Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/19029
make announcements from the pulpit to attract attendees, especially to those under the age of 40. Just having a website is not enough. So where do you start? Social Media is the centerpiece for the young, but even baby boomers have taken to this form of com- munication. The first step is to identify your goals and objectives. Are you trying to increase attendance at your annual conference or retreat? Are you trying to reach a certain demographic? Are you trying to establish a long-term presence with relevant content? Of all Social Media, Facebook is by far the most relevant, vibrant and vital. Go on Facebook and do a search of pages, people or groups who share a particular denomination – you would be astounded by the reach of this medium. So let’s say you take the plunge and decide Facebook is a great way to reach your members and others. Let’s also assume you personally don’t have the expertise to start a Facebook page. Look no further than your own congregation. I can almost guarantee that if someone in your congregation doesn’t have the expertise to start a site, they will know someone who does. As you build your own Facebook pres- ence here are a couple of things to remember. The word “Social” in social media is very important. To keep people coming back to your Facebook page, it must remain relevant, meaning it needs to be updat- ed weekly at a minimum. Don’t be too alarmed if things don’t click right away. Participation in social media follows a 1:9:90 rule. One per- Continued from page 34 January 16-18 ONE Travel Conference, Langham Hotel, Pasadena, CA. (707) 224- 3795 or www.ONEtravelconference.com January 20-24 2011 SATH 14th Annual World Congress for Travelers With Disabilities and the Mature, Navigator of the Seas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. (561) 451-0052 January 25-28 Religious Conference Management Association’s (RCMA) World Conference and Exposition, Tampa Bay Convention Center, Tampa, FL. For more information about RCMA, log on to www.rcmaweb.org. February 7-12 National Association of African American Studies 2011 National Conference, Los Angeles, CA. For more information contact Carol Martinez, LA Inc. The Los Angeles CVB at (213) 236-2357. February 11-13 2011 Boston Globe Travel 50 cent creates the content, 9 percent interact and 90 percent are spectators. Your job is to create a presence com- pelling enough to get at least some of that 90 per- cent to interact. One great feature of Facebook for the meeting planner is an events calendar that allows you to promote an upcoming get- together. If you decide to use this fea- ture – and I recommend you do, make sure the website you refer people to sign up for a conference or convention is ready to go. There is nothing worse than referring someone to a site that doesn’t work. Also keep the website up for awhile after the event has occurred. It’s a great way to keep peo- ple talking and get them interested in next year’s con- vention. If you put on a great event, attendees will upload pictures and keep the dialogue going for months. There are numerous ways to effectively use tech- nology. There’re Blogs, Twitter and newsletters. Another way to promote an upcoming event is through text messaging. There are over 4.5 billion cell phones in the world and growing at 25 percent annually. You can send a single message to multiple cell phones simultaneously. The recession proof nature of the reli- gious market puts both the buyer and the supplier in an excellent position to forge long-term relationships. If suppliers are sensitive to the unique needs of this market you might find yourself with a friend for life. And both sides should adopt the latest form of technol- ogy to communicate and market to others. Show, Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities for the 2011 show, contact Ted Petersen at (6170 929-7080 or visit www.bostonglobetravelshow.com. February 26-27 The Makeup Show LA, California Market Center, Los Angeles, CA. www.themakeupshow.com March 27-29 7th Pharmaceutical Meeting Management Forum, Philadelphia, PA. (800) 817-8601 April 3-5 2011 Travel South Showcase, Georgia World Congress Center, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, GA. Liz.bit- tner@travelsouthusa.com April 27-May 1 Incentive Research Foundation’s 18th Annual Incentive Invitational, Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, NV. http://invitational.theirf.org/ or (305) 234-1077 May 12-15 TPOC 9th Annual Conference and Trade Show, The Galt House and Suites, Louisville, KY. (866) 901-1259 May 15-16 The Makeup Show NYC, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, NY. www.themakeupshow.com May 15-18 Institute for Supply Management’s 96th Annual International Supply Management Conference and Education Exhibit, Orlando, FL. (800) 888- 6276 or www.ism.ws May 31-June 1 10th Anniversary Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) and Welcome Reception, J.W. Marriott, Washington, DC. (703) 979-4904 June 79th Conference of Mayors, Hilton Biltmore Hotel, Baltimore, MD. June 21-23 Americas Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (AIBTM) Tradeshow, Baltimore, MD. www.aibtm-.com Black Meetings & Tourism September/October 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com