No long blog posts here this week!
The 2015 edition of the National Business Marketing Association National Conference, BMA15 / Be More, kicked off today with a pre-session of Chapter Leaders. Chapter Leaders are those who serve in leadership positions at the 20+ local chapters that make up the BMA.
As promised, no long blog posts from Tell Your Story this week. So here are my take-aways from today. Watch for our other lists from my colleagues at the end of each day.
10. Chapter Leaders are passionate. We have all built great communities. That needs to continue – local B2B community building.
9. The merger with the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) could potentially be a good thing in terms of promoting the profession of B2B Marketing, but the beauty of BMA is that we are not too corporate. ANA is too corporate.
8. I’m not seeing many young professional chapter leaders at Chapter Leader day. That’s a problem.
7. From past experience, Chapter Leaders from across the country know how to have fun. This year will be no different.
6. Gary Slack knows how to put on a conference. Looking forward to the next few days.
5. Local chapters and members are the hearts and souls of the BMA. Will that work within the structure of ANA?
4. Fifty-two percent of attendees are defined as “corporate marketers” – that is a great balance. See #9.
3. Lots of member growth potential for chapters at this conference – 44 percent of BMA15 attendees are non-members of the organization!
2. Love the international feel that keeps growing every year – there are representatives of 12 nations here this week.
1. Chapter leaders, ALL volunteers, rock. I have known this for years, but you should really know this and be appreciative. Go hug a chapter leader today.
I leave you with this: if you are reading this before Wednesday, May 27th at 6:30 pm, join us for a Happy Hour at Lizzie McNeill’s – steps from the Sheraton Hotel. Sponsors are Tell Your Story, One North, Agency360 and BMA Chicago.
George Rafeedie is the founder of Tell Your Story and has attended at least 15 national BMA conferences dating back to 1997. The local and national community of friends that he has met over the years have been rewarding both professionally and personally. Follow him @grafeedie and @tellyourstorybc.