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Coffee Connection: Meet the New President of IABCLA

August 24, 2019 by

Jenny Matkovich has just begun her first term as President of IABCLA, replacing Deborah Hudson as leader.

As the incoming President, Jenny’s goal is to promote the value of the communications profession in LA, to welcome new members and those we haven’t seen in a while. Our IABCLA board is powered 100% by volunteers. Each one has a specific area of focus, and each brings a diversity of thought, unique experience, talent and passion to the board.

We invite you to join us (members and non-members) to meet new leadership. This is a great chance to get to know each other and build an organization that serves us while having a great cup of coffee!

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IABCLA Board Retreat: Celebrating Successes, Planning for Future 

June 26, 2019 by
The IABCLA board held a planning retreat on June 11.

The IABCLA board reviewed the chapter’s accomplishments during the first half of the year and began planning the remainder of 2019 at its semiannual retreat on June 11. 

Looking back at the last six months, our group has much to be proud of. We fulfilled our mission: “to heighten the skills, reputation and talents of the community through human connection. We do this by welcoming and inspiring LA’s professional communicators with targeted professional development events and honest conversations.” 

Between January and June, our chapter held several professional development functions  — a Dine & Discuss, two Coffee Connections, and a case study. Discussion topics included “Brand Building in a Digital World,” “PR in the Digital Age,” and “Navigating the Comms Job Market in LA.” We also held a Spring Mixer where guests networked at a popular bistro.  

In addition, we’re constantly looking for new ways to share chapter information and ideas. We now distribute a monthly newsletter — email Grant Skakun at grant.skakun@eucrest.com to subscribe. And, we’ve added an Instagram account — @IABCLosAngeles. Please follow us! 

Several ideas were discussed at the retreat, and we’ll continue to have a full schedule of activities between now and December. Look for reoccurring favorites like Coffee Connection and Dine & Discuss, as well as new happenings. We will, of course, continue to reach out to members and nonmembers and strengthen ties with communicators at all levels of their careers. 

To learn about the very latest, please continue to visit this site and follow us on social media: 
▪ Facebook: @IABCLosAngeles
▪ Twitter: @IABCLosAngeles
▪ Instagram: @IABCLosAngeles

Thank you! IABCLA could not thrive without YOUR support and participation! 

Filed Under: Board News, Chapter News, News Tagged With: , , ,

October Means Membership Discounts. Top 10 Reasons to Join or Renew!

October 5, 2015 by

Belonging to a professional organization is more than just a resumé booster—it can enrich your entire career. And in this large, diverse, metropolitan area of Los Angeles, it’s a real treat to schmooze with other communicators and get to know what’s going on behind the scenes at other organizations. Plus, IABC-LA’s monthly webinar series offers chances to learn a thing-er-two or showcase your own strategies and experiences.

October is IABC’s Membership Month, which offers 10% off international dues and will waive the $40 application fee. Current IABC members who recruit new members are also eligible to win a 2016 World Conference Registration Package.

And in honor of Membership Month, here’s a little reminder of what a professional organization can do for you:

Top 10 Reasons to Join a Professional Organization

posted by 4CTechnologies

  1. Broaden your knowledge: Professional organizations sometimes offer courses, seminars and/or lectures to keep themselves and their members up to date on the latest industry innovations, research and trends. Staying informed on your industry’s trends will only help you in the long run and will put you one step ahead of the competition!

    2. Take charge of your career: Take advantage of career resources. Associations often have job listings online or in print available only to their members. This is a great way to find targeted job postings for your area of interest.

    3. Build a better resume: Many organizations have career resources available such as tips on effective resumes or cover letter writing. Listing your association membership on your resume is impressive to current or future employers as it shows that you are dedicated to staying connected in your profession.

    4. Enhance your network: We all know that networking is key for the movers and shakers of the community! Making connections is critical, and joining associations give countless opportunities to connect on a local and sometimes even global level. For most people, creating professional relationships is important, and joining a group allows you to have a sense of security and trust. From this, you are able to support and help one another in reaching your professional goals.

    5. Be a Leader: Professional associations give you an opportunity to develop your skills as a leader, and this is important not only for your personal growth, but for your growth in your firm.

    6. Become a mentor: Giving back can be the greatest reward and benefit. Participating in forums, chat groups or discussion boards sponsored by an association is also a great way to grow your network. This allows you to use your peers as sounding boards and often make some great friends with the same interests as you.

    7. Make a new friend: Once we graduate from school, we all know how hard it is to get out and meet new people and make a new friend! Use professional networking groups as an opportunity to escape the norm and meet new people that may give you a reason to come out of your shell a bit more and have fun.

