Crowds of senior planners gathered to enjoy a pacey, interactive session on how to boost their brand and stand out from the competition at IMEX America today. In a new track for this year, Shawna Suckow Chairwoman of SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network) led a lively session entitled Small Business Owners: Become a Marketing Blackbelt!
Senior planners learned the importance of creating their own personal brand during a workshop at IMEX America 2014. Courtesy image
She shared her top tips, advising planners to hone in on their differentiating factor and focus on what sets them apart from their peers, explaining: “What’s your killer asset? If you say you’re good at everything, you’re not telling the truth!”
Attendees were given valuable guidance on how to maximize marketing opportunities through event participation, social media and PR to gain recognition both inside and outside the industry. Shawna initiated a business card exchange, enabling attendees to gain useful feedback and first impressions from their peers on their small business brand. She then explained how this creative approach led to SPIN’s own rebrand.
Audience members then paired up to practice elevator pitches. Under Shawna’s guidance, they honed their introductions to capture the passion behind their roles, going beyond focusing on facts and figures. This refining technique enabled them to communicate their personalities and the emotion that drives their careers.
The session proved a hit as Lisa Blanco from Event Management Solutions explains: “I’ve come away with some incredibly useful nuggets of information. This was fast-paced and interactive, enabling me to learn a lot in a short pace of time as well as share knowledge with my peers.”
Michelle Hutchinson, national sales manager at The Pearl Collection, was intrigued by the elevator pitch lessons, commenting: “One of the main learning points I’ve gained is how to hone my introductory conversation. I’m now going to go away and work on my elevator pitch! I loved the session and gained a real insight from the team work – it allowed me to tap into different perspectives.”
