Promote your business on the Meeting and Convention industry’s Heres Network
“Blog and podcast advertising are being driven by some of the same factors boosting the growth of the overall alternative media sector: continued audience fragmentation, the perceived ineffectiveness of traditional advertising”
Lift your brand on one, two, three or all of the following markets: Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Michigan, Wisconsin, Orlando, Boston, Colorado, Houston, Miami, Seattle, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Arizona.
One Solution, One Network, 20 Markets – You Choose!
The next generation of the internet is built on communities of like-minded individuals surrounded by robust content. That’s what the Here’s Network delivers in 25 major meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition (MICE) destinations world-wide. If your business is seeking an effective and affordable way to reach local exposure with a national network, please contact us today.
For the first time ever, the revolutionary Heres Network allows you, as an advertiser, to choose only those markets you would like to invest. Choose one, two or up to 20 markets. It’s your choice. No need to pay a national price for national exposure.
Combined spending on blog and podcast advertising totaled $20.4 million in 2005, according to custom media research firm PQ Media. Ad spending in these areas is expected to balloon another 144.9 percent to $49.8 million this year. The study, “Blog and Podcast Advertising Outlook,” is the result of six months of primary research and the first installment in PQ Media’s “Alternative Media Research” series. Blog advertising accounted for 81.4 percent of ad spending among the three areas—blogs and podcasts collectively termed “user-generated online media” by the study.
“Blog and podcast advertising are being driven by some of the same factors boosting the growth of the overall alternative media sector: continued audience fragmentation, the perceived ineffectiveness of traditional advertising”
Local Advertising Packages
Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Michigan, Wisconsin, Orlando, Boston, Colorado, Houston, Miami, Seattle, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Arizona.
Each Here’s Network market features nine top level categories which are available for sponsorship. Categories include Accommodations, Meeting Spaces and Places, Restaurants and Night Life, Meeting and Event Services, Sightseeing, Transportation, Fun Facts, Tips from the Pros and Special Events. Rates start at less than $100 per month. Learn more info@hereschicago.com
National Advertising Packages
Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Michigan, Wisconsin, Orlando, Boston, Colorado, Houston, Miami, Seattle, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Arizona.
Promote your brand across all markets with the Here’s Network. National advertising packages start at $5,000 annually. Learn more info@hereschicago.com.
How am I going to lift my brand via The Heres Network?
Your brand will be in front of 240,000 unique impressions per year to include influential meeting and event planners worldwide.
Current Market Sponsorships Available
Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Michigan, Wisconsin, Orlando, Boston, Colorado, Houston, Miami, Seattle, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Arizona. Interested Meeting Venues, CVB’s, Tourist Boards, Meeting Service Providers and Hotel properties, please contact sales@heresnetwork.com
by Sue Tinnish
847.394.9857 stinnish@ameritech.net
You want new ….
You want different …
You want innovative …
You want to borrow from something done before…
Many of us have only a passing familiarity with the principles of copyright law and the area of intellectual property. The Internet’s technology, ease and flexibility have made it incredibly easy to have access to, copy or even forward information. For the first time, the average person sitting at a computer can gain access to a wide range of every type of copyrighted material and can easily copy or communicate that material virtually instantaneously.
In a digital format, it’s not so easy to determine if a work has been copied. Original photocopy machines left tell-tale signs that a work was a copy. Later, color copies made near perfect originals. Now it is next to impossible to ascertain whether and at what point in the process a copy has been made or a performance has occurred.
From students to authors to people involved in planning meetings, copyright law is important to understand. There is a price to innovation and in many cases it’s determined by copyright laws or other areas of intellectual property rights.
Like many laws, copyright laws have been amended since first created in 1790. Some parts of the law are ambiguous or poorly written. And no law can cover all situations in all circumstances. (And hence lawyers can make a profitable living!)
Materials that are protected by copyright include:
Writings
Musical works
Cartoons
Plays
Photographs
Maps
Artworks, sculpture
Movies
Pantomimes and choreographed works
Recipes
Architectural drawings
Copyright law protects published and unpublished works. Copyright protection for all works created after 1978 begins the instant a work is created – whether it is registered or not with the US Copyright Office. It is not even necessary to publish the copyright notice. Some works may not be copyright protected but exist in the public domain. Public domain works are available for copying or using without gaining permission from the author.
How do you tell if a work is copyrighted? Unfortunately, there is no straightforward rule. To understand when a copyright has expired, you need to know when the work was published.
Everything published in the United States before 1923 is in the public domain.
Works published in the United States between 1923- 1963 and not renewed are in the public domain.
All unpublished works by authors dated over 70 years are in the public domain.
Foreign works published before 1901 are in the public domain.
Foreign works published 1909-1923 with copyright notice are in the public domain.
