Fascinating way to think about ATTENDING a session- although the blog is directed towards presenters...

"But what we aren't doing, and where the real opportunity might exist, is crafting tools and resources that support all meeting attendees as catalysts for content sharing and meaningful change in their own organizations. We should think of every single meeting planned and workshop created as a train-the-trainer event, an equip-the-teacher opportunity."

Read the whole post here:
http://jeffreycufaude.blogspot.com/2008/05/one-to-many.html

Wouldn't it be great if as an attendee you went in with the idea that you had to go back and teach others? How can presenters make this happen? Or is just too darn much to ask??

Planet GREEN!

If you havent seen this reinvention of a small town...you might want to:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/greensburg//?site=PLG

Watching a segment over the weekend really makes you think about all the efforts that COULD be made in helping build a sustainable earth. This town is a great example of what can be done and it is also a testament to what people can do when they decide to overcome adversity in a positive way.

So what does this have to do with us...well, as you know we are making every effort to make our meeting more green- recycling, less printing etc. ... People around here are shake their heads anytime someone mentions printing - "Nancy won't let us!"...well, not really but if we are at least THINKING before we print something then we are doing better.

But Wait...I am in a concurrent session and there are not 100 small pieces of paper lying around just waiting for me to fill them out? NOPE!! In keeping with the green efforts and MAJOR paper waster was session evaluations - some turned in, some not etc! So this year you will have the opportunity to complete session evaluations online. We have done the conference evaluations online for several years but this will be a first for sessions. It really is exciting and will keep our efforts to be green strong! Be sure to complete them after you attend sessions! Dont forget - FREE WIRELESS - sponsored by NACE - in the convention center meeting rooms!!

A Great Gift to Our Nation

I recently completed watching Battle 360, a multi-part series on the History Channel about the famed World War II carrier, the U.S.S. Enterprise. Pam Webster of Enterprise Rent-a-Car gave me the heads-up about the series and am I ever glad that she did. It was fabulous.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car was founded in 1957 by Enterprise by Jack Crawford Taylor, father of current CEO, Andy Taylor. Jack served as a fighter pilot on the U.S.S. Enterprise during World War II. The History Channel series did a very nice job of tying the men and women of Enterprise Rent-a-Car together with the proud legacy of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

For history buffs, Battle 360 was a fabulous trip back in time with plenty of computer generated graphics, historic film footage, and recent interviews of veterans. For those of us fortunate enough never to have been in such circumstances, the show was an important reminder of the incredible sacrifices made by an incredible generation. Over and over again you hear these men and women state that they weren't heroes; they were just doing their jobs. Well, they were heroes and because they did their jobs as well as anyone could ever hope we enjoy liberty.

The men and women of Enterprise Rent-a-Car give the world of college recruiting great gift after great gift. They are always there for us as sponsors, organizers, and more. They also gave the country a great gift by helping us to remember the U.S.S. Enterprise and its vital role in our history.

Text messages - as Marketing Tool?

I see that many of the sessions at the conference surround the topic of technology. And marketing is a big one too. So put those together and we're probably all thinking about ways to use technology to market our programs.

There's the standard website and email format that comes to mind first. But, I haven't really heard a lot about using text messaging as a marketing avenue. I feel like it's kind of a random thought I'm throwing out there, because I don't even know if it would be possible (or legal/ethical). And here I may also be showing a little bit of my limitations with technology. Personally, I've written one text message in my life and it took me about 5 minutes to write it and figure out how to send it!.

Emails seem to be easily ignored or deleted because we're all overwhelmed with the number of emails we get each day. But students seem to be very in tune with their cell phones for text messaging. But, is it even possible to send text messages to groups of people? (Again, my lack of knowledge shining through here). Would students be receptive to this kind of marketing, or would they be more annoyed by it? Are there legal/ethical limitations to this?

Although I can think of the advantages of using text messages to promote career programs, personally, I think if I were to receive text messages of the "marketing" variety, I would fall more on the "annoyed" side. But that's just me. What do you think? Anybody seen/ heard of this being done anywhere?

Is it May already?

Where has the time gone? Graduation is a week and a day away. While I am looking forward to the NACE Conference coming up at the end of the month, I confess I have hardly looked at the materials yet. I have another trip scheduled two weeks before and I haven't even had time to review that one yet either. I'm sure I could become more efficient in some areas but I also think there is just more to do. Hmmm, maybe there is a good session on that. I'll have to look, when I get the time.

Seriously, glancing through the schedule again I am reminded of the excellent topics and the difficult decisions I will have to make. Certainly a large area of interest revolves around marketing to students and I believe (along with many others) one key component is our effective use of technology. The only problem is that it keeps changing. There are several sessions within the technology track that look like they will provide some up-to-date information on what types of technology students are using now and how we might channel this power for our own purposes. I hope to also have the opportunity to discuss new technology in an attempt to be prepared instead of always playing catch-up.

Fads and Trends

Whether we are planning, presenting, or simply attending, conferences offer us the chance to play the prognosticator. What is hot right now? What will become the next need-to-know thing, and what will be a flash in the pan? Technology continues to garner a bit of attention, mostly with a focus on particular tools that are top-of-mind. As always, though, there are too many offerings to take in everything of interest.

This year Facebook gets some more facetime (will the Beacon debacle be mentioned?), there are updates from the demographic front, we can hear echoes of the 2004 Chevron winner from a new campus and perspective, and YouTube seems to have replaced podcasting as the tech du jour. Are you planning your sessions out yet? Or do you wait until you are on the ground to decide?

At some point a retrospective on conference topics would be an interesting piece of research - track the true content trends and forces that have shaped our professions and have piqued our collective interest. What stories do you think it would tell?

Is Dolly Parton still right on?

In “9 to 5”, Dolly Parton sings about being “just a step on the boss man’s ladder” and how the work world is “all taking and no giving.” In Joni B. Cole and B.K. Rakhra’s new book, “Water Cooler Diaries,” the reader gets a glimpse at a day-in-the-life of 35 women whose jobs range from “orthopedic surgeon” to “voice-over actor.” These 9 to 5 chronicles present a diverse perspective on a variety of professional experiences, and I loved not only reading about the range of responsibilities and roles, but hearing such different and revealing views on careers. While there are plenty of disgruntled employees, there are also many who truly thrive in their work environments.

While reading these accounts, it’s hard not to imagine what kind of day you might jot down if given the opportunity. Like many people, my days vary so much that there’s never a ‘typical’ day (that was even more true when I was a middle school teacher—adolescents have a wonderful way of defying expectations!). In my current role, I’m neither a career counselor nor a recruiter, so I love hearing how people who are in those professions spend their time.

If you’ve time and inclination, jot down a snippet about an hour in your day. Hopefully your account won’t include the dripping-with-sarcasm line: “working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living...!?”