    8. Give back to the community: There are plenty of organizations that coordinate socially conscious initiatives to support community efforts. Whether it is a nearby animal shelter or a food drive for a local charity, there are sure to be plenty of options for you to choose for if you are looking to give back.

    9. Strength in Numbers: We live in a day and age where establishing a presence in any given career field often demands working long hours in the office and bringing work home when the doors close. At the end of the day, you may have ideas for cultivating partnerships, yet not feel up to shouldering all the responsibility to organize them. In a community organization, you have access to an established support system of experienced people who are motivated to get things done. The battle is half-won!

    10. Stay Inspired and Stay Motivated: Learn to love what you do! You may not even know that you love something, but it’s important to be proactive about things you discover on the journey. Join a professional organization and discover something new TODAY!

Filed Under: Events - online, International News Tagged With: , , , ,

FREE Webinar – The Rise of the Millennials: Transforming the Enterprise Through Gamification

May 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Free webinar for IABC-LA members. May 14, 2014 at 9:00am PDT

New! IABC is piloting making our free-to-members webinars available to non-members for $100

Gabe Zichermann, Founder and CET of Dopamine and Gamification Co., Conference Chair, Gamification Summit
Some leading organizations are realizing the power of gamification to enhance work, reaping spectacular increases in productivity, engagement, innovation and business outcomes. Discover what’s driving this extraordinary trend, key successes and failures, and major design patterns that will enable your organization to take advantage of this innovation.

http://www.iabc.com/education/webseminars.htm

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April 7 Host to Tackle Internal Comm & Social Media

March 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment

“Companies are only now beginning to realize that they need to devote considerable attention to internal communication, i.e., with their employees, making use of various social networking tools.” – Dr. Ernest Greene, Professor of Psychology and Program Director, Master’s in Human Behavior, who will co-host the April 7 Social Media Advanced Skills Huddle (“SMASH” conference) and the IABC-LA meeting immediately afterward.

Can’t attend the all-day SMASH conference?  Join us for the IABC meeting directly afterward to hear a brief recap from SMASH speakers Sally Falkow and Michael Terpin.  It’s April 7 from 5-7 p.m. at USC and everyone is welcome.  Here’s more from Ernest:

Q: Can you identify a common obstacle communications strategists typically encounter when deploying social media, maybe one you hope to address at SMASH?

A:  I think that the amount of time it takes to properly interface with audience feedback comes as a great surprise.  Also, the potential target audience actually consists of numerous target audiences, and the message should be tailored for each.  This takes considerable forethought as well as the ability to make adjustments on the fly.  Far more work than is generally assumed.

Q:  As social media evolves, do you anticipate any trends developing specifically in the application of corporate communications?

A:  Companies are only now beginning to realize that they need to devote considerable attention to internal communication, i.e., with their employees, making use of various social networking tools.  So corporate communications must now realize that they not only need to have effective messaging to external target audiences, but also to one or more internal target audiences.

Q:  What can students expect to learn at the SMASH conference?

A:  Principles and “best practices” that are at the cutting edge of advertising, public relations, marketing, and corporate communications.

Q:  What networking opportunities will the SMASH conference make available to students?

A:  Meeting potential internship sponsors and future employers.

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Selecting and Selling Freelance Services – Hear it now!

November 12, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Please find below the full podcast of our recent breakfast meeting in Woodland Hills – our panel of experts discussed what it takes to be a successful freelancer, and what to think about if you need to use a freelancer for a project in your company.

We all got some great insights and thrashed out the topic quite thoroughly!  Thanks to Bill, Deborah, Charlotte, and Judy, our panelists – and thanks also to the audience members who contributed their own insights and asked great questions…

This is the PODCAST LINK

Here are some podcast markers for you:

Introductions until 5 min 20

5:20 Bill Spaniel – from an employer’s standpoint, what’s he looking for in a Freelancer.

13:40 Charlotte Lassos – discusses personality fit, connections/referrals, persistence when hiring

17:30 Charlotte Lassos – stand out as a Freelancer, show you care/be responsive, portfolio tailored to needs, never burn bridges.

20:50 Judy Sterling – anecdote about friends, acquaintances – make sure you let them know what you do -great potential business sources.

27:10 Deborah Hawkins – branch out, try new things if you need work/having a lull, use IABC (fabulous for connecting)

31:15 Audience Questions – what about graphic design/creative Freelancers, what about collaboration (dynamics of pulling a team together), how to pull a team together, etc.

Filed Under: Marketing, Professional Development, Writing Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,