles went to Hamburg 5 times in the next two years.  In total they played 270 nights and over 1300 hours.  This was extraordinary.  Most bands don’t play this much in their entire careers.

The success of Bill Gates has a similar back-story. In seventh grade his parents enrolled him in a private school, named Lakeside.  In his second year, the mother’s club raised $3,000 and bought one of the first computer time share terminals. It had a direct link to a mainframe in downtown Seattle. This was amazing. In 1968 in eighth grade Bill Gates got to do real time programming.

Those five years through the end of high school were Bill Gates equivalent of the Beatles in Hamburg. By the time Gates dropped out of Harvard he had been programming well past 10,000 hours.

These stories validate the adage that “hard work beats talent when talent isn’t working hard”.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is not all new facts, but it is an eye opening, examination of a lot of questions we often ask and assumptions we don’t have enough background to really understand.

There is a lot more to this book than we have synthesized here.  It is an interesting and profitable read.

It has become standard practice in the advertising industry for clients to ask for “added value” when requesting a proposal from a publication or other media outlet. The concept of added value, however, is one that can be applied in almost any situation, whether it’s an employee looking for career advancement, a supplier looking to strengthen client relationships or an association looking to recruit and retain members.

In order to truly add value, you first must have a clear idea of what’s required in a particular situation. Whether it’s a job description or a business proposal, documenting in writing the basics establishes the playbook from which those concerned can receive guidance. It is important to realize, however, that written requirements may or may not capture all of the expectations of the person preparing the playbook. That’s because the written requirements tend to detail what’s hoped for as the end result, not how the end results are achieved. The “how” usually involves behavior and work styles that may or may not fall within the range of expectations of the person requesting the action.

Assuming, however, that both what’s required and what’s expected can be delivered, then and only then can you hope to add value. Indeed, truly adding value only occurs when you’re able to go beyond meeting the basic requirements and expectations in a particular situation. In the case of an employer/employee relationship, for example, only when the employee is handling the requirements of the job contained in the written job description and is behaving in ways that meet or exceed the expectations of the employer is the employee in a position to add value. At that point, taking on a project or a responsibility that is not a part of the job description constitutes added value for the employer.

In a supplier/client relationship, simply delivering what was ordered and doing so in a timely manner is usually enough to satisfy both the requirements and the expectations. Adding value means doing something more—perhaps upgrading the product delivered or shortening the time it takes to deliver it. Following up to make sure the customer is satisfied when it’s neither required nor expected can certainly be a form of added value.

In an association setting, adding value means delivering not only the membership benefits promised and routinely satisfying your members’ expectations but also finding ways to exceed their expectations. Since different categories of members have varying needs and expectations, it is imperative that association managers devise ways of adding value specific to membership type. In the field of association management, added value is very rarely a case of “one size fits all.”

The good news when it comes to added value is that while doing it successfully requires careful advance consideration, delivering the added value itself is often exceedingly simple. At an association, for example, it can be as easy as scheduling time each week for the chief executive to phone several key members just to stay in touch. For those members, that one additional, personalized contact from the association may be just enough added value to keep them loyal in the organization for years to come.

Tim Schneider
Schneider Publishing Company

Malcolm Gladwell is the author of several best selling books.  In “The Tipping Point,” he changed the way we understand the world.  In “Blink,” he changed the way we understand the process of “thinking.”  In his latest book, “The Outliers,” he tells us that the lives of “Outliers” are those people whose achievements fall outside normal experience.  The stories of Bill Gates, the Beatles and dozens of other lawyers, athletes and entrepreneurs who have achieved outstanding success are Outliers.

There are two chapters in this fascinating exposition by Gladwell that call attention to what he calls “The Triumph of Culture.”

The first outlines the different way children learn to count in Asia and in the West.  This difference offers a distinct advantage to Asian children and may well account for why Asian children do so well in math.  In the West, children learn to count in a non-uniform system; 1 thru 10, then eleven, fourteen, forty.  In China, Korea and Japan, children count twelve as “ten-two,” twenty four is two-ten-four.

If you’re not sure that makes much difference, tests have shown that at the age of 5, American children are a year behind their Asian counterparts in fundamental math skills, and that disparity widens over time.  The Asian system is transparent and easier to grasp.  By age 4, Asian children, on average, can count to 40 while American children can count only to 15.

