Our free publications industry wrapped up a wonderful conference here in Des Moines this past weekend. We created a new alliance appropriately called Association of Community Publishers, a blend of two previous national organizations. Change is seldom easy, and this hasn’t been either. But thanks to the efforts of some truly incredible people, the result of our first conference was a success. I am glad it could happen here in Des Moines.
I realize most of you don’t give two hoots about our industry conference, but many of you can relate to not seeing people you care about for two years. I was able to reconnect with folks from across the United States and Canada, many whom I have known for a few decades and have become friends with. Times like these remind me that there are good, honest, hardworking people in this world everywhere whom we can relate to and learn from. I am also reminded how different we are from some folks, and how that is a good thing, too. A smart man once told me that we have to accept the fact that some people are simply “allergic” to other people and that we can’t do anything to fix that. He was right. Despite efforts, some personalities simply don’t mix with others.
Our industry conferences have been held in cities like Clearwater Beach, Las Vegas, Denver, Atlanta, Phoenix and San Diego, to name a few. I was concerned that attendees would not be too excited about coming to Des Moines. I was wrong. The ongoing joke was that Des Moines is “not that bad,” but I heard many positive comments about how Des Moines was “cool,” “safe” and “clean,” and how the residents were “courteous,” “helpful” and “smart.” I was proud of my city and its people.
Those of you who are regular readers of this column know how much respect I have for Michael Gartner and Gary Gerlach, two industry leaders who proved to be incredible mentors for me. Gary delivered an inspirational message to our Rising Stars in the industry on Thursday afternoon, and Michael shared enlightening and entertaining stories with our members as our keynote speaker at the luncheon on Saturday.
On a final note, I was also reminded of the importance of training, and not just the formal stuff. We often learn as much over dinner or cocktails as we do in the training rooms. Where or how we learn doesn’t really matter, but we do need to commit to lifelong learning — and it was nice to be able to do that in Des Moines.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman President and Publisher Big Green Umbrella Media shane@dmcityview.com 515-953-4822, ext. 305 |