Copyright protection for current works (published after 1977) generally lasts for the extent of the author’s life plus 70 years.
Works made for hire – that is works that are created as part of a job are protected for 90 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation whichever comes first. Examples: Training materials.
Examples of Public Domain works:
Louise May Alcott’s Little Women
Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa
The Lone Ranger but not E.T. or Hopalong Cassidy
Any facts
Copyrightis a complex issue. If you find a work that you want to copy, adapt or otherwise use and it is not in the public domain, you have three alternatives:
1.Find something that is in the public domain
2.Obtain permission to use the work
3.Use the work without permission relying on the principle of the “fair use” which allows copyrighted material to be used for free in limited situations.
Fair use is a concept only legally recognized in the United States. No other country in the world gives the public latitude to use copyrighted works without permission. Under the fair use privilege an author is permitted to make limited use of another author’s work without asking permission.
When is it fair to use someone’s materials?
When you comment or criticize
For news reporting
For research or scholarship
Three other considerations for fair use:
The type of work – factual works (technical, scientific) vs. works of fancy (novels, poems, plays)
The amount and importance of the material used
The effect of the use of the material on the potential market or the value of the copyrighted works
People sometimes unknowingly violate copyright laws. The wide amount of information available via the web and electronic distribution makes it easy to have access to information and to add it to a presentation, brochure or other marketing information.
You may not realize that you are infringing upon an author’s rights. Here are some flagrant examples of violating copyright laws:
Copying training materials (this is an example of a work made for hire) to reduce the cost of purchasing additional materials from a training company.
Photocopying of articles from magazines for mass distribution.
Using a song as background music in a video production.
Works on the Internet do not automatically qualify to be considered public domain. Nor does out of print mean out of copyright.
If you are concerned about copyright issues, you can:
Research the topic in more depth using these resources:
4.Using Copyrighted Works For Meetings, Seminars & Conferences by J. Wesley Cochran, Professor of Law, Texas Tech University, August 1999 at
http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/copy-corner12.htm Prof. Cochran
Ask permission to use the work. (This can be time-consuming.)
Use royalty-free content. You can purchase for a one-time fee for unlimited use (with some restrictions) of music, stock photos or graphics in presentation materials.
Use works of the United States Government. By statute, U.S. Government works are not protected by copyright. This would include photographs from NASA, database and statistics (like the US Census data).
Gain explicit agreements from your speakers that protect your organization from claims that the speaker used copyrighted materials (e.g., a PowerPoint® presentation) without permission. Speaker agreements also should ensure that the sponsor has the right to record and replay the presentation or reproduce the handouts for distribution or sale to non-attendees. Speaker agreements also should include language that allows the sponsoring organization to reproduce the presentation materials in any form or media (e.g., on the sponsor’s Web site). This idea taken directly from Association Meetings, Dec, 2000 by Jed R. Mandel at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CXQ/is_6_12/ai_68965444
Link Well. Links to web sites may be freely reproduced for hyperlinking. Always proper cite a website and depending upon your usage notify the web page provider. Also avoid deeply linking to a specific page. Some websites prohibit deep linking which allows you to avoid the home page.
Obtain Music Licensing. Unless a song is clearly within the “public domain,” any music–live or recorded–played at an event is subject to copyright protection. Event sponsors may need copyright licenses from one or all of the music licensing organizations (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC). Each organization has a “playlist” of music for which it is authorized to give licenses on behalf of copyright owners. They can provide you with a blanket license tailored to the meetings industry.
·Research sources for Public Domain works:
1.The on-line Books Page at www.digital.library.upenn.edu/books On-line Books
2.www.ibiblio.org contains links to many websites with public domain materials www.ibiblio.org
3.Wikipedia contains many links to public domain at http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/wikipedia:public_domain_resources Wikipedia Public Domain
4.Audiovisual and sound recordings at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at www.archives.gov NARA
5.Maps at the US Geological Survey (USGS) at www.usgs.gov or the National Archives Cartographic and Architectural Branch at www.nara.gov USGS
6.Art works through web searches using the artist’s name or check Art History Resources on the Web at http://witcombe.bcpw.sbc.edu/arthlinks.html Art History Resources
Strive for new, different and innovativemeetings. But respect other people’s work. Plagiarism is an ethical issue. While you may no longer be in school and concerned about plagiarism, you should give credit for ideas and facts that you borrow from authors.
7.Using Copyrighted Works For Meetings, Seminars & Conferences by J. Wesley Cochran, Professor of Law, Texas Tech University, August 1999 at
http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/copy-corner12.htm Prof. Cochran
Ask permission to use the work. (This can be time-consuming.)
Use royalty-free content. You can purchase for a one-time fee for unlimited use (with some restrictions) of music, stock photos or graphics in presentation materials.
