Gearing up for Vegas

As with most things it seems like everything is much farther away than they are, like the objects in mirror are closer than they appear warning. But here we are less than a week away from the 2012 GIS in Las Vegas. I have been asked to do a presentation in the Chapter Executives track on the Communication efforts of the MiGCSA. I have been involved with the communications with the chapter since the day the committee was formed. I believed then as I do now that this is the fulcrum of the MiGCSA. Just as it becomes an issue at a golf course when people do not know what is going on, without proper and easy communication to decision makers you absolutely can not succeed.

As I write this I am taking a break from my power point, I am getting to the point where I will cover this Blog. I am the first to admit it is the weakest of the MiGCSA communication. Like many people in this age I lean towards the quick concise routes of Email, Facebook and Twitter.

This will be my first time attending GIS not as a Superintendent I am not sure what to expect. Add to this presenting to a group of my new piers may be a little nerve racking. I have done presentations in the past to Superintendents on turf, which is something I have more experience with. However I feel that the MiGCSA has a great story to tell. The fact that it exists from the 4 original chapters is amazing, and the way we use so many ways to make our information available to the members is well ahead of many other chapters. So it is my hope and goal to help other chapters to move ahead into the new digital social media age, if they are not there. It can be intimidating, and can be easily dismissed as trivial. Many people have a view of Twitter and Facebook of their teenage daughter constantly on their phone wasting time. But even thought it may be a small percentage of members who are on Facebook or Twitter now it is a terrible mistake to not prepare for future members. Think back to the mid 90's, how many members used Email? Probably about as many as are using Facebook now. So using that same curve it will likely be the main form of communication in the next 10 years. In doing research for this presentation I found some startling facts,take 1:45 to see the video below.

Pretty amazing way to communicate. I am looking forward to presenting this data to other Chapter Executives and how they can use it for themselves.

Of course I hope everyone joins us at The Las Vegas Hotel and Casino on Wednesday night for the MiGCSA Gathering featuring the Bronk Brothers concert. See you in Vegas!