Section Operations Manual

• Refer to the Policy on Establishing and Maintaining Sections.
• It is expected that sections meet the following requirements for good standing by 1 October
  • Comply with ISA policies
  • Maintain at least 30 professional members
  • Have, at a minimum, a president and treasurer in good standing and on record with ISA Headquarters
  • Hold a minimum of three member meetings each year
  • Submit an annual report by the prescribed dates
  • Include “About us” text in HTML area on section page in ISA Connect
  • Have current section bylaws posted in section file library in ISA Connect
• If above requirement are not met, the section will be deemed not in good standing for the year, and forfeits benefits, including but not limited to, rebates, consideration for Society awards, and delegate voting privileges.
• Those not in good standing will be reevaluated quarterly.

Sections are encouraged to partake in community service. Examples include environmental clean ups, serving in soup kitchens or food banks, visiting nursing homes, holding food drives, home or school makeover, tree planting program, organizing a race or walk, donating clothes, toys, books or household goods to a local charity, or volunteering at local animal shelter.

Every professional section has a community page inside ISA Connect. Your members are added automatically and all coded volunteers of your section have administrative privileges. There are two ways, you can communicate with your members:

1. Announcements
2. Emails

Announcements are a great way for you to share information with those that visit your community page and should be used for:

• Upcoming activities
• Sections are expected to help promote and raise awareness of upcoming ISA events and activities. Plan to post announcements well in advance about ISA events, as well as activities specific to your Section.
• Scholarships and awards
• Newsletters

When you have that longer communication that just does not lend itself to an announcement, you can send emails.

• Send newsletters (though we recommend using the announcements feature)
• Promote ISA events and activities, as well as activities specific to your Section
• Send membership renewal reminders

The email tool is not to be used to advertise or sell non-ISA activities, i.e. events, products, courses, services, etc. Emails sent to your members must pertain to ISA and cannot be used for promotion of any kind, personal or otherwise.

Most readers will only spend a few seconds reviewing your communications, so make them count, and make them easy to scan. Here are some tips:

• Limit sending one email per week
• Sending too many emails will drastically lower engagement levels and increase opt-outs
• Add headlines or bullets in the body of your communications to help break it up
• Keep subject lines short and interesting
  • Consider using questions, deadlines, or announcements
    • Will we see you in Spain?
    • Last Call | Event Registration Deadline 1 August
    • Keynote Announced | Jane Smith, CAP
• Test sending emails on different days
• Sending in the morning is usually best
• Add humor as culturally appropriate
• Be creative
  • Keep colors and fonts consistent and appropriate for your messages
• Use personalization when the context is speaking to the reader
  • This works well for renewal reminders
• Create urgency around deadlines
  • Early-bird registration or limited seating available

Communicating with Students
Communicating with students is available in the section community. It is at the section’s discretion whether to add a student volunteer to the section board to be able to send emails and add events.

Mail

While email is one of the most popular marketing methods, do not forget about traditional mail. ISA provides postal mailing lists in the member roster report, so you may send traditional mail to your members if you wish.

You may consider sending a welcome postcard to new members —or a formal invitation to an awards banquet. Another idea is to print posters to hang in offices to promote ISA and your section’s activities to colleagues.

Social Media

In social media along with all other forms of communication, it is important that ISA present a strong global identity. Social media is an integral part of ISA’s marketing strategy and is used to communicate and promote the ISA brand, product and service offerings, benefits, and activities. We create it to educate and engage members and prospective members, and we use it in a variety of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and ISA.org. The following information will help you understand the ways ISA uses social media and how you can use it to promote your activities or programs to fit within the overall ISA brand standards.

Social media content should not be developed, used, and promoted without a pre-defined purpose or integration point within a campaign. It can be used as part of a campaign but once it has been used, much of the content can be repurposed if there is a consistent methodology that goes into their development.

The key to social media success is taking a strategic and thoughtful approach to the type of social presence you want to build for your section. Choose the platform that works best for your audience. Determine the channel that works best for your members and update frequently. Post original, engaging content regularly. Post at least once a week, three times a week is ideal.

