What do you want to do in Louisville?

Because the AAMSE Annual Conference is the only conference planned specifically for and by medical society professionals, we want to you hear from you! 

With so many great options for social events and activities in downtown Louisville (many of which are just a few blocks walking distance from the Annual Conference hotel, the Galt House), we want to know what you want to do during the conference.

Let us know which options below sound like fun to you by leaving a comment or tweeting your response (using #AAMSE14) - and don't forget, each comment gets you another entry into a raffle for great Louisville prizes! 

Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory Tour
Tour the factory and museum to learn more about the history and production of the famous Louisville Sluggers. You'll even have the chance to hold the bats of the greatest hitters in baseball!

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
During this tour, you will learn more about the bourbon making process, the history of bourbon in the United States and enjoy a few samples along the way!

"Dine Arounds" with colleagues at Restaurants on the Urban Bourbon Trail
Network and discuss the sessions and takeaways from the Annual Conference with colleagues as you enjoy great food and beverages at restaurants known for their bourbon.

Trolley Hop
Discover great shops, restaurants and nightlife in downtown Louisville by hopping on the free First Friday Trolley at its stop right outside the Galt House.

Belle of Louisville Riverboat Tour
See the sights of Louisville while cruising down the Ohio River during this two hour tour on the beautiful and historic Belle of Louisville riverboat.

Trends Task Force: Call for Volunteers

Call for Volunteers

AAMSE is looking for members to serve on the 2014 Trends Task Force which will produce this year's Trends Report. 

Task force members will:

• Participate in 1-3 teleconferences to determine which trends in organized medicine will be covered in the 2014 report
• Work in small groups to author the 2014 Trends Report (each task force member will co-author one section of the report)

Read the 2012 Trends Report here.

If you are interested in contributing to this valuable resource,
sign up online by January 31. 

Those interested will be contacted with more information.

2013 Audio Recordings and Slides Now Available

Cost: Annual Conference Attendees: Free

                                                 AAMSE Members: $75
                                                 Non-members: $150

How to Access the Audio Recordings & Slides:

If you attended the 2013 Annual Conference:

• Click on the following link: 2013 Conference Recordings 
• Enter the Access Key you used to access the online conference scheduler or use the key found in the CD you may have picked up at the registration desk to access the portal.
• Hover over the "Presentations" section of the right sidebar menu and browse sessions by date, title or speaker 
• Click the title of the presentation to view the slides or the audio/slide synched presentation— you can even download an MP3 audio file and listen while you commute!

If you did not attend the 2013 Annual Conference:

• Purchase the 2013 Annual Conference audio recordings and slides by clicking on the link below. 
• Cost is $75 for AAMSE members and $150 for non-members.
• Once your purchase is complete and your payment has been processed you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the 2013 Annual Conference audio recordings and slides. 
• Please allow for up to 2-3 business days to process your payment.

Click here to purchase the 2013 Audio Recordings and Slides

For login help or additional information, please contact the AAMSE office at aamse@aamse.org or (414) 221-9275.

The Bat that Broke the Mold

Used by Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig and countless other baseball legends, the Louisville Slugger is as famous as the great ballplayers themselves and comes with an origin story just as legendary.
In 1864, J. Fredrick Hillerich, a German immigrant and woodworker, opened a woodworking shop in Louisville, Kentucky. Hillerich’s shop thrived in the city and when the time came, his eldest son, John Andrew "Bud" joined him as an apprentice.

Bud had a passion for baseball and when he was not working in his father’s shop, he was playing or watching the game. During an 1884 Louisville Eclipse baseball game, a seventeen-year-old Bud watched as player Pete Browning's bat broke while he was at the plate. After the game, Bud offered to make him a replacement. Using Bud's bat during his next game, Browning had three hits, ending a long slump.  

Made of white ash and handcrafted, Bud’s bats continued to grow in popularity with local ballplayers. Despite the fact that his father wasn’t interested in making baseball bats and thought the future of the business was in more traditional items like bed posts and their patented swinging butter churn, Bud continued to craft the bats; and it was only a matter of time until the bats were getting attention from professional players.   

By 1894 Bud and his father, realizing his son's enthusiasm and the potential of a future in bat manufacturing, registered and trademarked their baseball bats ("Louisville Sluggers") with the U.S. government.  

courtesy of Lisa Padilla'sPhotostream

With the addition of Frank Bradsby, a Louisville Slugger salesman joining the company as a partner in 1916 (when the company renamed Hillrecich & Bradsby Co.) the Louisville Slugger soon became the highest selling and most popular baseball bat in the United States.  

More than 125 years after Bud made his first bat, Hillerich & Bradby Co.'s Louisville Slugger is the best known baseball bat in the game. 

