About the speaker
Matt Ridings is a business strategist and speaker who has worked in digital on both the agency and enterprise sides since 1994.  He ran interactive for brands such as Levi’s, Cisco, and British Airways, and he helped launch ventures such as Jet Blue and RedSpark.  He has also been a consultant and advisor to multiple startups and venture capital firms.

Currently, Matt serves as co-founder and CEO of the recently launched SideraWorks, a new Social Business consultancy. In addition, he blogs at Techguerilla.com and frequently writes for sites such as Social Fresh, Brass Tack Thinking, Convince and Convert, and Social Media Today. He often serves as an expert resource for national media and has been quoted in such publications as the Chicago Tribune.

Meeting fees:
$30 – members
$40 – nonmembers
$20 – students

When:
Thursday, February 16, 2012

11:30 a.m. – Registration and networking
12-1:30 p.m. – Program

Where:
New Location!
Ces and Judy’s at Le Chateau, 10405 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63131

Click here to register!

We’re offering you the opportunity to market to our 150 members and network of more than 1,500 area communications professionals from corporations, small businesses and nonprofits around the St. Louis area at IABC’s two biggest events coming up this spring:

• Bronze Quill Awards: The annual Bronze Quill Awards recognize the region’s best companies and individuals for communications excellence.
• Social Media Seminar: Our annual spring workshop will focus on all aspects of social media and will feature two learning tracks — for individual and business use.

Your sponsorship enables IABC to provide networking and professional development opportunities for St. Louis area communications professionals. We look forward to working with you to help promote your business!

Download IABC Spring Sponsorship Packet

To purchase a sponsorship package or design your own package, please complete the sponsorship packet or contact IABC at info@iabcstl.org.

Spring 2012 IABC Sponsorship Options:

Platinum Sponsorship: $1,000

• Premium Company logo placement on select printed materials, advertising and signage at the two biggest IABC events of the year
• Company logo and brief description on IABC St. Louis Bronze Quill webpage with link to your company website
• Recognition on IABC St. Louis Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn platforms
• Table for 8 at Bronze Quill Awards banquet on May 31.
• Space on sponsor table to share promotional items or collateral materials or option to place marketing piece at individual seats
• Networking opportunities at two events
• Special recognition during podium remarks by IABC President or Vice President at two events

Gold Sponsorship: $750

• Company logo placement on select printed materials, advertising and signage at the two biggest IABC events of the year
• Company logo and brief description on IABC St. Louis Bronze Quill webpage with link to your company website
• Recognition on IABC St. Louis Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn platforms
• Four tickets to Bronze Quill Awards banquet on May 31.
• Space on sponsor table to share promotional items or collateral materials or option to place marketing piece at individual seats
• Networking opportunities at two events
• Acknowledgement during podium remarks by IABC President or Vice President at two events

Silver Sponsorship: $500

• Company logo placement on select printed materials, advertising and signage at the two biggest IABC events of the year
• Company logo and brief description on IABC St. Louis Bronze Quill webpage with link to your company website
• Recognition on IABC St. Louis Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn platforms
• Two tickets to Bronze Quill Awards banquet on May 31.
• Space on sponsor table to share promotional items or collateral materials or option to place marketing piece at individual seats
• Networking opportunities at two events
• Acknowledgement during podium remarks by IABC President or Vice President at two events

Bronze Sponsorship: $250

• Company logo placement on select printed materials, advertising and signage at the IABC event of your choice
• Company logo and brief description on IABC St. Louis Bronze Quill webpage with link to your company website
• Recognition on IABC St. Louis Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn platforms
• Space on sponsor table to share promotional items or collateral materials or option to place marketing piece at individual seats
• Networking opportunities at two events
• Acknowledgement during podium remarks by IABC President or Vice President at two events

Mobile Marketing: An introduction to text message marketing
presented by Derek Johnson, Tatango
January 25, 9-10:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time

