Who got down in Crown Town?

Two packed days of programs, a keynote speaker that talked about an invisible Pitman, and a networking event that involved dancing, SMPS members singing and some other memorable moments that shouldn’t end up in an SMPS newsletter! After attending an SMPS conference, there is a certain buzz that recharges me and I cannot wait to share the lessons learned with my team.

Since I could not clone myself, it was often difficult to choose which program to attend. Conference attendees were urged to write down one main idea to bring back from each session we attended; here are a few of mine:

Keynote Speaker: Terry Hawkins
Twitter: @GoStickman
http://www.terryhawkins.com/
Idea Tracker: No failures in life, just feedback.
 

Perryn Olson of Brand Constructors: Stand Out or Die
Twitter: @BrandConstruct
http://brandconstructors.com/
Idea Tracker: Make your customers into believers (through trust) and make the believers into promoters (through love).
 

Kristi Pempin of Redbud Marketing: Moves Like Jagger
Twitter: @RedbudConnect
http://redbudmarketing.com/
Idea Tracker: Be a person people can trust.

Speaking of being charged, register now for our April Energy Summit on April 19^th. Our lunch will be held at The Liberty Restaurant.

As our calendar year winds down, I want to hear from you. What have you like about SMPS Charlotte this year? What can we improve on? As you all know we go into planning mode over the summer and your feedback is essential to our continued growth.

Members Only Reminder – Board nominations are due APRIL 15^th! We need to fill the following positions for the 2012-2013 calendar year: President-Elect, Secretary, Director of Education, and Director of Membership. Email me at ecrandall@horizon-engineering.com by April 15^th or call me for more information at 704.315.2042.

Blair Wegner

Stewart Engineering
Marketing Coordinator

Length of Time in the Industry: One Year and One Month!

City you were born in/where you grew up: Raleigh

Where you live now and how long you’ve lived there: Charlotte (southpark area), been here a little over a year

Where you went to college: East Carolina University

Favorite restaurant: I really don’t have a favorite in Charlotte yet. Suggestions?  I like any restaurant with an outdoor patio!

Favorite book/or last book read: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Favorite TV show: Modern Family

Favorite movie/or last movie seen: The Help

Interest or hobbies: working out/fitness, concerts/live music, arts/crafts, shopping, reading, volunteer work

How did you get your career start?   I started working as an intern for the global PC company Lenovo and worked there four years before coming to Charlotte to work for Stewart Engineering.

First Job: Retail!

Personal Hero: My Mom

Favorite Vacation Spot: Outer Banks NC

Join the Queen City's marketing community on Tuesday, April 24 for marketCHARLOTTE - Stories of Leadership, an evolution of the annual Marketing Forecast event. The event will showcase an outstanding panel of speakers sharing how businesses large and small are making their mark in Charlotte. The marketCHARLOTTE event will be on April 24 at CenterStage@NoDa. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for networking, with the panel discussion running from 6:00-8:30 p.m. and plenty of time before and after for socializing. The event is open to the public, as well as all Charlotte marketing and communications professionals.

Hear and interact with some of the smartest thought leaders in marketing from finance to healthcare and more. Eric Frazier of The Charlotte Observer and Nathan Richie of NR Creative and co-host of The Marketing Squad podcast will moderate marketCHARLOTTE. Panelists will share their marketing story highlighting The Challenge, The Solution, The Aftermath, and ultimately, leave the audience with a Lesson Learned. Questions for the panelists will be collected during an interactive social media break and then answered during a lively panel discussion. All attendees are invited to network after the event. Audience members can expect to walk away inspired with proven strategies to consider applying to their own organization's growth.

Panel of speakers:

• Doug Lebda - Chairman, CEO and Founder, LendingTree.com
• Erinne Kovi Dyer – VP of Corporate Communications & Corporate Health and Wellness of Carolinas HealthCare System
• Desiree Kane – co-founder of The PPL, a platform for active community engagement during the Democratic National Convention
• John Bauersfeld - VP of Business Development, Roush Fenway Racing
• Josh Oakhurst - Creative Director, Skookum Digital Works
• Bruce Hensley - Charlotte Restaurant Week and President of Hensley Fontana Public Relations
• Adam Holden-Bache - CEO/Managing Director, Mass Transmit

Register at marketcharlotte2012.eventbrite.com

Online registration: $35 for participating association members, $45 for nonmembers

*Price includes admission to event, hors d'oeuvres, two free drinks at the cash bar and extensive networking.

Networking starts at 5:00 p.m.
Panel discussion at 6:00-8:30 p.m. followed by more networking

CenterStage@NoDa

2315 North Davidson

Charlotte, NC 28202

Participating marketing professional organizations in Charlotte:

• AAF - American Advertising Federation
• AIGA - The Professional Association for Design
• BMA - Business Marketing Association
• CAMA - Charlotte American Marketing Association
• CDMA - Charlotte Direct Marketing Association
• IABC - International Association of Business Communicators
• PDMA - Product Development and Management Association
• SMCLT – Social Media Charlotte
• SMPS - Society for Marketing Professional Services

Follow us online via:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/marketCLT
Twitter - @marketCLT  hashtag: #MKTCLT
Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/groups/marketCHARLOTTE
Website – http://www.marketcharlotte.org