In the event of negative or disparaging comments or content not in line with ISA’s mission, best practice is to remove the post and block the user. This is not to be confused with criticism of ISA, ISA sections, or ISA members. The best practice in this instance is to not delete the criticism but address the criticism with facts.

Branding your Section’s Social Media Space

Brand standards, applied consistently, help ISA project a strong identity and differentiate ISA from other associations. Proper use of the ISA logo on the web, including social media spaces, is critical to maintenance of brand standards. Sections can benefit from ISA’s efforts around branding by visually identifying themselves with the ISA brand.

Most social networks identify posts by using a square or circle graphic image known as a ‘profile picture’ or ‘avatar.’ Because of the small size of the avatar square, a challenge sometimes arises when confusion is created between ISA's own content and the content of its Sections - at a glance, the logos are identical. For that reason, ISA has developed a new "ISA Section" icon for use by all Sections in this logo space. For clarity, the section name must be included on social media pages or group names. For example, “ISA Mexico Central Section,” not “Mexico Central Section” or “ISA” alone. The new "ISA Section" icon will be provided in Q1 2025.

Social Media Best Practices

• Be concise
  • Most readers will more than likely skip your post entirely if it is too long and drawn out. Post in the clearest, shortest form possible.
• Consider your audience and platforms you use
  • Readers are comprised of diverse backgrounds. Facebook users may not want the same type of information as a user on Instagram or LinkedIn.
• Bring value
  • Everything your section posts reflects ISA’s reputation and influence. Be sure that your posts are of a topic of interest.
• Be responsible for what you write
  • Use good judgment and common sense when developing posts. If you think it is inappropriate or may not be received well, it is probably best to refrain from posting it.
• Avoid copyright infringement
  • As ISA holds the right to all developed content (including photos, video, technical papers, etc.), ISA reserves the right of approval regarding use of content and the right to remove content used without approval from ISA.
  • Please use caution with any stock images or images found on the internet - be certain these are available royalty free. If the content belongs to another party, seek their permission before using it as part of your own post and be prepared to tag the creator.

Tagging and Hashtags

Tag people in pictures, videos, and posts to include them in your content if they are a part of your experience. When you tag, you are identifying the person or group and linking them in your post. Most platforms, the tag will appear in blue or black bold.

ISA may decide at its discretion to interact with a Section's content by commenting, liking, and reposting as appropriate. A way to ensure that ISA sees your Section content is to tag the "International Society of Automation" in your post or in a comment.

How to tag:
In a post, type ‘@’ then the start of the person’s name or company name. A list will generate as you type, and you can select from that list at any time.

Tagging your location is a valuable part of the social media algorithm. It increases your reach to people in the area. It may also help you be featured by the venue, which increases your audience. Look for the ‘tag location’ option on posts. While it will boost your post numbers, location tagging is not required.

The ‘#’ symbol is referred to as a hashtag in social media. They are a great way to create, follow, and engage with a community. Essentially, a hashtag is a collection of stories about a topic. Hashtags do not have spaces or special characters outside the initial #.

How to hashtag:
In a post, type ‘#’ then the topic you want to reference. For example, “#JoinISA to engage with peers and subject matters around the world. #ISAmembership.”

Sharing technical knowledge and providing a platform for members to network is one of the most important activities in the section. Sections should ensure they provide the right type of activities for their local membership, while following ISA policies.

Events and Activities that carry the ISA brand must be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the Society’s mission and values. Sections have explicit approval to use the section logo for section activities, unless they are listed as requiring approval.

In all other cases outside this explicit approval, the use of any element of the ISA brand family must be expressly permitted and will only be permitted if ISA has oversight of the technical program.

Required Approval from ISA
Sections are required to submit an event proposal for approval for the following activities. No promotion nor contracts may be done until approval is granted. Requests must be submitted a minimum of 45 days in advance of the event.

Approval is delegated by the Executive Board to the Conference Advisory Committee. This is not an exhaustive list, and the Conference Advisory Committee has the authority to request that a section submit for approval for other activities beyond this list.

