Byword

IABC Tucson Chapter Newsletter, March 2008

In This Issue:

For previous issues of the Byword, visit our archives.

Turn Out the Welcome Mat for Regional
Leadership on April 3
IABC’s Pacific Region Chapter/Leadership Development Meeting will be held at the Hotel Arizona April 4-5, 2008. We’re proud that IABC/Tucson successfully bid over 22 other chapters to land the meeting in the Old Pueblo! The meeting will draw about 35 regional and chapter board members from the IABC Pacific Plains region, representing 14 states in the Midwest, Plains and Four Corners regions, as well as the West Coast and Hawaii.

We’re inviting all chapter members and local professionals to join us at the Hotel Arizona on April 3, when we’ll welcome region leaders with a pre-dinner, no-host bar reception 5:30-7 pm in the Hotel Arizona lobby. Join us for a fabulous networking opportunity, and help us give the region a Tucson-styled welcome!

In addition to your participation at the reception, we’re hoping you will support the meeting with supplies and equipment. If you have easel pads, pens and notepads to repurpose, or a projector, screen or floor easels that can be borrowed, please contact Elena Acoba, 742-1979, acoba@dakotacom.net.

RSVP and Pay Online for the April 3 Reception: Visit http://www.iabctucson.com/RSVP_Pay_080403.htm or send an email to gescobedo@pima.edu to reserve your place. Costs for reception are $19 for members with reservations, $26 for guests and at the door, $16 for students.

Submit Your Cactus Quill Entry by March 21 early bird deadline Cactus Quill entries are due this month!
The chapter competition is open to everyone involved in business communications in Arizona, and there are a variety of categories for your entries. It’s time now to download your application: http://www.iabctucson.com/cactus-quill.htm. Remember these dates:

  • Early bird deadline, March 21
  • Entry deadline, March 28
  • Cactus Quill Awards presentation, June 5

Region Scholarships Available for IABC’s June Conference in NYC
IABC's Pacific Plains Region has four scholarships to award to members for the 2008 IABC Conference in New York City in late June. Each scholarship is for one regular conference registration (includes general sessions, breakout sessions, welcome and networking receptions), and is valued at $1,000 each. (Note: Individuals awarded the scholarship will abe responsible for paying their travel, meals and hotel costs, as well as costs for special dinners or events.)

The conference scholarships are a way to expose chapter and regional leaders to IABC's international conference and help secure their commitment to IABC. Ideal candidates for scholarships are IABC members who are chapter or regional leaders, or are on the leadership fast track. Strong consideration given to those who have never previously attended an international conference or could not attend the June international conference without this scholarship.

If you are interested in applying for a scholarship please submit a brief essay stating how a scholarship will benefit you or your chapter to our region’s Professional Development Director Diane Balogh. Email your essay to dianebalogh@gmail.com, by Tuesday, March 18. The Pacific Plains Region Board will decide on the scholarship winners at its upcoming board meeting.

Roundup: Chapter News

  • IABC/Tucson’s Geneva Escobedo received a $400 scholarship to attend the National Council on Marketing and Public Relations Conference being held this month in Savannah, Georgia. This council exclusively represents community and technical college marketing communications professionals – Congratulations, Geneva, on this recognition!
  • The nominating committee is looking for some members to plan and execute programs for the next board year starting July 1, 2008. If you're interested in hanging with a bunch of fun-loving folks, contact committee chair Elena Acoba, 742-1979, acoba@dakotacom.net and find out how you can serve.
  • Anniversaries: Congratulations to our long-service member: 4 years, Julia Strange
  • We’ve had a great response to our call for judges (for reviewing entries in other chapter awards programs) but we could still use your talents! Judging the entries of other chapters' competitions is a great opportunity to view the work of others. The first set of entries is coming in mid-March from Omaha. Judging requires reading through the entry and completing an evaluation form – a process typically requiring about 30 minutes per entry. If you have 5 or more years of work experience and are interested in a very satisfying volunteer experience, please contact Nancy McCluskey-Moore at nmcmoore@yahoo.com or call 822-6373.

IABC News and Resources

In the ongoing discussion of Web 2.0 and its relevance to business communications, members should check out the March-April edition of IABC’s CW magazine. The Tech Talk column has a good report on how colleges are using of social media to enhance education. As students today are the workforce of tomorrow, it’s an important read. (Note: the link above requires an IABC member sign-in.)

Our February and March PD luncheons focused on community relations and how it helps align an organization’s values, expertise, and resources with the community’s needs. An interesting correlation to our luncheon discussions is found in The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication in an article by Mary Ann McCauley, ABC. In her report, McCauley underscores the values derived by both business and the community. She says it’s win-win for business in several ways:

  • It provides a forum for leadership and skill development of employees through volunteerism.
  • It enhances visibility in the community for the company, which helps increase morale and loyalty among existing employees and makes it easier to recruit employees.
  • It generates leads or sales of products and services by providing a venue for potential buyers to see the benefits of using specific products or services.
  • It enhances brand identity, particularly for consumer products, in key markets through sponsorship of events that attract potential buyers.
  • It increases the company’s image as a socially responsible member of the communities in which it has a presence.

The value to the community also comes in many forms:

  • It bolsters resources available to serve a specific population that is underserved.
  • It brings expertise to an issue that otherwise would not be affordable by the agency or population in need.
  • It helps mentor future community leaders through volunteerism.
  • It enhances the image of a community through the visibility gained by corporate support of community initiatives.
  • It helps reduce the dependence of nonprofits on government support.

This is excerpted from The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication, available at the IABC Knowledge Centre. Member price: US$80, non-member price: US$85.

Calendar Notes

  • April 3: “Networking with Pacific Plains Representatives,” evening reception and networking at Hotel Arizona lobby
  • May 21: “Social Networking,” IABC Webseminar at Intuit Board Room, 9:30–noon Hosted by Intuit
  • June 5: “Cactus Quill Awards” 5:30–8:30 pm, location TBA
  • July: no meeting
  • August 7: “Network Plus!” networking session, plus rollout of IABC’s new member benefit: topical networking in small groups
  • September 4: “New Standards & Public Expectations in Public Relations,“ Dave Irwin, Executive Director for Public Information, PCC
  • October 2: “Interactive Writing Workshop,” TBA
  • November 6: “Corporate Branding and Image-Making,” Media Panel
  • December TBA: Joint Holiday Event with PRSA

About Byword
Byword is emailed monthly by the Tucson Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators to its membership. For questions or ideas regarding Byword content, please contact Monica Surfaro Spigelman at msurfarospigelman@gmail.com

IABC Tucson
Post Office Box 43262
Tucson, Arizona 85733-3262