A monthly newsletter for IABC leaders. Please take a look inside for information about the upcoming IABC World Conference, a new certification level, Member Month changes, and more!
2017 World Conference

The World Conference (#IABC17) is quickly approaching and we’re excited to #createconnection in
Washington, D.C. Join us 11–14 June for professional development and an opportunity to connect with communication professionals from
around the world. This year’s theme is Global Business: Lead Communication—Make Real Impact, representing our mission to elevate your career and highlight the global rise of communication as a business-crucial part of the organization. We have an exciting line-up of keynotes and breakout sessions with speakers that align to the IABC Global Standard. Learn more about #IABC17 and view the event schedule on the World Conference website.

Be sure to register by 1 May and you’ll also be entered to win a free, one-year IABC membership! Our discounted hotel block is filling quickly, so be sure to reserve your room at the Washington D.C. Hilton soon. Keep reading for additional information about the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Leaders’ Reception that will be taking place at World Conference.

Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Saturday, 10 June, at 3:30 p.m. EDT at the Washington D.C. Hilton. The AGM will include ratification of the 2017–2018 international executive board slate of officers, a discussion of IABC’s financials (including the audit report), a vote on the revised IABC Bylaws (additional information to be shared in the coming weeks), and a peek at the #IABC1720 strategy. Chapters that will have a representative on site to vote on behalf of the chapter should complete the delegate form. It is important that each chapter has representation to vote during the AGM. If your chapter will not have a representative on site, please contact your region to determine who will be able to serve as a proxy for your chapter. All chapters that will not have a voting delegate should complete the proxy form to let us know who will be voting on behalf of the chapter. Learn more about the AGM on the IABC website.

Leaders' Reception
As a small token of our appreciation to you, our leaders, we invite you to attend the 2017 Leaders’ Reception at the World Conference. Join us for a drink and some hors d’oeuvres to celebrate the accomplishments and hard work that you have contributed to IABC during the past year. The reception will take place on Saturday, 10 June, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. EDT in the Washington D.C. Hilton courtyard. All chapter and region leaders are welcome to attend the reception even if they are not attending the conference. Please be sure to register to attend the reception by 2 June. Additional guest passes can be purchased for US$50.

Senior Communication Management Professional (SCMP) certification
The Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC) is pleased to launch the new certification program, designed for highly skilled business communicators, during the 2017 World Conference. This new certification program is aimed at communicators with 11 or more years of combined experience and education/training in professional business communication. 

The GCCC will offer both the Communication Management Professional (CMP) exam and the SCMP exam on 11 June at the World Conference. Applications to sit for the exam in June must be received by 11 May for consideration. Learn more about these certification programs and how to apply on the newly launched GCCC site.

IABC headquarters updates
Ron Hansen, director of professional development, is no longer with IABC. It is with tremendous gratitude for his service and contributions that we wish him well on his future endeavors.

Join us in welcoming a new director of membership and certification! As you know, the director of membership position has been vacant for several months and we are very excited to report that a new team member will be joining IABC on 1 May 2017 to fill that position. Anniekay Erby, MBA, CAE, is an association professional with over 20 years of experience. Her focus is on membership, certification and marketing. Over her career, she has worked with various trade and healthcare associations to advance their strategy, growth and programming.  Anniekay joins IABC with a deep knowledge of membership recruitment/retention strategy and implementation, as well as extensive work collaborating with chapters. She has also served as the executive director of a certification board and is experienced in progressing and growing certification programs that advance professionals and the fields in which they practice. Please join us in welcoming her to the team and the IABC community.

Congratulations to the 2017 Gold Quill Award winners!
IABC received Gold Quill Award entries from all over the world and is excited to recognize 227 winning entries from 16 countries. The winners of 74 Excellence Awards and 153 Merit Awards will be recognized during the Excellence Awards Gala at the 2017 World Conference. IABC Fellows, and winners of the Jake Wittmer Award, Business Issue Award, and Sharon Berzok Award will also be recognized during the gala.

Learn more about the winners on the Gold Quill website or in the IABC press release . We have also created a toolkit that is available on Leader Centre to make it easier for chapters to find and recognize winners in their area.
Member Month winners and new pilot program for chapters
Thank you to all of the chapters and members who helped promote another successful Member Month. The small, medium and large chapters with the highest percentage of growth during Member Month have won one complimentary 2018 Leadership Institute registration for the incoming president. Congratulations to our winners:
  • Large chapter: Edmonton (7.8 percent growth)
  • Medium chapter: Wellington (3.9 percent growth)
  • Small chapter: Philippines (34.9 percent growth)
In addition to our chapter winners, IABC also raffled off prizes to members who joined/renewed during March and who referred a new member. Congratulations to the winner of the VIP World Conference prize package, Margaret Woodruff, of the Toronto chapter. Kami Spengenberg from the NC Triangle chapter won the US$500 Visa gift card for being an IABC Champion!