• Promotion of any activities to members outside of the section's jurisdiction
• Activities with more than one section
• Exhibiting at, participating in, or sponsoring another organization's event/conference
• Any participation or activity with any for-profit entity other than a company sponsorship of a section meeting
• Conference or expo
• Proposed conference, expo, or training
• Training done without support from ISA (including training through other entities or training created by the section)

In reviewing event proposals, the following is considered:

• Proximity by date and location to ISA conferences, training courses, or activities
• Section standing
• Proper event name and brand usage
• Objective and outcome of the activity, including potential brand recognition
• Appropriateness of the arrangement, financial and otherwise, with third parties or contractors
• Involvement in the development of the technical program

Sections that have demonstrated support for promotions and the programming of ISA events will be given preferential consideration. Additionally, Sections are more likely to be successful in achieving approval if they are willing to be flexible with their proposal.

Event Naming
Members and customers should know from the title of any activity who is hosting it, what content is covered, and in what format. Recurring events should have a consistent title that is relevant from year to year. Event names must be approved by ISA before it is included on any public-facing sources such as websites, printed brochures, or programs.

• “ISA” must be at the beginning of all event names.
  • Ex. “ISA Automation Summit and Expo”
• Section events must include the section name in the title.
  • Ex. “ISA Spain Section Cybersecurity Conference”
• Neither the year nor the edition of the event may be included in the official title.
  • Incorrect: “2023 ISA Automation Summit and Expo”
  • Correct: “ISA Automation Summit and Expo”
  • Incorrect: “2nd Annual Digital Transformation Conference”
  • Correct: “ISA Digital Transformation Conference”
• The event title must correctly reflect the content of the program sessions.
• The event title must not be similar to the name of an ISA conference

Working With Other Entities

Partnerships or participation with other organizations require a staff-negotiated memorandum of understanding. At a minimum, ISA must have representation in technical programming that is deemed satisfactory by the Society. Agreements or affiliations may not jeopardize ISA’s nonprofit status. Contracts must be initiated and signed by ISA staff.

Sections who receive approval to organize a session at a non-ISA event must include a standard set of information slides about ISA in the presentation.

Member Meetings
How often the section meets is up to the section board. Best practice suggests monthly, though to be in good standing the section is required to have a minimum of three (3) member meetings per year. Board meetings do not count as member meetings.

Section meetings are important because they:

• are the best way for our members to get involved
• are part of the Section's retention efforts
• are a way to recognize and orient new members
• are a chance for members to meet the board in the field
• are a chance to update members on ISA activities
• are a great recruitment tool for both new members and volunteers
• are the most viable form of continuing education
• provide peer contact and business opportunities
• should be - FUN!

The section board needs to ensure that activities are well-planned and well-executed. Here are some general guidelines for better section activities.

Before your section chooses what type of meeting you are going to run, it is important to review what goals the section is trying to accomplish. The section should develop a strategy first and then implement the plan. Below is a step-by-step guideline of that planning process.

Strategic Plan for the Section
Does your section have a strategic plan? If not, this is the place to start before planning your programming. Sections should make sure they are clear on:

1. What audiences will you focus on?
   1. Your meetings may be open to all members, but you should plan various meetings with specific segments in mind. Is your activity for students, young professionals, experts, etc.
2. How does your section expect to meet the needs of those audiences? What meetings should be planned to address the needs of each audience
   1. The section should have an outline of how many and what kind of activities and/or meetings you plan to program and provide
   2. Align resources with a realistic number of programs
      1. If not enough programs are planned, section members may feel disconnected or perceive a lack of value from the section
      2. If too many programs are planned, resources and volunteers may feel overwhelmed, and the quality of the program may suffer
3. Who will execute the meetings?
   1. Meetings require pre- and post-planning.  It is critical to clarify who is doing what to guarantee the activity meets its objectives.
   2. Spread the meeting logistics amongst an ample number of volunteers
      1. If the number of volunteers on your board is minimal, are there plans for how new volunteers will be recruited and included?
      2. It is important for your section to be realistic in volunteer expectations
   3. What are the measures of success that will determine if the section is on the right path?
      1. There are several factors that may be included:
         • Number of attendees
         • New volunteers recruited
         • Surveys at the end of each meeting
      2. Determining what the true measures of success avoids the assumption that a meeting was successful
4. Is there a long-range view?
   1. There is value in the section board having a vision of where the section should be in the future
      1. With proper board transition, this is a vision that will be shaped with each new class of volunteers but also one that will give greater meaning to the annual efforts of any section

