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Breakfast will be available.

In this “Lessons from an Industry Leader,” Brief Media CEO/Founder Elizabeth Green will share insights on how investing in the success and well-being of others–from mentoring local entrepreneurs to traveling the world to eradicate disease with the Mission Rabies project– also translates to business success. Gain inspiration and ideas to further your own career and publishing efforts with a focus on social good as a core business principle during this keynote talk followed by Q&A.

It used to be said that everyone has a story. Now it seems like everyone has a podcast. But not all podcasts tell their stories as well as they could, and not all monetize with sponsorships or mid-roll and pre-roll ads. The two podcasts you will hear from—Jeff Lenard who works on Convenience Matters for NACS; and Kat Shamapande, who works on and hosts Let’s Get Surety for NASBP—accomplish both with style and a dedicated audience. Join podcast producer and collaborator Blake Althen as he leads us in key lessons for making your podcast into a resounding success.

Speakers:

Blake Althen, Co-owner and producer, Human Factor 

Jeff Lenard, Vice President, Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS

Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, National Association of Surety Bond Producers 

Universal Track Sponsored by:

Are you up-to-date on the latest trends, discussions, and terms related to language that supports DEI efforts? As writers and editors, and publishing professionals, these three presenters will speak to how associations can use inclusive language in their writing and other communications efforts. Attendees will leave the session knowing some of the latest language trends to be more inclusive in their association publications, scholarly communications, and media. Attendees will also be able to understand and explain to their colleagues and staff why using conscious and inclusive language is important. Finally, attendees will know where to go for resources, including style guides geared toward specific groups, and the benefit of using sensitivity readers.

Speakers:

Nicole B. Racadag, MSJ, Team Lead, Publications, American College of Radiology

Kelley Butler, Director, Content Marketing, Businessolver

Jenny Peng, Senior Publisher, Oxford University Press

Damita Snow, CAE, Senior Manager for Publishing Technologies, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Specialized Track sponsored by :

How do you convince busy professionals to commit to write for you? From articles to books, digital and/or print, what are the magic words that describe the “personal ROI” to potential authors/speakers? And how can you create and leverage cross-media content and marketing opportunities to benefit both your contributors and your organization?

Speakers:

Alison Lake, Team Lead, Content Acquisitions, Bloomberg Law

Michaela Brennan, Legal Content Editor, Education, American Association for Justice (AAJ)

Rob Anderson, Senior Director of Publishing, American Health Law Association (AHLA)

Universal Track Sponsored by:

As an editor, you learn to know what audiences need so you can publish content they will read and use. You know how to use existing and new formats to deliver content when and how it will resonate most. And you know how to set goals and measure success. Guess what? The rest of the association also creates and publishes content. (It’s known as the organization’s programs, products, services, information, resources, and tools.) But most of them don’t have the knowledge and skills that you have. And your knowledge and skills would make a significant difference in all of the association’s content! This session will cover 

1. How to spread content strategy skills to the rest of the association
2. How to get buy-in for a strategic approach to all of the association’s content
3. How to increase the organization’s content strategy maturity, starting where they are and growing over time

Speakers: 

Hilary Marsh, Founder, Chief Content and Digital Strategist, Content Company

Stacey Moncrieff, Vice President, Business Communications and Publishing, National Association of Realtors

Specialized Track sponsored by :

Prepacked lunches for easy social distancing, stepping outside or finding a quiet spot to eat.

1. Let First-Party Data Change Your Life, Hum

Associations and publishers are prolific sources of trusted, reliable content. And they have broad audiences who rely on that content. Gathering, understanding, and actioning first-party data at the intersection of your audience and content can dramatically improve your value proposition to your members and readers, increase your audience size, improve your entire product line-up, and open up new non-dues revenue streams.

Third-party data is out; first-party data is in. If you’re not gathering and using your first-party data, you’re going to get eaten for lunch. Join John Challice to hear how Hum lets associations and publishers use their first-party data to grow.

Attend this session to learn how Hum:

• Uses an AI-based natural language processing tool to understand what content is about
• Actions audience and content data in the service of marketing, events, membership, education, publishing, and more
• Lets you turn your first-party data into a valuable strategic asset.

