January: Biggest Month of the Year for the FCS

Earlier this month, the FCS held our 13th Annual Race for Kids charity ski weekend at the beautiful Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont. (Yes, there was snow… in fact, there was plenty for our dozens of skiers and snowboarders who raced!) There was also a whole host of people from our industry enjoying a few days with friends and family, clients and colleagues. We welcomed more than 320 guests in all, but that's only one way to measure the success of the event.

As a fundraiser, this year’s Race for Kids is expected to result in another six-figure donation to our three charities: Hope & Heroes, Downey Side, and Make A Wish. The amount will be announced at the FCS Portfolio Awards Gala (May 16th). Part of those funds includes more than $18,000 raised over the weekend through two nights of raffles and both silent and live auctions.

From a business perspective, what makes us most proud of our "Summit in the Snow" is the continued popularity of our two-day Fireside Forums. Moderated and organized by Bill Wreaks, CEO/Chief Analyst of The Gramercy Institute, the discussions addressed key topics for today's marketers:
• Mobile & Tablet Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Global Branding
• Strategic Media
More than 60 people attended each day's Forum. The panelists included:
• Lisa Adams, Allen & Gerritsen
• Gordy Abel, JP Morgan Chase
• Rich Aneser, Lincoln Financial
• Chris Bacon, Morgan Stanley
• Jay Bartlett, Xerox
• Tom Brookbanks, MEC
• David Goodsell, Netixis
• Jon Humphreys, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
• Michael Lacorazza, TD Ameritrade
• Tim Mickelbrough, Thomson Reuters
• Eric Van den Heuval, The Gate
• Meredith Verdone, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
• Damon Webber, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
As added value, Daniel Rothman, the FT's Director of Research-Americas, engaged the audience each day in a presentation of his recent findings on consumer behavior and mobile media.

One of the highlights of the weekend was a Saturday performance of The Passing Zone, a two man juggling comedy team. The duo had the 200+ person audience laughing on the edge of their seats as they juggled chain saws and knives and rat-traps! The proceeds from the show were donated to Friends of Stowe Adaptive Sports, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for persons living with a disability residing in Vermont or visiting Stowe Mountain Resort through access to winter sports and recreational activities.

On behalf of the Race for Kids chairs, Tim Hart and Ahmed Yearwood, and their committee, thank you to all who came to Stowe for the FCS’ annual capstone event, that so successfully brings together the three pillars of our mission: Community, Education, and Philanthropy.

The second reason January is our biggest month is the annual FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Gala Luncheon. On the 26th, we’ll present this 6th annual award to Liberty Mutual Insurance. Paul Alexander, Senior Vice President, Communications, will be on hand to accept the trophy. The event, sponsored by CNBC, with an opening reception sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, is expected to sell out again with more than 200 guests filling the famed New York Yacht Club with an energy strong enough to last the whole year. At the luncheon, we’ll welcome CNBC’s Bill Griffeth, co-anchor of “Closing Bell” as the keynote speaker. There will also be several special announcements and free raffles for attendees and FCS members. To reserve your ticket, go to http://www.fcsinteractive.com/. Following the event, I’ll provide more details on the gala with a new blog posting.

BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE...
But just because January will be our biggest month, that doesn't mean the year is over. In fact, we’ve just begun. 2012 is the 45th Anniversary of the Financial Communications Society, and it’s our goal to make it the biggest year ever for the FCS. In addition to our chapter events in New York and Chicago, there will be multiple events in San Francisco, Boston and Toronto. Nearly 40 events are planned for this year, but we can’t do it without you. This is your year to get involved. It doesn’t take a lot of time to help us organize an event or activity, and the rewards are both personally and professionally fulfilling. I invite you to contact me today to learn how you can make the most of your membership!