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Professional Administrative Resources
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Hello! Howdy! Greetings!

  

During the final quarter of 2011, I spent most every Wednesday participating in a Professional Facilitator Training at The Johnson Center at GVSU. I took away something at each session:

 

* Come PREPARED and PRACTICE - the more prepared you are the better Perfect Balancethe session will go. For anyone who thinks that they do well thinking on their feet - not being prepared is a good lesson in humility. This seems so basic and yet in this busy world we live in - it can be the hardest step.

* A well facilitated meeting will: Inform, Excite, Empower and Involve (IEEI) everyone in the group.  Make a plan for how you will address each of these areas. Practice. Formulate an IEEI statement to open the session.

* Use icebreakers (click here to see some good icebreaker activities) to set the tone for the day and help the group gain familiarity. An icebreaker should not make anyone fell really uncomfortable or alienate them. Pay attention to body language during the ice breaker. This is a good time to get a sense of your group.

* Visual Mapping - this is a new and exciting way to "transcribe" a meeting. Two books in particular are great for learning about this fabulous way to engage a group.
o Visual Meetings: How Graphics, Sticky Notes and Idea Mapping Can Transform Group Productivity by David Sibbet
o Beyond Words: A Guide to Drawing Out Ideas by Millie Sonneman
 
* Here are a few more takeaways for a well facilitated meeting.
 

The most important thing I took away from this training was the introduction to Jen Schottke. Jen joined our team here at PAR three weeks ago and is already "knee deep" as the Client Administrator for USGBC West Michigan and AAF West Michigan activities. She comes to us after 4 years at CD Barnes Associates where she was Director of Marketing & Business Development. Jen has endeared herself to our CIO Nash by taking him for a run at lunch, to Julie by drinking coffee with her, to Lily with her laugh, and to Peter with her financial knowledge. You can welcome Jen to our team by emailing her at jschottke@proadminresources.com

 
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Client Spotlight: AAF West Michigan
 
AAF West Michigan

 

 P.A.R.'s longest-standing client of over 20 years is our partner focus in this issue. AAF (American Advertising Federation) West Michigan ad club is a member of the American Advertising Federation, a trade association that represents 50,000 professionals in the advertising industry. AAF's 130 corporate members are advertisers, agencies and media companies that comprise some of the nation's leading brands and corporations. Here in West Michigan the focus is specifically on promoting professional excellence through education, advocacy, networking, and community affairs.  Members are engaged in the profession of buying, selling, creating, or producing a service or product related to the advertising industry.

 

Quickly approaching is the culmination of 2011's local advertising talent in the ADDY® Awards. The ADDY® Awards are the advertising industry's largest and most representative competition, attracting over 60,000 entries every year in local ADDY® competitions. The ADDY® Awards celebration will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Judges from around the country met to determine the Silver and Gold Award winners. In addition to these winners, the night's top awards - Best in Show and Judges Choice - will also be presented. A Silver Medal Winner is selected and honored from our local advertising community. This individual is recognized for their contribution to the local ad community. It is a night to remember for the West Michigan ad community with good food, great company, and outstanding work. Click here for registration information.

 

P.A.R. supports AAF West Michigan through event planning & support, database maintenance, website & email marketing campaigns, board & committee interaction, high-end admin support, and financial management. AAF West Michigan is governed by two board co-presidents: Tim Mroz (The Right Place) and Jennifer Johnston (Priority Health). AAF West Michigan's mission is to promote professional interaction and growth, integrity and creativity, while supporting a vital West Michigan advertising and marketing community.


 

Find out more about AAF Western Michigan:


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Constant Contact
Five Tips for Successful Email Communications
 
On January 19th, Jen and Lily participated in an Email Marketing training course offered by Constant Contact.  Although we've have been using Constant Contact for about a year now, the training provided us with valuable information to improve the design and the "open rates" for our email announcements.  We concentrated on five specific areas to help create successful electronic communications.

 

Read here for our Five Tips for Success.
About Us
PAR is an Association Management firm that provides an array of services to non-profit associations across the country. Services include accounting; event / conference planning and coordination; membership support; board of directors; strategic planning; volunteer coordination, communications planning and support.

Contact Us
Professional Administrative Resources
PO Box 68614
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49516
616.451.4348
www.proadminresources.com
 
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