President's Message
by Shayna Stillman

Greetings!

I hope your summer was great and that you made some time for fun, rest and relaxation! Your IASB Board of Directors was busy this summer and met in Chicago on August 19th to discuss issues of importance to your association. Jim Montoya and Pam Bernard were present and ran a great meeting for us. Rich Gibbons, Kelly Eger, Keila Hine, Rich Tiller and Duane Ward all attended and offered valuable contributions to the agenda.

Much of the meeting focused on plans for the 2007 IASB Annual Meeting. Taking our cue from results of the surveys conducted after the 2006 meeting in Indianapolis, we have formulated a tentative agenda to include topics and activities requested by members. 2007 promises to be another outstanding meeting with relevant topics for all.

Many thanks to Gail Davis of Gail Davis & Associates, who has generously accepted the role as Convention Chair for 2007. Gail has many exciting and innovative ideas that will enhance the experience for everyone. Gail participated in a conference call during our recent Board meeting as we discussed the agenda and formulated plans.

We will be including sessions on Taxes/Contracts, Co-brokering, and Ethics. The Taxes/Contract Session at the 2006 meeting was the most highly rated session and we plan to offer updates to this pressing issue. Co-brokering was another highly requested session and we will be putting together a panel of experts to answer your questions and provide guidance on the best approach for successful co-brokering.

Ethics continues to be a topic of strong interest and the Board believes ethics is a key factor in the importance of membership in IASB. IASB stands for professionalism and integrity and many comments in several recent surveys indicate members want more opportunity to discuss this important topic.

I never cease to be amazed at the continued skepticism about bureaus in the marketplace. There are buyers who do not trust bureaus and believe working with a bureau can be risky. IASB is finding opportunities to educate the marketplace about IASB Members and our dedication to integrity and professionalism. Together we can all help to reshape perception in the marketplace and enhance the value of IASB membership.

Networking was the top reason members attend our convention and we are going to include more networking opportunities than ever in 2007.

We will be scheduling sessions of interest to both owners and staff on Friday and Saturday to reduce time out of the office for the greatest number of attendees. We hope more staff will attend in 2007, as education is a key to business growth.

Please save the dates of April 26-28, 2007 to attend the next IASB Convention. I hope to see you all in Ft. Worth.

Take care and best wishes,
Shayna Stillman

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3-Question Survey Summary

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT IASB?

A number of answers were given for this question. However, the overwhelming response was "NETWORKING!" Being in the speakers bureau business, one can feel rather isolated. Coming to the annual convention and having the opportunity to network with professional colleagues is at the top of the list. Plans are underway to enhance the networking potential at the 2007 Convention in Fort Worth, Texas next spring. Be sure you put it on your calendar (April 26-28, 2007). Networking will be outstanding at the convention and tools will be provided to assist with networking throughout the year.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST?

Of course, there were varied responses. However, several of those responding felt the cost of membership and the cost of the convention was too high. This becomes a tough issue to address as perspectives vary with the membership. As trade associations go, IASB is very small with a budget of just $140,000. The dues income makes up just 37% of the budget. The convention registration budget is $25,400, which is just 18% of the total budget. As a result of advertising sales, exhibitors and some major sponsorships, for the first time in the last 4 years the convention showed a profit. When you consider the fees that our keynote speakers normally receive, we could never afford to have them on our program if we were to pay them to be there. In addition, IASB provides a high level of AV support for all those on the program. It goes way beyond the early days of plugging a Radio Shack wireless mic receiver into the hotel sound system and having a carousel slide projector and overhead projector available for the speakers. The overall quality of the convention has become first class and helps support the image of IASB being on the cutting edge of the industry.

The management fee for IASB is $62,700. That covers the salary for 2 part-time staff people and office overhead. Even though the staff is part-time they remain available to IASB on a full-time basis. As a result of Jim Montoya, IASB Executive Vice President, serving as the chief staff officer for 14 years, IASB has been able to maintain continuity in its management and programs. Jim is able to respond to the press, represent the association on the Convention Industry Council (CIC) Board and provide a professional image for the association. It has been through Jim's leadership that the Board of Governors has been able to continue to move forward and build on the past, even with the transitions of the elected officers and board members. Jim and his assistant, Pam Bernard, are dedicated to serving the association and presenting the best image possible for the industry. Without the paid staff, IASB would not hold the stature in the industry that the association now enjoys.

IT'S YOUR SHIP, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IF YOU COULD?

There were a total of 26 responses to this question and interestingly, there were 26 different ideas that were offered. The Board has been looking at the suggestions to see which ones might be implemented right away, i.e. "Have our education going over the year and not trying to squeeze it into 2 days..." Other ideas may take longer, i.e. bringing all member bureaus up to the level of being "a trusted advisor as opposed to a marketer," and in some cases the ideas have been tried with limited success, i.e. "How about a chat room specifically for members."

Your participation in the surveys that IASB sends out is very much appreciated and provides great value to the association. Your responses are read, discussed and when appropriate, acted on. So, please keep up the good work and continue to let the Board and Staff know what's on your mind. You can make a difference.

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by Karen Harris, Education Committee Chair

SEPTEMBER LAUNCH- Continuing Education Program!

IASB is kicking off the Continuing Education Program with a BANG! Our guests will be Mary Power, President and CEO of the Convention Industry Council and Tom Domine, MPI's Director of Publications and Editor in Chief of The Meeting Professional. Mark your calendars now for Tuesday, September 26, 2006 - huddle your team around a speaker phone and learn about ROI / ROO - The Buzz in the Meeting Industry.

Mary and Tom will give their perspective on the impact of ROI/ROO in the meeting industry.
- How has it changed the responsibilities of the meeting professional?
- How is it affecting their workload?
- How are industry professionals measuring ROI/ROO?
- What can speaker bureaus do to assist industry professionals to alleviate some of the pain?

Watch your Inbox for details re time, cost (which will be nominal) and how to register!

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Membership News/Please Welcome Our Newest Members

Creative Artists Agency
Peter Jacobs
Beverly Hills, CA
310-288-4545
pjacobs@caa.com

The Speaker Agency
Seth Dechtman
4764 F La Villa Marina
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

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Did You Know?

According to Meetings and Conventions 2006 Meetings Market Report, associations spent an average of $465,000 on their major conventions. Speakers, entertainment and A/V made up 14% of those expenditures. That would be an average of $65,100 per convention.

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IASB CONVENTION - APRIL 26-28, 2007 FORT WORTH, TEXAS