Trafcom News

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?

Do you end the interview too soon?

Have you ever experienced premature interview termination? Here’s how it goes: At the end of an interview – whether it’s for a magazine article, corporate newsletter piece or podcast – you thank the subject, snap your notebook shut and switch off your recorder. In the chatter that follows, your interviewee utters the most quotable quote of the last half hour.

I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me. So, over the years, I’ve learned to not turn off the recorder until the last possible minute – way beyond the thank-yous – and to keep my pen poised to capture every juicy bit.  Half the time, the best material emanates from those last comments.

There’s a lesson here for the interview subject too: Don’t assume that what you believe to be an off-hand comment won’t actually be on the record. (Of course, in the corporate world, endless rounds of approvals will ensure that the final product won’t violate anyone’s sensibilities; for external publications, it’s a different matter.)

What do you think?

I said, “LET’S HAVE A NICE QUIET DINNER!”

On a recent Friday night, after a hectic week, my partner and I decided to eat out so that we could unwind, reconnect and just share each other’s company (and not cook!). Well, forget about quiet conversation. Three minutes into the evening, we realized that we could not converse at all because the restaurant was so noisy – the 1980s soundtrack, the din of conversation, the plates banging. To communicate at all, we had to shout at each other, which sort of ruined the idea of an evening out. We chalked it up to the nature of the restaurant –  a casual spot filled with 20-somethings and families. And we joked about inventing a headset/mic combo just for diners that would allow people to communicate at the table while blocking out everything else. (That’s what happens when two geeks go out.)

Several weeks later, at our favourite fine-dining restaurant in Oakville, we were fortunate to be tucked into a little table in the corner. Not too far away (it’s a small place), in the centre of the room, three couples held court at a round table. Two of the men were so boisterous that I was almost tempted to ask them to keep it down. (Giving them the evil eye didn’t seem to help). Compounding the problem, everyone else in the restaurant had to crank up the volume on their own conversations so as to talk over Big Mouth and Friend.

My partner and I wondered: Is it just us, or do other people think restaurants are too damned loud? An article in today’s Globe and Mail addresses this very point, going so far as to measure the decibel level in dining establishments in several Canadian cities.

Have you noticed this, too? Do you find restaurants are no longer cozy places to enjoy a quiet meal? With all the dollars spent on  fancy renovations, doesn’t anyone think about acoustics?

Help for Crackberry addicts

The recent Blackberry outage put countless users on edge. Yikes, they were unable to thumb through their email for, like, hours! As a communicator, I like this comical video, “A Cure for Blackberry Addiction,” on MyRaganTV (despite the error on the title screen– “effects” instead of “affects”) because it reflects a sad reality: our inability to unplug.

YES WE CAN: Like music to their ears

My colleague John Watkis is a gifted speaker and speechwriter who delivers a great talk on “Writing a Speech that’s Like Music to their Ears.”  This morning, John alerted me to a video made by will.I.am of Black Eyed Peas, setting to music a speech by U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama.

In John’s words: “This is the literal translation of making a speech sound like music to their ears. It’s an amazing video! Take five minutes to watch it.”

I agree. No matter what your political stripe, you have to admire Senator Obama’s powerful ability to inspire people through his words.

Big Ideas, Small Budget

What’s the big idea?
Big Ideas, Small Budget will be a discussion about how nonprofit organizations can communicate better without spending wads of cash. Big Ideas, Small Budget will start as a conference call, the contents of which will become a special episode of the Trafcom News Podcast. You are invited to participate in this conference call.

Who can take part?
Anyone who works for or with a nonprofit organization can contribute – whether you’re a board or staff member, volunteer or consultant (writer, PR specialist, graphic designer, Web expert, podcaster, and so on). If you are involved in any way with communicating for nonprofits, we’d love your help.

When?
The conference call is at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time on Friday, February 15, 2008. Dial 1-605-772-3285, then key in the access code 877696#. Don’t forget the pound key (number sign) at the end.

How will the call be structured?
I will pose one question at the beginning and invite callers to join in. For starters: What are the biggest communications challenges faced by nonprofit organizations with small budgets? After a discussion about that, we can talk about problems and solutions.

What kinds of things will we talk about?
Creating a communications strategy with a tight budget in mind; developing a Web presence; using traditional and social media; hiring internally or contracting out; training staff in communications tactics.

How long will the call be?
I’m planning on 45 to 60 minutes for the call. The eventual podcast will be shorter.

