President’s Note
There are many things we count down to... birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, conferences, and (for me) IABC events where we can get together to meet old friends, make new ones, and learn from each other.
There are two big countdowns for our chapter coming our way:
First, this year's Silver Inkwell awards. They're just a couple of weeks away and if this year's entries are anything to go by, it will be a terrific opportunity to see how area communicators are excelling in the pursuit of this thing we call "communication."
I'm particularly excited about our keynote speaker this year; Dr. Mark Drapeau, Director of Public Sector Social Engagement for Microsoft and more familiarly known to those keeping up with social media as @cheeky_geeky.
Dr. Drapeau is often controversial, always engaging and never boring. So if you haven't reserved your seat yet, I hope you'll do so soon. October 26 isn't all that far away.
Second, in just a few months, you'll have a new board running this chapter. Well, you'll have a new board once you vote them in because all of us serve at your pleasure.
I know Angelo is excited about what 2011 holds in store for IABC/DC Metro, and I am too. Before we get there, though, you'll need to vote them in. So please keep a look out for the ballot announcement in your inboxes... and exercise your franchise!
Thank you, as always, for your commitment to and support of our chapter. We couldn't do it without you.
Warm Regards,
Shonali Burke, ABC, Principal, Shonali Burke Consulting
President, IABC/DC Metro
IT'S SILVER INKWELL SEASON!
You absolutely do not want to miss this year's Silver Inkwell Gala, October 26 at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda. Along with seeing the best work of the DC area's communication professionals from the past year AND networking with colleagues old and new, we'll be treated to a talk by Dr. Mark Drapeau (better known to his fans on Twitter as @cheeky-geeky), Microsoft's Director of Public Sector Social Engagement.
Everything you need to know about the event, including prices and registration, is on our Silver Inkwell page. See you there!
september chapter meeting Wrap-up
September’s chapter meeting at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza featured good food, great conversation, and a fantastic guest speaker--Erin Dick, communications lead for Pratt & Whitney Military Engines. Reprising her presentation from the recent IABC World Conference in Toronto, Erin spoke on “Turning a Campaign into a Conversation.”
The presentation was an insightful talk about the importance of integrating social media into communications strategies in order to enhance reach, effectiveness, and timeliness of communications with specific application to her current project on the Pratt & Whitney F-135 jet engine. While the topic may seem obscure, Roxane Papagiannopoulos, chapter VP for Membership, noted its broader applicability. “Erin’s presentation was informative in that it showed a clear path on informing the public about an issue that many people outside of Washington may never have heard of without social media,” Roxane said.
The presentation was extremely well-received. Chapter communications VP Mark Sofman called the presentation “terrific” and noted that “Erin’s a great speaker.” According to Ann Bevans, IABC/DC Metro’s creative services director, “Erin’s insight into the modern marketing mix, coupled with her humor and her genuine enthusiasm for both her message and her engine, had me telling people her stories for days.”
If you weren’t able to make the presentation, don’t worry. In keeping with the “new media” spirit we live-tweeted the event, and the key highlights are available under our twitter handle @IABCDC. Come visit us on Twitter, follow us, and get some of Erin’s tips and tricks for effective social media marketing.
And great presentations aren’t all you get when you attend an IABC-DC monthly meeting. As one attendee put it, “Attending IABC meetings over the past several months has been a great source of job leads as well as support and encouragement . . . The meetings have given me more exposure to effective communications planning and evaluation, as well as to social media and how other organizations are incorporating it into their marketing strategies.” So if you missed this meeting, come out and join us at the next one!
- Michael Daniels, Booz Allen Hamilton
Photo by Marvin T. Jones
A HALF-DAY OF SOCIAL MEDIA IMMERSION
Thanks to former Accreditation Portfolio Director Jason King, ABC, who writes:
From one IABC member to another, I want to share with you the unique opportunity to participate in a one half day social media immersion track as part of the Cable &Telecommunications Association for Marketing’s (CTAM) Summit www.ctamsummit.com, October 19th in New Orleans. You’ll wrap-up the half day (which includes lunch) with the creators of HBO’s Treme as they discuss the art of building audience and community.
No, this is not an IABC event. But as this agenda (which is developed for, and by, cable companies and cable programmers) took shape, it was obvious to me as a communicator the content was of great value outside the cable industry. My organization felt the same way and has offered a special half day rate of $299 for IABC members in New Orleans. And this is more than $1,000 off the non-member registration rate!!
