As many of you know, the 360 Media Alliance Mega Summit occurred recently in St. Louis. This conference and programming was developed for circulation/audience development professionals.
During the conference I was repeatedly asked in-person by attendees and, by non-attendees via text and twitter, “What do you think of the conference?” In the few days that have passed since the conclusion of the conference, those same inquiries continue from both attendees and non-attendees.
My response has been the same… “It was noisy and noisy is good.” By that I mean the energy level in the Renaissance Hotel was high during days the Mega Summit was “in the house”.
During well-attended sessions, networking time between sessions, networking time after sessions and, of course, the TailGREAT networking event, it was, well…noisy. There was a constant buzz of conversation, laughter, debate and session review discussions that filled the air in the hallways, restaurant (and maybe even the lobby bar) elevators, “business partner” display area and just about anywhere else in the hotel.
There was genuine excitement and positive energy about the circulation/audience development industry that, quite frankly, hasn’t been perceived as too exciting or too positive in recent times.
I won’t provide you with reviews of each and every presentation, although you can’t comment about this event without mentioning the over-the-top energetic opening session by Jason Taylor, Publisher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, but suffice it to say, the attendance at the sessions confirms to me that the topics were relevant and the interest level was high.
With well over 100 newspaper representatives and numerous business partners in attendance, this success of this event exemplifies the thirst for networking, training and support this segment of the industry has and the need for an organization like 360 Media Alliance to offer the venue and the programming.
If you attended, I think you will agree with this brief synopsis and if you weren’t among the attendees, I encourage your attendance at the next Mega Summit…just be prepared for some noise.
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