Creating a Calendar Meeting
From the strategy outlined above, it should become evident how many meetings the section is going to run and what format each meeting will take based on the targeted audience and overall section goals. The section should take this information into account when creating its calendar.

The section should use an online calendar program that all board members can access. There are several free versions, for example, Google Calendar.

It is advisable that a section plan programming for the full year. Start with a blank calendar, then add in nationally recognized holidays, religious holidays, and related dates that would cause a conflict in scheduling section activities. Next, add any major conferences, events, certification testing dates, etc. that appear on the Society’s calendar. Not every section member may participate in these events, but it is appropriate as a unit of ISA to not cross-program to allow for full participation. From there, your section should start to fill in dates and times for section meetings to correspond with the goals in the section plan.

At this stage, each section meeting that is placed on the calendar does not yet have to have content associated with it. Meetings should be listed by format type and audience to be reached. If your section is used to running a monthly educational meeting, you will first decide upon which segments of your members you are looking to address and in what manner before planning your topics.

After filling in the program types and audiences, the section board should review what they are committing to for the full year. This level of planning may not be appropriate to share with the section’s overall membership. The final, subject-driven programmed calendar is usually shared with members and listed on the events tab in the section community.

Choose each Meeting Lead
After all meetings are scheduled, each meeting should have a lead person assigned to it. Meeting leads could be board members, committee chairs, or simply involved members. A meeting lead is not meant to do all the work, but rather be the point person that will take responsibility of the meeting and ensure the logistics and strategic details go into the planning and implementation of the meeting.

Select your Subject/Format
Each meeting lead should begin to develop what topic or format their meeting should cover. The sooner in proximity of the date of the meeting, the more urgent it is to finalize this part. When possible, request input from the section members as to what topics they would like to see covered at each program. This can help connect new volunteers to the section.

Once your section finds a good speaker, you may run into the problem of educator repetition. The section board should maintain a careful balance between using speakers more than once because of their scope of knowledge or presentation skills and still giving ample opportunity to bring in a wide range of topics. Keeping track of the last three to five years of topics and speakers will give your section a good historical foundation to build on..

Implementing your Plan
Now that your section has a strategy and a calendar of meetings, it’s time to implement your activities.

