February 2017

INSIDE CONNECTION JACLYN OLSZEWSKI | Director, Events & Editorial

I am going into my third year at CAI-NJ as the Director of Events & Editorial, and as our events are becoming more streamlined, and our magazine has become a must read in this industry, I am continuously seeking ways to improve the value we provide to our members. The networking event committees including Awards, Spring Break, Golf and Beach Party are all getting underway in the new year, and are successfully developing bigger and better oppor- tunities for growing the events. The Editorial Committee has gone above and beyond in ensuring that the content in each issue of Community Trends ® is better than the next, they have effectively revamped the magazines content, style, look and feel, which has not gone unnoticed in the industry. As interest in attending the CAI events spreads, maxi- mizing your company’s exposure becomes increasingly important. Companies should be taking advantage of these opportunities that we are providing to meet new contacts and generate exposure of their brand. This is my challenge in ensuring that the opportunities are present at each event and in each publication. My goal in this article…YES, is to encourage sponsor- ships and attendance, but also to inform you that there are other outlets for exposure that should also be considered in your marketing plans. As each event is rolled out, our mem- bers begin receiving phone calls about sponsorships and attendance from the event committee members. HELLO! These committee members are reaching out to prospective clients without pushing their business agendas, instead making a new contact while supporting CAI-NJ. Do you see where I am going with this??? Joining a committee is a great way to get some “free” “face time”. Realize that the vendor on the awards committee, calling XYZ Management, may not have had that introduction

"My goal in this article…YES, is to encourage sponsorships and attendance, but also to inform you that there are other outlets for exposure that should also be considered in your marketing plans." to a manager without the opportunity to call on behalf of CAI-NJ to encourage participation in the event. Then once they are both at the event, and meeting in person, a potential business connection is made. Moral of this story… PARTICIPATE! In the Fall, we will be sending out our solicitation for committee members. I understand this is a few months away, but take this time to attend the events and get an understanding of how they run, then… SIGN UP FOR A COMMITTEE! On page 52 of this issue, you can view the publication schedule for Community Trends ® , each month the commit- tee solicits new articles to be published in upcoming issues. Writing an article is branding at no cost, other than your time. Show your peers and clients what you know through educating them in a 1,000-word document that is circulat- ed to more than 1,600 professionals. Not a writer? One of our newest features that you can find on page 36 of this issue is the “Do One Thing Better” section. Here you can provide tips on a topic of your expertise. Check it out! If there is a topic you would like to present, please contact me directly and we will work to publish it in an upcoming issue. CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 61

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