A More Meaningful Relationship
Who would believe - I am back for another term as your President and am extremely grateful for the tremendous Board of Directors that we have put together to lead TBAF this year. You must come out this year and mix with these ad professionals to get a real appreciation for what your club is capable of accomplishing. There will be numerous event opportunities for you to forge new relationships with other members as well.
We already kicked off the 2007-2008 year with some really great events. In July we heard AAA discuss their Motorsports Marketing strategy and relationship with NASCAR. Later in the month, your Board met for a day long Planning Retreat and overwhelmed me with their enthusiasm and energy. This past month, the 4th Annual AD2 / TBAF Picnic & Softball game was held at Phillipe Park. Beautiful day, great venue, unbelievable barbecue! Losing the softball game to AD2, while painfully humiliating, didn’t put a damper on our day.
Looking ahead we have a number of great luncheon programs planned. This month we will hear 3M tell us how Digital Signage can increase your clients’ sales. In October, we will meet with the marketing gurus for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Later in the year, the Editor of Communication Arts Magazine will be our guest.
The ADDY Committee has already been hard at work to create phenomenal events to honor the creative work in our market.
This year is going to be even more exciting for our club. We have plans to host ZAGWEEK Workshop. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves for three days of totally focused learning on how to build brands that really differentiate. Beyond this event we are hosting both the 4AAF District National Student Advertising Competition and the 4AAF District Annual Conference & ADDY Awards.
Oh, I can’t sign off without giving you a heads up on the Government Relations trip to Tallahassee in March. The Rally in Tally [formerly the Fly-In for us old folks] is a must do for you and me this year. The State coffers are short by almost $1.8 Billion and reality says that nothing is sacred – including our Sales Tax Exemption. We have friends in Tallahassee, but they are few in numbers. We must get out and educate our legislators on the adverse impact the sales tax will have on our industry. Let’s not depend on our lobbyist alone – he is much more powerful if we are standing next to him.
Where will you be when all this excitement is taking place – ignoring it all, reading about it, or attending a bunch of the planned events? I encourage you to attend the many events TBAF offers you as a member. Further, I humbly ask you to get involved with a committee to help make just one of these events a greater success. There is no better way to create a more meaningful relationship between you and the rest of us here at TBAF.
Sincerely,
Mike Quigley