July is, from an outsider’s perspective, a quiet month for Austin AMA.  But it’s not due to a summer lull or mass vacations.

In fact, it is the month that the new board begins and a period of intense planning and execution. We’re all pouring over budgets, creating year-long plans and recruiting volunteers to help make these plans happen.

One driving factor rules all decisions during this time of planning: What do Austin AMA members want?

The chapter is fortunate enough to have a strong relationship with our research partner Customer Research International  and through surveys, focus groups and general feedback we’ve been able to fine-tune our offerings to ensure we’re meeting and exceeding our members’ expectations.

First, we are increasing the frequency of our Special Interest Group events.

Our Special Interest Groups focus on niche areas of marketing – including a discipline or specific market – and include healthcare marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, professional development and collegiate outreach.  This year, we’ll be launching our B2B Marketing Special Interest Group (for information on its first program on Aug. 22, visit here.) These offerings have been heartily embraced by our members, who appreciate their specialized focus and (very) low member pricing. This year, we’ll have one Special Interest Group event a month – up from 1-2 a quarter last year.

Second, we’ll be continuing our members-only CMO panels.

Once a quarter, we ask three CMOs and marketing  executives to gather and discuss topics ranging from the war between marketing and sales to monetizing data in a B2B world to the role of metrics and ROI in marketing. These events are not driven by PowerPoints or long presentations. Instead, members are given full-access to the panel to ask questions, explore trends and gather executive-level opinions.

Our first CMO panel of this term is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 12 and will focus on how to move your company beyond the “shiny object” phase of social media into real-world social marketing tactics that impact revenue growth.  Speakers will include representatives from Whole Foods, AMD and Speak Social. Check our events page to register. And remember – members only!

Third, we’ll be reducing the number of our luncheons each year in order to bring in even more highly qualified speakers.  Previously, we normally had 8-10 luncheons a year. We’ll be throttling that back to six a year in order to bring in high-demand speakers that are fresh and relevant to the Austin marketing community.

But make no mistake – between luncheons, Special Interest Groups, CMO panels, happy hours and member orientations- there will be no shortage of educational programs for our members.

Austin AMA will also be sharing some wonderful news this year, including a top-secret announcement we’ll break during our August luncheon that will allow our members to access the vital Austin AMA information they need when they need it. AND it’s a milestone year for the chapter, one that will be shared during our October luncheon at the Innotech Texas eMarketing Summit.

Any member with questions or feedback is personally invited to email me at president@ascendmarketingtesting.site.  As members are Austin AMA’s priority, I or a board member will respond to your request within 24-48 hours (if not sooner.)

Likewise, if you are a member interested in volunteering, please visit https://austinama.org/membership/volunteer-opportunities/ to learn how you can help us achieve our goals this year while also expanding your leadership and marketing skills and working with some fun people.

Here’s to an AMA-zing year!