A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

We have divided our standard newsletter into three for DPMs, Vendors/Exhibitors and Meeting Planners. You are on the Meeting Planners Newsletter list. If you want to receive our DPM Newsletter and/or our Vendors/Exhibitors Newsletter, let us know below:

Sure, I had to block out the never-ending sound of constant flushing, but the foot traffic was epic.

Last month I wrote a blog about how meetings should be set up so that DPMs are only in one of three spots: the lecture hall, the exhibit hall, or the bathroom.

With that in mind, it's surprising to me that I never see any sponsorship offers associated with this coveted space. I'm not saying you have to place premier booths near the bathroom, but it may be worth working with the hotel to utilize the areas in and around the bathrooms for sponsor signage. Whenever I go to Nashville, for example, any time I walk into a public restroom, there is always a framed flyer staring me in the face.

There are always hidden gems of real estate that could create loads of ROI for your sponsors; we just have to keep our eyes open and know they could appear in the most unexpected places.

Sarah Breymeier: beheard@podiatrymeetings.com

Many of you know that Ann & Sarah come as a package deal, and while we may give the outward appearance that we are always 100% in sync with one another, there are several differences in the way that we work.

I thought about writing this post after she and I were analyzing our Sponsor Advertising Calendar we have in a shared Google Drive. She had worked diligently to ensure it was clear which sponsors were advertising in which month's newsletter.... and I could understand it, but my eyes didn't like it.... so I changed it.... and I think I almost caused my bestie to have a heart attack.

Obviously, that's not the case; but we agreed to switch it back once I had gotten the information down in a format that made sense for my own, personal process.

The point I'm making is that working as a team can sometimes be challenging simply because people work in so many different ways.... neither right or wrong, just different. What works for Ann doesn't always work for me, and what works for me doesn't always work for Ann.

Putting on an educational event is one thing. Putting on an educational event that includes a massive exhibit hall is quite another. PLUS, each segment (the educational and and the commercial) have their own intricacies that need special attention.

Make sure your meeting team has taken the time to determine the roles of everyone on the educational side and the commercial side. I would highly recommend that there are distinct teams for education and commercial; BUT, there has got to be a consistent meeting where each keep the other informed because when the event goes down, it's a single unit.

Recently Ann and I have determined that our skillsets and our desired tasks can be segmented into:

If you know Ann and me, personally, I'll let you guess who is taking on what. ;)

Ensure everyone is on board with being respectful in terms of "staying in your lane," but having the freedom to share thoughts and ideas outside your assignments.

When you share thoughts or ideas outside of your assignments, though, you have to be ok with the possibility that they may not be employed. It doesn't mean that they weren't considered; it just means there are other pieces of the big puzzle that doesn't allow that one to fit.

On the same token, it can be easy to dismiss ideas that seem to "throw a wrench" in your plans. Try not to be too quick to toss anything to the side.

For example, I had a friend tell me that my personal client time tracking and invoicing would probably go so much faster if I used this tool called, Toggle. I immediately was against it because I felt my process wasn't complicated enough to require a monthly subscription for something that is relatively simple and doesn't take up too terribly much of my time. BUT, I said I would try it for a week. I was wrong. Toggle rocks and I can't live without it!

You work with (hopefully, lol) people who are very good at what they do. Just because they don't do it the way you would do it, doesn't mean they're doing it wrong - and vice versa!

Ultimately, give your team members the benefit of the doubt that they are working toward your shared vision and there is more than one way to eat a Reese's peanut butter cup. And we all know that is the only thing that truly matters in life.

Sarah Breymeier: beheard@podiatrymeetings.com

Take a minute and think back to your VERY FIRST PODIATRY MEETING. What was your role? Were you already working as a meeting planner/organizer, or were you attending as a physician? Or were you like Ann and me who came into the game as exhibitors?

Share your story and a couple of pics if you've got 'em! Send them to us at beheard@podiatrymeetings.com If you'll allow us, we'd love to share them on our social media channels to tell some great stories and to get more people involved!

