On Monday, October 23rd members of the Washington DC chapter of the American Marketing Association – AMADC – began a collective journey to reconnect with AMADC and all the offerings that the chapter is putting forth to celebrate OneAMA.
This annual all member event is designed to create opportunity for Washington, DC-area marketers to connect, but also is developed to create an environment that allows AMADC members to understand the breadth of resources available to them at the local level and across AMA national. This year’s event theme – Engage in the Journey – was a continuation of the path the Board embarked upon last year with a new focus on each member’s “Personal Journey,” inviting members to take a walk with AMADC board members and explore all the offerings and opportunities across the chapter.
“This year’s event theme was all about discovery and encouraging our members to map out their personal journey,” said Brent Hayhurst, AMADC President. “We really wanted the event to serve as a platform for members to learn about all that’s available to them, with the journey being to learn how they can engage with our chapter personally and professionally throughout the year.”
At the event, AMADC unveiled a refreshed chapter website (www.amadc.org), which features members from across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC celebrating AMA’s identity. Everyone attending the event received a “greater than” icon and were then encouraged to take a picture with the identity at their respective workplace.
In addition to the new AMA identity, event attendees were also able to learn about new professional opportunities AMA has created for them. Hayhurst provided an overview of AMA’s Professional Certified Marketer® program, and also revealed the OneAMA Chapter Alliance, which is a unified partnership across the Baltimore, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Washington, DC chapters that allows members to receive reciprocal pricing benefits for any and all events hosted by each respective chapter.
These national benefits were followed by an introduction to an all-new local benefit from AMADC: the Collegiate Connection. A renewed commitment by AMADC to engage with marketing students at area colleges and universities and connect them with professional opportunities across AMADC, including AMADC’s Young Professionals Group: District Current.
After the opening networking reception and presentation by Hayhurst, members were invited to participate in a series of six “LOUD Sessions” hosted by members of AMADC’s board of directors. The LOUD Sessions were created to ensure that participants were able to spark conversation, share ideas and discuss benefits and programs with fellow marketing professionals. The sessions focused on six topics: Enhancing Your Career, Growing Your Knowledge Base, Learning from Experts, Expanding Your Professional Network, Embodying Thought Leadership, and Allowing Members to Explore Where They Are as a Marketer.
“The LOUD Sessions were really well received!” noted Hayhurst. “Primarily because attendees were having a great time interacting with their peers. The sessions did what we wanted them to do – create a fun opportunity for members to learn about AMA and AMADC on their own terms. I think the event really made clear our commitment to meeting members where they are along their personal journey, while making clear the professional benefits that come with being an active and involved member of AMA.”