Conference Early Bird Deadline Extended to May 18!

Go for the Maroon and Gold

Communicators Forum 2012 Conference

Thursday, July 26, 2012

7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

St. Paul Continuing Education and Conference Center

Parking Map and Directions

The early bird deadline has been extended! Register by May 18 »

Session topics and speakers are now available online »

Go for the Maroon and Gold: Training Tip

Ever been put on the spot to produce a great idea...? And, realized that your creative juices were not flowing? Drumming up creativity can be a tricky thing, especially if when you get stuck on these hang ups (http://www.copyblogger.com/mental-blocks-creative-thinking/).

That's why it's important to put aside some time during your week to exercise your creative muscles.... starting with this: 29 ways to stay creative (http://vimeo.com/24302498).

Also, don't forget the UMCF annual conference is coming up July 26!  And, we're pleased to announce that Beth Perro-Jarvis and Mary Van Note, Partners of Ginger Consulting, will be leading a session on creativity.

P.S. Check out this cool story about Ginger Consulting on Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/148329235.html).

Go for the Maroon and Gold: Training Tip

Screen
printing. This is quite possibly one of the coolest forms of visual
communication. Conveying a message or brand through images is compelling
and, if you're an art enthusiast like me, more engaging than other
forms of communication (when done well).

A
great example is Twin Cities illustrator and print maker Adam Turman
who tells the story of biking in the Twin Cities through his collection of cycling prints.

Check out how to create the final product in this screen printing tutorial written by Turman.

And,
plan to attend Turman's UMCF conference session "Let's Print" where
he'll talk about the process of screen printing, but more
importantly, he'll be teaching how to pull some actual prints that
attendees can take with home.

Register by April 23 for the discounted rate.

Link Roundup: Sustainable Design

In celebration of Beautiful U Day which is happening next week, some sustainable links:

• Companies are revolutionizing sustainable product design by using environmental life cycle assessment to benchmark their product impacts.


• Heard about the U's RFID program? Faculty and staff can bicycle towards points to reduce 2013 medical program rates.
• See art out in the open and year-round at Mankato's CityArt Walking Sculpture Tour.
• RiverFIRST is the winning design proposal for the Minneapolis riverfront. Watch the design team's video and learn about the 2010 international design competition which was sponsored by the Mpls. Park Board and Parks Foundation, with creative partners the U of M College of Design and Walker Art Center.

Finding Your Niche in a Social Media Explosion

It seems I can't do anything in the communications world without bumping elbows with yet another one of the billion social media tools popping up these days. In the crowded room of businesses, college departments, and organizations all screaming for your attention through their various social media, it can be hard to decide what tools are best or applicable to you and your place of work. Here's a quick article on some of the newer buzz-tools out there: the new Facebook Timeline for businesses, Pinterest, and Instagram.

What's your take on these new platforms? Do you see an opportunity to use them in your workplace?

Go for the Maroon and Gold: Training Tip

Email
marketing. It's a quick and direct way to communicate with your
audience. But, when should it be used and what's the messaging like? Integrating email marketing with a broader communications plan (probably including both traditional and new media) is often key to its success. Also, writing engaging and relevant messages is a must for standing out in the flurry of emails.

Check out ten best practices
for email marketing.  And, plan to attend the UMCF conference session
on email marketing, "Having a Blast: Making Mass Email Work for You,"
with U of M University Relations' electronic communications specialist
Pete Wiringa.

Learn about the conference agenda and session topics. Register by April 23 for the discounted rate.

Introvert or extrovert? (or, How come no one shows up to UMCF happy hours?)

What would you guess is the personality type of a communicator? Probably extrovert, right? But there are many of us in varying job functions, from graphic design to PR. Let's see how it shakes out: