Early in my career I relocated to Seattle, Washington. I joined the AMA but quickly found myself missing most of the events because they were across town from where I worked. If you have ever visited or lived in Seattle, you know that the East/West commute across the floating bridges on Lake Washington can take a lot of time and a lot of patience. I wasn’t attending enough events so eventually I let my AMA membership expire.

Last year, after many years working in product marketing at Microsoft Corporation, I moved back to Texas. As an independent product and strategic marketing consultant who had moved to a new city, it was important for me to build a network in Austin. I immediately thought of the AMA and found the Austin chapter. I was surprised by not only the number of events and resources available but also by the breadth of topics and event types. I’m not sure that AMA had changed that much since I’d left many years before, but the evolution of technology had made it so much easier to access and have visibility to the resources. From web casts to podcasts to white papers and a job board, the AMA web site offers a breadth of resources that are included in the membership price.

What’s even better is the local programming through Austin AMA. I’ve attended informative luncheons and networking happy hours and have some met some great business contacts and friends along the way. Recently, I started volunteering with the membership committee and worked in the Austin AMA booth during Innotech. While it’s not required, volunteering has helped me get involved and build relationships on a different level.

If you are seeking opportunities to broaden your skills, meet new people, and stay on top of marketing trends, then attend one of our events. If you want to learn about how you can volunteer, check out our volunteer opportunities. Learn more about AustinAMA or join today!

And if you or your organization needs help with marketing initiatives, feel free to connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/jaynied