Work Smarter, Serve Better

Work Smarter, Serve Better delivers practical, immediately applicable strategies to help association professionals reduce burnout, increase efficiency, and strengthen member value. Designed for teams balancing events, membership engagement, sponsorship sales, communications, and administrative responsibilities, this session demonstrates how thoughtful workflow design and intentional process improvement can create space for creativity, strategic thinking, and stronger service delivery.

The webinar guides participants through identifying recurring operational pain points such as: sponsorship and engagement planning, team management, membership cycles, routine tasking, event planning timelines, and content management - and reframing them as opportunities for systemization. Rather than adding more to already full plates, the focus is on simplifying, standardizing, and automating existing responsibilities to reduce friction and prevent unnecessary stress.

Practical applications of widely accessible tools including Microsoft Teams, Planner, Forms, Excel, and Google Photos are explored as scalable solutions for centralizing information and improving collaboration. Attendees will see real-time examples of how standardizing processes and supporting multiple priorities at once can add value to existing structures and support new goals.

Most notably, the webinar examines a case study of how structured annual engagement planning can align revenue generation with member value. By consolidating sponsorship, advertising, and thought leadership opportunities into a comprehensive engagement framework, organizations can create clarity for both staff and partners, reduce last-minute scrambling, and drive measurable revenue growth. Adjusting event timelines, resetting trackers annually, and developing predictable membership communication cycles are presented as practical methods for increasing efficiency and reducing stress across the year.

Ideal for association professionals working within lean teams, this session provides a clear roadmap for sustainable productivity, stronger team morale, and operational systems that directly support strategic goals and meaningful member impact.

What you will learn:

• Identify recurring workflow pain points within their organization and reframe them as opportunities for systemization
• Apply practical tools (e.g., Microsoft Planner, Teams, Forms, Excel, Google Photos, and comparable platforms) to streamline operations and reduce manual tasks
• Develop standardized templates and repeatable processes for events, membership campaigns, and sponsorship execution.
• Implement engagement planning strategies that align revenue generation with member value
• Create clearer communication structures that reduce team stress and increase accountability
• Establish a sustainable approach to process improvement by starting small and building incremental wins

Publisher:

Michigan Society of Association Executives

Credit:

If applicable, you may obtain credit in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously for this program (see pending/approved list below). Registrants in jurisdictions not listed below will receive a Certificate of Attendance/Completion that may or may not meet credit requirements in other jurisdictions. Where applicable, credit will be only awarded to a paid registrant attending the live program at their own computer and phone.

How to attend:

Join the live program from your office, home, or hotel room using a computer with high speed internet. You may ask questions, participate in evaluations, and post comments from your computer during the program. Please note that credit (if available) is only provided to registered attendees participating at their own computer and phone. Simple instructions with a link to the program will be sent when you register and again the day before the webinar.

About the Presenter: Ashley Wakefield

Ashley Wakefield is the Director of Membership, Marketing & Events for the Michigan Manufacturers Association (MMA), where she leads membership growth and retention, event strategy, sponsorship development, and integrated marketing efforts to strengthen Michigan’s manufacturing network. She oversees a team of five and manages a diverse portfolio of conferences and engagement initiatives generating more than $250,000 in annual sponsorship revenue. Under her leadership, MMA has implemented streamlined planning cycles, structured engagement campaigns, and consolidated media strategies that have resulted in sold-out digital advertising months in advance and improved organizational efficiency.

A native of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and graduate of Michigan State University, Ashley began her career in the Michigan House of Representatives before military family life took her to San Diego and Honolulu, where she gained experience in marketing and health care management. She later returned to Michigan to serve as the American Cancer Society’s statewide Grassroots Manager before joining MMA. With more than a decade of association experience, she specializes in practical workflow optimization, strategic engagement planning, and process improvement within lean teams.

As a Navy spouse and mother of three, Ashley grounds her leadership approach in adaptability, clarity, and sustainable productivity. Whether navigating deployments, shaping policy conversations, orchestrating events, or building member communities, she is committed to helping associations work smarter so they can serve their members more effectively.

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