A Guide for New Members

Breakfast & Open Networking

When you arrive at 7:30 am, check in at registration, then pick a table get yourself some breakfast and coffee. The meeting proper starts at 8 AM, so you should have time to eat before we get started. If you have any questions or need anything, ask one of the BACN Board members. Rembember to turn off your cell phone!

Verbal Billboards

Most BACN meetings start with a “Verbal Billboard” exercise to introduce you to the other people at your table. One of the BACN board members will lead the exercise and provide any special instructions, which may also be repeated on your table tent. The board member at each tabe goes first to provide an example.  We spend 20-30 minutes on Verbal Billboards.

BACN Bits & Bytes

This 5-10 minute part of the program provides a brief introduction to a new tool available to consultants and helps keep members current on social media and Web 2.0.  Past tools have included tagging, researching keywords, and the Help a Reporter Out e-mail list. Feel free to suggest a tool for this section.

Members’ Forum

This is where BACN members get to draw on the experience of their fellow consultants to help them solve problems like scope creep and how to get clients to follow your advice. This is not a time for self-promotion. “I’m looking for a service provider” is an appropriate question; “I’m looking for clients” is not.

Main Program

The main program at BACN usually starts at 9 am and takes one of three forms: a speaker, a panel discussion, or a workshop. (For workshops, we may extend the meeting time and reduce the length of other parts of our program.) Sometimes we have an extended networking session instead of a speaker.

Announcements

Feel free to make a 30-second pitch for upcoming events that you think BACN members would like to attend. There is a table for displaying event flyers.

Evaluations

Please fill out your evaluation form. We read all of the comments and are especially interested in hearing suggestions for future speakers.

Informal Networking

The meeting room is available for informal networking until about 11:00 AM. After that, feel free to continue your conversation in the restaurant or at the bar.

Printable version of this page.