Can the knowledge gained in the Big Ideas, Small Budget discussion be transferred to government and for-profit organizations?
In a word, yes!

Do I have to RSVP?
If you’re fairly certain that you’re going to take part, please let me know by commenting on the blog or sending me an email at Donna AT Trafcom DOT com. Of course if your schedule suddenly frees up on February 15, you’re more than welcome to dial in even if you haven’t alerted me in advance.

Who came up with this big idea?
Big Ideas, Small Budget was inspired by Tina Hansen, a frequent commenter on the Trafcom News Podcast. Tina volunteers her time and talents, particularly with the National Federation of the Blind. She and I have enjoyed an email exchange on this topic, and I’ve decided to run this conference call and then create the subsequent podcast to help her and others. I am a volunteer, too, and I know that communicating on a small budget can be challenging.

Who designed the nice logo?
Registered Graphic Designer Branimir Zlamalik created the Big Ideas, Small Budget logo. He and I often collaborate on projects. In fact, we both work on communications for a nonprofit organization here in Oakville, Ontario. Check out his GBCom Unlimited Web site.

Do I get any glory for participating?
I will ask everyone who dials in to send me their full name, organization name and URL, which I will include in the detailed show notes for the podcast. Even more, you’ll know that you’ve done something to contribute to the greater good, and what’s better than that?

What’s next?
Please mark your calendar for noon Eastern on February 15. And spread the word too!

Talk is Cheap: successful all around

Gary Schlee and his team from the Corporate Communications and Public Relations program at Centennial College in Toronto did an amazing job running the Talk is Cheap social media unconference on November 15. Almost 200 people came out to hear people talking about social media in the real world. I enjoyed the sessions by Tara Wood of the World Wildlife Fund Canada about using social media to augment a traditional awareness campaign; Rick Spence of Canadian Entrepreneur on the power of blogs vs. print; and Jen Maier of Urban Moms  and Michelle Kostya of Cuisinart, who spoke of building community as a way to ultimately build sales.

I regret missing Joe Thornley discussing best practices in social media relations, Wayne McPhail talking about video and Dave Fleet sharing his insights into social media and crisis communications (with a case study about the California wildfires).

Thanks to the Toronto chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for stepping up to sponsor this first-time event.

Here are my impressions as an attendee and speaker:

• The students were so very helpful. From the moment you walked through the doors, you could always find a fresh young face to direct you to the right place; those of us who are directionally challenged are grateful for this.
• Nice food, especially for a free conference. Much appreciated.
• Kudos for keeping everyone on time. Twenty minutes seemed to work well for the presentations.
• Allowing 15 or so minutes between sessions was a smart idea to encourage networking; there seemed to be plenty of this going on.
• Mixing seasoned pros and young students keeps both groups on their toes; this is a good thing.
• No one was selling anything. Hallelujah.
• The evening went by way too fast for me and left me wanting more. So what’s the deal for next year, Gary?

Congratulations to Gary and the students.

Do you really need those slides?

These days I've been helping a client to change their boring PowerPoint deck into a compelling presentation. This assignment has inspired me to record this 14-minute podcast, wherein I share some tips for making your next presentation memorable. Check out the resources I’ve found for you:

Presentation Zen, a blog that offers many useful tips, advice and examples
Great Presentations Mean Business
Beyond Bullets by Cliff Atkinson

Visit the Trafcom News Podcast page to download the podcast and see the full shownotes. While you’re there, why not subscribe to the podcast on iTunes?

Talk is Cheap and the food is free

Gary Schlee, who writes the wonderful A Class Act blog geared toward students in the Corporate Communications and Public Relations program at Toronto’s Centennial College, has come up with a very bright idea: Talk is Cheap.

Talk is Cheap is a social media unconference that Centennial will be hosting on November 15, partly funded by the Toronto chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). From the registrations so far, it looks as though seasoned communications practitioners and enthusiastic students will enjoy meeting and networking and learning from each other.

Check out Gary’s blog post for more information, and then get thee to the Wiki to sign up.

Key words: Free, unconference, great people and even food! So you can rush from work and not have to rely on that desiccated granola bar in your briefcase for sustenance.

See you there!

Excellent advice for public speakers: set a goal, don’t be too broad

Read this post from Heidi Miller. She’s right on the money.

Heidi, when I speak on a social-media panel this week, I will be sure to end with a call to action!