June 2009 News Flash
President’s Message from Neil Dempster
Wow! This is my last message to you as president of the amazing NSA A-to-Z Chapter. I say “amazing” because the strength of any business, community, team, or group is a function of the commitment level of its members. And we are blessed to have so many who have given their time, energy, and resources to make this what I consider the best chapter in the universe.
Please let me provide a quick State of the Chapter update. Two years ago, incoming president Alan Rigg (2007-2008), challenged the Board to strengthen our infrastructure so we could build our growth on a firm foundation. During that year, we fortified many internal elements of the chapter. This year, we have capitalized on that strong foundation by focusing on increasing the value to YOU, the member.
Did we succeed? Many indices lead us to believe we have. Attendance at our monthly meetings is up by 24 percent—a direct result of adding more value to our programming. Membership levels are the same as last year at this time despite an economy that has adversely affected many associations. We also view this as an indication of the value members are receiving from their membership. And we have even managed to increase our reserves (e.g., our financial strength) by 14 percent!
I am very proud of our Board and all those who have helped make this an awesome year. Thank you for placing your trust in me—it has been a pleasure serving you.
I wish you every success in the business of speaking!
Sincerely,
Neil Dempster MBA, CSP
NSA-Arizona President
2008-2009
NSA-ARIZONA MONTHLY MEETING
June 13, 2009
Networking/Breakfast: 8am – 9am
Meeting: 9am – 1:30pm
NSA Conference Center, 1500 S. Priest Dr., Tempe, AZ
Click here for complete meeting details
Prepaid registration (by 5 pm Wed., June 10): $30/members, $45/guests
At-the-door registration: $40/members, $55/guests.
Did you know you can bring your spouse/partner/staff member at the member rate?
No refunds after the early registration deadline.
Please notify us if you require any special needs for the meeting.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Developing a Comic Vision with Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE
See reality and share the fun of it with laughter, good humor, and through the lens of your Comic Vision®! Portraying the daily (and often overwhelming) challenges found in these hectic times, Tim Gard offers his humorous and powerfully effective approach to stress-diffusion and frustration-eradication! Re-awaken your fancy for fun and contagiously innocent mischief, while you enjoy looking at the challenges of life through Tim’s eyes. Let Tim show you how to use ordinary items in extraordinary ways and neutralize life’s stressors.
“We cannot always control the things that happen around us, but we can certainly control our perception of those things when we develop, use and share our progress-oriented Comic Vision®.”
~ Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE
Having a Comic Vision means to laugh when you can, be serious about the things you must, and actively use humor to balance stress. Tim shows how you can choose to see the amusing side of situations that would normally irritate others, create stress, and reduce productivity.
You’ll learn how to take your work seriously and yourself lightly. Tim speaks at over 100 events each year from Sioux City to Singapore, has written and co-written 4 books, and offers his own line of stress busters called Tim’s Tools!
VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
Soundbites: Working with the Media with Kathy Kerchner
It’s not easy to get the media’s attention to publicize your business. When you do, you want to make the most of the opportunity.
Kathy Kerchner shows how to guide the interview to confidently deliver your key messages. She’ll reveal techniques to help you answer even the toughest questions (skills that also work in other Q & A situations). In addition, you’ll learn how to look and sound your best when talking to print, radio, or TV reporters.
Kathy’s experience includes 15 years as an Emmy award-winning news anchor and reporter, and 20 years as a media advisor to corporations, not-for-profit agencies, associations, government agencies, and other organizations. She has coached executives for interviews on Dateline NBC and 60 Minutes, has helped businesses win new clients using masterful presentations, and has trained managers at a global company to talk to their employees about sensitive issues. Her book, Soundbites: A Business Guide for Working with the Media, is in its second printing.
BUSINESS BUILDING SESSION
Developing “Comic Vision” for your next presentation with Tim Gard
Tim will deconstruct the speech he presented in the morning and work with others to reveal tricks and tips of building a powerful speech.
Les Taylor heads the 2008-2009 Program Committee, assisted by Maggie Hunts, Debra Exner, and Celeste Bumpus.
Please Pre-pay for Meeting Attendance
To streamline check-in at our monthly meetings, please prepay for your meeting attendance. Members and guests SAVE $10 when they prepay by 5pm on the Wednesday before the Saturday meeting.
Register Now
Prepaid Registration (by Wed., June 9 at 5 pm): $30/members $45/guests
Did you know you can bring your spouse/partner/staff member at the member rate?
At-the-door registration (available as space allows)
$40/members $55/guests
Please Support Our Meeting Sponsor – Arizona Seminars LLC
Thanks for Wes Waddle who stepped in at the last minute and sponsored our May 9 meeting.
Wes Waddle’s organization, Arizona Seminars, trains and motivates speakers to help nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations raise funds. The goal is to match SPEAKERS with ORGANIZATIONS through Arizona Seminars.
For example, Wes’s wife passed away with breast cancer. He’s become passionate about cancer, healthcare, fitness, and building marriages. As a military affairs chairman, he also works with many military organizations as a liaison and a fundraiser. To become your passion of speaking needs for non-profits, contact Wes at 480-421-8753 or 480-840-1378.