Ann and I will get the ball rolling!!!

My first conference was the Podiatry Institute Philadelphia conference in October 2012. I had been with the wound care company for a little over a year. Hunter, the sales manager back then, and I went together.

I have tons of photos but they are all from when Hunter and I went sightseeing around Philly and none include me; apparently, I wasn't a fan of selfies back then. We saw the Liberty Bell, the Rocky Steps, Betsy Ross's house, had a "whiz wit" at Geno's, walked down Ellsworth Alley, and tons more. We walked 20 miles that day. I remember because the next morning I couldn't even get out of bed. My muscles had completely seized up overnight. 

The show was small, in a Hilton Garden Inn or something. The exhibit hall was the small dark foyer area outside the lecture hall. So much has changed since then - mostly the cost of a booth at shows!

I was shy because the whole experience was new to me but everyone was so nice and welcoming. I met Amy Hudak (Langer/Arizona/OHI) at that show and we are still friends but I miss her terribly because she's never on the road anymore! That was also the show where I decided I was in love with Dan Vickers - kidding!

Going to podiatry shows is how I've met most of my friends and I am forever grateful. After that I was on the road as much as they would let me.

I actually want to talk about my first TWO meetings; I didn't realize how epic they were at the time.

My first meeting was the APMA National in Boston in 2011. I had just started as the marketing director for an orthotics lab two months prior. I was asked to go to the show and team up with one of our technology partners. So, I am going to my first conference, by myself, and exhibiting with a group of people I don't even know because they work for a completely different company. If you know me, however, I am used to winging most anything and I am very familiar with the powers of liquid courage.

That first meeting I met a podiatry meeting staple - Jay Cain; and we have continued to work together in some way shape or form from that day until this very moment. It's crazy and fun to think about how you never know who you're going to meet and how/why that meeting will be so impactful to the future of your career.

Look at the three of us TWELVE YEARS LATER!

The 2nd meeting I must bring up is the 2012 FPMA SAM meeting. I have to mention it for two reasons. One, it was at the Caribe Royale and I am just glad that I was able to get there before those glory days were over! I've spoken to several people who remember that conference center and chat about how much it is missed.

Plus, look at me as a baby in 2012 before I forgot the meaning of relaxation during a work trip!

The most hilarious part of this trip, though, was when I was exhibiting at my booth and a person from my high school graduating class walked by! This was Dr. Kurt Glesne who practices in our hometown of Pekin/Peoria, IL. We both stopped in our tracks because we hadn't seen each other in over ten years (since we graduated HS) and now we were both randomly at the same place at the same time 1,000 miles away from our hometown.

I had no idea he had gone to podiatry school and he had no idea I was building a career in podiatry! We both laughed and were very happy to see a familiar face / blast from the past. Wild to say the least.

Email us at beheard@podiatrymeetings.com

SUBJECT LINE: MY FIRST MEETING

Then just tell us your story, what you remember, what you miss, what you still see.... whatever!

I'm not going to waste any time talking about the importance of a polished website - we all know this. We also all know that when you get a new website, it's great... and it doesn't take long for it to become a mess!

Trust me - Ann and I know this pain with our own website(s). As time goes by and you have a completely new set of "things" within your organization that didn't exist when you initially launched, it's hard to keep it clean. Or, it may not be set up to highlight those new, awesome features you have now that didn't exist before. We get it.

It's also not easy to find the time (and sometimes the budget) to dive into website overhaul/redevelopment. In any case, that doesn't mean you can't start thinking about the next step in your online journey and take notice of some organizations who seem to be doing it right.

I've been looking around at some sites recently and have taken notice of a few that you may want to jot down incase you are in a place where timing and budget allows for a change.

Sarah Breymeier: beheard@podiatrymeetings.com

PodiatryMeetings.com presents information about upcoming podiatric events, featured podiatry vendors, exhibiting and travel tips, and more!

Contact us by hitting "reply" or email us directly at BeHeard@podiatrymeetings.com