President's Message
by Shayna Stillman

Dear Members,

IASB WANTS YOU!! That is, we want your opinions. I hope you have noticed that in the past few months IASB has been emailing you with SURVEY MONKEY questionnaires. The purpose of the surveys is to help us learn more about what's important to YOU!! Your IASB Board is committed to growing and improving the association by addressing the needs and concerns of all members. In doing so, our goal is to increase the value of your IASB membership.

The surveys are designed to be quick and easy and contain 3 or 4 brief questions. I promise these surveys will take no more than 2 minutes of your time to complete. We are all very busy and emails flood our inbox, but please do NOT hit the DELETE button when you see these email surveys. WE NEED AND WANT YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS.

By participating in the surveys you will be actively involved in the decisions your board makes for the future direction of IASB! Generally the number of responding members is in the range of 25 to 30. We now have approximately 130 members and if you have not been participating, this is an excellent way to get involved in your association. My sincere thanks to those of you who have participated so far and I hope we will be hearing from more members in the coming months.

If you have questions or concerns I welcome your emails and phone calls. You may reach me at 703-684-0555, ext. 1033 or ShaynaS@WashingtonSpeakers.com.

Very best wishes,
Shayna Stillman

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IASB 3-Question Survey

The IASB Board of Governors will be meeting in Chicago on August 19th. On the agenda is a discussion of the response to the 3-Question Survey, which was influenced by Mike Abrashoff and his book; It's Your Ship.

1. What do you like best about IASB?
2. What do you like least about IASB?
3. It's your ship: if you could, what would you change?

There were some interesting responses and the Board really appreciates the feedback. We hope to have feedback to you in the August issue of Bureau Talk as to what plans will be underway as a result of your input.

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CONTINUING EDU LAUNCHES IN SEPT!

When Jim Montoya asked me if I’d chair the IASB Continuing Education Committee my first thought was, “Why is he asking me? I’m not a bureau.” Then I remembered that I told a few members of the Board that I’d be happy to help this year. So when you offer to volunteer, IASB keeps you to your word! And I’m very grateful that he asked – I am learning a ton about what’s important to you bureau folk.

Our committee – made up of Leanne Christie (Ovations Intl), Andrea Driessen (Amplify Professional Speaker Services), Brian Lord (Premiere Speakers Bureau) and Kris Young (Martin Bastian Productions) – has been busy giving their time and ideas and we are pleased to announce that this September, IASB will launch a quarterly educational program using a webinar and/or teleconferencing format. A nominal fee will be charged per bureau so you can have your team around the computer or listening in on a speaker phone.

We’ve had a great response to our recent survey regarding topics of interest. Here is an overview of your responses:

- how to improve the cooperation between IASB members; how to improve the promotion of our speakers among members

- future trends in the bureau/speaker industry

- strategies to promote exclusive speakers

- techniques for writing effective e-newsletters

- improving client ROI (Return on Investment) and ROO (Return on Objectives) while improving the bureau's bottom line

- cutting edge tips for managing/developing new features on our websites....website management for dummies

- how to educate speakers re ethical spin-off practices

- commoditization – making your bureau different

- effective and efficient ways to train staff/sales - managing a database - marketing/sales

- how to develop new clientele; how to locate the right person when cold calling; best methods for reaching client base, i.e. phone calls, post cards, catalogs, etc; best methods for securing staff for speakers' bureaus; best methods for training staff; reasonable expectations of 1st year staff; best practices for retaining clients

- improving your Emotional Intelligence

- legal and tax issues

- ways to build relationships with customers

- innovative agenda ideas to improve audience learning

We’re just finalizing the details for September’s launch – watch your Inbox for date and time – till then, have a great summer!