For more information about Louisville Sluggers, visit www.slugger.com or www.sluggermuseum.com. You can visit the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory during the AAMSE Annual Conference in Louisville this summer.

http://www.sluggermuseum.com/timeline/

Apply to Serve on AAMSE's Board

Your vision and leadership are needed to help shape the future of AAMSE and the medical society management industry.

Apply to serve on the AAMSE Board of Directors
by Friday May 2, 2014. 

The AAMSE Board sets policy and provides overall leadership for AAMSE, including the mission, goals, priorities and resource allocation. If you believe you or someone you know would be a strong candidate to serve on the AAMSE Board of Directors and are interested in taking on a leadership role in the association, let us know! 

 

**You must be a current member of AAMSE to apply**

How to apply:

If you are interested in submitting a nomination for the AAMSE Board of Directors, please contact AAMSE Executive Director Ben Bütz, MPA, CAE at bbutz@aamse.org. You will then be provided with a nomination packet containing instructions to complete an official application.

Board facts:

• The term for an AAMSE Board member is three years
• The Board meets in-person four times per year and holds approximately three teleconferences per year

If you have any questions about the nomination process, please contact AAMSE Executive Director Ben Bütz (bbutz@aamse.org) or AAMSE Past President Ed Whitver (ewhitver@iowamedical.org).

Welcome to the 2014 Annual Conference Blog

The 2014 Annual Conference Blog is the central hub for the latest information about the AAMSE Annual Conference. Be sure to follow the blog (just enter your email address under the "follow by email" box on the right side of the page or add it to your bookmarks) to ensure you maximize your experience at the 2014 Annual Conference - the only conference planned specifically for and by medical society professionals.  

Following the Annual Conference Blog gives you a sneak preview of:

• Fun facts and interesting places you may want to visit while in Louisville, the host city of the 2014 Annual Conference

• Speakers and session information, including posts from our speakers and guest bloggers

• Exhibitor and sponsor updates

• News and important information about the Annual Conference, including hotel, transportation and registration.

You can also look for blog updates via Facebook and Twitter using #AC14Blog.

And make sure you keep an eye open for chances to win great prizes from Louisville!

You'll Lobby for Me Whether or Not I Join

Bob Harris, CAE, The Nonprofit Center

Non-members benefit from lobbying --- maybe you call them “freeloaders.”  I call it a “legislative welfare” program. We respond to their objections with rationale like: “your membership allows access to influence the process,” or, “your participation increases our clout.”

The fact is, successful lobbying benefits everyone, not only dues paying members.

Solving the Dilemma

The issue is how to make lobbying a member benefit; an activity respected by prospects and members alike. 

Do this by transforming lobbying efforts and results into tangibles. A tangible benefit is one you can publish, sell, share, distribute and control. It positions the organization as a leader by managing and controlling the information. 

Try these ideas to transform lobbying into tangible member benefits:

• Compliance Manual – When a law is enacted, create a compliance manual that describes how the law came about, the exact wording, definitions, how to comply and where to go for help. Every law has a history and there is plenty of content to create a manual.
• End of Session Report – A summary of the legislative session is valued by members and retained for reference. It summarizes the organization’s platform, efforts and results. 
• Legislative Directory – Create a legislative directory with contact information and committees of interest. Or, adapt an existing directory by imprinting the cover or inserting several center pages describing the organization’s issues or key bills. A legislative directory is an excellent member benefit and sellable to non-members.
• Legislative Platform – The organization or lobbyist determines a legislative agenda for the upcoming session. Prepare the legislative platform in a brochure to inform members of issues and goals. 
• Legislative Audit Checklist – Most businesses comply with regulations enforced by multiple agencies. For example, a restaurant complies with licensing, smoking, safety, taxation, and labor laws, at a minimum. Describe all the regulations monitored and influenced by the association to create a legislative audit checklist. Distribute it to members annually as a checklist of the many laws requiring compliance. The checklist format serves as a practical guide to conformance.
• Regulatory Audit Service – Expand the value of the legislative audit checklist by employing staff to visit with members who want help in understanding and complying with the laws influenced by the association. One great value of the audit service is that the association has an engaging relationship with members wanting help. A second advantage is the collection of data about compliance problems that will result in better lobbying. 

To protect your lobbying program as a member benefit, consider ways to transform information into tangibles. Let non-members access the information at reasonable fees.   
Bob Harris, CAE, offers free governance tips and templates at www.nonprofitcenter.com. 

We want to hear from you!

What does your medical society do to ensure its lobbying efforts are a tangible member benefit? Leave a comment and share your ideas!