Speaker and session info is here. Be sure to use the CTAM Social Media Pass for your registration discount.
Hope to meet you in N’Awlins!
CHAPTER BOARD COMINGS AND GOINGS
Ann Bevans has joined the IABC/DC Metro Board as Portfolio Director for Creative Services. If you’ve been to the Capitol-Cast blog of late, you can see her some Ann’s handiwork on top-left of the blog: the widgets that link to our Silver Inkwell Banquet October 26 and the IABC/DC Metro Web site.
Ann Bevans is a writer, graphic designer and web developer. As principal of Ann Bevans Collective, she helps clients articulate messages that matter and create print and online marketing programs that communicate those messages with impact. Ann asks tough questions and doesn’t accept flimsy answers. She makes music and writes fiction. She does all her own stunts. You can reach her at www.annbevans.com or on Twitter @annbevans.
IABC/DC METRO NEEDS YOU
Your IABC/DC Metro chapter is seeking a volunteer to become the chapter's Portfolio Director, Accreditation.
What are the responsibilities? They are:
- Proactively working within the chapter to communicate the benefits of pursuing international accreditation (ABC) by hosting informational sessions for interested chapter members up to four times per year. Sessions can be in-person or via teleconference.
- Responding to member inquiries related to accreditation.
- Securing ABC mentors for approved candidates.
- Securing pre-portfolio reviewers for approved candidates.
- Coordinating exams for interested candidates.
- The qualifications? You must be an Accredited Business Communicator (ABC), and have a genuine desire to help others navigate their path toward accreditation.
Please contact Chapter President Shonali Burke, ABC for more information, or to take on this great volunteer opportunity.
grab a drink and network with steve and cindy crescenzo
Communication experts Steve and Cindy Crescenzo will present a special IABC-sponsored workshop on creative communications on October 14.
Get to know them the night before at our special Networking Happy Hour with at Ceiba, 701 14th Street, NW, in DC. Ceiba's Happy Hour specials include half-price select appetizers; $5 draft beer; $5 margaritas and $5 drink of the day -- Ceiba's signature sangria! Happy Hour specials are available 5:30 - 7:30 pm., exclusively for IABC/DC Metro area members and non-members. You can also try out Ceiba's contemporary Latin American cuisine, specifically Yucatan, Brazilian, Peruvian, and Cuban.
The party starts at 5:30 pm. The details and registration are right here.
Welcome—and Welcome Back—New and Renewing Members!
We are thrilled that the following IABC/DC Metro members have chosen to join or renew their association membership:
Laura Pleines (CareFirst); Bradley Fisher (BAE Systems); Dennis Harrington (CoStar); Robert James (The Mighty Copywriter); Edward Segal (Segal Public Relations); Nicole Lofgren; Lisa Bellemore; Marcus Williams (OPM); Kate Shaw (CandyUSA); John Czwartacki, DJ Gaskin (Lockheed Martin), Jamie Radick (Booz Allen Hamilton), Elizabeth Garside (GarsideGroup); Renee Rothstein (AIPAC); Katherine George (Catacomm Cox); Marcia Drucker (Buchanan & Edwards); Tracey Wood (InkWellDuck); Sallie Strang (Nachri);Marge Kumaki, Carolyn Karl, Kimberly Decker, Zeenab Fowlk, Jeanine Grain, Jennifer Przydzial, Kelly Stevens, Margery Zylich, Erin Agelakopoulos, Denise Hobik, and Jennie McConagha (Medstar); Robert Gould and Jennifer Webster (Constellation); Jayanti Menches (Triple Canopy); Terry Savage (Westat); Eric Szaal (FINRA); Susan Spoto; Alexander Filip (IDWorld); Shelley Caplan (IQ Solutions); Howard Clare (HC Creative); Janine D'Addario (CRS); Karen Buehler (Vergent Consulting); andSherie Winston (Social Medians).
Thank you all for placing your trust in IABC/DC Metro as the premier professional development association for business communicators. We look forward to seeing you at a chapter event soon. As always, please contact Roxane Papagiannopoulos, VP/Membership, with questions about how you can get more involved with the chapter—and let us know how we can help you!