FREE Student Web Seminars

How to Create an A+ Resume
presented by Heather Huhman
January 18 2012, 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time

How to Build and Maintain Your Personal Brand
presented by Heather Huhman
March 7 2012, 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time

• Successful social media campaigns
• Corporate blogging
• Media relations tips and techniques
• Demonstrating value to your clients or company
• Internal communications challenges
• Entrepreneurial spirit of independent practitioners

Pizza and appetizers will be provided | Cash bar
($2 premium pints, $3 cocktails & $5 wines)

IABC Members $30*
Non-Members $40*
Students $20*

About the Emcee:
Aaron Perlut recently wrote St. Louis Doesn’t Suck.

Aaron, managing partner at Elasticity and Forbes.com scribe, is a creative former journalist and long-time public relations counselor. He is a founding partner of Elasticity, a digital word-of-mouth marketing and public relations agency built for the modern media world, working to triangulate communications strategies between social networks, blogs and traditional media. Aaron has developed and implemented public relations strategies on behalf of such companies as UPS, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Emerson Electric, Papa Johns, Rawlings and AT&T.

When

Thursday, January 26, 2012
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

WHERE

Vito’s Italian Pizzeria & Ristorante
3515 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103

Click Here to Register

Communicating the customer experience program effectively to employees involves the following three stages.

Read More:

http://www.iabc.com/cwb/archive/2012/0112/Downing.htm

Three years ago, I was preparing to fly internationally. I arrived at the airport to find that my flight was delayed by 26 hours. I went back home, and returned to the airport the next day. At check-in on day two, I asked the airline representative if, since I was a loyal customer whose flight had been delayed by 26 hours, there was any chance that I could have an upgrade. In response, she stated, “As my CEO says, if you want loyalty, go and buy a dog.” This line was delivered with a satisfied smile, as she continued to check me into my economy seat.

This was the moment when I realized the impact that every single employee has on a customer’s experience. Every internal interaction, whether it be a formal meeting or a corridor conversation, creates the culture of an organization, and if disregard for customers is demonstrated internally, you can be sure your customers will know it.

Read more:

http://www.iabc.com/cwb/archive/2012/0112/Howarth.htm

On the other hand, some organizational leaders don’t dare make a move without first checking the results of their latest survey. For them, if a topic isn’t covered in the survey, it doesn’t get a place in the strategic plan. These leaders live and die by each perfect score and each failing grade.

Assuming surveys are a joke is no better than assuming they are the holy grail of business success. This begs the question: Is there a happy medium? Fortunately, yes. But the happy medium comes as a result of having educated expectations.

Read More >>

The company intranet is kind of like the middle child in a family. We care about it, but its siblings usually get more attention. In this scenario, the siblings are external websites and social media channels. Websites always seem to get the makeover and the budget allocations when push comes to shove. Since social media is the last born, it’s the pride and joy of the company and leaders are focusing on this fun and energizing medium.

What many companies and leaders do not understand is that the intranet connects employees with the company and is an important engagement tool. Engagement equals happy employees, less turnover, increased innovation and savings on the bottom line. These things matter.

Before we dive into ways to engage employees through your online space, let’s talk about the ever-popular intranet makeover. We often expect employees to be more engaged just by giving an intranet a little polish and a name change. Delivering a shiny new intranet without first listening to find out what employees need will not deliver real engagement. So as you move forward with changes in your approach and tactics, remember: Listen first, then react.

Read more:

http://www.iabc.com/cwb/archive/2011/1211/Swan.htm

Benefits of Sponsorship:

• Company recognition in front of 30-60 diverse communications professionals from the St. Louis area during opening remarks at one monthly IABC event
• Company logo featured on print handout at event
• Option to distribute a promotional item at place settings for event
• Company logo and link featured on iabcstl.org for one month
• Company logo and link featured in monthly e-newsletter

Limited quantity available! Reserve yours today! To sponsor a meeting, email Annie Haarmann at ahaarmann@relivinc.com.