There is another cultural factor which aids Asians and their proclivity for math as well as all educational studies.  You’ll scratch your head when I tell you that the root of this advantage lies in the historical dependence and commitment to rice farming.  As the anthropologist Francesca Bray put it, “rice agriculture is skill oriented.  If you’re willing to weed a bit more diligently, become more adapt at fertilizing and spend more time monitoring water levels as well as make use of every square inch of your rice paddy, you’ll have bigger crop.”

The people who grow rice, not surprisingly, have always worked harder than any other kind of farmer.  Some estimates put the annual workload of a wet rice farmer in Asia at 3000 hours over 360 days.  How does this account for the success of Asian students?  Go to any western college campus and you’ll find the Asian students have a reputation of being in the library long after everyone else has left.  Culture does make a difference instilling a discipline for hard work.

At the same time, culture has some negative aspects as well.  This becomes very apparent when analyzing plane crashes.  You listen to the “black box” conversations of airline crews and ground controllers and you hear some alarming cultural differences in communications, as well as teamwork or the lack thereof as the major cause of numerous plane crashers.

Where American air controllers are authoritative and precise, some Asian and Latin crewmembers are differential and intimidated by the controller or the chief pilot and a disaster can be in the making.  Trying to be polite and non-assertive in order to be liked and not offend, often leads to inadequate or nuanced requests for instructions.  “Tell it like it is” is not always the order of the day because of cultural differences in the diverse makeup of airline crews and controllers.

The advantage of diversity also requires more attention to helping employees and colleagues overcome some of their cultural predisportions in order to function effectively in the workplace.  Crises in particular are best solved with good precise communications and respectful teamwork of equals.

Next month we’ll continue our report on Gladwell’s discussion of the critical importance of birth months as well as the 10,000 hour rule in the success of many Outliers.

As we travel this week to New Orleans for DMAI’s Annual Convention, I am pleased to announce that Schneider Publishing has renewed its Alliance Partnership with DMAI. We truly value the terrific relationships we’ve built with DMOs and see our support of DMAI as way of strengthening this industry that is so important to the economic and cultural well being of our nation and world.

Celebrating the economic and cultural importance of the travel industry comes naturally to New Orleans, and we’re very excited that the Crescent City and the dynamic leader of the New Orleans Metropolitan CVB, Stephen Perry, will be hosting this year’s annual convention. At Stephen’s suggestion, we’re proud to announce that we’ll be supporting the opening of what is sure to become an institution on the city’s vibrant landscape, the I Club, owned by legendary New Orleans jazz musician Irvin Mayfield. DMAI members will be among the first to set foot in this new club as we’ll be hosting the opening-night party at the I Club beginning at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 (following the conclusion of the DMAI Opening Celebration).

To join us at the I Club (which is located a short walk from the Sheraton), please contact any of our team members listed below or see them during the DMAI activities on Wednesday, July 20, including the DMAI Opening Celebration. You must get an admission ticket from one of our team members in order to attend as this will be an exclusive, unique opportunity to support the New Orleans hospitality industry.

Teri Burke (Association News/Western Region)
teri.burke@schneiderpublishing.com
Frank Cina (Association News/Northeast Region)
frank.cina@schneiderpublishing.com
Ilana Edell (SportsTravel & TEAMS/Western Region)
ilana.edell@schneiderpublishing.com
Lisa Furfine (Associate Publisher)
lisa.furfine@schneiderpublishing.com
Yvonne Garcia (SportsTravel & TEAMS/Eastern Region)
yvonne.garcia@schneiderpublishing.com
Susan Hojer (Association News/Great Lakes Region)
susan.hojer@schneiderpublishing.com
Alan Rock (Association News/Southeast Region)
alan.rock@schneiderpublishing.com

We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans and hope you’ll also stop by and see us in Booth #500 at the DMAI Business Exchange.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Timothy Schneider
President & CEO

A recent study by the Melbourne (Australia) Convention & Visitors Bureau, titled “The Holistic Value of Business Events,” attempts to track and quantify the impact of meetings beyond the direct and indirect spending that meetings create. The results of the study provide ammunition for association executives and meeting planners looking to make the case for the value of their meetings not only to host cities but also to attendees and exhibitors as well.

