GovMark Gazette

Caroline's Council Connection

The increasing oversight of government conferences continued this month with the announcement by DoD that it is banning all entertainment, swag, and gift related expenses for conferences. This comes in the wake not only of the infamous GSA Vegas event, but also OMB's memo prohibiting agencies from spending more than $500,000 on any conference, and the VA's embarrassment at having top leadership called out for wasteful spending, lack of accountability, and poor management when it came to training conferences held by the Department

While increased oversight and attention to conference and travel planning internally by government agencies has been the focus, the trickledown effect for industry partnerships and programs is top of mind for many marketers who have significant budget investments made in government conferences and tradeshows – see ELC RIP.

2012 Offsite – It's Transition Time

The cool weather and crisp fall leaves only mean one thing for the GovMark Council – it is almost time for our annual offsite event. With only one month left, the Council is busy gearing up for our biggest (and favorite) event of the year on November 29-30, 2012 at Keswick Hall in Charlottesville, Va.

No matter what the results of the November 6 presidential election, it will impact our government IT marketing plans. This year's program is quickly shaping up with sessions on post-election adjustments, how to secure marketing budget dollars, and the latest creative marketing strategies and best practices in video marketing. We will also have an executive panel of industry peers discuss what avenues government marketers are turning to in the post-tradeshow era.

Steve O'Keeffe's My Cup of IT – Shaken Not Stirred

It's ELC time again. And yes, I plan to go - despite ELC RIP post. So there'll be fewer govies - more elbow room at the bar...

ELC is all about meeting and greeting - building relationships. Am I the only one that's increasingly confused about how to say hello? Rock, paper, scissors - comfort of the handshake is being stirred up by new informalities. Are men and women supposed to hug? If so, when? Do we transition to the hug hello after six months or six years? What if you go for the hug and they go for the shake? How do you recover? What if it's vice versa? You lead with the hand and see the hug coming - do you make a grab for the hand or kiss the cheek? Are you actually supposed to kiss the cheek - or will cheek-to-cheek action cut the mustard? Is flu season a good enough excuse to bow?

Member Spotlight on Chris Neff

We are pleased to feature GovMark member Chris Neff, vice president of marketing at NIC, in this quarter's member spotlight. This Michigan native and University of Michigan alum has been working in marketing for the last 22 years. He specializes in consumer marketing, sales, brand management, eCommerce, website and app development, product marketing, and strategic messaging.

Chris was kind enough to answer some questions on his experience in the marketing industry, provide some advice for those just starting out, and share his lifelong goal of making the perfect Lebanese feast.

Holiday Dish from Keswick Hall

Executive Banquet Chef John Ward at Keswick Hall graciously shared a fall inspired recipe to prepare for the upcoming holiday season. Think this sounds delicious? Join us at the offsite in the end of November and get a chance to taste even more recipes from the talented chefs at Keswick Hall. Enjoy!

Click here to get the full recipe for Apple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash.

Research and Resources

• MeriTalk's "The Encryption Enigma Report" (10/9/2012)
• U.S. Census Bureau's, "Home-Based Workers in the U.S." report (10/4/2012)
• Telework Exchange's "Fly Me to Your Room: Government Video Conferencing Collaboration Report" (9/24/2012)
• MeriTalk's "Mission-Critical Cloud: Ready for the Heavy Lift?" report (9/18/2012)
• immixGroup's "Selling in the Federal Market: A Guide for Technology Executives"
• Federal Computer Week, "Employees Can't Do Their Jobs Effectively Without Their Mobile Devices"

Share your resources, research, and news with the Council – send items to Emily Smalling by January 16, 2013 for inclusion in the next issue.

Upcoming Events and Webinars

• November 7: Symantec's Government Symposium
• November 8: MeriTalk's Data Center Exchange Quarterly Meeting and Field Trip, NOAA Environmental Security Computing Center (NESCC), Fairmont, W.Va.
• November 13: MeriTalk's Cloud Computing Exchange Quarterly Meeting
• November 29-30: GovMark Council's "Transition Time – 2012 GovMark Offsite Conference"

Want your events and webinars to be highlighted in the next Gazette? Send information to Emily Smalling by January 16, 2013. We look forward to hearing from you. Catch upcoming events in real time on our LinkedIn group.

Jobs

Have a new position that you're looking to fill? Let us know! We'll post open positions here and on the GovMark LinkedIn group. Please send information to Emily Smalling by January 16, 2013 for inclusion in the next issue.