Social Media is Everybody’s Business!

The 7 Reasons why this is true

1. Tailoring the conversation with the right information, relevant industry terms and appropriate name dropping  to get the job
2. Find up to date ABC company information you can’t find on the ABC company website
3. Get better access to right people you couldn’t access through traditional sources such as phone calls and emails
4. Increase your Search Engine Optimization by boosting your “Social Media Optimization”
5. Peak your connections curiosity and be top of mind
6. Build trust through low commitment interactions
7. Increase credibility to strengthen your brand

Clients and meeting planners find their speakers through the vehicle of Social Media. Meeting planners told us, if you are not “alive” online, you don’t exist. Can you be found?

Do you have a robust online profile? If not, see what you are missing at this workshop? Social Media is a huge resource for every business that needs to compete and prosper in today’s market. Are you using social media to advance your business?

Join us Saturday, November 13th, and learn how to strategically use Facebook and Linkedin to grow your business. Join the members of the NSA Northwest Community and the Social Media Savvy community and tap into their skills as well as collaboratively share your own! Bring your laptops to actively participate.

This session will give you the knowledge, skills and tools to equip you to compete in the market place. In this highly interactive session we will cover:

• Creating and using your Facebook and Linkedin Accounts
• Learning specific safeguards to protect yourself, your business, and your reputation in the online world
• Growing the NSA Northwest Community with collaborative ideas

With the green movement, social media is crucial and serve as your first point of marketing collateral.

Meeting details:

Registration 7:45 am
Program 8:00am – 12:00pm
Location: Meeting at the Coast Hotel in Bellevue, Washington

Early Bird Pricing:

$30 – Members
$45 – Affiliates
$40 – First Time Guests
$75– Returning Guests

*Early bird pricing will be in effect until Saturday, November 6th. After that, please add $10 to the price.

Day of Meeting Pricing:

$50 – Members
$65 – Affiliates
$50 – First Time Guests
$95– Returning Guests

NSA Northwest Event Cancellation Policy

Because our costs are non-refundable for our meetings, our cancellation policy is as follows:

75% Refund –  for cancellations 15 days or more before the event.
50% Refund – for cancellations 8-14 days or less before the event.
No Refund – for cancellations   7 days or less before the event.

Do you want to be newsworthy?

Meeting 8:00am-12:00pm

How do you accomplish this? Learn from KUOW’s news director since 2001, Guy Nelson. He supervises the staff of reporters, interns and freelancers in covering the local news each day. How is the news selected? What is the criteria? What makes the stories stand out from the other millions? How can you and your company appear newsworthy? Get into this conversation to understand how to be notable and quotable . ( He also fills in occasionally as host of the daily talk show “The Conversation.”)

Guy Nelson, KUOW News Director

Guy has been in public radio in the Seattle area for more than 20 years. He started as music host at community station KAOS in Olympia, then moved on to KPLU in Tacoma as a reporter. After living in Japan for a couple years he returned to Seattle in 1992 to work for KUOW as host for “All Things Considered.” Guy left public radio for two years to join an internet radio startup but when that venture proved short lived he returned to KUOW in his present position.

Guy has won dozens of regional and national awards for his work as a reporter, producer and editor. Most notably, two projects that he edited for KUOW reporter Patricia Murphy won national awards, one from the Public Radio News Directors, Inc. for best documentary, and one from the Radio and TV News Directors Association for best series.

Outside of work, Guy enjoys exploring the world and studying languages. He’s also an accomplished actor on Seattle area stages and has composed music for several theatre groups and choirs. He has a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin and a B.A. from The Evergreen State College.

Guy has been a journalism Fellow at the Poynter Institute in Florida, RTNDA’s RIAS program in Berlin (twice), Stanley Foundation/Reuters Workshop in Beijing, China, and the East–West Center Journalists Exchange in Japan.

Saturday, September 11th, 8:00am – 12pm the Coast Hotel in Bellevue, Washington.

If you were an early bird, one of the first 20 to sign up and be in a drawing for one of the following:

• 1 minute to talk on stage about your business during the meeting
• Buy one, get one free main meeting certificate
• 1 hour one presentation powerpoint coach with Dave Ashcraft

Event Pricing:
$40 – Members
$55 – Affiliates
$50 – First Time Guests
$85– Returning Guests

Day of Meeting Pricing:
$50 – Members$65 – Affiliates

NSA Northwest Event Cancellation Policy
Because our costs are non-refundable for our meetings, our cancellation policy is as follows:
75% Refund –  for cancellations 15 days or more before the event.
50% Refund – for cancellations 8-14 days or less before the event.
No Refund – for cancellations  7 days or less before the event.

What did you learn at the meeting?

