#NAMPC

Thanks to generous scholarships and supportive mentors, I was able to attend The National Arts Marketing Project Conference (NAMPC) in Louisville (Loo-ah-vull), KY. If we didn't get a chance to meet face-to-face OR we did and you simply can't remember the hundreds of names that ran through your ears - My name is Marissa Kurtzhals (aka @immastereo). I am the Social Media Specialist at Eastern Michigan University Theatre and I'm currently working on my undergrad in Arts Management.

Here's What I Learned at NAMPC

1) Conferencing is Intense.

Waking up served its challenges. Between the traveling, amazing conversations, informative seminars, and lots and lots of free food - fellow NAMPC-ers can probably relate to my thoughts every morning, "How am I going to make it through today?" Most of us relied on outside resources for that critical boost...

2) Arts Marketers Love Their Coffee.

Once that first sip hit my lips - I WAS GOOD TO GO! There were power stations (free coffee) throughout the day which had long lines stretched before them filled with rabid #caffeinejunkies.

3) Twitter is Awesome (Yes @unmarketing...Awesome).

One of my goals for the conference: Be Better With Twitter. Mission accomplished! My followers more than doubled and I was able to meet up with the marketing director of Stratford Shakespeare Festival just by tweeting her! It got to the point that I knew more people by their twitter names, than I did their actual names (@fuzzydinosaur, @littlewhits).  

4) Everyone Else Thinks Twitter is Awesome (a Little TOO Awesome).

If you were tweeting at NAMPC - I don't really need to explain...WE TOOK OVER TWITTER! We took it over so much that we couldn't even use it! Looking back, this makes me proud, but at the time - I was not happy with this inconvenience. Luckily, I got my nerd on the day before and created a NAMPC Twitter list (@immastereo/namp) of all the tweeters who were tweeting about NAMPC. The list was able to take the lead when the hash tag - #NAMPC experienced a tremendous surge and people followed my list! Did you hear that @EMUTheatre?? They were following MY list!

5) Curiosity is Key.

As you've clearly noticed by now, this is not by any means a comprehensive summary of the content that was offered at the conference. However, I would like to share some substantial pieces of info I gathered.

• You can (and should) tailor dynamic pricing to your organization.
• Google Analytics is a must.
• Your brand is determined by your audience.
• Seriously, stop shouting on social media sites.
• When it hits the fan - it's not time to hide behind the fan - it's time to be awesome.

6) Theatre People are My People.

On Saturday, the lunch tables were labeled so you could choose with which group to chat. Some of the tempting options included Emerging Leaders, Blogging, Advertising, and Visual Arts. I began frightfully wandering throughout the room - scanning every table - and came across...ONE OF THE THEATRE TABLES! Everyone was extremely friendly (as you can see) and we had great conversations!

7) It Doesn't Come Often...But NAMPC Sleep is Beautiful.

A belly full of room service and a brain full of ideas...this girl slept HARD every night. (This bed was more comfortable then my bed at home.)

8) Connections are Priceless.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the conference early and get back to reality (school). But on my way back to Ypsilanti, Michigan, I stopped at Danelle Cheney's apartment in Cincinnati. Danelle is a graphic designer at the Cincinnati Art Museum and one of my best pals. She let me stay with her and made me breakfast for dinner. What a pal. I met so many amazing people from some notable organizations (The Public Theater, Long Wharf Theater, Jacob's Pillow, and Arena Stage). AND I chatted with Bob Lynch...I felt like I was meeting a celebrity.

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped me prepare for my trip! Dr. Bill Fennal, Ken Stevens, Pam Cardell, Susan Badger Booth, Katherine Myers, August Rosa, Wendy Kivi, Emily Clarkson, Danelle Cheney, and Mama K.

(excuse my gigantic looking finger and check out EMU Theatre's blog!!)