Karen Harris
Owner, CMI Speaker Management

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Membership News/Please Welcome Our Newest Members

BrightSight Group
Tom Neilssen
Skillman, NJ
609-466-0077
tom@brightsightgroup.com

Innovative Healthcare Speakers
Jerry Pogue
Bozeman, MT 59715-7624
406-586-8775
info@innovativehealthcarespeakers.com

JLA
Jeremy Lee
London, England
+44 (0) 207 907 2800
talk@jla.co.uk

Markson Sparks!
Redfern, Australia
61 2 9699 2000
talent@marksonsparks.com

Midwest Speakers Bureau, Inc.
Angela Cox-Weston
Des Moines, IA
515-974-8305
angela@speakernow.com

Performing Artistes
Jay Jay Jackson
Surrey, United Kingdom
+44(0)1932 590 376
jj@f4group.co.uk

Thought Leaders International
Janice Nagourney
Paris, France
+33 1 4267 3231
janice@thoughtleadersinternational.com

VitalSmarts, LC
Scott Myler
Provo, UT
801-724-3606
smyler@vitalsmarts.com

Voices, Inc.
Francine Read
Clackamas, OR 97015
503-631-7477
Francine@voicesinc.com

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NSA/IASB Task Force - Sessions at NSA
By Rich Gibbons, IASB Representative to Task Force - rgibbons@speakinc.com

July's National Speakers Association (NSA) conference in Orlando features two programs developed in conjunction with NSA/IASB Task Force to benefit both speakers and bureaus. We hope you're able to attend and offer your feedback on the results of these sessions:

Building a Memorable and Marketable Brand -Is your brand memorable? Is it marketable? Is it easy for Bureaus and the marketplace to identify what you do? Can the Bureaus easily match you to their clients? Join some of the nation's top Speaker Bureaus and brand experts as they help you develop a brand that is built to last.

Moderator: Janelle Barlow, Branding Expert
Panelists - Brian Palmer - National Speakers Bureau, Shayna Stillman - Washington Speakers Bureau & IASB President, and Joe Calloway - Branding Expert

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It's My Name, Don't Wear It Out

The game keeps changing and the crafty get craftier including ways names are used and misused via the World Wide Web. This session will explore some of the mechanics and legalities and suggest ways to establish and maintain a productive grip on a valuable asset.

Participants include copyright & trademark expert Francine Ward, JD, technology expert Terry Brock, CSP and long time bureau executive Brian Palmer of the National Speakers Bureau. The session will be moderated by Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE.

Get more information on these and other sessions at NSA's conference website: http://www.nsaspeaker.org/orlando/

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National Meetings Industry Day

This spring, every Canadian chapter of MPI participated in National Meetings Industry Day in recognition of the significant economic impact meetings and events bring to Canada. Theresa Beenken of Global Speakers Agency was in attendance, and offers these trends noted from the cross-country focused meetings, as excerpted from the official report: The Convening Power Of Meetings: A Keystone To Competitiveness "Beyond its direct economic impact, the meetings industry occupies an essential niche in the knowledge economy. Whether an organization has an immediate need to share information across disciplines or train personnel, build business relationships or explore international markets, motivate its sales force or energize its customer base, success depends on the unique convening power of meetings and events." Great news for speaker's bureaus who help provide the information, motivation and energy...

Green Meetings: Sustaining The Industry's Economic Future Expect that the meetings industry will pursue a green path over the next few years, and adopt green policies for their events. The green character of events draws the attention of media and sponsors while reinforcing Canada's international reputation for environmentally friendly practices. Do you have any environmental speakers to recommend to meeting planners? An Emerging Challenge: The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative The initiative has a potentially devastating impact on travel for speakers and attendees across the Canada-United States border. Under new federal regulations, all U.S. citizens will require a passport or passport card to return to their country by air or sea after December 31, 2006, and by land after December 31, 2007. (currently being reviewed). With only 23% of U.S. citizens and 40% of Canadians currently holding passports, what will that mean for cross border meetings?

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Trade Associations... It’s All About You
by Cindy Baxter

trade association – 1. An organization that represents the interests of the member firms of an industry. 2. individuals and companies in a specific business or industry organized to promote common interests.

It takes hard work and dedication to ensure your business is successful. But you don’t have to do it alone. Make an investment in your future and the future of your business by getting involved in a trade association. Look for a group that best represents your interests and get ready to reap the rewards.