Calling all NSA Northwest Professional Members – Join us on Wednesday August 18th for Hot Seat

Did you wish that you had an opportunity for the hot seat when Ford Saeks came to Seattle?  Do you want to take advantage of the innovative ideas, unique perspectives and creativity that comes from group synergy?  Are you in need of a novel twist or a fresh change in your branding? Do you need clarity in your messaging?

Join NSA members for the first ever in-house, HOT seat event.  Space and time are limited to twelve so not everyone will get a hot seat, but everyone will be contributing their brilliant ideas.

Meeting Details:

6pm:       Chat & Munch

7-9pm:   Hot Seats with feedback

Location: Magnolia (Seattle), directions will be sent after registration

Price: $6.00

Please join us for the Annual Summer Party 

• This is a great way to get to know your fellow NSA Members in a casual setting.
• Meet new Members, Affiliates and talk with the 2011- 2012 Board Members.
• Learn about new membership perks.

Here are the details:
Event: Annual Summer Party for Members, Affiliates and their families or guests
When: Sunday July 24th from 2-5pm
Where: Seattle

Cost: $ 5.00 per family
Please bring something to grill and a potluck dish to share with 20 other folks.

Calling CSPs from NSA Northwest, NSA Oregon and CAPS Vancouver. Calling Past Chapter Presidents and NSA Northwest Board Directors. Join us for a CSP/Leadership gathering with Stephen Tweed, CSP and Past President of NSA.

This open-ended conversation will include a short review of his recent NSA University Webinar on ‘Multiple Streams of Income’. Then we’ll open it up for discussion. Anything goes. Stephen has a very strong presence in a well-defined niche, is a keynoter/trainer/consultant and presents self-sponsored ‘academies’ throughout the United States.

Stephen Tweed’s in-depth experience as a corporate executive, board member, entrepreneur, author, professional speaker and consultant means that he can be a valuable resource to CEOs and executive teams who want to grow their businesses, create competitive advantage in the marketplace, and craft a culture of accomplishment that takes the organization to a higher level of significance.

Stephen speaks at corporate meetings, Executive Strategy Retreats, and association conferences on business strategy, growth, future trends, and competitive advantage.

Seattle – Magnolia Residence

6:30-8:30 pm Free except for munchies money. Register $10 online. The address will be an autoresponder sent to you.

Sam Horn, author of POP! Create the Perfect Pitch, Title and Tagline for Anything

“When you can do a common thing in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.”  – George Washington Carver

There are thousands of professional organizers, clutter consultants, and get-your-act-together speakers across the country. What are you doing to stand out?

Sam Horn

Would you like to learn how to be one of a kind instead of one of many? Write attention-grabbing copy for your brochure, blog, book, columns, or website – so you don’t look and sound like everyone else? Develop a “Jerry Maguire” elevator speech that has people at hello? Craft a brand for your business that helps you break out instead of blend in? Motivate people to listen when you talk? Favorably impress decision-makers so they approve your requests?  Use humor to win buy-in to your point of view?
If so, plan on joining Sam Horn, 17-time Emcee of the world-renowned Maui Writers Conference and author of POP! Stand Out in Any Crowd (Perigee) as she shares her fun and fascinating techniques for getting interest in what you have to offer.  This half-day, hands-on workshop is being offered by the Northwest Chapter of NSA, and will include Hot Seats – so bring a specific question related to your project in case you’re one of the lucky participants chosen for a 60-second, on-the-spot coaching session with Sam.

Sam, a communication and creativity consultant for more than 20 years, has studied the “art and science of intrigue” and knows what it takes to capture busy people’s attention.   Her work has been praised by Seth Godin, Stephen Covey, Jeffrey Gitomer, Susan Jeffers, Tony Robbins and Ken Blanchard who said her POP! Process is a “lively guide to getting heard, getting remembered, getting results.”

Whether your goal is to create a business name or URL that differentiates you from the competition, create compelling copy for your promotional material hat builds buzz and generates word of mouse marketing, convince a decision-maker to contract for your services, or craft a memorable ad or slogan that stays in people’s mind and motivates them to try and/or buy your product — you’ll learn how to produce Purposeful, Original, Pithy messages that win buy-in for what you have to say and sell.

After this rollicking, “Intellectual Disneyland” program, you’ll understand why thousands of people call Sam brilliant, why she was twice selected as the top-rated speaker at the International Platform Association, why she received raves from such clients as Boeing, NASA, National Governors Association, Hewlett-Packard, and Fortune 500 Forum, and why 4-time Pulitzer nominee Fawn Germer says, “You don’t have to be a creative genius to use Sam’s techniques, but using her techniques can make you a creative genius.”

