Lola White and I were in Las Vegas last month to attend the DMEF Annual Awards Dinner and the DMA 2012 Conference, branded as “The Global Event for Real-Time Marketers.”
As an advocate of networking, service to nonprofit organizations that are relevant to your personal brand (including Board of Trustee roles like mine for DMEF, which is recruiting nominees for Board service in 2013), and ongoing professional development to keep your skills evolving, I believe annual participation in conferences is a must. The professional connections and thought leadership we derive from the digital marketing conferences we attend each year are invaluable, and this year is no exception. Here are my top three takeaways from DMA 2012.
- The DMA brand continues to face challenges evolving from their direct mail/list brokerage/printing heritage into the rapidly evolving digital and mobile marketing present and future. DMA must act now to better lead this transition and retain its value proposition for members (outside of DMA’s Legislative activities).
- The DMA would benefit from having consistent senior leadership who is well equipped to guide the future direction.
- According to attendee feedback, the quality of content and educational programs needs to be addressed to assure long-term sustainability. Top-level CEOs and CMOs should be recruited as speakers and panel members, similar to what I recently experienced in my attendance at AdWeek.
Mark your calendars for these upcoming professional development and networking events.
As always, your comments and input are greatly appreciated.
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