Unified Voice
Belonging to an association enables you to have your voice heard … loudly. Chances are good that the issues that concern you and your business are affecting others in your industry. A trade association gives you the voice of the entire industry behind you.

Networking
Tap into the expertise of your counterparts from comparable businesses. Share your successes; glean wisdom from each others’ experiences; and put your heads together to solve problems that challenge you and the industry.

Camaraderie
More than just a networking experience, an association gives you the opportunity to build friendships with people with common interests and concerns. Through industry events, you can fraternize with people from across the nation and beyond.

Committees
Joining a trade association is the first step, but you can get the most out of your membership as an active volunteer who participates in committees, focus groups and other sub-groups that give you the opportunity to help guide the organization.

Leadership
Take your involvement to the next level as you further develop your leadership skills… or uncover your latent ability to take charge. Not everyone has the desire to be a leader, but the more active you are in your organization, the better equipped you’ll be when the opportunity presents itself.

Insight
A reputable trade association can help you get connected. Gain access to brilliant, forward-thinking individuals … those who have their fingers on the pulse of the industry and can provide valuable insight as you lead your business into the future.

Industry Best Practices
When great minds come together, they work to establish standards for their industry. As a whole, the organization can present and publicize its positions on ethical business practices, giving the industry greater credibility and giving individual retailers a creed by which to run their businesses.

Support On Legislative Issues
Whether you’re battling localized concerns, such as city/county ordinances, or industry wide issues, a trade association should have the wherewithal to help you. Don’t underestimate your own power – grassroots efforts are critical. But you can also count on your association to help send you in the right direction.

Industry Recognition
Your affiliation with a trade association could lead to speaking/teaching opportunities for you and/or give you recognition in the trade media. Making yourself and your areas of specialty known within your association could potentially garner valuable recognition for you and your business. And you can expect to gain respect from your peers and perhaps your customers.

Members-Only Communications Privileges
Trade associations will oftentimes reserve some information and communications exclusively for their members. Membership can give you the key to industry reports, membership directories and valuable business tools, which may not be accessible to non-members and the general public.

Benefits
The benefits of belonging to a trade association are varied. Besides the numerous intangibles detailed above, membership typically entitles you to special rates and exclusive services. While you may not have a need to take advantage of every benefit offered, there’s a strong likelihood that you can regain your membership investment many times over, simply by getting on board with some of the exclusive programs and benefits.

Now, take a minute and step away from your overwhelming day-to-day business. With a clear head and an open mind, you’ll find that joining an association is really a no-brainer.

Cindy Baxter, director of marketing and public relations, Mobile Enhancement Retailers Assn - MERA

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Include Your Staff in IASB Communications

IASB will add up to 2 additional people from the same bureau to the distribution list at no cost. That means a total of three people from your bureau will receive all emails and mailings that are meant to go to all IASB members. The best part is that it does not cost the bureau any more money.

If you would like to have more than 3 people from your bureau on the distribution list, the cost is $100 per year, for each additional listing. Just send an email to Pam Bernard, IASB Administrative Assistant - pam@iasbweb.org, with the name of those from your bureau that you would like to have added to the distribution list. In addition to names, please provide Pam with their mailing address, email address, telephone number and fax number. If the additional listing is based in a different location from the primary office, the satellite office will also appear in the "Bureau Locator" on the IASB website.

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Place a Banner Ad in Bureau Talk

For as low as $100 you may run a banner ad in Bureau Talk for 3 months. The cost for 6 months is $175 and the 12-month cost is $250. These are IASB 20th Anniversary specials. So, take advantage of this opportunity while it is available.

All IASB member bureaus receive the monthly eNewsletter and the association has grown by 30% since the convention this past April. And, we're expecting more bureaus to join before the end of the year.

Here are the specs for the banner ad...

Width: 430 pixels
Height: 60 pixels
Format: .gif or .jpg
Size: No larger than 20 K
Link: URL to your website

There would be an additional fee of $150, if you would like for IASB to prepare your ad. Just contact Jim Montoya at 317-328-7790 or jim@iasbweb.org.

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