Saturday, June 12, 2010 at the Coast Hotel in Bellevue, Washington

8:00am – 12:00pm Morning Session

Afternoon session 1:00-3:30pm

Early Bird Pricing – effective until Friday May 28th, after that add $10:

$30 – Members, afternoon session together $45
$45 – Affiliates, afternoon session together $60
$40 – First Time Guests, afternoon session together $55
$75 – Returning Guests, afternoon session together $90

Day of Meeting Pricing:

$50 – Members, afternoon session together $65
$65 – Affiliates, afternoon session together $80
$50 – First Time Guests, afternoon session together $75
$95 – Returning Guests, afternoon session together $110

Make your PowerPoint Presentations Pop!

It takes years creativity and skill to make a presentation come alive! But a lack of PowerPoint creativity and skill can derail your presentation in seconds.  You will take away techniques and skills that you can immediately apply to improve the effectiveness of your PowerPoint’s. You will learn 7 ways to use PowerPoint to engage and build trust with your audience and 7 PowerPoint Pitfalls to avoid.  This is not a PowerPoint 101 class and will be totally different than what you expect.  If you have to use PowerPoint and want to improve your presentations, this class will provide you instant value!

David Ashcraft’s expertise is taking normally tortuous financial subject matter and converting the content to be educational, engaging, and entertaining.  He learned early on that a bad PowerPoint can persecute an audience and kill a presenter’s message.  While working at Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU) as a Financial Educator and teaching audiences about money he had to incorporate both presentation and PowerPoint skills to motivate audiences to take action.  At BECU he created the Stock and Roll Game, Savertooth’s Amazing Saving Adventure, Better Budgeting, and other interactive financial educational programs.

For the last ten years Ashcraft has constantly worked on building better PowerPoint’s and now works with clients like JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Cushman and Wakefield, and the Mechanical Contractors of Western Washington.

Ashcraft has been a highly-rated faculty member at the Graduate School of Banking, Colorado and Southwestern Graduate School of Banking and currently teaches at Graduate school of banking LSU. He received his BA from Washington State University and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School where he later served as an associate director.

Meeting Details:

Saturday March 13, 2010 8:00am – 12:00pm at the Coast Hotel in Bellevue, Washington.

Day of Event Pricing:

Members – $50

Affiliates – $65

First Time Guest – $50

Returning Guest – $95

Comments from the meeting

This is for the paid NSA Members and affiliates and their guests.

Enjoy the good company of your fellow NSA Community as we toast the holidays, partake of some tasty nibbles and join in good fellowship.  Please bring appetizers for 20 others and $5 per party. You can bring a guest if you wish.

Bring your new hotel travel size toiletries to donate to the holiday gifts for the Union Gospel Mission.

We will be celebrating in Deanna Turner’s new house in Magnolia. After you register online, you will get directions.

To join us, please register

Behind the scenes of meeting bookings

• How are meetings and conventions planned?
• What do meeting planners want and need in a speaker?
• How can you as a speaker position yourself to stand out and be hired?
• What does a meeting planner want to hear from the speaker?
• What can a speaker do to position themselves as an expert to the planner?
• What should the meeting planner and speaker always discuss on the phone?  Never discuss on the phone?
• How should the planner and the speaker have the fee discussion?

Talk with meeting planners who work in non-profits, associations and corporate meetings.  We have you covered. The mystery will be uncovered.

• Shelly Tolo – Expert- Tolo Events – Non-Profit Events
• Melissa Jurcan – Expert – International Society of Special Events -
  Associations and Corporate
• Julie Manheim – Expert- Milliman, Inc, Director of Meetings – Corporate Events

Marilyn McGuire - Moderator- Emerald Voice

Click here for biographies on our experts

Successful meetings begin in partnership between a skilled meeting planner and an outstanding speaker.  The National Speakers Association invites both planners and speakers to a special session on the MEETING/EVENT MERGER…ideas on how to be and how to select the very best speakers for every kind of special meeting event.

This format will be a discussion format style, different from our standard meeting.

Last year, we had fruitful meeting of the minds, both meeting planners and speakers trying to understand each other’s worlds. We will do it again.

If you bring a meeting planner, you will be entered in with the others who bring meeting planners for a 2 minute slot to tell us what you do.

Friday January 8th, 2010 at the Seattle Columbia Tower Club

• $40 – Members
• $55 – Affiliates
• $50 – First Time Guests
• $85 – Returning Guests
• $15 – Meeting Planner

If you attended make your comments here.

Keynote Speaker, Author and Comedian, World Champion Toastmaster

You Tube, Your Business, You Profit

Profit from Product by Next Week

Check out his 148 videos.

Meeting details:

Saturday October 3rd, 3:00pm – 5:00pm at the Seattle Public Library Central Location in the Spiral 8 Meeting Room located on level 8.

This event is for NSA Northwest Professional Members only, limited to 12 people.

Event Pricing:                                                                                                 

$25 – Members

More about Darren.