1. Pick a location – It is important that the location be compatible with the type of meeting, the number of attendees expected, and the costs associated with utilizing the space. Your section may have preferred venues or spaces that have been donated by local sponsoring companies to help keep costs of programming down. Besides availability, the location of your meeting may be a major factor in which members attend. Rotating locations around a geographic area, and periodically surveying members to discover ideal locations are both good ideas to gain a good mix of attendees. The final location decision should consider both logistical (time of day, traffic, parking) and programmatic considerations (it would not be ideal to host an educational program in a noisy bar or restaurant). If the section plans to do a virtual meeting, they will need to determine the most appropriate online collaboration tool or software to use.
2. Sponsorship – Some sections choose to have sponsors for their meetings. Sponsorship may involve a company offering a host location for the meeting or cover the cost of food. In some cases, the sponsor may provide the educational content. Some sections have a comprehensive sponsorship package where interested vendors will pay certain amounts for varied types of recognition. In either scenario, when appropriate, the section should welcome sponsorships, while ensuring that the meeting does not become a sales pitches or something that may drive away professional members.
3. Registration – The registration process should be simple. Using the Event module in the section community is recommended. Members and guests can indicate that they want to attend your program, pay to attend the event (if applicable), and check in onsite. A budget for the entire meeting should help you determine the registration fee needed to cover all costs. On the day of the meeting, there may be forms to fill out, name badges to be handed out, and information to distribute. Having the right personalities at the registration table can create a good first impression.
4. Marketing – Once the program is planned, the pricing set, the location and speaker secured, word still must get out about your meeting. Sections have various communication channels for promoting their activities. (See COMMUNICATIONS topic above).
5. Food – While it is nearly impossible to meet everyone's needs when it comes to food options, be sure to offer at least two selections. Depending on the event, the section may choose to offer light refreshments, or may not offer anything at all. Having at least a small networking reception at every program is highly recommended. The cost of the food may go beyond the simple price of the meal, as some locations require in-house catering, and there can be significant taxes and fees added on to the final cost. These should all be factors considered in your planning process.
6. Welcome Committee – Some sections choose to have a welcome committee or chairperson whose role at meetings is to identify and welcome guests, new members and new attendees. When this is done successfully, the new attendee experience will feel welcoming and engaging.
7. Logistics Coordinator – It is recommended to have a volunteer designated as the logistics coordinator for a meeting, so the section can ensure that someone is paying attention to all the details and nothing is overlooked. Details may include coordination with the speaker to confirm all needs are met for their presentation, A/V or technical needs are met, materials needed for the presentation/program are available, food provided, etc.
8. Program Host – This is the position that can call the meeting to order, introduce the program, and share announcements at the end. This role is often filled by the meeting lead or the section president.
9. Evaluation – Whether by paper, online survey, or follow-up phone calls, each program needs to be evaluated by attendees. It is important that your evaluations review the program and not the volunteers that contributed to the program itself. There will always be areas of improvement. Reflecting on that feedback is essential for future meeting planning.

Meeting Types

Not all sections are the same and there is no one-size fits all meeting type that works for everyone. The following is a comprehensive list of general meeting types that can be tailored, and in some cases combined to meet the needs of the section.

Educational Meetings
Most sections use this traditional meeting format. This meeting can take place in conjunction with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This allows professionals to network, possibly over a meal, while also engaging in an educational experience.
Some of the educational formats that your section may choose to use are:

• Traditional Speaker Presentation – Consisting of a PowerPoint presentation or other form of slideshow presentation, or simply a talk, this speaker format is geared towards a single content expert sharing their knowledge.
• Virtual Speaker – Like the above, this speaker will present over the phone or by screen share through video presentation.
• Panel Discussion – A group of content experts with varying experiences gathered to discuss a topic of interest in front of an audience.
• Roundtable – An opportunity for participants to get together in an informal setting to examine issues as they relate to specific topics. This format is not necessarily ideal for an in-depth discussion.
• Ignite Presentation – A series of 5-minutes presentations, where each presenter must use 20 slides advancing every 15 seconds to discuss a topic. Some sections may include a structured Q&A after each presentation to allow for a deeper discussion on each topic.
• Prerecorded – An online presentation that can be prerecorded and presented on-demand or at a scheduled time. Sections can identify presentations that already exist, present them as the educational focus of the group, and include discussion points throughout or at the end of the presentation.

Sections may consider issuing Professional Development Hours (PDH) for their educational meetings. A PDH is defined as one contact hour of instruction, presentation or study. The term PDH is commonly used in the engineering community. The maximum PDH for a seminar that starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. with an hour lunch is eight (8). Short breaks are permissible as long as a minimum of 50 minutes of presentation/participation/study per hour is undertaken. If there are no breaks, or there are breaks of less than 10 minutes per hour, no additional time may be claimed. PDH cannot exceed the actual contact clock hours. Round off PDH to the nearest half hour. No activity under a half hour will be accepted for credit. For example, a qualifying activity of 30 to 49 minutes would be reported as 0.5 PDH and an activity of 50 to 70 minutes would be reported as 1.0 PDH. PDH is sometimes also called PDU (Professional Development Unit).

Virtual Meetings
Not all sections can have in-person meetings on a regular basis. In order to accomplish many of the same goals as in the educational formats above, sections may organize virtual presentations.

The section can provide an exchange of ideas and information that delivers value to your members by coordinating a speaker or a panel discussion, facilitating a presentation and follow-up Q&A.

