Highlights from the IABC International Conference in New York

When I heard that the IABC International Conference would be in New York this year, I registered immediately, because I never pass up a reason to visit my home town. I really do like living in the Toronto area, but I’ll always love New York (as this sculpture on Sixth Avenue says).

Over four days, I met hundreds of people, attended some great sessions, spent time with friends outside the conference, and walked miles around Manhattan. Yes, I felt like a tourist gaping at the Empire State Building, meandering through the cool greenness of Central Park and wearing out my MasterCard at Bloomingdale’s.

Here are some of my impressions:

• Two years ago, at the IABC International Conference in Vancouver, social media was seen as a sort of odd duck. Blogs and podcasts were  new and different, and communicators weren’t quite sure what to make of them. Now, presenters would mention an employee blog or podcast as an integral part of a relaunched intranet without blinking an eye. We’ve come a long way, baby.
• If Bill Marriott can find the time to blog, so can your CEO. In his speech accepting the IABC’s EXCEL Award for Excellence in Communication Leadership, Marriott said that he dictates his blog content into a recorder, and someone on his communications team actually writes it up. Visiting 300 hotel properties per year, he’s a busy guy, yet  he invests the time to tell stories using this medium. That’s because he values storytelling as a way to engage employees and reach out to the public. He also acknowledged that his blog has generated millions of dollars in hotel bookings via a link on the home page.
• Seth Godin never disappoints. His high-energy closing keynote was sure to fire up some of the savvy communicators in the room and frighten the pants off those who don’t appreciate the way marketing has changed in the last few years. If you can’t be remarkable, then get out of the way.
• The conference parties will be hard to top at future IABC events. Kudos to Deloitte for the gorgeous food and drink at the opening reception at the Rainbow Room, and to CNW Group for the fantastic Canadian party at the Pegasus Suite.

And on a more personal note:

• Do Tokyo department stores not have nice washrooms? I ran into a gaggle of giggling Japanese girls photographing the ladies’ lounge at Bloomies. I guess I should have taken their picture.
• Speaking of stores, the level of service in New York is extraordinary – from the waiters in restaurants, clerks in retail establishments, even the woman selling subway tickets (who let me purchase a single ride, even though it’s against the rules).

Were you at the IABC conference? What did you think?

Comments

[Kare Anderson]

And the BlogTalk radio interviews were fun - plus seeing so many people from other countries. And the weather was not witheringly hot but balmy.
Even saw 2 plays. Favorite: Ossage August County, even at 3 12 hours long swept by. Kiefer Sutehrland in the audience, looked rapt as well
I, too, enjoyed the conference
http://www.iabc.com/ic/nyAS3.htm

[Donna Papacosta]

Thanks for your comment, Kare. I DID attend your session at IABC. You're a very engaging speaker. Unfortunately, I had to dash out as soon as it ended to make a scheduled client call. I will be talking about you in my next podcast. ;-)

[Sue Horner]

I too enjoyed the conference, and social media sessions were certainly an automatic part of most conversations. Another highlight is always the dinearound; it's terrific to have a local host pick a restaurant and provide a setting for networking on a smaller scale. The only conference-goer remorse I am suffering is that I didn't also fit in more sightseeing and maybe just a little shopping!

[Parker]

Hey Donna,

I didn't actually get to go the conference this year, but I'm glad you enjoyed our party!

After living in the GTA (that's Greater Tokyo Area) for almost a year, I can assure you that they do have nice washrooms, and certainly nicer than the ones we have here. Maybe they were taking photographs of the fact that the toilets were missing the built-in bidet and seat heater?

[Sam G]

Hi Donna. I didn't make it to the IABC conference but have enjoyed some of the subsequent coverage, including your great summary.

For those in the UK who couldn't be there in person, there is a chance to catch up with what happened at the conference at a special IABC 'New York New York' event in London on July 23rd, 6-8pm. For details and to register visit: http://iabcnyny.eventbrite.com/

£40 for IABC members, £60 for non-members. It 'aint New York but it should be fun.