Top 5 Things I Want To Read About...

Unlike a lot of top 5 lists around these days I would like to take a different approach, and thereby taking exception to a lot of the top 5 lists around these days, no offense. :+)

We all use SM for different reasons. I learn so much from my contacts on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter that if I were to give you things I don't want you to tweet about, I might miss something really cool.

So here's my list of what I want to read:

1. New and hot bloggers - please keep telling me who you're reading. I often go visit and have found some extemely interesting business perspectives/tips/tricks. Don't stop touting interesting people (or people to follow/friend/fan).

2. Work projects - if you are working on a project that someone out in the SM world could help you with...don't hold back - collaboration is one of the key things SM give us access to!

3. Great restaurants - while I often get hungry, and therefore sometimes angry, when I am not eating delicious food like you - I still want to hear if you're having a fantastic meal and where. It expands my knowledge base and gives me options of places to try.

4. Photos of your vacation, dog, cat, baby, husband, wife, friends, etc. - while we are connected to each other through SM we don't see each other F2F very often, if ever, so if you stopped posting photos of personal interests that are important to you we might not ever get a chance to learn more about you, find more commonalities between us, and therefore build a stronger relationship with you.

5. Interesting news - even if it's not industry related, you never know where you will get the inspiration for your next big idea. Post it especially if it's industry related...we all want/need to know - don't hold back.

For me SM gives me an opportunity to meet and connect with interesting people - if you stop doing the above because someone created a list that said you should stop doing these things, most likely I would stop following you because I wouldn't believe there was a person behind the name...

Agree?

Volunteers That Are Rockin My World - Go Membership Committee!

Hands down my Membership Committee is rockin my world these days.

I am so lucky to have an awesome membership committee that will tackle anything I put in front of them - always completing committee assignments on time and with a smile. In addition, they are so supportive of my goals for the year - I truly feel like I have an extension of my team with these dedicated volunteers.

So, as a group, they are my selection for most awesome volunteers this week!

Here's the list - give them some props next time you see or talk to them:

Robert Donahue, Disneyland Resort - Chair

Tom Casadamont - I&MI Media

Mike Dickinson - Travel Planners

David Fine - Broadmoor Hotel

Sherry Franklin - Renaissance Nashville Hotel

Adriana Molina - Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Armando Lazarte - Holiday Inn Express Springfield

Angela Musial

Greg Newton - Ottawa Convention Centre

Chris Nord - Hershey Resorts

Melissa Riley - Destinatio DC

Michele Sawka - Minerals, Metals and Materials Society

Belinda Waldo - Associated Luxury Hotels

Judy Wander - International Council of Shopping Centers

David Peckinpaugh - HelmsBriscoe, Board Liaison

Thank you thank you thank you for all you do for me and PCMA!

-Christine

Death by forms!

As I prepare for five tradeshows in the next 60 days - I have to tell you I'm going a little bonkers making sure all the paperwork is filled out correctly and completely.

Thing that amazes me are all the paper forms still - why can't I do more online? I am filling out at least five forms per show for a 10 x 10 booth.

I think there is a real opportunity here.

I work in the event/tradeshow/association business - so I get it. There are many many players to make a tradeshow successful - I know that. So I'm not so much complaining, well...I guess I am complaining...but I'm pushing us to come up with some better best practices here.

The opportunities are endless - one form with all the stuff, electronic forms, one payment form.

What I would love is an electronic checklist that helps walk me through the event start to finish to make sure I get all the right forms filled out and that I opt out of services I don't need.

Someone out there has to be doing some innovative work with this - please let me know what it is and I will promise to help spread the word!