The study sought to determine the long-term benefits that flow from business events by taking an in-depth look at four association meetings that were held in Melbourne in the second half of 2009. While the economic assessments that were conducted at the conclusion of each of the four conferences produced relatively consistent results in terms of attendee expenditures, the study also detected consistency in the “beyond tourism” benefits generated by the events. The attendees at all of the events reported deriving the following benefits from participating in the events:

* 50 percent gained information that will enhance their personal or business performance
* 54 percent developed new business relationships
* 63 percent enhanced their visibility within their industry sector
* 69 percent increased the profile of their expertise within their industry
* 82 percent forged closer ties with the presenters, attendees and exhibitors participating in the events

The majority of the respondents also indicated they achieved the following as a result of attending the conferences:

* Expressions of interest from potential customers, sponsors or investors
* Exposure to innovative or improved business practices
* Increased knowledge of the market in which they operate and the entities against which they compete

Like most organizations, we routinely attempt to evaluate the return on investment we achieve by participating in trade shows and conferences. What the Melbourne CVB study shows is that often, that return on investment may not be so easily measured. After all, putting a present or future dollar value on an enhanced industry profile, expanded contacts, increased market knowledge and improved performance is not something most accounting departments could possibly do. Therefore, associations that organize conventions and trade shows need to be sure they are regularly reminding attendees, exhibitors and sponsors that R.O.I. may include many things the’re not even attempting to measure.

The July issues of Association News and SportsTravel include our annual supplement produced in conjunction with Destination Marketing Association International which will be of interest to association executives, meeting planners and destination marketing professionals. To view the standalone publication of “Meeting the Future,” click here.

Voting is now underway for the 2011 SportsTravel Awards. To cast your ballot, please click the “Vote Now” button at SportsTravelMagazine.com. The awards will be presented at TEAMS ’11, October 3-6 in Las Vegas.

Tim Schneider
Schneider Publishing Company

Most association executives at one time or another have  been faced with a team—be it a volunteer board or their paid staff—that is suddenly not clicking. According to John Hamm, author of the new book “Unusually Excellent: The Necessary Nine Skills Required for the Practice of Great Leadership,” it might be they’ve caught the disease he describes as “failing elegantly.”

According to Hamm, this syndrome sets in when people stop believing they can be successful and instead devote their energies to losing gracefully. Hamm identifies several key leadership mistakes that can put any team at risk for this disease, and suggests remedies for proactively avoiding elegant failure:

Setting impossible goals. Hamm points out that leaders need to understand the difference between an invigorating challenge and a wholly deflating expectation. “Goals that are clearly beyond any reasonable confidence of achievement are worse than easy goals—they actually disengage your team’s energy,” writes Hamm.

Letting people get pseudo-wins by “majoring in the minors.” This occurs when a group ignores or resists tackling difficult problems, preferring instead to focus on simpler tasks, or ones that are simply more fun. According to Hamm, leaders “must relentlessly redirect energy to the hard problems, realizing that it is human nature to drift from the tough stuff in favor of more emotionally fulfilling and easier projects.”

Tolerating “the dog ate my homework” and other common excuses. Hamm suggests that too much tolerance blurs the line between success and failure. “what you want, and what the winner’s mind-set demands, are insightful explanations for the gap between expected and actual performance,” says Hamm.

Allowing sloppiness and imprecision. “Leaders want to be good people, and they want to show others that they have the wisdom to accept human frailty,” says Hamm. “But high-reliability organizations never allow sloppiness.”

Encouraging “editorialized” data. Leaders who signal, even unconsciously, their dislike of bad news often lead team members to “spin” negative information instead of giving an accurate account. Hamm writes that leaders should demand that data “be delivered promptly and be uncolored, objective, plentiful, and robust. This data is used to figure out what is working and what isn’t, so that corrections to course and speed can be made.”

Failing to measure what matters. Hamm points to the Crosby Quality Institute and its edict: You will get what you inspect, not what you expect. “Measuring what matters is perhaps the very highest use of leadership authoriy,” explains Hamm.

Allowing “good enough” instead of an absolute commitment to winning. “Passive acceptance of failure, and the rationalization that always goes with it, is a cancer that can begin anywhere in the organization,” says Hamm. “You can prevent it by setting clear and precise standards of behavior for everyone on the teams, as well as clear consequences for the violation of those standards. And you can control it through continuous and open communication.”

For further information, visit unusuallyexcellent.com. Copies of Hamm’s book are available for purchase by clicking on the Bookstore at AssociationNews.com.

Tim Schneider
Schneider Publishing Company