Your section may also consider requesting permission from the speaker to be recorded and then the content of that presentation be shared with the members who could not attend. This will add value to section members that may live farther away and unable to attend a live presentation, or a member that has another obligation and unable to attend.

Section Sponsored Educational Trainings
Sections can provide a valuable opportunity to current and prospective members to expand their technical knowledge through section sponsored educational trainings, while earning revenue for the sections. Your section can earn a percentage of the registration fees from a successful training event. The greater number of registrants, the more revenue to gain.

Your section will take the lead role in promoting the course offering(s) and assist ISA as necessary in planning and executing the event.

Plant Tours
Not all section meetings have to be in a meeting room. Arranging a plant tour is a good way to gain practical knowledge, problem solving strategies, and real-time solution applications. Depending on time and location, this event may be combined with a meal. Since a plant tour can run longer than a usual meeting, your section may only run one or two a year.

Certification Reviews
ISA offers multiple certifications and certificate programs. Many sections organize a review class or series of classes for their members in a group setting. This is a great opportunity for you to engage members that may not have been previously involved your section.

Fundraising Events
Some sections are dedicated to giving back to their community or a specific cause. Sections may choose to raise money to award scholarships for students preparing to enter the automation profession. Whatever fundraising activities your section choose, be sure to review any guidelines in your section’s bylaws.

Social Meetings
Many sections organize social meetings/gatherings. This is an opportunity for you to add some “fun” to your section offerings. Your members will have the opportunity to create a community, discuss employment opportunities, research and projects, and even develop friendships among their peers.

Student Programming
If the section has a chapter, be aware of what the student volunteers are doing and attend, when possible, their activities.

Regardless of whether the section has a chapter or not, it is recommended that sections invite students to section activities and hold activities at the university for students.

Here are some ideas for activities that may be useful in planning student activities:

• Tech talks with guest speakers
• Field trips/plant tours 
• Career planning and mock interviews
  • Panel Discussion
    • Example: Automation Career Pathway Talks
      • Can feature diverse engineers and professionals, sharing their experiences, offering guidance on academic and career planning, and providing up-to-date industry information. This event provides students with insights into different career paths, industry trends, and practical advice for their professional development. Content for the program could include educational background, professional profiles, and project experiences of panelists. The event could also provide tips to help students with their course selections, career paths, potential companies for employment, market trends, and CV tips.
      • Planning & Logistics
        • The orientation talks are held either virtually, at the school, a designated venue or at a host facility. Specific dates and times for the orientation talks will be scheduled and communicated in advance. Please keep in mind the academic year and course schedules. The panelist could be former students from the school and local professionals from different sectors and backgrounds. Different ages with varied experiences.
        • Examples of panelists:
          • Engineering working for solutions in automation company
          • Engineer working as project leader in a big engineering company.
          • Department manager in engineering company
          • Human Resources technician in an engineering company
          • Engineer in chemical engineering department in big engineering company
          • Junior engineer in automation solutions compan
        • The Section Program Chair and other relevant Section positions identify and invite panelists. Define key topics for each panelist to cover. Prepare a structured format for discussions and Q&A sessions. Coordinate with the school or venue for booking.
      • Helpful Tips:
        • Students should update resumes and dress business casual
        • Professionals should be ready to engage and represent their company.
        • Determine how many companies should attend. You want there to be diversity in career paths and industry but not too many where it can be overwhelming and there are more companies than students.
        • Reach out to your section members to see if they can engage their company to attend the event.
        • Review local industry job boards to see if any companies are hiring. Invite these companies to your event.
• Networking activity with section
  • Example: Industry Connection Night
    • Allow students to bring resumes. This event features speed networking, company tabletops, and possible food and beverage. This program can create a mutually beneficial environment where both students and professionals can engage, learn, and grow within the industry. Students can learn about the companies that make up our industry, ask experienced professionals questions about automation, get job hunting advice and make connections. Automation Professionals can meet future talent, represent your company in a positive way and give back to our industry.
    • Planning & Logistics
      • This can be hosted one evening for about 2 hours on a campus or at a host facility. Make sure the address is clear and share parking instructions. Be sure to create a detailed schedule for the night to share with attendees.
        • Example Agenda:
          • 5:30pm: Check-in, appetizer buffet, and mingling
          • 6:15pm: Welcome Address
          • 6:30pm: Speed Networking
          • 7:30pm: Event Wrap
      • Create an event webpage with event details and link to register. You could choose to charge or not. A good practice would be to ask students for a USD 15 deposit (refundable at check-in). Professionals register for free.
    • Helpful Tips:
      • Students should update resumes and dress business casual
      • Professionals should be ready to engage and represent their company.
      • Determine how many companies should attend. You want there to be diversity in career paths and industry but not too many where it can be overwhelming and there are more companies than students.
      • Reach out to your section members to see if they can engage their company to attend the event.
      • Review local industry job boards to see if any companies are hiring. Invite these companies to your event.

