Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the International Association of Business Communicator’s (IABC) World Conference in San Francisco. As a member of the Minnesota chapter, I had attended a few local seminars and luncheons that I thought were highly valuable. So, I was eager to see what this large, global format had to offer…Plus, I was excited to spend a few days in California!

Day one started with volunteering at The Gift of Communication. In this three and a half hour round table session, conference attendees had an opportunity to meet local nonprofits and share communication strategies and tactics. I met with John and Jill from The Volunteer Center. This 70 year old organization has a great history of connecting nonprofits, business and individuals with mutually beneficial service opportunities. Looking at their future and preparing for potential changes in their service delivery, all at the table agreed that creating an overall communication strategy and finding a dedicated communication professional to help implement the plan would be most helpful.

Throughout the next three days of the conference, I was able to choose from dozens of breakout sessions covering a variety of topics and trends. More often than not, I was filled with a sense of affirmation that much of the communication we do at Hammer is in line with industry trends and the communication profession as a whole. In an age of nonstop communication, it’s not about getting the most messages out through any and all channels possible; it’s about finding the most appropriate channels to spread well-crafted, targeted messages. In the past couple of years, we have gotten more in tune with this at Hammer and, in my opinion, have positioned ourselves well in our community and broader industry.

A recurring theme in a number of presentations/speeches was the idea of disruption and constant change. Because of advances in technology and the increase in ways people communicate, organizations have to constantly be on their toes. You still need to plan and count on those tried and true practices, but you also need to be ready to adapt and work with your audiences. For a nonprofit like Hammer, this can be challenging given the variety of audiences we need to reach and the finite resources with which we have to do this. In general, we plan and adapt well, but, there is always room for improvement.

An indirect result of having so many communications professionals in one setting was the chance to network and perhaps make a new friend or two. At the 2014 conference in Toronto, my director connected with an Australian PR professional who ran a firm with his wife. It just so happened that his wife and one of their employees would be in San Francisco. It was great meeting them, learning about the communication profession from an Australian point of view and exploring some of the cities establishments and well-known neighborhoods after the days’ breakout and keynote sessions. Now, I have two new Aussie friends and a place to stay in Sydney should I ever venture down under.

Overall, I enjoyed my first experience at the IABC World Conference and learned a number of things I can now apply to my work. It can be tiring to spend multiple days in a conference setting, but the variety of breakout formats, scope of topics covered and backdrop of San Francisco kept me thoroughly engaged. Not all organizations provide employees with opportunities to grow professionally outside the office, but thankfully, I work at Hammer.

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I’m not usually a baseball fan. Sure, I jump on the bandwagon every 10-20 years when the Twins produce a successful season. (I confess, as a high schooler I joined the ecstatic fans around me – even waving a ‘Homer Hanky’ – as players paraded through downtown St. Paul celebrating their second World Series victory.) Yet here I was in Toronto recently for the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) World Conference attending a Blue Jays vs. Twins’ game. It was pure chance that the Twins were in town. And I only went to be with my new friends: three Americans, a Canadian even an exotic Aussie.

I attended the conference to learn; to keep inspiring myself to bring my very best to my role as Director of Communication at Hammer. As the field of communication continues to evolve at breakneck pace, it is vital to keep current with best practices, and to keep learning. The world conference allows communicators in diverse fields (and different cultures) to come together and learn from the best. And sometimes that learning took place introducing yourself to someone new between sessions or while enjoying Canadian micro brews – after hours, of course. It was also interesting to reconvene each evening to exchange “headlines” from the day’s learnings. We would share what we liked, what we considered effective strategies and whose message we thought inauthentic. (Ask me about the time I was too-loudly criticizing one mega brand CEO’s use of a corporate video and he was right behind me!) Oftentimes, I was introduced to a perspective I hadn’t considered or I came around to see the presentation in a different light.

One morning, I took part in seminar called “The Gift of Communication.” It was an elective track that allowed global communicators to “give back” to Toronto area charities and nonprofits. They shared their organizations’ particular communication challenges, and we tried to help. I chose the North York Community House, who works primarily with newcomers to Canada to help build skills and experience so that individuals can succeed and thrive. (Sound familiar?) North York also works with “residents of underserved neighborhoods to build their leadership skills…” In light of shrinking federal support, the agency wanted to raise its profile to increase their donor base. They had identified media coverage and an increased social media presence as tactics to pursue. Two fellow colleagues and I engaged North York’s representatives in an on-the-spot brainstorm that dove a bit deeper. We helped them question the structure of the communication role they want to hire as well as making the case to also consider hiring a seasoned fundraiser with proven relationship-building skills. Thankfully, while they came hoping for ideas to implement their new brand, they were open to more fundamental observations, even a perceived lack of diversity in their newly finished logo. Gratitude abounded – on both sides – and we promised to help fine-tune job descriptions and to stay in touch to offer further counsel and support. In truth, I’m excited to read their stories of success and support their important work!

As often happens when I travel, I fell in love…with the city and all that it offered during my brief stay. I left a bit weary and in need of my regular routine, but so much richer for the people, the experiences, and the validation that we indeed do so much right and well at Hammer. Just this week, it was announced that for the fifth year running, we have been named by the Star Tribune as a “Top 100 Workplace” in Minnesota. It’s important to note that this honor was voted on by us, by the community of people who come into work every day energized and inspired to make a difference. Just more validation that I am where I should be, happy to be a strategic communicator, contributing to something greater than myself at Hammer Residences.

By the way, the baseball game was fun; in fact, it was probably the only time I have ever stayed for a full game! And the Twins won 4-0! 🙂

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