Use works of the United States Government. By statute, U.S. Government works are not protected by copyright. This would include photographs from NASA, database and statistics (like the US Census data).
Gain explicit agreements from your speakers that protect your organization from claims that the speaker used copyrighted materials (e.g., a PowerPoint® presentation) without permission. Speaker agreements also should ensure that the sponsor has the right to record and replay the presentation or reproduce the handouts for distribution or sale to non-attendees. Speaker agreements also should include language that allows the sponsoring organization to reproduce the presentation materials in any form or media (e.g., on the sponsor’s Web site). This idea taken directly from Association Meetings, Dec, 2000 by Jed R. Mandel at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CXQ/is_6_12/ai_68965444
Link Well. Links to web sites may be freely reproduced for hyperlinking. Always proper cite a website and depending upon your usage notify the web page provider. Also avoid deeply linking to a specific page. Some websites prohibit deep linking which allows you to avoid the home page.
Obtain Music Licensing. Unless a song is clearly within the “public domain,” any music–live or recorded–played at an event is subject to copyright protection. Event sponsors may need copyright licenses from one or all of the music licensing organizations (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC). Each organization has a “playlist” of music for which it is authorized to give licenses on behalf of copyright owners. They can provide you with a blanket license tailored to the meetings industry.
·Research sources for Public Domain works:
1.The on-line Books Page at www.digital.library.upenn.edu/books On-line Books
2.www.ibiblio.org contains links to many websites with public domain materials www.ibiblio.org
3.Wikipedia contains many links to public domain at http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/wikipedia:public_domain_resources Wikipedia Public Domain
4.Audiovisual and sound recordings at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at www.archives.gov NARA
5.Maps at the US Geological Survey (USGS) at www.usgs.gov or the National Archives Cartographic and Architectural Branch at www.nara.gov USGS
6.Art works through web searches using the artist’s name or check Art History Resources on the Web at http://witcombe.bcpw.sbc.edu/arthlinks.html Art History Resources
Strive for new, different and innovativemeetings. But respect other people’s work. Plagiarism is an ethical issue. While you may no longer be in school and concerned about plagiarism, you should give credit for ideas and facts that you borrow from authors.
Establish yourself as an expert in front of meeting professionals. We are seeking articles on the following meeting topics immediately. If your article is selected, we will provide your name as the author and a link to your website from our populare Heres Network Cities. We are seeking the following topics:
·Meeting planner Tips
·Business meeting Tips
·Meeting room Tips
·Corporate meeting Tips
·Board meeting Tips
·Annual meeting Tips
·Meeting facility Tips
·Conducting a meeting Tips
·Meeting planner association Tips
·Conference meeting Tips
·Medical meeting Tips
·Meeting planner international Tips
·Business meeting etiquette Tips
·Conducting business meeting Tips
·Need help with meeting Tips
·Help with meeting Tips
·Medical conference meeting Tips
·Meeting directory Website Tips
·Meeting and conference Tips
·Meeting planning company Tips
·Meeting planner job Tips
·Location of top meeting Tips
·Planning checklist meeting Tips
·Meeting agenda Tips
·Meeting facilities Tips
·Conducting effective meetings Tips
·Hotel meeting room Tips
·Meeting planning software Tips
·Meeting travel planning Tips
If you are interested, please direct all articles and inquiries to: Heres Editor: heresnetwk@yahoo.com
Innovative meetings occur where there is a good match between speakers, topic, your requirements/needs, desired outcome and the setting with a twist of the right chemistry.
The best speakers create in audiences the desire to change, the confidence to act, and the knowledge or tools to succeed. Speakers can impact people’s:
· Attitudes (how they feel)
· Knowledge (what they know)
· Actions (what they can or will do)
Before even previewing or considering a single speaker, be clear on your objectives for hiring a speaker. “Because we always have a keynote speaker.” is not a good reason to hire a speaker again this year.
Clarify why you want to hire a speaker. Select speakers who will deliver the outcomes you want/need. Some common objectives include the desire to:
· Entertain (change how they feel)
· Motivate (change how they feel)
· Promote a cause or organization (change how they feel and what they know)
· Educate (change what they know; perhaps what they do)
· Shift behavior (change what they do)
Many other sources (including speaker bureaus) offer checklists that cover logistics, legal issues and also content. This checklist is intended to help you hire a speaker who is the best match with your meeting. This checklist of 20 questions will help you create an innovative meeting.
Checklist for Innovative Meetings
1. What size of a group do you work with?
2. What level of people do you work with?
3. Are we an attractive audience for you? Why? Most top speakers don’t accept every engagement even if they are available. They select audiences with whom they have the greatest chance of success.