The section will need to add student activities to the section community page. Communicating with students is available in the section community. It is at the section’s discretion whether to add a student volunteer to the section board to be able to send emails and add events.

The BEST way to increase attendance is by word of mouth from past attendees. To encourage your attendees to recruit other professionals to attend future section non-training technical activities, be sure the programs are relevant and provide value to attendees.

Meeting invites must be sent far enough in advance to allow members to respond, and, if necessary, adjust their schedules. At the same time, they should not be sent so far in advance that members ignore them.

The location of the activity can make a difference too. Some sections believe that having their activities at the same place each time allows members to become comfortable with their travel, the facility, etc. Other sections prefer to move their activities around, so that no one group of members must travel too far each time. Other factors that can have an impact on attendance includes cost of attending (registration fee), day of the week, time of day, and program topic/speaker.

The Expert Directory on ISA Connect allows you to search and review an expert’s credentials to find and connect with the perfect speakers for your section’s programs and activities. Access expert profiles complete with contact information, bios, areas of expertise, location availabilities, and more! 

Do you know a great speaker? Invite them to join the expert directory! Members and non-members can create a profile.

Access Your Volunteer Community in ISA Connect

Collaborate and share best practices with fellow section and student section volunteers around the world. Here are some helpful resources to get you started:

• Discussions
• Volunteer Resources
• Section Operations Manual
• Month-end Membership Statistics
• Volunteer e-newsletters

And, your section is a part of much larger geographic area known as a district. There is a district community for you to communicate with your District Vice President and collaborate with the other section volunteers in the district. You will also receive invites to district meetings and your leadership conference from this community.

• Click the down-facing arrow in the top right-hand corner of the page next to the image icon
• Click 'Communities’
• Click your respective district community

ISA sends an e-newsletter to all officers to keep them abreast of key information. Included are tips to help you operate your section. Most importantly, these updates include reminders of deadlines, announcements of new resources, and upcoming events. The e-newsletter is emailed out roughly every other month. If you missed it in your inbox, it is also posted in the section volunteer community library.

Official section logos, brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials are provided in the library folder of the volunteer community on ISA Connect.

For sections to make use of ISA intellectual property, they must:

• Always use the section name, and not merely “ISA” alone, in any communications with the public or other parties, including promotions and contracts
• Use the ISA logo, name, and acronym “ISA” with the section name to show identity and affiliation with ISA
• Use the ISA logo, name, or acronym in a way that does not cause confusion regarding whether the section or the Society is responsible for that use
• All other uses of the ISA logo, name, acronym, and other ISA trademarks (such as InTech) by sections require specific prior permission from the ISA Executive Board, which also reserves the right to review and approve any use of the ISA logo, name, acronym, or other ISA trademark
• Not allow another group or organization to use any ISA trademark
• Include registered trademark notices with all uses of ISA trademarks in accordance with ISA logo specifications
• Not register an ISA trademark independently of ISA
• Require a specific license from the ISA Executive Board for all other uses of ISA trademarks
• Obtain permission before using ISA copyrighted materials in any form, including but not limited to ISA books, journals, proceedings, videos, software, standards and any other materials published by ISA

Please reference the ISA Intellectual Property and Brand, Reputation, and Public Interest Policy Policies for complete details.