15 September 2007

Yesterday we finished up at MinistryCOM and said our goodbyes to those we met and were able to hang out with during the conference. Here is the simple wrap up from Day 2:

Shawn Wood (main session): Awesome. I've been able to rub shoulders with Shawn from time to time at conferences but never knew he had the gift of communication until today. He is world class. A few simple take aways:

Three W's to focus on: Weekend, Web and Word of Mouth

Characteristics of an experience: Distinctiveness, Relevance, Memorable and Effective

Ashley Schuermann (breakout session): Ashley spoke on trends in graphic design, handling the stress that comes with design work in a multi-site environment with tons of "stuff" on her plate and tips for designing based on your environment/culture.

Kem Meyer (main session): Awesome as well. Kem rounded out the conference with a talk on why it seems other departments "hate" us. She used well placed media elements to keep people on the edge of their seats and offered the following tips:

1. Get an image consultant who can advocate for you and hold you accountable.
2. Check your ego to make sure you are doing things for the right reasons.
3. Find common ground by taking the time to meet and hang out with those you serve.