Now that IABC has removed the US$40 application fee for new members, you may be wondering what incentives IABC will offer to chapters that wish to hold their own chapter Member Month. We’re excited to pilot a new program in which chapters holding a Member Month campaign will receive a free IABC Academy on-demand workshop registration. Chapters can select one month out of the calendar year to promote Member Month, but must notify IABC HQ by contacting leader_centre@iabc.com at least one month in advance of their intended Member Month. IABC staff will then provide the chapter with a code for a free registration to an on-demand workshop, which you can distribute to your winner. The chapter can choose how they wish to use this free registration. The code may be given away to a member as a part of a drawing, given away at a meeting, etc. The code will be valid for three months and must be used within that time period.

Learn more about this new pilot program by listening to the upcoming Leadership Forum on 10 May at 2 p.m. PDT. Contact us at leader_centre@iabc.com with any questions.

Leadership Forum
The April Leadership Forum has been rescheduled and will now take place on 10 May 2017 at 2 p.m. PDT. The incoming chair of the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC), Deb Hileman, CMP, will be joining the forum to share exciting updates about the work of the council and the launch of the Senior Communication Management Professional (SCMP) certification exam.

Additional topics that will be covered during the forum include World Conference updates, 2017–2020 strategic planning updates, and more.

Don’t forget to save the date for the May forum, which will take place on 31 May at 10 a.m. PDT.
Chapter spotlight: IABC DC Metro

The #IABC17 host chapter, DC Metro, has been working hard to prepare some unique opportunities for World Conference attendees as a part of their role as the host chapter. We asked the chapter president, Tom Sommers, to share some insight into what the D.C. area has to offer to attendees. 

DC Metro shares offbeat attractions during World Conference
An advantage to living in one of the world’s great capital cities is the opportunity to experience some lesser-known, yet compelling, sites, tastes, and mysteries of Washington, D.C.

We have so much to share, and at IABC DC Metro, we’re excited to showcase our region to you, our fellow communicators, during the four-day extravaganza.

Besides standing within steps of the White House, the U.S. Capitol Building, and the Washington Monument, you’ll have time to explore many other sites of history, culture and diverse excitement!
Here’s just a taste of what we’re sharing:

  • Our host neighborhood, DuPont Circle, has a rating of 98 for walkability, 100 for public transportation, and 91 for biking from Walk Score.
  • Our newest museum attracted a million guests within its first four months of operation—see what’s all abuzz.
  • Awe-inspiring architecture and grandeur of the site that hosts Presidential Inaugural Balls every four years
  • Shop where the Obamas buy their books.
  • Giant pandas live one subway stop from our host hotel.
  • Abraham Lincoln lived in the White House. He also had a cottage in northwest D.C.
  • Walk or bike to the District’s national monuments at twilight or after dark—it’s serene, peaceful, and safe.
  • 150 restaurants opened in 2015 alone, meaning plenty of varieties, tastes, and cultures to savor.
  • Walk the always-vibrant, diverse neighborhoods of DuPont Circle, Adams Morgan, H-St corridor, U St., Eastern Market, Georgetown, Alexandria and more.
  • If walking or biking aren’t your thing, you’ll have Uber, Lyft, the Metro (subway/bus), and red DC taxis as options.
  • As you’re touring, stay alert and you may spot a motorcade with foreign diplomats or even the president and his staff. Motorcade tip-offs include suddenly blocked street intersections, sirens, and five police motorcycles, followed by multiple black SUV-type vehicles with flashing lights and sirens. Limousines with world leaders carry flags at the front of the vehicle.

Our IABC DC Metro board and members are looking forward to having you. Come with your enthusiasm and excitement for touring and networking with your new global friends at the conference sessions.

For more information on these and other exciting options, watch for details on the World Conference website. You can also see more information at the hospitality desk at the Washington Hilton.

Important dates
10 June 2017
Washington, D.C.

10 June 2017
Washington, D.C.

11–14 June 2017
Washington, D.C.

2325 August 2017
Novotel, Clarke Quay, Singapore 

2224 October 2017
Kelowna, British Columbia

57 November 2017
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 
Dianne Chase
International Executive Board Chair