Client Spotlight: Surfaces in Biomaterials Foundation

This week’s Client Spotlight focuses on a client we have worked with now for 2 years, Surfaces in Biomaterials Foundation (SIBF). SIBF is a foundation dedicated to exploring creative solutions to technical challenges. The group fosters education and multidisciplinary cooperation among industrial, academic, clinical and regulatory communities.

Members of SIBF receive discounted member rates at BioInterface, name recognition in Foundation publications, SurFacts newsletters, and more. This organization is very connected with their community and members. They also host an Annual BioInterface Workshop and Symposium where members are enriched by science and high quality interaction among academic, regulatory and clinical attendees.

Ingrid is SIBF’s Executive Administrator. She supports SIBF’s email management, financials, website updates, and conference planning. She has built a strong relationship with the board and is always on top of everything. We have loved seeing this partnership evolve over the years and look forward to continuing to help grow the foundation.

Post-Conference Game Plan

As an association management company, our staff attends many conferences each year. These conferences can include client work or educational seminars. After attending educational conferences, we have several steps that we take in order to make the most out of our experience. If you aren’t doing the following after every event, we suggest that you start.

1.     Review your notes. At educational events, we often feel the need to write down EVERYTHING. This can lead to a mess of notes scribbled on a notepad. It is important to review your notes after the conference and type them up to be more legible. This will make you more likely to refer back to them and allow them to be easily shared.

2.    Talk about your experience. Speaking of sharing, make sure to let your team in on the fun. Fill them in on any key takeaways. This might spark up ideas for them and could be useful for the whole team. If you have a blog, you can also share what you learned on there. Your notes are already typed up and it would be a great way to engage with people online. Make sure to tag the event and use any hashtags they have.

3.    Define any action items.  After reviewing your notes, you may notice takeaways that you want to implement into your own organization. Make a list of action items that you want to follow through on. This will keep you from forgetting them and will make your time and money put into the conference worth it.

4.    Follow up on connections. If you found yourself talking to the other attendees and enjoying the conversations you had, follow up with them. Add them on LinkedIn or contact them from their business card. These people could be useful to your organization and might forget about your encounter if you don’t reach out shortly after.

If you are attending conferences, you should be ensuring that you get the very most out of each one. By following these steps, you will come away from conferences with new information, networking connections, and inspiration for your organization. Happy conferencing!

Client Spotlight: Nebraskans for Workers’ Compensation Equity & Fairness

Sharing more about our clients has been a blast so far and we are excited for you to get to know another! The Nebraskans for Workers’ Compensation Equity & Fairness (NWCEF) joined us in 2018. This organization was set in place to analyze workers’ compensation laws and issues, and to seek equitable means of providing workers’ compensation coverage. The goal of NWCEF is to promote balance to workers’ compensation in Nebraska.

Members of NWCEF strongly believe in their mission. Their dues help NWCEF defend against trial lawyers and union initiatives, keeping insurance rates as low as possible. They also receive up to date information on Nebraska’s workers’ compensation system to better prepare them for any challenges. Members are provided members-only information, are able to participate in members-only discussions online, and are able to attend the annual seminar at no cost.

Here at Impact, we work hard to ensure things run smoothly for NWCEF. Our mission is to support their mission. Heather is the Executive Administrator for NWCEF and manages NWCEF’s inbox, financials, website updates, meetings, and member communication. Heather understands the needs of NWCEF and keeps an open line of communication in order to fulfill those needs.

6 Ways to Make your Next Conference Call More Efficient

Conference calls can be a great way for the Board of Directors to meet without coming to one central location. The convenience of them saves time and energy that in-person meetings might exhaust. Conference calls, however, can still often get derailed and take longer than necessary. Below are a list of ways to make your next conference call more efficient.

1.     Test the program. It is important to test the software before beginning a call. Make sure all participants are provided the dial in codes and ensure everything is running properly before the call. This step of preparation will keep the calling running smoothly and will avoid the risk of wasting the time of other participants if difficulties arise.

2.     Prepare an agenda. This is another step that can and should be taken before beginning the call. Write out an agenda that outlines the necessary talking points. You should also include a list of attendees that will be on the call. This eliminates the guessing game of trying to piece together who is talking. Things might not go exactly as planned but at least you can double check that everything that needed to be covered is covered.

3.     Be on time. The time is set based on the participants availability. Because of this,  you should be free to join the call and the start time. If you are late, you could be running into the time that other people are not available. It can also cause a disturbance at the beginning of the call. The participants may not know how long to wait for you before getting started and an interruption of you joining the call and needing to be caught up can slow things down. Be ready to go right at the start time and encourage others to do the same!

4.     Find a quiet place. There is nothing worse than hearing a tv blasting, a dog barking, or a kid crying on the other end of a conference call. Find the quietest place in office or home and block out all noises for the length of the call.

5.     Know when to mute and when not to mute. Speaking of quiet, do not forget the mute feature on your phone. Once you have introduced yourself, put your phone on mute to eliminate background noise. Be sure to keep up with whether you are muted or not. When asked a question, be ready to un-mute yourself and answer in a timely manner.

6.     Focus. It is easy to find yourself zoning out or working on other tasks while on the call, however, the call should be your number one priority. The call is in place for a reason and should be as important as an in person meeting. Providing your full attention is respectful and will keep you better informed.

Following these simple steps should keep things on time and well-organized.