4. How would you characterize your “style” of speaking?
5. What is your focus? Are you more of a “special event” speaker? Do you focus on keynotes? Do you offer ongoing, long-term training as well? Most speakers operate a three-pronged business: Keynoting, workshops and consulting.
6. Do you specialize by topic or industry?
7. How long is your “typical” program?
8. How do we make sure your program works?
9. What will you do to make your message relevant to our group?
10. How will you create an empathetic connection with the audience?
11. How will you create involvement and interactivity? Professional speaker Patricia Gardner says “People don’t want to listen to a lecturer.” That requires speakers to use techniques and tactics that involve the audience.
12. What will you do to finish on time?
13. How can you help us promote this meeting?
14. What else do we get when hiring you? Some options include:
· Deliver one or two “breakout sessions” or a spouse program
· Introduce other speakers
· Emcee the event that they are part of
· Host a book signing
· Meet and greet at a reception
· Coach other internal speakers either in advance or on-site
· Moderate a panel
· Sign autographs
· Appear in the sponsor’s booth to increase the value of their sponsorship
15. What are the pros and cons of having you speak to our organization more than once?
16. Will you customize your program for our organization? Content, titles, introductions, props and visuals are areas that can be customized? For example, your organization’s name, logo, and meeting theme can be incorporated in the handout.
17. What type of pre-program research do you conduct?
18. Do you provide handout masters and/or finished handouts? Who pays for the handouts?
19. How do you accommodate hearing and sight impaired audience members (i.e., Handouts in Braille, audio tapes, etc.)?
20. Will you be accessible to all attendees before and after the event?
Ultimately when narrowing down your selection, ask yourself these questions to help guide your decision:
1. Have I considered a widely-diversified group of potential speakers? Does the pool of speakers address the type of diversity in my audience?
2. Do I have a match between Content (topic), Style (delivery), and the Call to Action (outcomes)?
3. Is the speaker entertaining as well as informative?
4. How does our location/site influence our selection of a speaker and that speaker’s success? How will a rugged, individualist speaker play in a tony, urban 4-star property? Can I use our site to help build a theme or thread running throughout the meeting?
Does the speaker have verifiable references that increase my comfort?
These questions will help you get a great match between your speakers, topic, requirements/needs, desired outcome and the setting while maximizing that all important twist of chemistry
Do you announce a meeting and find either no one shows up on time, they come with their own agenda, or the meeting goes on and on? If this is true in your case, then worry no more.
Here are six steps to help you develop successful meetings:
1. Establish a realistic and specific objective. Ask yourself, ‘What do I want to accomplish?’ or ‘Why am I calling people together at this time?’
Do I want:
to solve problem(s). * to inform. * to gain feedback. * to orient.
to motivate. * to reward. * to buy. * to sell.
Then decide the best mode to accomplish your objective. Ask yourself which best suits your needs:
a conference with a panel(s) of speakers?
a half-day workshop? Or a full-day seminar?
a staff meeting that includes your immediate staff?
a staff meeting that includes your department or division?
a staff meeting that includes everyone from all levels of the entire organization?
2. Create a well-developed agenda. Review your agenda before announcing your meeting. Make sure it avoids:
spending too much time on details technical subjects. (It puts people to sleep and does not communicate with them.)
failing to specify the starting and ending times. (Employees need to know when to be there, when it is expected to start, and when it is expected to be finished so that they can reschedule their other duties and responsibilities.)
adding irrelevant topics. (Doing so only lengthens the meeting time and serves to anger people or put them to sleep.)
having speakers or presenters who are known to ramble. (One of the surest ways to put your audience to sleep is to have a boring meeting with speakers or presenters who talk on and on. This is especially true in cases where the agenda covers technical or scientific material.)
crowding the agenda with too many subjects. (It is better to have a question and answer period during the meeting than to try to cover everything.
Now review your agenda and make sure you have included:
a chairperson or Master of Ceremonies to move topics along without rushing the presenters, or allowing them to ramble.
general logistics before hand, such as restroom locations, break times, and telephone or walk-in interruptions.
a priority system so that the most important topics or pressing matters are covered first.
3. Assign particular responsibilities. Be sure to select responsible people to carry out the responsibilities of your meeting. Also be sure:
to match the topics and tasks with competent presenters.
to give them clear, complete, and specific instructions including assigned time to complete their presentation.
to gain the concurrence of your key participants.
to have a clock in clear view of the presenters.
to start on time, regardless. (This is perhaps the most important aspect of running a successful meeting.)
4. Establish a positive meeting environment. Take the time to plan your meeting. Perhaps the most important aspect to consider is the environment where you will hold your meeting. To insure its success, be sure you:
create an environment that is conducive to effective communication.
set start and ending times that are conducive to all.
develop the environment around a theme.
consider the objective of the meeting when selecting the room.