2. Silicon Valley Wants You! Monetizing Your Print and Digital Ad Inventory with Venture Capital,  Arrandale Ventures 

Start getting a piece of the $80 BILLION(!) that B2B startups spent on marketing with Google, Facebook and Amazon last year. At this Speed Talk, you will learn how you can trade your publication’s print and digital advertising inventory for equity in startups backed by some of the country’s best investors. Arrandale Ventures is a venture capital firm launched by Zachary Richner, third-generation family owner of one of the largest local newspaper groups in the U.S., to support local and traditional media organizations as well as the communities they serve.

3. State of the Inbox, Omeda

Dive into Omeda’s database to see an exclusive look at the insights from 7 billion emails sent over the past year. See the latest trends including the impact from Apple MPP and clickbots, and get strategies you can implement immediately to increase email engagement, presented by Tony Napoleone VP, Client Experience, Omeda.

In this panel discussion, experts from the publishing ethics domain will discuss the emerging nature of information outlets diverging  from reliable and trustworthy to outright misleading. The audience will gather actionable guidance on how to handle challenges associated with viral spread of misinformation & disinformation when there is a need for both speed and accuracy to mitigate  the damage, correct the record, and reestablish trust with audiences. This panel will also discuss what to expect and how to handle the latest trend of cancel culture.  

Learning Objectives: 

After attending this session, the audience will be able to:

1. Design strategies to handle and contain the spread of viral misinformation and disinformation.
2. Devise a plan to rapidly and responsibly mediate unduly response to shared content.

Envision ways of aligning the goals and missions of the association/organization in the event of cancel culture.

Speakers:

Randy Townsend, Director, Publishing Operations, Public Library of Science

Dr. Chhavi Chauhan, Director of Journal Continuing Medical Education Program, American Society for Investigative Pathology

Universal Track Sponsored by:

Publishing a web article in print?! A “reverse” publishing strategy may feel unnatural, but it may be one of the most cost-effective ways to test out your content ideas and gather valuable data about your audience’s preferences and engagement level before investing your resources in print. Learn how to harness digital tools, including Google Search Console, Google Trends and AnswerThePublic.com, to optimize print content. Participants will have an opportunity to workshop their ideas and get inspired for a reverse publishing project. 

Attendees will:

Discover where to look and how to find analytics and search results to glean audience insights to inform story ideas. 

Workshop new content ideas to test when you return to the office. This process will include evaluating candidates for reverse publishing, planning translation to print and determining KPIs. 

Learn how two national health organizations used digital results to inform print editorial planning. 

Speakers:

Megan Kramer, Senior Content Manager, GLC

Laura Pemberton, Associate Vice President, Content, National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Specialized Track sponsored by :

Everybody talks about “storytelling” as a better way to communicate, but it’s become such a broad buzzword that the board room concept rarely becomes a Slack channel reality that factors into our day-to-day communications work. This workshop-style session covers the science and traditions behind storytelling. It’s a mix of presentation and hands-on activities that help us understand WHAT stories are, WHY they’re so important and HOW we can effectively put the principles of story to use.

Speakers:

Randy Ford, Writer & Storytelling Strategist, First Story Strategies

Alexis Redmond, JD, MA, CAE, Managing Director, Legal, Risk, and Compliance Leadership Community, Manufacturers Alliance

Universal Track Sponsored by:

Learn what’s working in today’s fast-paced media and sponsorship world. We will share best practices, avoidable pitfalls, and emerging trends to engage readers, members, and industry partners.  Come “Close Win” with us and take back ideas to drive meaningful revenue.

Speakers:

Jay Blankenship, Director, Sales Consulting and Advisory, MCI USA

Bill Bell, SVP Director of Sales and Business Development, Fox Associates, Inc.

Joe Fernandez, Director, Advertising Sales & Business Development, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Specialized Track sponsored by :

• Spend this time making new connections and reconnecting with familiar faces,
• Visit service providers in the exhibit space,
• Check out the AMPLIFY: Connect! lounge space,
• Grab a few ideas and inspiration from the Idea Swap table. 

Wrap up Day 1 with a star-studded reception just prior to the EXCEL Awards Gala.

Get ready to celebrate!

SIIA’s EXCEL Awards is the largest and most prestigious program recognizing excellence and leadership in association media, publishing, marketing and communication. With 240 awards presented across 82 categories, the ceremony culminated with the EXTRA! Award, honoring the most outstanding entry across all categories.