Opportunities abound to be a Sponsor for future NSA-AZ chapter meetings. Open your Contact List and recommend a viable candidate to Susan Ratliff, who chairs the 2008/2009 Sponsorship Committee.
Congratulations to Bonnie Mattick!
Bonnie Mattick won a FREE meeting attendance by completing an evaluation form at May’s meeting. Submit your evaluation at the next meeting to participate in this drawing.
Candidates Program
The purpose of our dynamic NSA-Arizona Candidate Program is to expose emerging speakers to the profession of speaking and assist them in attaining Professional Membership status in NSA. However, we have heard from some Candidates that they don’t know all of the benefits of professional status or what requirements they need to meet to qualify.
To clear all that up, we’ve invited key staff of NSA to do a webinar for you:
Everything You Wanted to Know About Becoming a Professional Member of NSA (but didn’t know to ask!)
Saturday, June 27th, 11:00-12:00
Call-in details will be provided to all Candidate members
(Professional members: If you have friends who you think should be members of NSA, let us know; we’ll provide the call information to them, too!)
Call-in number will be provided to Candidates and Wealthy Speaker participants before the call. Questions? Email Michelle May, M.D. mmay@amihungry.com or Vickie Bouffard vickie@quantumperformancetraining.com.
Living Room Forum – Plans for 2009-2010 Year
You’re in for added bonuses to our Living Room Forums next year. We’re planning action-packed Forums filled with ideas for your speaking business. We already know that 3 programs will be based on technology: Blogging and Social Media; Making the Most of the Internet; and Using Teleseminars and Webinars to Build Revenue. PLUS Debbie Allen has offered to facilitate a marketing program on “Get More Bookings with Business Building Systems.” See LRF for a full schedule.
Next year’s Living Room Forums will be held the 4th Wednesday of every month September to May (except November, which will be third Wednesday). Contact Bonnie Mattick bmattick@q.com and Dan Ferguson dan@danfergusonspeaker.com, chairpersons, for additional information.
Congratulations to NSA-Arizona’s Newest:
CANDIDATE MEMBERS
Leslie Kohler
Gayla Hodges
William Burton
Speaker Development Lab
To participate, please contact Maggie Hunts for open speaking slots/scheduling at 602-315-7788. Click here to find out more about NSA-Arizona’s exclusive Speaker Development Lab.
Larry Colbert chairs the Speaker Lab, assisted by Don Thoren, Maggie Hunts and Bill Johnson.
Host Chapter for NSA-Phoenix
NSA-Arizona is putting together a fabulous booth and exciting activities to welcome attendees from around the world. If you’d like to participate in the NSA A-to-Z booth during the Conference July 18-21, 2009 (a great opportunity for added FUN & VISIBILITY!), contact Top Dog Eileen Proctor at topdog@topdogbizboosters.com or 602-867-3647.
Upcoming NSA-Arizona Events
July – No NSA-AZ meeting. See you at NSA National Convention!
August 8 – NSA-AZ Summer Fiesta. Watch for details coming soon!
September 12 Monthly Meeting – The amazing Lou Heckler, CPAE, CSP. Making Meetings Magic: Three Keys for Unforgettable Presentations
Upcoming NSA National Events
Mark your calendar for these fabulous NSA events:
2009 NSA Convention – July 18-21, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona
2009 Fall Conference – November 19-22, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona
2010 Winter Conference – February 11-14, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee
2010 NSA Convention – July 17-20, 2010 in Orlando, Florida
2011 NSA Convention – July 30-August 2, 2011 in Anaheim, California
For more details, go to the NSA website at http://www.nsaspeaker.org
BRAVO Corner
Stephanie Angelo, a member of Speaker Magazine’s editorial team, reported that NSA’s Speaker Magazine won a Bronze Award in “General Excellence” from Society of National Association Publications (SNAP). “General Excellence” encompasses writing, content, graphic design, and packaging.
Susan Ratliff, president of Exhibit Experts, will speak at Total Solutions Marketing for the Exhibit and Event Professional conference and trade show in Chicago this July.
WORD TRIPPER FROM THE PLATFORM
By Barbara McNichol editor@barbaramcnichol.com
Pick the precise work to use on the platform! Don’t let these pesky pairings trip you up.
Wreck, wreak – “Wreck” (rek) as a verb means to cause the destruction of something; as a noun, a vessel, structure, or person in a state of ruin, dilapidation. “Wreak” (reek) means to inflict, execute, or bring about (vengeance, punishment, havoc); to express anger, malevolence, or resentment. “Many boats were wrecked as the hurricane wreaked havoc along the coast.”
Sign up for Barbara’s Word Tripper of the Week at www.barbaramcnichol.com. Barbara is your perennial NewsFlash editor.
About This Newsletter
Email your News Flash announcements to editor Barbara McNichol at editor@barbaramcnichol.com or call 520-615-7910 by 15th of each month.
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