Breakfast Meeting:
Technology Trends for Marketers
Friday, February 1 @ 7:30 a.m.
Cataldo Hall, Gonzaga University

Shaun Higgins,  Director  of Sales and Marketing for The Spokesman-Review and Chief Operating Officer of New Media Ventures, Inc., will be the featured keynote speaker at the February 1 Spokane Regional MarCom meeting and annual workshop held at Cataldo Hall on the Gonzaga University campus.  To RSVP for the breakfast meeting (and save $3) and/or for the workshop, click here.

Higgins’ speech will highlight the Latest Technology Trends in delivering public relations solutions for marketers in both the public and private sectors. “We all know that the Internet and digital technologies have revolutionized the way the public relations professionals and marketers disseminate and receive information,” said Higgins. “The key is keeping up with the ongoing revolution—which involves not only understanding how the technology works, but also how it impacts—and in some cases how should not impact—the work of PR professionals.”

Higgins will be discussing innovative Internet applications for public relations and marketing professionals, with specific insights on ways on avoiding “message disruption, message corruption and message misdirection.”

In his role at The Spokesman-Review, Higgins has overseen the ways in which technology has impacted the delivery of news including the launch of  spokane.net, spokesman-review.com and a host of value-add support sites such as Spokesmanclassifieds.com, Spokesmanhomes.com, and Spokesmanauto.com. Higgins has been involved in digital publishing since 1982, when The Spokesman-Review became one of the first three newspapers in the world to launch a digital edition.

New Media Workshop
Friday, February 1 @ 9:30 a.m.
Cataldo Hall, Gonzaga University

Immediately following the 7:30 AM morning breakfast meeting is a New Media Workshop which will be conducted by Higgins, Tyler Mack and other members of the Spokesman-Review’s online business staff.  Mack is the Marketing Director for spokesmanreview.com, the regions’ largest locally based online service, as well as for spokane.net, a regional online portal. The workshop lasts from 9:30 – 11: 30 AM.  There is no cost to attend the workshop if you are a MarCom Member; non-members pay $25.00 at the door.  To RSVP for the workshop, go to the RSVP page and click on button near the bottom for the February Workshop.

MarCom holds monthly professional development and networking meetings on the first Friday of every month, September through June, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in Cataldo Hall at Gonzaga University. It holds its monthly meetings with the Spokane chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The meetings are open to any interested public relations professionals or students. The meeting fee, which covers breakfast, is $10 for students and members who RSVP, $13 for members at the door and non-members who RSVP, and $15 for non-members at the door.

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The Dussault Award Returns in 2008

What ever happened to the Dussault Award? (It has not been awarded the past two years.) The MarCom Board is pleased to make a guarantee that it will be awarded this year!

The Dussault Award, first presented in 1991 for outstanding efforts and results, is named for the late Rev. Arthur L. Dussault, S.J., Gonzaga University Vice President and co-founder of the Spokane Public Relations Council (renamed Spokane Regional MarCom Association in February 2007).

This year, as with the past two years, MarCom will award three Brightest Spark Awards to those entries that achieve the highest scores from our judges. However, this year, one of these will be the Dussault Brightest Spark Award. It will be chosen from among awards submitted into the campaigns/programs category at the discretion of the judges, and will not be based solely on numerical scoring. This “best of show” award will recognize a campaign/program that had a significant impact on the economy, vibrancy and prosperity of our region or its target audience. So, be sure to keep these criteria in mind as you write your campaign entries.

Past Dussault Award-winning entries include Catholic Charities Postcards from St. Margaret’s project to raise awareness, recruit volunteers, and invite donations for care of homeless women; Avista's energy efficiency and conservation education pro­gram; Spokane Symphony's Save the Fox fund-raising drive; and a health care outreach campaign by Desautel Hege Communications. Some Dussault Award recipients have gone on to win national awards for the same work.  The Dussault Award winner will be asked to make a presentation about the entry at our last joint meeting before summer break.

     - Dave Sonntag, MarCom President

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Don't Delay - Feb. 22 Is the Deadline

We're looking for the best and the brightest of 2007.  The marketing or communications project that put your organization at the front of the pack.  The message that made heads turn and take notice.  The web page that drove people to your door in record numbers. 

It's time for the 2008 Spokane Regional MarCom Association Spark Awards!

This year, the Drop Off Party to collect all entries will be held at Dean Davis' Studio on Friday, February 22 from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Dean's studio is located at 216 West Pacific Avenue between the old Armory (think Laser Quest & Wild Walls) and the railroad tracks.  Beverages and appetizers will be served.

Award entry forms and more information is available on MarCom's website on the Awards page.  The deadline for submissions is a month earlier than last year, and there have been some minor changes to categories, so be sure to carefully review the Spark Entry Instructions and Entry Form.  Good luck!

The Spark Awards will be presented at the Spokane Athletic Club on Wednesday, April 16, 2008.  If you have any questions about the awards or the upcoming event, contact Alli Benjamin, Event Chair, at allibenjamin@gmail.com or Sharon Robertson, Judging Chair, at srobertson@gsewni.org.

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Great Recognition That Supports the MarCom Internship Fund

Please join us in making this year’s Spokane MarCom "Spark Awards" an even bigger success!

This annual event celebrates the achievements of local communications professionals. That makes it a unique opportunity for your organization to be recognized as a leader and major supporter of the marketing communications profession in this region.

Plus, this event is MarCom’s primary fundraising effort for its Internship Fund, which provides deserving college students paid public relations, communications or marketing internships in the Spokane area. 

Please click the following link for Sponsorship Opportunities. If you have any questions regarding Spark Award sponsorships, please contact Leslie White at white@coffman.com or 509-328-2994.

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They bring new perspectives, high energy and creative ideas to your marketing communications or public relations departments. They’re able to help you get some of those projects that you’ve “been meaning to get to off the ground” up and running. They’re bright, they’re eager, but they need a top-notch host.

They are the soon-to-be-selected MarCom interns.  You could be the host.

As a MarCom member you can apply to host one of these “best and brightest” upcoming marketing communications professionals. Your participation in the Spark Awards and other fund-raising activities throughout the year fund three paid MarCom internship positions for undergraduate marketing communications and public relations majors.

Host organizations are chosen based on their ability to provide the selected interns with a career-building, 10-week, professional marketing communications experience. Past hosts have provided informal mentoring for their interns as a way of enhancing the intern’s professional development.

The application deadline for internship hosts is Feb. 1. MarCom Internship Program applications, for both students and potential hosts, are available on-line at the Internships page.

Please send your application to Ron Nichols, MarCom Internship Chair, c/o NRCS, 316 W. Boone Ave., Suite 316, Spokane, WA 99201 or via e-mail to ron.nichols@wa.usda.gov. Remember, all applications must be postmarked on or before Feb. 1 to be considered.

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