October is Member Month at IABC
It’s time to roll up our sleeves and focus on connecting communication professionals with the best of what IABC has to offer . Our theme for October Member Month is “Expand Your Impact.” The focus is on helping communication professionals at every career level connect with the right benefits and resources to expand their impact in their organization’s results and their careers. A toolkit is available on Leader Centre to help you recruit and retain members during October and beyond. Check back often as new resources are added.

Once again, IABC will offer a 10 percent discount on international dues during Member Month and incentives for those who join/renew, refer new or rejoining members, and for the small, medium, and large chapters with the greatest overall membership growth and the highest retention rate for memberships expiring in October.
Chapter Management Awards
The Chapter Management Awards (CMAs) program is an opportunity to showcase your board’s chapter management strategies. A CMA Task Force recently wrapped up its work to make the program more valuable to you. The portal for submission will open in October, but chapters can start preparing entries now with the guidance of the revised CMA manual . We’ll reach out to let you know when the portal is open, along with some exciting changes to the CMA program. Stay tuned!
Start preparing for your trip to the 2019 Leadership Institute
The 2019 Leadership Institute (LI) is taking place in sunny Long Beach, California from 7–9 February. It would be fantastic if all IABC chapters could send at least one representative for this leadership development training and chance to connect with peers from around the world. Go ahead and reserve a room at the Hotel Maya under the group rate of US$224 per night. Registration for LI will open in October at US$199. Additional details about the 2019 LI program will be available on Leader Centre in the coming weeks.
World Conference call for speakers deadline is 12 October - Apply to speak, recommend keynotes and spread the word to your network
The call for speakers for the 2019 IABC World Conference closes 12 October, so now is the time to submit a proposal or encourage those in your network to apply.
 
 The theme of this year’s conference, happening 9 – 12 June in Vancouver, British Columbia, is "Think Forward." Are you an expert in an area on the cusp of blowing up, or do you know someone who is? Do you have experiences or perspectives that will help the communication leaders of today and tomorrow? Then we want you to apply to be a presenter. You can also recommend a keynote speaker or pass the information along to others who might make great speakers.
 
Spread the word and get applications in by 12 October. 
Certification scholarships
It’s happened! The IABC Foundation is giving scholarships for certification: US$600 to qualified applicants. Members in financial need who want to earn the Communication Management Professional (CMP) or the Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) certification can apply for a scholarship through 17 December 2018. Priority will be given to members residing in developing nations (as designated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund) as well as those who live in areas significantly impacted by a natural disaster.

For more information, please view the Gift of Excellence briefing packet . If you’re ready to apply, start your application here . First-time users of the system will be prompted to sign up with their email before accessing the entry form.
Save the date for the October Leadership Forum
The October Leadership Forum will take place on Wednesday, 17 October, at 3 p.m. PST. Information on how to access the forum can be found on Leader Centre , and additional information about the topics for the October forum will be added in the coming weeks. 
IABC Gold Quill Awards
The IABC Awards Committee has updated the categories and descriptions for the IABC Gold Quill Awards 2019 program. To learn more about these changes and the updated categories, visit the Gold Quill Awards website .
Important dates
17 – 19 October 2018
Nashville, Tennessee

24 – 25 October 2018
Johannesburg

11 – 13 November 2018
Richmond, Virginia
7 – 9 February 2019
Long Beach, California

11 – 12 February 2019
EMENAComm19
Manama, Bahrain

9 – 12 June 2019
Vancouver, British Columbia
Ginger D. Homan, ABC, SCMP
IABC Chair